Mabon / The Autumnal Equinox

     The month of September brings us Mabon or the autumnal equinox. The autumnal equinox is the time of the year when both day and night are of equal length after which night will become much longer and inevitably cooler.  The equinox or Mabon as it is also known is a time when nature's forces come fully into balance.  Likewise it is also a good time for us to bring our lives into a stronger balance as well. This season spend some time reflecting on changes you may need that will bring more balance into your life.  If needed use the forces of this month's dark moon to put past regrets and ill memories behind you once and for all.  Autumn is the season for harvesting all the good we have planted and letting go that which did not bear us any fruit.  As we reap our rewards for all the hard work we have accomplished over the year it is generally the custom to always give thanks for all we have received.

     There are many different traditions celebrated at this time of year and one of the most recognized is "Harvest Supper". Harvest Supper is a celebration similar to Thanksgiving in that the home is decorated for the season and a bountiful supper is prepared in honor of the giving nature of Life.  The home is generously decked out in various different hues of red, orange, and brown and among other things gourds, pumpkins, pinecones, and Indian corn is placed on tables and porches.  Fences and supports outside of the home are decorated with corn stalks and wheat sheaths while seasonal garland is made out of colorful leaves and placed all around the home inside and out.  The intention is to decorate the home with a thankful spirit in awe of the beautiful splendor life has bestowed upon us all.  A seasonal supper is also prepared in which cakes, pies, cheeses, hams and roasts are but only a small part.  Seasonal fruits and vegetables such as apples, cranberries, grapes, peaches, corn, squash, and pumpkin are also prepared in various different cakes, pies, tarts and pastries.  Harvest Supper is an elegant and humble celebration in which we can fully indulge ourselves in the beauty, bounty, and grandeur that is the season of autumn.

     As mentioned before autumn is the season of thought, reflection, and thankfulness and the associated equinox brings the seasonal forces of light and dark into equality.  With this equality comes feelings of both joy and despair as we reflect upon and pay tribute to those that have passed before us.  Autumn reminds us that with life comes death and that we should always be thankful for the time we are given. While at times we may feel that our loved ones are lost, keep in mind that death is but only a change into a beautiful new consciousness.  Nothing proves this change stronger then the colorful season we know as autumn.