August often starts out hot and muggy, but even when the rest of your garden is wilting in the heat, chances are good that your onion crop is thriving in the cool, dark soil. If you haven't pulled them yet, Lammas is a good time to do so. Once you've got them out of the earth, gently brush the loose dirt off of them, and hang them in a sunny spot to dry and cure. When August's full moon, the Corn Moon, rolls around, get to work on some onion magic!
Under the light of the full moon, you can make an onion braid. Braiding is a very relaxing and magical way to spend an evening, and by braiding your onions, you can prepare them for winter storage -- basically, you're accomplishing the magical and the mundane all in one shot. To do this, you'll need a bunch of onions with the green tops still attached, and about four feet of heavy twine. Begin folding the twine in half, and tying a knot near the end, creating a loop (Figure 1).
