Lighten Up – Eternal Truths :)

Eternal Truths

1. Once over the hill, you pick up speed.
2. I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
3. If it weren’t for STRESS I’d have no energy at all.
4. Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don’t have film.
5. I know G-d won’t give me more than I can handle. I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.
6. Age is a very high price to pay for maturity.
7. Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.
8. We cannot change the direction of the wind … but we can adjust our sails.
9. Some days are a total waste of makeup.
10. Do you believe in love at first sight … or should I walk by you again?
11. If the shoe fits……buy it in every color.
12. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.
13. Age is a very high price to pay for maturity.
14. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
15. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
16. Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.
17. My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
18. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
19. Junk is something you’ve kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.
20. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.
21. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
22. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.
23. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
24. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.
25. Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.

Oh My Aging Funny Bone

Daily Feng Shui Tip for September 20 – Sapphire

The precious gem that is most associated with the month of September is the mystical sapphire. It has long been believed that simply wearing a sapphire close to the skin (as in some form of jewelry) will bring the wearer big favor and fabulous fortune. It’s also believed that these magnanimous blessings will ward off jealousy, negative energies and envy. The star sapphire has been known in many traditions to bestow good luck and money-making opportunities. So sapphires were called by some ‘Stones of Destiny’ and were said to represent faith, hope and destiny. Holistic and alternative energy healers say that sapphires can bring great things to the wearer, especially if there is conscious intent. But at any time of year it’s an excellent idea to adorn your life with star sapphire to clear your thoughts, enhance your creativity and enchant everyone around you. Now, that’s one power-packed gem!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for September 20 is 42: Increase

42: Increase

Hexagram 42

General Meaning: Substantial progress and increasing prosperity is pointed to. In whatever forms it takes, periods of increase are exhilarating, as long as you go with the flow while it lasts and keep the interests of others in mind. Like white water on a river, periods of increase are often of short duration; it furthers one, therefore, to shoot the rapids now, while the opportunity is there.

A good sense of direction in times of opportunity involves commitment to the needs of one’s cohorts and dependents. Only by realizing that to lead is really to serve, can an effective leader contribute to a lasting increase in prosperity for all. In times of general increase, those who contribute most directly to the common good will also receive the greatest rewards.

When opportunities for increase arise, supreme good fortune comes to those who act swiftly and boldly, while avoiding the trap of letting their actions be only self-serving. If you aspire to a position of prominence, the most enduring strategy is to work to raise the tide of your entire pond, rather than to try to swim upstream on your own.

When the times favor prosperity, and when leadership is in the hands of the broad-minded, supreme good fortune results.

Your Rune for September 20 is Othala

Your Rune For Today

Othala

Othala represents a solid, immovable home, prosperity and safety. Good fortune based on your heritage and character is yours to enjoy.

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Sept. 20 is Futility

Your Deck of Ancient Symbols Card for Today

Futility

Sadly sometimes our desires lead us down paths which have no end and offer us no chance of achieving the results we want. If we persist we end up like Sisyphus: forever rolling a boulder uphill only to have it roll back downhill before we ever get to the top. Futility suggest the existence of just such a situation–we are chasing a prize that will never be ours. Futility indicates a need to rethink our ambitions and direct our energies towards a goal or goals that can be attained.

As a daily card, Futility implies that you are putting energy into goals that cannot be met. It suggest the need to rethink your desires and possibly find a new goal or goals to chase.

Today’s Tarot Card for September 20 is The Empress

The Empress

This Tarot Deck: Tarot of the Spirit

General Meaning: Traditionally entitled “Empress,” this major arcana or “trump” card portrays the energy of the Great Mother. She is Nature, around us but also within us, the ever-unfolding Source of life-giving power. She is often pictured as a pre-Christian Goddess, as the one whom the High Priestess is channeling down to earth for the rest of us.

In medieval Europe, the Empress card was painted to represent whatever Queen currently ruled the land, probably to satisfy the Inquisitors. But the scholars of the Renaissance and beyond had no doubt of her true identity, although she could not be fully revealed on Tarot cards as the “woman clothed with the sun” until after the French Revolution.

