A Bittersweet Moment of Balance: Mabon

The Celtic festival of Mabon occurs around September 22nd; the hours of
daylight and dark are equal for the second time in our year's Wheel. After
the exuberance and heat of summer, we celebrate the Autumnal Equinox and
journey to Samhain, turning our focus inward as the Crone's alchemy
burnishes the landscape. Mother Earth is poised with the sun in time and
space and we pause for a moment with her, to honor balance. This pivotal day stirs our regret for the things left unfinished, the trips not taken, the opportunities missed. The dwindling warm afternoons become small gifts of grace, as we witness the first touches of gold, the burnished beauty of the Crone's alchemy. What have we left unfinished? What words do we need to say someone? Time is changing us in its ever-winding spiral. We need to cherish each moment now - each warm afternoon, each lingering walk in honeyed sunlight. The harvest season is a bittersweet time of fruition; as we look back upon our labors, and evaluate our spiritual path, questions arise. Are we satisfied with our efforts? Have we nurtured and realised our year's intentions? Have we honored Spirit this year? Have we lived in accordance with our convictions?

Mabon's lesson is the lesson of letting go: the earth is still for a single
breath; day and night are equal only for a heartbeat. As we pause and
examine our seasons past, we know in our own heart of hearts that it is time to let go of old beliefs, limitations and outdated agendas, time to
reexamine our ethics, and search our soul's true intention. Mabon is the
time to let go of outward movement and expansion, and begin moving inward,
taking stock. As we gather in joy to share the harvest of grains, fruits and vegetables, we remain aware that the icy fingers of winter are not far off. The sun is now dying, retreating, and daylight shortens rapidly. In
earth-based mythology, the mother goddess has lost her son, her lover, her
consort. As he begins to fade from her arms, our own goddess selves lament
with her.

Personal Ritual - The Bitter and the Sweet

My personal rituals are simple and enmeshed with daily life. Around this
poignant time of the year, we awaken the energy of Crone within. We gather
the last of our garden's herbs, tie them in bundles and hang them inside for drying. We look through our gardens with a wisewoman's keen eye, and clear out the old growth, cutting back the dying foliage. We trim the perennials that need to put their energy back into their roots for the cold months ahead. We rake and mulch, and scatter dead blossoms and wizened seed pods for our feathered sisters.

Hearth & Home Ideas

Fill your kitchen with the fruits of the season: pumpkins in all sizes,
colorful gourds, juicy grapes, baskets of cranberries and Indian corn.
Decorate your door with corn husks. Gather acorns and apples in every color
for your altar.

Light candles at dusk . . . yellow for health, orange for sharing the
harvest, and purple for deepening spiritual awareness.

Burn sprigs of rosemary for the preservation of love and longevity. Add
freshly chopped rosemary to biscuits and breads, pizza crusts, stews and
roasted vegetables in olive oil and lemony chicken dinners. Hang a braid of
garlic in your kitchen for winter long protection.

Gather the spices of the season and toss out last year's stale spices during the waning moon, and visualize old habits, obstacles, and outworn desires being cleared from your life. Restock your pantry with fresh cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, whole nutmegs (with a tiny grater), allspice, Pumpkin Pie Spice, curry powder, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, peppercorns, sea salt. Warming herbs such as dried basil, marjoram, and dill are wonderful for the chill of the coming winter. Rosemary, thyme and culinary sage are traditional must-haves for the holidays.

Make a simple grapevine wreath for your door (or purchase one from your
local crafts store) and entwine it with freshly cut bittersweet stems. As
you wind the stems into the circle wreath, weave your intentions for the
coming months. Meditate upon the cycle of growth, decline and death. Buddha
taught that death is our best advisor; contemplating our short time here on
earth enriches our consciousness and supports us to make better choices.

On a clear breezy day, make use of your broom. Start with a clean sweep of
every room in the house and make it a offering for peace and clarity. Clear
out stagnant energy left over from the heat of summer. Open all your windows and hang out the rugs and blankets. Let your pillows air out in the sun. Sunlight is Mother Nature's disinfectant.

Now gather fresh air and new energy into your space. Play energizing music
and move through the rooms holding a stick of burning incense. Burn
smoldering smudge sticks of sage and lavender in corners, stairwells,
closets and hallways. The freshening smoke cleanses the space and clears out stagnant forces. Rededicate your home to peace.

Plan now for a time of study in the coming Fall, and begin looking through
some new books to ignite your interest in the dark evenings ahead. Start a
'New Book Pile'!

Find a new Dream Journal for capturing your dreams as you enter the
underworld time of year. The archetypal goddess Persephone is an appropriate guide as you sharpen your divination skills through Dream Work, meditation and fire scrying.

Donate, sell or give away any used books you no longer need. Go through
closets of winter clothing and donate any warm clothes you know you will not use this winter. Giving away that which we no longer need or use creates a space for possibility to enter.


Take some time to be outdoors during the last golden rays of the sun. Walk
through falling leaves and observe the animals in your neighborhood,
readying their nests for winter. Refresh your instinctual self and listen
with your whole body, heart and spirit. Open yourself to the wise teachings
of Autumn. Breathe in the sparkling fall air and notice your breath in every step. Breathe in clarity and breathe out peace. Ground yourself with a hot cup of spice tea or a chai latte when you return.

Stir up a little nurturing magic in the kitchen...and celebrate with loved
ones

source By Karri Allrich