It is almost Lammas

Here are Klimt's beautiful sunflowers, and Terry has been bringing us the bounty of the Earth, it is not hard to feel the gratitude of the season! Here is Starhawk's explanation of the holiday. Her words seem especially meaningful this year.

Lammas
Lammas is the ancient Celtic festival at the beginning of harvest time. "Lughnasad" is the Irish name for this festival; it was a time of fairs, trading and celebration.
Now, when the days grow visibly shorter and the sun seems to decline, the crops ripen. So too, when we work for justice, when we have expended huge energies to bring about change, the results often come only when the tides of enthusiasm and urgency seem to be ebbing. When the marching and the shouting die away, public opinion quietly shifts.
Lammas means 'loaf-mass', the festival where we honor and celebrate the grain and the food that sustains our life. In a just world, no one would go hungry. All people would have access to good quality food - organic, fresh, local, and truly nourishing.
The grain stands golden in the fields, but has not yet been gathered in. We stand poised between hope and fear. Lammas is a time of consequence, when we reap what we have sown. Globally, we are now reaping the consequences of decades of injustice, of neglect, and exploitation of the earth. Will we make the change, in time to avert disaster? Will we reap destruction, or harvest a new world based on harmony, balance and love? Our choices and actions will tip the scales.
- Starhawk 2007

Triad

A Million little pieces...

30 Seconds to Mars in Atlanta April 29, 2010

We walked over to the show as it was getting dark. I was worried they might give me trouble about bringing the presents in, but the guy at the door was very sweet. The Tabernacle was amazing. An old church, the interior has been painted on every surface. It was packed with people. I really think they should have played the Fox. Next time! We went to the upper level and discovered that there were no seats to be had, so I asked about the handicapped area, and eventually we ended up over on the left side (Tomo’s side) um, Jared’s right, right even with the stage. We had a great view.

More importantly, considering the heat in the place, we had cool air blowing on us. It was perfect. Ben got great pictures. The show was awesome. He makes it look effortless. In fact, after he came out of the crowd during the Kill, I looked at him very carefully, expecting him to be breathless, or to show some sign of what he’d just done – none. Total casualness. Crazy. How you could have all those people all over you and not have to shake it off a bit…

It was great, it is all out there with Mars, what you needed the psychedelics to see with the Dead you can see with your bare eyes – and feel viscerally with Mars. When Jared gets everyone going for the end of Search and Destroy it is a beautiful thing. Then there is the craziness of everyone bodysurfing up to take part in Kings & Queens and he calls the kids up and puts them on Shann’s riser…and of course Kings & Queens is the grand finale. Then there is the afterglow and the mad dash to find the merch booth in the basement before they kick us out and the disappointment that there is nothing left to buy. No small stuff, no 2x tees, none of the first 2 cds. Out then to the barricade around the busses with the other die hards hoping for autographs, everyone grumbling because no one knows what’s going on. I don’t care about the autographs; I want to give them jewelry I have made, chocolate for Tomo and airborne to help get Jared well. I have to scribble on the card I made because I have been too nervous to write it properly. It has been hard to believe – the real guys – out of the ether.