Color of the day: Gray Incense of the day: Lily It can be no accident the Great Wardmote of the Woodmen of Arden takes place the first week of August, culminating on August 4. The first harvest is in. Now is the time for a little relaxation before work begins anew, leading up to the autumnal equinox. This wardmote, or community meeting, harkens back to 1785, when all the woodmen in the Forest of Arden banded together to discuss their rights and duties. Now, as then, feasting and archery contests are held. The participants dress in eighteenth-century costume.
In our modern world, August is a time of slowing down prior to the next season. Communities hold county fairs and local craft festivals. Renaissance Faires take place. Farmers' markets begin to offer pumpkins and other fall "fruits." Join in the celebration. Gather together your family or neighborhood or coven for a celebration featuring locally grown produce and old-fashioned games of skill, such as archery. Period costumes optional. |