At the Start of August we celebrate Lughnasadh, the first of three harvests and the marriage of the goddess earth in her prime with Lugh the ripened light. It is not only a happy time of birth, but also a sad time of sacrifice and death as we remember  the death of John Barleycorn, the time of the first harvest of fruits  from the land. An auspicious month for weddings and handfastings.