August stretched before us - long and golden and reassuring like an endless period of delicious sleep. - Lauren Oliver
Oh, my friend. Hello! How I have missed you!
How has your summer been? And your July? Did it unfold as you had wished, or was it something completely different than you had imagined? I hope that, no matter how your July came to a close, you are now ready to shift into a whole new energy with, not only a new month, but also another magical turn on the wheel of the year. For, my friend, today is ancient festival of Lughnasadh, the first harvest of year. So, the seasons are changing and we are entering a liminal, magical, transitional month that ushers us from summer into autumn (or winter into spring for our southern hemisphere friends). And, today, we slowly enter what I believe is the most soulful part of the year.
August is a month for both soaking in the last days of summer and looking forward to autumn. It is a time for returning home to our daily, earthy, grounded ways. Neither summer, nor autumn, August invites us to go with the flow, to shift with the season, to slow down on the sultry, summery days; and to also begin to prepare our souls, our homes, and our lives for the cozy magic of autumn.
The feel of August
August feels mellow and moody and nostalgic. Like the end of a summer romance, I am always sad to see it winding down, but I also knew all along that it would be a fleeting time of warmth, joy, and adventure.
As summer comes to a close, August moments feel sultry, steamy, and slow. Hot sun, golden sunsets, it is the very last of those long, balmy nights spent on the balcony sipping summer wine with my partner. These are the last days of indulging in endless cups of coffee while reading all morning long. The last moments of eating fresh peaches and strawberries on the front porch.
I feel like truly basking in every moment, spinning Patti Smith albums on my record player, journaling about my plans for autumn, and letting time drip slowly through my fingers.
But, the main feeling that rises up from within me in August are deep twinges of nostalgia. August feels like remembering. These last summer days give me space to look back over the month of July and my summer vacation which has been filled, this year, with a balance of urban adventures and slow, staycation vibes.
I find myself also drawn way back in time, to summers and Augusts of years past: hot, wild family beach trips, spontaneous camping trips in the mountains, rocking chairs on the porch, wandering NYC streets, stargazing at night, grounding family traditions - both new and old. Summers that were difficult, summers that were blissful. Summers that changed my life, like meeting my wife back in the summer of 2007 or on this very day one year ago, the last time I saw and touched my dad before he passed away in October.
The end of summer feels melancholic, but not sad. It is simply a slow, steady shift from one season to the next, a slow farewell to one way of being and a welcome return to the ritualistic ways of everyday life. And I am always ready to move on, when the time comes.
So, come the end of the month, I will have written the last lines in my journal on this summer and be fully ready to let my soul be drawn down into the season of autumn.
The earth in August
Even in the beginning of August it is obvious that change is on the way. For an city girl like myself, every August I notice the change in the leaves, from the bright, deep green of the height of summer to the dark, somewhat faded, yellow-green of August. Touching them as I pass by when I walk through the city, I can almost feel the changes in the inner workings of the trees. And all I want to do is wrap my arms around them and soak in their wisdom, their energy, and their knowledge of what it means to let go.
In August, the colors of all of nature are deep and vibrant. Blackberries, elderberries, sunflowers, and black-eyed susans introduce the muted, dark, earthy tones of autumn. Wheat fields and corn fields turn golden. And bright red tomatoes, juicy apples, and yellow squash begin to ripen. For the North Carolina girl in me, it is the season for tomato sandwiches, apple pies and ice cream, corn on the cob, and squash casseroles.
The earth is very warm now, and walking barefoot as often as possible is my preference. The sun is hot and strong; the nights, twinkly and dreamy. But, there’s no denying that the days are growing shorter and the wind sometimes has a nordic chill as she blows in a new season. However, summer days are still here, for now. There’s still time for pool hangs, nights on the balcony, street festivals, roadtrips, al fresco meals, and sultry, summer rains and storms perfect for curling up with a good book.
August is meant to be savored. To be soaked in one slow moment at a time. Accepting and allowing and appreciating whatever comes from day to day - a hot, lazy day of relaxation, a day of slow transition back to the work of everyday life, a busy day of adventures and fun, or the day when we say farewell to the vibes of summer and return to the magical work of preparing for autumn.
The work of August
August begins with the ancient, Celtic festival of Lughnasadh, a celebration of the first harvest and the beginning of autumn in some folk traditions. While the weather is not autumnal at all in the beginning of August, there is no denying that there is a shift in the air that occurs in August and with the turning of the wheel. Nature continues her cyclical movement through the seasons and, should we decide to be present and observant, it is easy to see and feel the changes happening all around us - and even within us.
As August begins, energy wanes. We are on the other side of the summer solstice now. The height of light and growth and energy has passed, and we are now being called inward, downward, and homeward. Like the lunar phase after a full moon means a downward, darkening, waning phase that leads to a dark, quiet, powerful new moon of potential, August begins our journey down into the darkest part of the year - a time of mystery, magic, and endless possibility, just like a new moon.
But there is much work to be done before the darkness is here. And August is simply a reminder that it is time to return to work.
Though most of us no longer live in agricultural societies, there is still much work to be done in order to prepare for autumn and winter. There is much gathering, harvesting, and preserving that even I do, right here in the middle of the city.
August calls us home. It is time to settle in again, and return to the routines and rituals of everyday life. At some point during the month, most of us return to work and school, whether it be outside of the home or at home. We return to those daily chores and routines that make our lives go ‘round.
I find that the slow, summer’s end energy of August offers me the perfect opportunity to turn inward and decide how I want my everyday life to be as I enter autumn this year. And that means that I create time to return to those grounding practices that help and guide me to curate and live the life that I feel called to live.
The work of August, for me, is to return to my daily routines and rituals: meditating, lunar observations, journaling, deep breathing, oracle card readings, yoga, waking earlier, coffee at the kitchen table instead of snuggly in bed all morning. As I return to these practices, I focus on harvesting the lessons of this year. And I begin to prepare my soul and my home for the coming of autumn and winter.
I want to stay on the back porch while the world tilts toward sleep, until what I love misses me, and calls me in.
(from Dorianne Laux's poem, On the Back)
So, my friend, with that, I want to wish you an August that feels like the last warm, golden rays of sunshine on your skin. I wish you moments of long, indulging, sweet bliss overflowing with feelings of nostalgia and love. May your days and nights be used for returning to your soul, for remembering, and for a soft, slow slipping down into the mood of coming home again.
Blessed August, love.
xoxo. liz.
☀️ August sunrise/sunset times in Norrköping, Sweden (Mondays)
05 August - 4:54 / 21:06
12 August - 5:10 / 20:48
19 August - 5:25 / 20:30
26 August - 5:41 / 20:11
🌙 Moon phases (Europe dates)
04 August New Moon in Leo
19 August Full Sturgeon Moon—a Blue Moon Supermoon (Also known as the grain moon, corn moon, and lightening moon)
✨ Sacred Days + Folk Festivals
01 August: Lughnasadh
05-28 August: Mercury Retrograde
11-13 August: Perseid meteorshowers
🎵 The playlist
Music for those last golden summer days and the very first hints of autumn. It is time to slowly return to routines + settle into the medicine of coming home to harvest the lessons of our soul. I loved curating this folksy, moody, nostalgic soundtrack for celebrating summer’s end and the golden, sultry, slow energy of August. Enjoy!
the golden, sultry homecoming of august 🌻