This supreme archetype of femininity also symbolizes fertility. It is She who provides us nourishment and security. She is also sometimes seen as delighting us with flowers and fruit. A potentially terrifying aspect of this archetype manifests itself whenever karmic mood swings wipe out our plans, like a storm that has come upon us. Whatever happens, the Empress is the Source of our Embodiment and of Natural Law. She might even be called “the Great Recycler.”

Your Daily Horoscopes for September 20

Conversations take surprising turns today, leading us into uncharted waters. Messenger Mercury aligns with the revolutionary Uranus-Pluto square to upset the status quo. Luckily, sweet Venus forms a cooperative sextile to uplifting Jupiter, placing a positive spin on even the most difficult situation. Additionally, the Moon’s shift into philosophical Sagittarius at 12:33 pm EDT enables us to view current events from a healthier perspective.

Aries Horoscope (Mar 21 – Apr 19)

You don’t necessarily like what happens today if you have to defend yourself against someone with an agenda that’s different from yours. However, everything may not be as intense as it seems now. If you feel like you’re being pushed to a breaking point, try changing your mindset first. Once you find your center you won’t need the approval of anyone else.

Taurus Horoscope (Apr 20 – May 20)

You naturally prefer a day filled with simple pleasures, yet you might have to spend a lot of energy rearranging your schedule today because of events out of your control. Unfortunately, there’s not much margin for error now; you still must fulfill your work responsibilities before taking it easy. Trust in the process; ultimately everything will work out OK if you avoid getting caught up in someone else’s drama. If you lay low and keep busy, the pressure should ease over the weekend.

Gemini Horoscope (May 21 – Jun 20)

Your key planet Mercury could overwhelm you with too much information today. However, your biggest challenge may involve choosing which tasks to postpone for a later date. It isn’t that you made too many promises; instead, it’s others who are asking too much of you at this time. Do whatever you can to help, but don’t be concerned about someone else’s judgment once you have established your limits. Setting healthy boundaries enables you to do your best work.

Cancer Horoscope (June 21 – Jul 22)

You might have made a commitment that is weighing heavily on your mind now, and there seems to be little you can do to satisfy someone who could end up disappointed. Don’t doubt yourself as you try to figure out what to do next. The current stress is not meant to point out your weaknesses; its purpose is to highlight just how much you currently have on your plate. Rely on your emotional strength to navigate through this situation.

Leo Horoscope (Jul 23 – Aug 22)

You may be stressed in ways that make it hard to get in touch with your inner spirit today. Fortunately, you have a deep reserve of determination and resolve. However, others seem to be standing in your way, regardless of your tactics. Undermining authority won’t help, since this strategy only impedes your forward movement. Instead, simply acknowledge whoever is in control and then get on with whatever you need to do now.

Virgo Horoscope (Aug 23 – Sep 22)

You may feel as if you are stuck between two uncontrollable forces without an apparent way out today as your key planet Mercury locks horns with powerful Uranus and Pluto. Unfortunately, the more you struggle, the worse it gets. Instead of trying to escape now, stick around and learn the truth, even if you think it could be unpleasant. Your ability to uncover the facts will steadily resolve the tension over the next few days.

Libra Horoscope (Sep 23 – Oct 22)

Hidden motives come to light now, adding to the stress between you and someone else. Others might not like what they learn today, but the unpleasant energy should begin to shift once the truth is revealed. Whatever the disagreements of perspective, common ground can be found — but it might require more time than you think. Have patience; the process of healing works best on its own timetable. All you can do is make it clear that you are ready and willing to do your part.

Scorpio Horoscope (Oct 23 – Nov 21)

You are often up for a good challenge when you know that you’re doing the right thing. But now the Sun squares your key planet Pluto, so make sure that you’re not being played as a pawn in someone else’s game. If you think that you’re being manipulated, it’s smart to take a few steps back from the struggle and reconsider your next move. Temporarily disengaging from the situation enables you to detach from your feelings long enough to make a logical decision.

