Harvest Maidens

When
the Autumn comes rolling in, I love changing our seasons table to honor
all of the abundant fruits and vegetables, and the fiery leaves
outside. Seasons table figures are an idea I got from Waldorf classroom
seasons tables, and I have loved making many Lady Springs, Queen
Winters, and Harvest Maidens over the past few years (I still haven’t
made one for summer, likely because we’re out camping so much). This
Acorn Maiden, Wheat Maiden, and Harvest Maiden represent all that I love
about this season. Harvesting food is such a sacred, sustaining
activity and a good, honest days work. There is a fullness and abundance
in the earth right now, everywhere you look. Autumn deserves some
honoring.

This
is the Harvest Maiden I needlefelted for our family’s seasons table.
She stands in our living room on bright orange and rich brown silks,
surrounded by painted corn, jars of red vine maple branches, acorns and
wheat.

This is the Acorn Maiden. Here is the Willamette Valley, we are blessed with an abundance of oak trees with big fat
acorns. I gather them with my children every year, and we turn them
into acorn meal for pancakes and muffins. They taste a little like maple
syrup. Mmmmmmm.

This
Wheat Maiden makes me think of the vast, rippling fields of ripe wheat
in Washington State’s Palouse region where I went to college. In the
late summer, all you can see for miles and miles are these golden waves
moving in the breeze. I always try to snag a few stalks for my seasons
table when I’m driving through that area. This year I was lucky to have
some spring up in my straw sheet mulch!

Happy Harvesting to All!