Soft Thresholds, Quiet Harvests

Something is ripening, in the soil, and in you. This is a time to notice.

Lammas (or Lughnasadh) marks the first of the harvest festivals - a soft turning point in the wheel of the year.

One foot still in summer. One hand reaching toward autumn.

It’s a time to ask:

What in me is ready to be gathered? 

What has quietly ripened while I wasn’t looking? 

What needs my attention before I turn in again?

If you’ve been walking with Amanita muscaria, you might feel it: the medicine echoes the season. Gentle. Slow. Surprising. It reveals what’s ready, not with force, but with invitation.

This is also the time when Amanita muscaria begins to show herself here in the UK. Not yet, but soon.

After the rains, keep watch at the base of birch, pine, and oak, especially in mossy or leaf-littered ground. Sometimes she arrives quietly, just a button peeking through the soil. Other times, she appears overnight, fully formed, vivid and unmissable in her red and white regalia. But always, she chooses her moment.

Approach with care. Don’t rush. Let your observation be an offering in itself. This isn’t about foraging - it’s about relationship.

To walk with Amanita muscaria is to listen more than act, to pay attention to the ecosystems she inhabits, the stories she stirs, the timing she keeps. She doesn’t respond to demand, but teaches us patience, humility, and presence.

We’ll be sharing more in the coming weeks on how to recognise her safely and accurately, the habitats she favours, and ways to build respectful, reciprocal connection, whether or not you choose to work with her as medicine.

Something is ready. In the soil, and in the self. You don’t need to name it, just notice.

For those who are unsure of how to take your first steps - our free Introductory course will guide you on your way. If you are ready to dive deeper into healing we have our Inner Child short course, and for you who feel called to facilitate the journeys of others, sign up to our 2026 Facilitator Training intake.

Updates: This August the team is in full summer mode! Elle is very much in the midst of festival season, and Tracey is midway through delivering this year’s Facilitator training.

Festivals you can find us at:

Healing in the Woods - Essex, August 22-24th

All Things Fungi - Suffolk, September 12-14th

Testimonial: “I wasn’t eager to revisit it - I thought I’d done enough. But it met me in the most profoundly beautiful way.” Sam - Photographer & Wilderness Guide

Warmly,

 
The Amanita Rising Team

As always, you can reach out to us with questions via email at amanita [email protected].