Sagittarius Horoscope (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

You might feel as if you’re fighting a losing battle today. Nevertheless, holding on to your fading optimism may still be the best thing you can do. If you start questioning your long-term goals now, you could spiral downward into worry or despair — and this won’t lead to anything productive. Be aware of what’s happening, but don’t just focus on the dark side. There is a silver lining to this particular rain cloud that’s yours to explore if you keep an open mind.

Capricorn Horoscope (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

You are passionate about your life today and are willing to work extra hard just to keep up with everything you have already set in motion. However, this isn’t the best time to start something new, since it seems that loose ends are fraying faster than you can tie them back together. Stay focused, even if you feel overwhelmed. The positive impact of your current efforts will be seen in just a few days.

Aquarius Horoscope (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

Your nervous system is so wired today that it’s nearly impossible to finish what you start because you can’t stay focused. Your impatience prompts you to talk before you fully develop your thoughts as Mercury opposes erratic Uranus. Unfortunately your unconventional ideas may upset your colleagues, so it’s wise to consider other people’s feelings before you say too much. Using your common sense helps you avoid an unnecessary confrontation with someone who would make a better ally than enemy.

Pisces Horoscope (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

Uncertainty bubbles up from the depths of your subconscious and your first impulse now may be to clamp down on your fantasies and become uncharacteristically rigid. Unfortunately, this inflexibility won’t help you get through the stresses of the day. However, when you accept that you don’t need to know where you are going, then you will magically find yourself closer to your desired destination.

Daily Cosmic Calendar for September 20

Slow your pace across the board as many alignments arrive within this 24-hour tinderbox. The early hours reveal the Moon parallel Pluto (5:37AM PDT) and a Moon-Sun supportive, 60-degree liaison (6:12AM PDT) that unfortunately also starts a void lunar uncertainty zone that lasts until 9:35AM PDT. Try not to make waves and upset the status-quo during the 3+ hour void time-span as Mercury is also forming an off-kilter, 150-degree link to Chiron (7:38AM PDT). Under these circumstances, patience is a cardinal virtue. The Moon’s shift from Scorpio to Sagittarius — always an intense one each month — does provide some mirth and upbeat vibrations as lunar Sagittarius begins in earnest at 9:35AM PDT. Usually Sagittarius Moon is a time-period for fun, games, sports and reaching long-sought literary or educational goals. However, look at the following list: the Moon makes its monthly union with Juno (11:15AM PDT); Juno squares Neptune (1:40PM PDT); Mercury opposes Uranus (3:24PM PDT); Mercury is contra-parallel Uranus (4:07PM PDT); Mercury squares Pluto (4:22PM PDT); and Venus makes a supportive, 60-degree alliance with Jupiter (8:46PM PDT). The Moon with Juno and Venus harmonizing with Jupiter are thumbs-up sky patterns that can be ultra-empowering. Nonetheless, the other four aspects — three of which include Mercury — suggest that psychic storm warnings should be posted in very conspicuous locations. As the Sufi saying goes, trust in the divine, but tie up your camel. Keep hope alive, but acting with a sense of caution and conservation makes total sense.

Calendar of the Moon for September 20

Calendar of the Moon

20 Muin/Boedromion

Greater Mysteries Day 6: Ritual

Colors: Gold and black
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon cloth of black and gold set a single white candle to burn, with incense of myrrh, and a great pitcher of mint-barley tea, with many cups around it. Before the altar lay the Kistai, the round box of holy objects, and a basket with a sheaf of grain in it. The curtains are drawn, and a single torch lights the room.
Offerings: Oneself, as an initiate.
Daily Meal: Fasting until Mesembria of the next day, except for the “kykeon” tea.

Mysteries Invocation VI:

(The invocation opens with a wordless, many-toned chant that all sing.)

We have walked in the footsteps of Demeter,
Who understands the mourning of the loss so terrible
That you think you may die from it.
We have walked in the footsteps of Persephone,
Who understands being taken against your will
To a dark place where only love can change things.
We are come to the moment of seeing, of knowing,
Of bringing together what has been parted,
Yet knowing also that both are changed,
And will never be what they were before.
Mother and daughter must find a new relationship,
As we must find a new way after each of our losses.

(The chant is repeated. Then the Kistai is opened, and each of the holy objects is removed, and explained to the folk. They come forth to touch them as they are brought forth.)

