Greetings, Broomstix readers! Where has the Summer gone? It's hard to believe it's Lughnasadh already. Now is the thyme--oops, I mean TIME to gather in your herbs while they are at the peak of their goodness, before the Samhain pookahs come to steal away the last greens of the year. The very first feast of Lughnasadh was celebrated in the most ancient of ages. There had been a poor harvest and the people were starving. Lugh's beloved foster-mother, the strong and generous Tailtiu, set to work clearing a field. She worked so hard that her heart burst from the strain. Her last request was that the people should have a festival to remember her, and that as long as this was done, Ireland would not be without song.

Lugh himself sat at the head of the table at the first Óenach Tailtenn. It was declared a time of peace among the tribes, and honored the memory of Tailtiu with games of strength and skill, horse races, and enjoyment of the first harvest of the summer--the grains and fruits of the fields where his mother worked so hard and sacrificed herself for a good harvest. This feast became known as Lughnasadh or Lugh's Feast, named after the one who first celebrated it.

Who put the Lugh in Lughnasad? Lugh Long Arm--and here he is!

Remembering what Tailtiu gave and how much the Land gives to us, we think of the sacrifices made by ourselves and others, and count our blessings at this time of year. We no longer have to work so hard, as Tailtiu did, to clear the fields for harvest. At Lughnasadh, we gather herbs from our garden at the peak of their growth. Don't forget to give thanks for these blessings as you gather them in!

The best time to gather herbs is in the morning, but not too early. The dew should have had time to dry from the leaves and flowers. If you plan to preserve your herbs, they should be as dry as possible. If you want to press the flowers for keeping, they should not be watered for at least a day before.

Gathering herbs for drying is best done during the waning moon. Flowing with the moon's cycles, the sap or moisture in the plants is also waning at this time, and the herbs will dry more easily.

Pick only young, freshly opened leaves. These contain the most flavor, scent or medicine. Avoid yellow, faded or bug-nibbled leaves. The same rule goes for flowers, which are best gathered when they first open, and better yet if they've not yet been visited by bees!

Rules for gathering herbs are a little different if you are taking seeds to save for next year's garden. Timing is very important because you want the seeds to be as sun-ripened as possible while still on the plant but you also have to gather them before they are harvested by the wind or the rain! Watch for yellow leaves on the plant as a sign that the seeds are ripe.

Last of all, roots of the plants are gathered at the very end of the growing season, more towards Samhain, after the leaves of the plants fall. If you can, gather roots during waxing moon or full moon and they'll be more moist and tender. Important note: if you are gathering plants from anywhere besides your own herb garden, do not use them unless are you absolutely sure they've not been sprayed!

Gather your harvested flowers and leaves into about four handfuls at a time and hang them, heads down, in a cool place indoors or spread them out on old window screens set up as drying tables. Seeds and roots can also be dried this way.

When completely dry, store the herbs loosely (never tightly packed) in paper bags or sealed, dark glass jars. Never use plastic containers for fresh or dried herbs. And be sure to label them because one dried herb often looks much like another.