How (and Why) to Celebrate Cross-Quarter Days
The Tarot represents the journey of our lives. And it can help us focus and take action. That journey is seasonal and cyclical, like an upward spiral, made of seasons.
So sometimes, I like to delve into talking about ways to notice the seasonal shifts, as they are an integral part of our life’s journey. It is almost August 2nd, the cross-quarter day leading to Fall.
The First Stirrings of Fall
Do you ever notice how you are just getting into summer and then suddenly it’s over, Fall is in full swing, and it’s almost Halloween?
Me too. Until I found out about cross-quarter days.
Most of us have heard of the Summer and Winter Solstices, and probably the Fall and Spring equinoxes too. The solstices mark the longest day and night of the year. The equinoxes are the midpoints between those.
Our culture has decided that solstices and equinoxes are the first days of the seasons. But between all of those are the cross-quarter days.
Arguably, those are the first days of the seasons, since midsummer’s day on June 21st would be, well, in the middle of summer. The cross-quarter day dates vary but are generally August 2nd, November 2nd, February 2nd and May 2nd.
You may recognize some of those days. Everyone knows Halloween which is near the November 2nd cross-quarter day. And Day of the Dead is often on November 2nd.
And most people know Groundhog Day on February 2nd, when the groundhog decides if it is Spring. And May Day (or Beltane) celebrating summer’s fertility is on May 1st.
Each of these heralds the coming season. But what about August 2nd?
Enter Lughnasadh
Excuse me, what?
Lughnasadh was a Celtic holiday that fell on or around August 2nd. It’s the cross quarter day marking the doorway to Fall.
All that remains today in our culture is Lammas, a Catholic holiday based on the older Celtic holiday. Lammas is a contortion of the words “loaf mass” since the Catholics use bread as an offering to God on that day.
On Lughnasadh, the first fruits of the harvest were given to the deities. It celebrates the marriage of the Earth Goddess to the Sun God and represents harvest-time. Many other cultures have similar celebrations and stories around this day.
So the start of Fall is actually on August 2nd!!!
No wonder we feel like time is slipping away. By the time we thought Fall was starting on September 21st, it’s already the highpoint of Fall, with only six weeks until Halloween! From there it’s a slippery slope into the holidays and the heart of Winter.
Simple Ideas for Celebration
So what I love to do now is celebrate the first stirrings of Fall on August 2nd or sometime near that date. It helps me appreciate Fall before it’s gone, and notice some of the nice things about it.
There are a lot of simple things you can do to acknowledge this beautiful time of year; here are few ideas:
Take a walk in the evening and notice the changes that are afoot. Summer is winding down. Where I live in California, the evenings are cooler and the grasses are golden and even turning brown. The fruit harvests, including apples, pears, and blackberries are starting or even peaking. New growth is not so new anymore.
Write what you notice in a journal. If you do this on each cross quarter day, over time you’ll have a beautiful record of the passing of the seasons in your place.
Do a Tarot reading for the season. It can be a simple as one card, or try this simple 3 card spread.
Make a meal mostly from your garden, or a farmers market. Eat outside. Offer some of it to the earth under a tree before you begin your feast.
Enjoy these ideas and/or ask the land where you live for ways to mark this moment. It’s important to enjoy life and live it to the fullest. The best way to do that is to be present in the moment. Don’t let it get away from you.