Hail to Demeter, Lady of the Earth,
Giver of nourishment!
As Demeter in her mourning, in her barrenness
Was given kykeon to drink by Metaneira,
Was given shelter and care by mortals
Who would not see an old woman weary on the road
Without offering comfort, so we see
That mortals can offer comfort to the Gods, and to each other.
Here, take, drink of Comfort in the time of darkness.

(Then the kykeon is passed to drink, and all speak in turn of their losses, and how they came forth to find a new path. If this ritual takes longer, it may go late into Arktos without trouble, as there is no dinner; it is important that all get the chance to speak, and weep if necessary. When all have finished, the officiant says:)

Remember always this:
That darkness yields to light, and light to darkness,
And out of every woe comes some good thing,
Even if it is not given to the sufferers.
For lo, Persephone the ravished maiden is now Queen,
And Counselor to the sorrowing Dead,
Bringing healing to the pain of others.
How will you, too, heal from the memory of wounds?

(Each speaks of how they will bring healing to the world, and the rest of the kykeon is poured out as a libation.)

Hail to Persephone, Maiden who goes down into the dark,
And has learned to love the Dark, and its center!
Hail to She who arises again in the spring,
Reminding us that spring will always come again,
No matter how long and cold the winter!
Hail to Hades, Lord of the Underworld,
Who gives the Dead their food, their shelter,
And what care and love he can,
Who gave them the greatest gift of all:
The gift of Persephone, Maiden of the Spring,
To succor them and give them hope.
For lo, they have birthed them a child,
And his name is Brimos, and he is given back to all of us,
Given to the living for our sustenance,
Nourishment born of tears, Birth born of Death,
As all life feeds on Death, as all things turn on the wheel.
Hail to Brimos, born in the darkness,
And may we follow you back to the light!

(End with the wordless chant again, lasting for some time as the torch is put out. Then all should go out into the light as if for the first time, and sing while they work for the rest of the work-hours.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for September 20

Calendar of the Sun

Carista – Day of Peace in the Family

Color: Lavender
Element: Water
Altar: Upon a lavender cloth set a tray of cakes shaped like clasping hands, and many cups full of hot tea.
Offerings: Promise to attempt to be more considerate of those you live with.
Daily Meal: Any food, but it must be served from one great plate for every table, and it should not be in separate portions.

Carista Invocation

May there be Peace in this house.
(Response: “May there be peace in this house!”)
Peace can be a hard mistress.
The daily round of the ordinary,
The simple turn of day and night and day
The presence of the same souls
Can come to be like a shadow on the sun,
And yet Peace still demands
That we find a way to move past
That ordinariness
And all the thousand thorns and briars
And bring Peace into the house.
(Response: “May there be peace in this house!”)
Take the hand of your sister, your brother,
The one who shares your roof, your table,
The ground you walk on,
Whose feet know the boards as well as your own,
And swear to find a way
To bring peace into the space between you.
(Response: “May there be peace in this house!”)

Chant:
My brother, my heart, my sister, my soul;
My family, my life, come in from the cold;
My sister, my heart, my brother, my soul;
My family, my life, that makes this life whole.

(Instead of a ritual, this period of time should be used to mediate and address problems between members of the community, with emphasis on peacemaking and compromise and useful solutions. At the end of the meeting, all share cakes and tea.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Current Moon Phase for Sept. 20: Waxing Crescent

Crescent Moon

(waxing/36% illumination)

During this Moon phase, there is a slight slowing down of enthusiasm due to an emerging desire to produce tangible results from the energy being expended. The issue of values enters into the equation and an urge to tie together the data available so that you can utilize current opportunities. There is still plenty of forward motion, and this is a great time to continue initiating and progressing forward. This Moon phase favors gaining more information and the input of others to further your plans.

