As some of you may or may not know, as you can see I am very into everything vintage. But another big part of my life is my spiritual path which I am on, finding my inner goddess and worshipping many Eartly beings. This isn't in a religious way as I wouldn't consider myself religious but in more of a spiritual way. I just love this part of me equally as much as the vintage side of me as it really connects me to all living beings. I will promise to write more on this over the next few weeks.
Today in the Wicca calender is the Autumn Equinox or Mabon as it was traditionally known. This is the day when the light and dark are at equal lengths and this was celebrated in history traditionally as the end of the summer harvest. This is one of the main Wicca festivals to celebrate the wheel of the year.
The idea of the festival is to give thanks to the summers harvest and mark in some way the change of summer to autumn. Depending on your individual spiritual path, there are many different ways you can celebrate Mabon, but typically I like to go out for a walk, make a home-made soup and start thinking about how to wrap up warm in preparation for Halloween.
This time of year I like to give thanks to nature for giving us the crop which we have enjoyed during the summer months and I accept that the trees are loosing their leaves in preparation for the winter. The trees are in effect going to lie dormant for the winter months. Another example in nature is how some animals are starting to hibernate, collecting food stores and making up nice warm homes.
I believe that everybody is on their own spiritual path but you can adapt any of my personal rituals to suit your own beliefs :)
Follow my 5 top tips to have a great harvest festival......
1. Find balance in your life again- Summer can often feel a bit go-go-go and when we go back to school/normal life after holiday we can sometimes feel a bit down and out. One thing I really love to do at this time of year is take some time out in nature to re find my balance. Autumn equinox is a great time to do this as the light is balanced, you can meditate or take a few deep breaths out in nature and focus on this point for a while. I love to take the dog out for a walk this time of year, switch off the mobile phones and focus on being still and not worrying about what has or may happen over the coming months. Give thanks to the balance in your life with acknowledging that without darkness they can be no day and visa versa. Count your blessings by writing a list of all you are thankful for. Here is a couple of mine
- My fiancé, for being patient helping me start a business this year.
- My family for being healthy and supportive also
- My one remaining cat for keeping my mum happy
- My own health, no complaints yet
This is a really great way to help say thanks in your life and focus on the rest of the year and what is important.
2. Harvest Festival & Food - Harvest is a great time to give something back, have a look in your local area and community or school to see if they are holding a harvest festival. Give some cans of food to a food bank or think about how you can store some of your lovely food during the cold winter months. I always think as well that this is a good time to say thank you to our farmers for all the hard work they have done. I saw one farmer this week out till 8 o clock in the dark!
I would love to make some jam or marmalade this winter however my fiance made an amazing butternut squash soup this week.....
The soup was made using a butternut squash, onion, white wine, some herbs and a splash of double cream!
By giving food away or collecting and storing this is a great way to say thanks and give blessings for the food we have enjoyed during the summer, and feels really great too!
3. Start thinking about Halloween - Ok so it is over a month away but I love to think of Halloween early by planning a party or how to decorate the house. One thing I also like to do is pick apples and make a lovely apple crumble yum yum. Apples are also seen as a symbol of divination and goddess power. You can harness this by picking a few apples and preserving them or making some tasty treats :)
4. Clean up and Clear out - Like a spring clean I also love to have a clean up in the Autumn, this is because we need to prepare mentally for the cold months. I actually believe that some of us go into our own sense of hibernation during the winter months and really feel the cold. Dust off the curtains, get out the winter duvet and blankets and clear away the cob webs. I use this time to get rid of summer clothes that I didn't wear and either pack them away or take them down to charity shop. After you have done this light some orange coloured candles for light and warmth.
I think this is also a great ritual to bringing energy back into your home after the end of the summer dip.
5. Feeding wildlife - I haven't actually done much of this lately I am ashamed to say but another idea I have thought of is how to feed wildlife. Perhaps you have some squirrels in your garden or birds you could feed from a feeder. I think this is a great time of year to help out those in nature who need a little helping hand. So why not?
I hope you enjoyed this post and would love any comments, if you would like to read more I found this site particularly helpful - All about Mabon
Whatever you do this weekend I hope it is a happy healthy and balanced one :)
Happy Mabon!
Lots of warm blessings
Lauren
xx
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