Our ancestors followed the cycles of the Sun as a guide to sow, nurture, and harvest plants for food. Archaeology shows European hunter-gatherers in the Middle East growing wild grains 12,000 years ago, whereas in China they were harvesting wild rice at that time, and began domesticating rice 2,000 years later. Mesoamericans began domesticating squash and maize more than 9,000 years ago, and North American natives in the Great Lakes region were harvesting wild rice on a large scale more than 3,000 years in the past. And just because modern archaeology found proof of these occurrences at these times, it does not mean that ancient peoples were not adopting these practices even earlier. That knowledge was passed down from somewhere!
Brighid’s Flame, from the album Elemental, by Kellianna 2010
Brighid’s Flame
Any modern-day vegetable gardener or farmer understands this rhythm: Sow, Nurture, Harvest. As an exuberant gardener myself, I start getting excited about the planting season in February. Even though here in Northern Massachusetts close to the Vermont border and far from the Atlantic coast we don’t see any signs of spring until well into March, when Imbolc comes around, I start making plans. Imbolc to me is the promise of Spring. In fact, I wrote my song Brighid’s Flame to honor this time:
I am the Spark before the Fire
From Winter’s Cold I do Inspire,
I am the Promise of the Spring
I am the Tiniest of Flames.
A Dancing Fire upon the Snow
In Darkest Night a Mighty Glow,
I Circle Toward the Coming Spring
I am all Life Awakening.
Mid-Winter’s Slumber I do Shake
I Coax the Seed and Bulb to Wake,
I Pull them Slowly from their Dreams
I am the Maiden of the Flames.
Protecting All at Time of Birth
In Love and Safety Draw them Forth,
I Wrap all Newborns in my Light
I am the Maiden Dressed in White.
Lyrics from “Brighid’s Flame” by Kellianna
Seeds
Beginning in spring of 2001 I took a job at a local flower and greenhouse shop. They had 7 greenhouses, and from mid or late March until the beginning of June I would spend my days with hands in the earth sowing seeds and transplanting plugs. We grew annuals, perennials, herbs, and vegetables, and retailed to the local community. Other than traveling and singing, this was by far my most favorite job ever! I spent the early part of the year in the greenhouses and then hit the road for summer tour in June. Sadly, the business sold just before the Covid pandemic hit, and I had to give up my beloved minimum wage job.
Even now, 6 years later, I crave the feel of the potting soil running through my fingers, and the rich smell of the greenhouses, earthy and full of possibilities. Lucky for me, we bought a house two years ago and my husband put up a greenhouse for me! Passions fulfilled, I spent this spring in the greenhouses once again, starting veggies for our food and herbs for my husband’s medicinal gardens.
The Return of the Sun, from the album Lady Moon, by Kellianna 2004
Spring equinox is when we start our indoor planting here in Massachusetts, while the snow is still on the ground, and days can sometimes reach 70 degrees or more. The burgeoning spring inspired my chant The Return of the Sun.
Garden and greenhouse
Nurture
I spend a couple of months tending to the plants in the greenhouse, and from mid-April to well past Beltane, I am preparing the garden for planting. Clearing dead vegetation from the previous year, replacing the sheet mulching if it has composted into the ground, replenishing pine chip pathways between the beds.
Other than cold weather crops such as snow peas and greens, there is not much going directly into the ground until the last full moon of May, or, as the local old-timer’s say, “after Memorial Day to be safe.” The Sacred Marriage of the God and Goddess representing Creation inspired my song The Horned God:
The Horned God, from the album Elemental, by Kellianna 2010
By Summer Solstice the sun is high, days are hot, and plants are flourishing in the garden. It’s a daily endeavor of weeding, feeding, pruning, debugging, watching, and waiting for any signs of the first harvest. The celebrations of Summer Solstice inspired my song Aphrodite and Pan:
Aphrodite and Pan, from the album Lady Moon, by Kellianna 2004
Harvest
Harvest
When Lammas arrives, the bounty of the harvest begins to present itself with a wealth of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, parsley, basil, green beans and early cabbage. This is the time of year when I ask everyone I know if they “need any tomatoes or cukes?” The bounty of the harvest supplied by our Mother Earth, and an afternoon spent meditating in the Chalice Well Gardens in Glastonbury inspired my chant Shares Her Love:
Shares Her Love, from the album I Walk with the Goddess, by Kellianna 2007
By Autumn Equinox, most everything has come and gone except for cabbages, Brussel sprouts and greens, and the pantry and freezer are full of the current season’s bounty.
Samhain is our final harvest celebration. Most everything has been picked and processed from the veggie garden, and the apples and pears await the first frost of the winter to sweeten them even further for picking and eating.
Ancestor’s Song, from the album I Walk with the Goddess, by Kellianna 2007
Ancestor’s Song
Once again, my thoughts turn to those ancient peoples, the ones who had the foresight to put a seed in the ground, bury it, water it, and nurture it with the intention of providing food for their family or community. I tip my garden hat to you, ancestor, for having the courage and conviction to survive, thrive, and share your knowledge for future generations of food growers like me. Your legacy lives on in farms, fields, and backyards around the globe. We could not have done it without you!
For more information about Kellianna, including her collected articles here on Pagan Song, her bio, and links to her sites on the web, check out Kellianna’s author page here on Pagan Song.
Photos and images, including featured image, provided by Kellianna.
For a couple more gardening posts in our Pagan Song archive, check out Gardening Harvest Magic and Gardening Spirit of Spring.
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