Letting in the Good

Letting in the GOOD 

The Ancient & New Wisdom of Lughnasa 

In the Celtic Wheel the invitation of Lughnasa is to PAUSE, to HARVEST THE GOOD in our lives and come into a new relationship with JOY. 

That is what our ancestors did before they began the hard work of the harvest. They gathered to celebrate with gratitude for nature’s abundance that would guarantee survival through the dark winter. Máire O’Neill, in her wonderful 1962 book ‘The Festival of Lughnasa’, described Lughnasa as a festival of “merriment”. 

It’s even more important and counter-cultural to claim joy and merriment these days of climate crisis, pandemics and the relentless fear narratives we are all swimming in. 

Our superpower is that we can choose where we put our attention. The invitation of this time is to make the empowered choice of putting your attention on what is GOOD and BOUNTIFUL in your life, on what brings you JOY. 

In doing this we don’t bypass the fear and the anxiety or sadness that many of us are feeling as the old world dies and the chaos around us intensifies. 

We allow the difficult emotions, we acknowledge these feelings, we include them YES … 

….AND 

we dont dwell on them. 

We flex, 

We pivot. 

We pattern interrupt 

We make a choice to look for the GOOD and let that be medicine for our depleted systems that, up to now in our evolution, have been wired to pay attention to threat. 

Rick Hanson (The Neuroscience of Lasting Happiness) tells us that it takes 30 seconds to register the GOOD in our bodies. 

Yes, 30 seconds…. 

…….while it only takes a split second to take in the negative. 

30 seconds is actually a very long time in a speed addicted world. Try it. 

It takes SLOWING DOWN 

noticing small moments. 

lingering in those moments of joy, 

practising gratitude, 

and savouring the sensations of pleasure in our bodies 

It's radical and it changes our physiology 

It rewires us 

New Neurons fire together and create new patterns 

I believe this is what will change the future for our planet. 

This practice has utterly changed me, my relationship and my world. 

So are you up for trying it over the next 6 weeks of Lughnasa …… 

When you notice a moment of joy or happiness, pause and let it in for 30 seconds. In those moments drop your phone, close your eyes and bask in the feeling of pleasure and joy for 30 seconds. 

Remember the merriment and wild celebrations of our ancestors and think about the new wisdom of neuroscience that proves the power of basking in joy, pleasure and celebration. 

This is 21st century alchemy!