Must Be The Season of The Witch: Autumn Equinox September 22, 2016
The Harvest is in
Food stored for the winter
Seeds secreted for Spring
Celebrate the inward journey
Join Persephone as she descends
Mother Earth turns toward Crone
As we dance the last dance
Half is day, Half is night
Harvest Moon, Orange sight
Bless the dance, Bless the rite
Half is day, Half is night
Half is dark, Half is light
Spiral out, Spiral in
Harvest, Death, rebirth again
Goddesses blessing all wimmin
Who spiral out, and spiral in.
-Ila Suzanne
The theme for Mabon and the Autumn equinox is "Giving Thanks". Mabon is the Witch's Thanksgiving, this is a time where the Sun's path crosses over the equator, traveling south. We now celebrate the darkness as the whole world honors equal night and day. The summer is gone. This was the time when the ancients and our ancestors gathered fruits and vegetables from the garden in preparation for the winter. This is a time to give away what we no longer need. We now must reap what we have sown from the spring equinox. Many people find this to be the perfect time for storing their own fruits and vegetables by canning, pickling, and other storing methods . With the fall comes cooler, crisp air and the dulling of colors. Everything is now turning with the season, there is a restlessness in the air. The flaming color of the leaves is a reminder that life burns most intensely just before it dies. Mabon is the time where we can reflect and remember those friends and relatives who may have died in the past year,as we watch the falling leaves. We give thanks for the abundance in our lives, as the sun is about to enter Libra, the cardinal air sign of balance.
Autumn Altar
Now is the time for rest and relaxation, celebrate the Sabbat (sabbat means "to rest") by creating your own autumn altar in grapevines, gourds, cornucopias, and brightly colored fallen leaves.
Candles: Brown = Stability, Focus, grounding
Orange= Vitality, Energy
Yellow= Warmth, Friendship, Creativity
Feathers
Fall leaves
Cauldron
Stones: Smoky quartz, Obsidian, Bloodstone, Carnelian, Quartz, Garnet
Witches' Sabbath (Goya, 1798)
Most modern witches celebrate the Sabbats on the exact dates to align themselves with the powerful symbolic and astrological energies that are inherent in each event. However, for others that are juggling jobs and families it means that they may need to plan their festivities within a few days as a matter of convenience. But on the day of the Sabbat it's important to take just a moments out of your busy schedule to honor Mother Earth. Spend time meditating on what you have accomplished in the past months, and write out a list of all you have to be thankful for. Gratitude is powerful medicine! keep your list posted where you can see, just in case you start feeling "Grinchy" as the coming winter months begin.