Feast of the Last Harvest

Feast Of The Last Harvest

(October 29th)

SPECIAL NOTES: Samhain was the third of three Harvest festivals in Ireland, Lughnasadh and Mabon being the first two. By Samhain the crops had been harvested from the fields so the hardest work was over. With a plentiful supply of food on hand, a feast was a natural. This ritual, The Feast of the Last Harvest, celebrates plant life, and so the meal should feature fruits, vegetables, grains and bread. If you don't have time for an eight course meal, sandwiches and a piece of fruit will fit the bill just fine. This is the day our family gets our pumpkin. We're fortunate enough to have a farm close by where we can actually walk the fields and choose. I like to take this time to talk with the kids about the last harvest. They can see that the fields are empty and plowed under, the flowers are dead and dried, the trees are almost bare of their fall colors. If you can get outside with the kids for a fall walk, be sure to collect an armful of dried grass or straw to make your figure of Old Man Winter, an important part of this ritual. Even if you live in the city or in a region that doesn't get "fall" weather there are seasonal changes going on all around you. If nothing else store fronts are being redecorated. Take a walk and share this wonderful time with your children. This is also a great time to tell the story of Demeter and Persephone. This ancient story was how the Greeks explained the changing of the seasons. I'll include it at the end, along with directions for how to make Old Man Winter.

EXTRA SUPPLIES: Two taper candles, one white and one black, and the figure of Old Man Winter, which you'll have made earlier in the day.

Begin your ritual by ringing the bell to establish Sacred Space. The child chosen to be Bell Ringer rings the bell three times and says:

I ring the bell

To cast the spell

Let sacred time begin

1 - 2 - 3

So mote it be

Let sacred time begin.

Then an Adult casts the Circle by saying:

Great Mother,

Weave around us

A circle of radiant light

Where we can honor

Our Lord and Lady.

Protect us, guide us and love us.

Tell the kids to imagine a silvery-blue light surrounding the table to create a Circle. Explain that this "Circle of Light" means we want to make this a sacred place to honor the Goddess and God. Explain that a Sacred Place doesn't have to be a church. It can be in your dining room, a special spot in the forest, or even at school, as long as you show the respect and honor the Goddess and God deserve by creating your Sacred Space first. Next we "Call the Quarters." Explain that this is asking the Ancient Ones to add their powers to ours to make our Circle stronger. The child chosen to be Candle Lighter lights the yellow candle and says:

I call to you

Ancient Ones of the East

Guardian Spirits of Air

To witness this ritual and guard this Circle

The child chosen to be Candle Lighter lights the red candle and says:

I call to you

Ancient Ones of the South

Guardian Sprits of Fire

To witness this ritual and guard this Circle.

The child chosen to be Candle Lighter lights the blue candle and says:

I call to you

Ancient Ones of the West

Guardian Spirits of Water

To Witness this ritual and guard this Circle.

The child chosen to be Candle Lighter lights the green candle and says:

I call to you

Ancient Ones of the North

Guardian Spirits of Earth

To witness this ritual and guard this Circle.

Next the Adult says:

The Circle has been cast

The Ancient Ones have been called

Now it is time to welcome

The Goddess and the God.

Great Mother,

Whose symbol is the bright night moon,

Heavenly father,

Whose symbol is the fiery sun,

We ask you to join our family

For this Feast of the Last Harvest.

This night, as with the next two, you will light the black and white candles and use them to discuss this changing time of the year. The candles are symbolic of the fires or our ancestors. There aren't may of us who could build bonfires to celebrate the Sabbats the way our ancestors did, but lighting a candle can mean the same thing. The colors we choose are symbolic too. Light the black candle first and ask your children for some ideas of what the color might stand for. Some suggestions: the dark, cold, Winter and death. And what if someone says black stands for evil? Now would be a good time to set that idea straight. Witches wore black when they celebrated ritual not because they were evil or devil worshippers, as the new religion would have people think, but as protection. Wrapped in a black cloak, early Wiccans and Pagans could worship under the moon and not be seen. The black embraced them and they could blend into the shadows, safe from curiosity seekers and those who would do them harm. Now light the white candle and discuss those aspects. White can stand for light, warmth, Spring and life. In ancient times a fire was kept burning all night long to drive away the dark and whatever wild beasts might be lurking around. Remind your children of a time when there wasn't any electricity. Our candles represent the triumph of light over dark, as well as the heat we will need in the cold winter months ahead.

