Is summer over yet? That may be what you're thinking by the time Lughnasadh rolls around. It's still hot and muggy, and you simply can't imagine that Fall could possibly be around the corner. Alas, the Wheel keeps turning and it will be winter before you know it. In the meantime, you may still be at home with a pesky little brother bursting into your room every time you light a stick of incense, just so he can tell your mom that you're smoking pot. Okay, so that's an exaggeration. But being solitary during Lughnasadh is no reason to not practice *something* at all.

First of all, it's a good time to start planning what you're going to do once you're back in school. School-wise, you may have classes that you need to plan ahead for. But where your spirituality is concerned, you may begin considering finding a local group or even founding your own Student Pagan Organization. It will all depend on how you think your situation may change in the near future.

As far as the present is concerned, however, you can also celebrate the First Harvest with your family while you can. Cook a nice meal, and include some form of bread. Even if you can only make spaghetti, get a loaf of nice bread and make garlic bread to go with it. I'm a big fan of cooking good meals, and sharing them with others is my favorite way to include them in a celebration, even if they don't know it!

You may want to leave your tools where they are and hold an introspective ritual. Around sunset, take a slice of bread outside with you and watch the sun go down. While the temperature may be at its peak, astronomically the daylight hours are waning due to the Earth's position relative to the Sun, and this is a good time to reflect on how the seasons change. Eat the bread, but leave a bit out as a libation. You are giving back to the world, as you know it provides in order for us to live.

Think of some way that you can also give a part of yourself to help "change" the world. It may be something as small as going to a blood drive. You can also do something creative like learning a craft or building a website. As always, volunteer work is also a great idea. Like in the myth where the God represented by the grain is given for the life of others, find some way that you can turn your abilities outward to help others, too.

While the changing of the seasons sounds somber and even a bit sad, it is a time to be happy and feast in the bounty around us. Share your bounty with others, and you are taking part in the spirit of Lughnasadh!