The Witches Correspondence For Thursday, Sept. 20

The Witches Correspondence For Thursday, Sept. 20

Magickal Intentions: Luck, Happiness, Health, Legal Matters, Male Fertility, Treasure and Wealth, Honor, Riches, Clothing Desires, Leadership, Public Activity, Power and Success Incense: Cinnamon, Must, Nutmeg and Sage
Planet: Jupiter
Sign: Sagittarius and Pisces
Angel: Sachiel
Colors: Purple, Royal Blue and Indigo
Herbs/Plants: Cinnamon, Beech, Buttercup, Coltsfoot, Oak
Stones: Sugilite, Amethyst, Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire
Oil: (Jupiter) Clove, Lemon Balm, Oak moss, Star Anise

Jupiter presides over Thursday. The vibrations of this day attune well to all matters involving material gain. Use them for working rituals that entail general success, accomplishment, honors and awards, or legal issues. These energies are also helpful in matters of luck, gambling, and prosperity

The Witches Almanac for *Thursday, September 20

*Thursday (Jupiter): Expansion, money, prosperity and generosity.

Saints Cosmas and Damian’s Day

Moon Sign: *Aquarius

*Aquarius: Rebellious energy. Time to break habits and make abrupt changes. Personal freedom and individuality is the focus.

*Waxing Moon

*The Waxing Moon is the ideal time for magick to draw things toward you.

Moon enters *Pisces 1:23 am

*Pisces: The focus is on dreaming, nostalgia, intuition, and psychic impressions. A good time for spiritual or philanthropic activities.

Moon Phase: Second Quarter

Incense: Clove

Color: White

Good Thursday Morning, all my lovely friends! Take A Look, We Need Your Help!

No fancy graphics, no humorous sayings! I am very serious today. We need your help! Desperately. My true love, the animal refuge, is going to need some funding. Right now, I have enough supplies to make it for a few more days. But I have received an influx of animals from the local vets. It is normal for this time of year. The nights are cooler, the animals roam, they get hit by cars, some injured, others leaving behind babies. You understand what I mean. But right now, I am using a larger than usual amount of hay. Hay isn’t cheap this year. I am also using baby formula and purchasing (at a huge discount) baby mice. You will see why in just a minute. I have took as many pictures as possible of the new critters that have arrived. I wanted you to see their cute little faces that way you will know what you are helping. So let me show you some of these little darlings.

There are four of these little cuties. They were found not to far from a local pond in the game reserve. They were all cuddled up around their dead mother. She apparently died trying to defend them. But all of them require a bottle to be fed and they are getting fat as little pigs. Oh, I don’t know if some of you have heard or not baby skunks don’t spray. HA! In a few weeks, this little guy will be able to spray if he feels threatened. But they are absolutely adorable.

This guy is a very unusual critter to end up in our refuge. We might get one or two a year. So they are very rare for us. But isn’t he beautiful. He is the reason, I am purchasing mice. I ought to have took a picture of him eating. It is cool to watch him eat. I just love him. He has a broken wing. He will probably be here for at least two or three weeks. He likes to stay perched up high. One of us has to pick him up and put him up on a board. Then we have to stay outside in the barn to watch him. When he tries to get down, we run and get him and put him back on the ground. Sounds like a lot of work, but I love doing it.

This little guy came in by himself. He is a victim of a vicious hunter. A hunter who shot his mother and displayed her across the front of his jeep as he drove off. People like that make my butt work button holes. He is just two weeks old. He just recently opened his eyes before we got him. He doesn’t know how to eat on his own. So he is bottle fed too.

This is another bobcat kitten that is two months old. He came in because of the same reason. His mother was shot due to a uncaring hunter. The bastard also went so far as to shoot his brothers and sisters. I guess the noise scared this little gal so bad she ran for her life. Thankfully she ran toward safety and someone who would take her and get her to safety. She is a sweetheart.

A beautiful deer fawn. She is still wobbly on her legs. We also offer her a bottle and she takes it. Her mother was shot by a hunter, out of season. She is so gentle and loving. It will be very hard to get her back out into the wild.

A beautiful gray fox. He had his paw caught in a trap and had practically chewed it off when he was found. He isn’t that friendly but he is learning, we don’t want to hurt him. We are trying to help him. In a few weeks, he will be able to return to the wild and hopefully no more traps.