The adult says:

This is the first night of Samhain

The Feast of the Last Harvest.

Summer is Over

The flowers that gave us their beauty

The fruits and vegetables that we ate

Have passed away with the season.

Now it is time to prepare for winter.

The adult takes up the figure of Old Man Winter and says:

Welcome Winter, to our home

Everyone repeats:

Welcome Winter, to our home.

The adult continues:

The Wheel of the Year has turned again

And Winter has returned

Bringing with him the cold and the dark.

It is a hard time for the Earth,

For the men and the women,

For the animals and the plants.

But it is a necessary part of the cycle of life.

Explain how the Earth needs time in between growing seasons to replenish herself, to replace the nutrients and vitamins this year's harvest has taken out of the soil. Tell what happens to the plants with the arrival of winter. Some shrivel up and look dead, but they're really still alive under the ground waiting for the return of Spring to bloom once again. Others really do die, but they drop their seeds so new plants will be reborn in the spring. Both these examples point to the cycle of life, death and rebirth, and set the tone for the rest of our Samhain rituals.

Now the adult puts the figure of Old Man Winter where he will reside for the next few months. This can be on a shelf or hanging on the wall, but if possible it should be in the room where your family usually does their ritual. Once the figure is settled say: Winter will stay here until the Wheel Has turned passed this season. We await the return of Spring And the celebration of Beltane When the Sun will warm the Earth And Old Man Winter will die again. Now you can serve dinner having a discussion about the relevance of this Feast of the Last Harvest. Talk about how our ancestors couldn't just go shopping at the grocery store to get their food. All their fruits and vegetables on the table had to be grown in their own gardens. The bread came from wheat from their own fields. They had to grind it into flour and then bake their own bread. All the dairy products had to come from their own cows. Milk was collected and then turned into cream and butter and cheese. Help your children understand how much hard work went into getting ready for Winter. Our ancestors did not have an easy life. There were no grocery stores. If you were going to make it through the winter you had to grow enough food to feed your whole family until spring, when the new crops could be planted. Sometimes the ancestors stretched their food supplies by hunting or fishing, but if they ran out of food, that was it. They had to go hungry. It wasn't like today, when you can go to a grocery store 7 days a week and buy whatever you need. People back then depended on the Earth for their survival. That's why they took such good care of her. Because we get most of our food from the grocery store, many people forget that we still count on her. The food we eat doesn't just magically appear. Farmers have to grow it and every piece is a gift from the Earth. One other point that is important to note, although we talk about Winter coming into our homes on this day, the first day of winter is actually two months away. The winter solstice (about December 21st) is the first official day of winter. But on that day we will celebrate the return of the Sun and the turning of the light, making the days longer.

When dinner is over it is time to close the ritual. Explain to the children that the ritual is over. Now it is time to thank the Ancient ones for their help and their guidance.

The Candle Snuffer says:

Thank you and farewell

Ancient Ones of the East

Guardian Spirits of Air

Go in Peace.

( Extinguish the yellow candle.)

The Candle Snuffer says:

Thank you and farewell

Ancient Ones of the South

Guardian Spirits of Fire

Go in Peace.

(Extinguish the red candle.)

The Candle Snuffer says:

Thank you and farewell

Ancient Ones of the West

Guardian Spirits of Water

Go in Peace.

(Extinguish the blue candle.)

The Candle Snuffer says:

Thank you and farewell

Ancient Ones of the North

Guardian Spirits of Earth

Go in Peace.

(Extinguish the green candle.)

Then the Adult says farewell to the Goddess and the God:

We thank you God and Goddess

For sharing this special time

With our family.

May we keep you in our hearts,

And follow your path of love

Every day.

Blessed be!

Now the Bell Ringer rings the bell three times to release the Sacred Space and says:

I ring the bell,

Release the spell

And Sacred Time will end.

1 - 2 - 3

So mote it be,

Until we meet again.

Explain that this is the signal that Sacred Time is over. The Circle has been released and the Sacred Space is no more. That means the dining room goes back to being just a normal dining room. Now the Adult says:

The Circle is open

And yet it remains a Circle.

Around and through us

Always flow its magical powers.

This ritual is over.