I have seen your greatness
The strength of your will
What it took you to get this far
Is what will take you further still
September Offering
The time of harvest is upon us and a reminder to feel thankful for all that we have received. Take your time to enjoy the last rays of warm sunshine.
Journal Prompts
Count your blessings, what have your received this year?
What have you accomplished?
How have you grown?
What are you ready to let go of?
Autumn Equinox
Autumn Equinox falls on 23rd September and is point of perfect balance on the journey through the Wheel of the Year. Night and day are of equal length and in perfect equilibrium – dark and light, feminine and masculine, inner and outer: all in balance and harmony.
At this point, the year is now waning and at this moment dark begins to overtake the light in the sky. The natural world is drawing inwards, days are becoming shorter and the Sun is cooling.
The change of seasons is a perfect opportunity to pause and reflect - to review your life, your Self, and any growth and changes you’ve gone through over the year so far. We can see ourselves echoed in Nature’s flow, and appreciate that there is a time for all things.
In Autumn we are drawn to the balance between life and death. Everything is dying all around us. And that death is necessary, in order for new life to grow in the spring. Nature shows us how to let go of our ‘leaves’, old patterns and habits that maybe no longer serve us.
Mabon
In ancient times Mabon was a week-long celebration of the second of three harvests (Lammas being the first and Samhain the last) when farmers gathered hearty foods like pumpkins, grapes and apples.
It is a time to give thanks for the abundance of Mother Earth - both literally and spiritually. It’s also a good time to reflect on the Wheel of the Year, recognising your successes and letting go of the things that did not serve you during the past twelve months.
The seasonal cycle is on the move. Everywhere around there is the mixture of life and death; the greenery of plants still in flower, and the dying off and letting go of what has flourished. Nature is making a steady shift inward. The trees begin to drop their leaves, drawing the energy inside. We're beginning to spend more time inside, as the air gets cooler. Over the next few months our focus will steadily turn more inward after the outer focus through spring and summer. We are being called, through nature’s lead, to spend more time in self-reflection.
In mythology, Mabon is the time when the God of Light was defeated by the God of Darkness, resulting in longer nights. In Celtic folklore, Mabon is the son of Modron, the Great Goddess of the Earth, who was kidnapped for three days after his birth making light go into hiding.
I like to imagine the Autumn Equinox as the time of transition when the Cailleach (the Crone Goddess) steps up to her throne. When she takes her seat upon the Hay's Chair to rule over the season of winter -Tara Wild
Autumn Equinox Rituals
A lovely way to celebrate Mabon is with a warm hearty meal, with perhaps apple crumble for pudding! (Click the link for Liz's recipe). You might like to place some seasonal sunflowers in a vase, and bring some acorns and pine cones in from outside. Watch the sunset and light a candle. If you have chance to be outside, lighting the firepit at dusk is a lovely way to gather and feel the warmth of the fire beckoning you to your own inner hearth. Speak out your gratitudes, and cast away anything that has had its time.You may also want to dream in some new intentions for the coming season.
Liz and Susanna's Autumn read
There are moments when we must talk, listen and be there for one another. Why do we so often come away from those times feeling like we could have done more, or should have been braver in the face of discomfort? Why do we skirt the conversations that might matter most?
By bringing together stories with a lifetime’s experience working in medicine and the newest psychology, Mannix offers lessons for how we can better speak our mind and help when others need to.
With love,
Liz & Susanna
x
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