Last but definitely not least, this is Razzy. I just had to show you how she had grown and how beautiful she is. She came to us in a set of three kittens. She was so affectionate and loving. We immediately bonded. It just goes to show you, these poor animals that start out in life so badly can turn into the most beautiful animals on the planet. Razzy is gentle, loving, protective and thinks she is just a big housecat. She loves Kiki and my old tomcat to pieces. They all live together as brothers and sisters. She loves to jump on my back and also sit on my shoulders. The little heifer weighs about 35 lbs. Can you imagine that sitting on your shoulders?

But you see what your money goes to help. We currently need hay/straw, bottles, formula, bandages, antibiotic ointment and grain. Like I said earlier, we have enough supplies right now for the next few days. But we are going to run out and we need your help.

It doesn’t matter how much you can give, every dime counts. Heck $5.00 will buy a bale of hay, which will feed a deer for a few days. Or it will keep a fox warm for a couple of days. $10.00 will buy a case of formula for the baby skunks, bobcat, and fawn. See it doesn’t take much to assist this little critters. If you can spare it and you feel the need to help. Please take a moment to donate. We will appreciate anything you can give. More over, the animals will definitely appreciate your gift. Thank you!

The Symbolism of the Stag

Mabon is the season in which the harvest is being gathered. It’s also the time in which the hunt often begins — deer and other animals are killed during the autumn in many parts of the world. In some Pagan and Wiccan traditions, the deer is highly symbolic, and takes on many aspects of the God during the harvest season.

For many Wiccans, the antlers of the stag are associated directly with the fertility of the God. The Horned God, in his many incarnations, often appears wearing a headdress of antlers. In some depictions, the horns grow directly from his head. Early Paleolithic cave art shows men wearing antlers on their heads, so it would appear that the horn or antler has long been a symbol of worship in some form or another. In Egyptian legend, many gods appear to wear a pair of horns on their head.

In some Pagan paths, there is a correlation between the shape of a pair of horns and the crescent moon. The image of a stag with a full moon between his antlers represents both the male (the antlers) and the female (the moon) aspects of the Divine.

Mabon is the time, in many areas, when hunting season begins. While many Pagans are opposed to hunting, others feel that they can hunt for food as our ancestors did. For many Pagans, equally as important as the idea of caring about animals is the concept of responsible wildlife management. The fact is, in some areas, wild animals such as whitetail deer, antelope, and others have reached the status of nuisance animal. .

In some Wiccan traditions, a popular Mabon chant to sing is entitled simply, Hoof and Horn.

Gods of the Vine

By Patti Wigington

Grapes. They’re everywhere in the fall, so it’s no surprise that the Mabon season is a popular time to celebrate winemaking, and deities connected to the growth of the vine. Whether you see him as Bacchus, Dionysus, the Green Man, or some other vegetative god, the god of the vine is a key archetype in harvest celebrations.

The Greek Dionysus was representative of the grapes in the vineyards, and of course the wine that they created. As such, he gained a bit of a reputation as a party-hardy kind of god, and his followers were typically seen as a debauched and drunken lot. However, before he was a party god, Dionysus was originally a god of trees and the forest. He was often portrayed with leaves growing out of his face, similar to later depictions of the Green Man. Farmers offered prayers to Dionysus to make their orchards grow, and he is often credited with the invention of the plow.

In Roman legend, Bacchus stepped in for Dionysus, and earned the title of party god. In fact, a drunken orgy is still called a bacchanalia, and for good reason. Devotees of Bacchus whipped themselves into a frenzy of intoxication, and in the spring Roman women attended secret ceremonies in his name. Bacchus was associated with fertility, wine and grapes, as well as sexual free-for-alls. Although Bacchus is often linked with Beltane and the greening of spring, because of his connection to wine and grapes he is also a deity of the harvest.

In medieval times, the image of the Green Man appeared. He is typically a male face peering out from the leaves, surrounded by ivy or grapes. Tales of the Green Man have overlapped through time, so that in his many aspects he is also Puck of the MidSummer forest, Herne the Hunter, Cernunnos, the Oak King, John Barleycorn, Jack in the Green, and even Robin Hood. The spirit of the Green Man is everywhere in nature at the time of the harvest — as leaves fall down around you outside, imagine the Green Man laughing at you from his hiding place within the woods!

Demeter, Dark Mother of the Harvest

Perhaps the best known of all the harvest mythologies is the story of Demeter and Persephone. Demeter was a goddess of grain and of the harvest in ancient Greece. Her daughter, Persephone, caught the eye of Hades, god of the underworld. When Hades abducted Persephone and took her back to the underworld, Demeter’s grief caused the crops on earth to die and go dormant. By the time she finally recovered her daughter, Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds, and so was doomed to spend six months of the year in the underworld. These six months are the time when the earth dies, beginning at the time of the autumn equinox. Each year, Demeter mourns the loss of her daughter for six months. At Ostara, the greening of the earth begins once more and life begins anew.

In some interpretations of the story, Persephone is not held in the underworld against her will. Instead, she chooses to stay there for six months each year so that she can bring a little bit of brightness and light to the souls doomed to spend eternity with Hades.

Mabon Celebrations Around the World

By Patti Wigington

Mabon is the time of the second harvest, and of thanksgiving.

At the time of the autumn equinox, there are equal hours of light and dark. It is a time of balance, and while summer is ending, the winter is approaching. This is a season in which farmers are harvesting their fall crops, gardens are beginning to die, and the earth gets a bit cooler each day. Let’s look at some of the ways that this second harvest holiday has been honored around the world for centuries.

In China, the moon’s birthday falls around the time of the autumn equinox. Special holiday birthday cakes are baked with flour from harvested rice, and families gather together to honor the moon. It is believed that flowers will fall from the sky on the night of the moon’s birthday, and those who saw them fall would be blessed with great abundance.
Many English counties still observe Michaelmas, which is the feast of St. Michael, on September 29. Customs included the preparation of a meal of goose which had been fed on the stubble of the fields following the harvest (called a stubble-goose). There was also a tradition of preparing special larger-than-usual loaves of bread, and St. Michael’s bannocks, which was a special kind of oatcake.
Long before the Pilgrims arrived in the New World, the Native peoples of North America celebrated the harvest with thanksgiving festivals in the autumn. This typically included lots of meat and grains to eat. Games and activities were held, and it was also useful as a time of matchmaking between neighboring villages.
In some Germanic countries, people worried about the fate of their grain harvest. If there was a great deal of wind during the harvesting season, it could be because Odin wanted a share of the crop. To keep him happy, a few spare sacks of flour were emptied into the wind.
The Yoruba people of Nigeria had a celebration in October to celebrate the yam harvest. Dances were held to honor the ancestors, and to bid farewell to those who might have died in the past year. Yams were offered to dancers in hopes that a fertile crop would appear next year. Interestingly, studies have shown that women who consume a lot of yams (real African yams, not sweet potatoes) are statistically more likely to conceive twins, so there is certainly a link between yams and fertility symbolism!
The Iroquois people celebrated a Corn Dance each fall. This was a way to give thanks for the ripening of the grain — songs, dances and drumming were part of the celebration. Naturally, food played an important part as well, including corn bread and soup.
For the ancient Druids, the fall equinox was Alban Elfed. Many contemporary Druids celebrate this as at time of balance and thanksgiving.

Mabon Harvest Incense

You’ll need:

2 parts sandalwood
2 parts pine
1 part rosemary
1 part cinnamon
1 part dried apple
1 part dried oak leaf

Add your ingredients to your mixing bowl one at a time. Measure carefully, and if the leaves or blossoms need to be crushed, use your mortar and pestle to do so. As you blend the herbs together, state your intent. You may find it helpful to charge your incense with an incantation, such as:

Mabon, a season of dark and light,
balance of day turning to night.
Counting my blessings in all I have and do,
love and harmony, and gratitude too.
Mabon herbs, bring balance to me,
As I will, so it shall be.

Store your incense in a tightly sealed jar. Make sure you label it with its intent and name, as well as the date you created it. Use within three months, so that it remains charged and fresh.

Sabbat Oil 3

2 drops Pine

1 drop Ginger

1 drop Cinnamon

1 drop Sandalwood

½ oz. Carrier Oil

Wear on the Sabbats

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