Happy Autumn Equinox!
The Ever Green Hearth would like to wish you a very blessed Fall Equinox! Often known as Mabon - this is the seasonal celebration or Sabbat that celebrates the turning of the Wheel of the Year that begins with Libra season near the end of September.
Astrologically - The Day that the Sun is at 0° Libra to 1° Libra Traditionally celebrated on or around September 21 (Northern Hemisphere)
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Autumnal Equinox marks the beginning of Astrological Fall - a time when day and night are equal length, and the nights will begin to grow longer from this time forward. (Until the longest night; Winter Solstice) The tilt of the Earth's axis means that for those in the Northern Hemisphere - daylight hours grow shorter, nights grow longer, and colder weather sets in. The name "Mabon" is a relatively Modern association for this seasonal celebration; a name from a Deity in Welsh Mythology that was not associated with the Harvest Season until the 1970's. Yet language changes and the word caught on quickly; now Mabon is the popular modern name for the celebration or Sabbat of the Autumn Equinox.
Traditionally, Mabon is a Harvest celebration, as many peoples in the Northern Hemisphere would be making harvests of grains, meats, and vegetables at this time of year. Looking ahead, we know that colder days are coming and our crops and gardens will not produce as much through the Fall and Winter, so we must preserve as much of the harvest now to ration through the winter. The bounty of a large harvest was celebrated with festivals and feasting, as many people in a community would come together to help barter, trade, and preserve the harvest. Energetically, even if you are not growing and harvesting your own food, Mabon is a time for gratitude for all that you have - in modern times many of us think of it as "Pagan Thanksgiving" as we have a harvest feast and celebrate with gratitude.
In many mythologies and legends, we find stories of harvest, death, gratitude, and resurrection all wound up together that we relate to this time of year. Persephone returns to the Underworld in Greek Mythology, the crops will not grow while she is gone but she will return in the spring. In Egyptian Mythology there are tales of the death of Osiris; God of Agriculture and Fertility, who will also resurrect after a time. In Norse Mythology we have the tale of the Death of Baldr - God of Light. It makes sense that our ancestors saw the seasonal shift of the shortening of days and the end of the growing season and likened this yearly cycle to the cycles of Death, Underworld Journeys, and eventual rebirth of deities of Light and Food.
Today, a lot of people are less directly connected to the source of their food, but we can still understand and relate to the Metaphor of Harvest, Preservation, Gratitude and Death. You can still reflect on your "Harvest" - what have you learned and gained through the light half of the year? How have you grown? When a harvest is being preserved, you have to be careful to not mix in anything moldy or rotten with the other food - or the rot will spread and spoil the whole harvest. So at the time of Mabon we also reflect on what we need to release and let go of; what do we not wish to carry with us into the longer nights and colder days? The times ahead are rough enough without us bringing unnecessary burdens or drama along with us.
However you choose to celebrate, take time for Gratitude for your Harvest, and consider how you can preserve the good in your life. Reflect on what needs to be culled or released to help you live a less burdened life in the coming months.
The Ever Green Hearth invites you to come celebrate with us! We will experience a Ritual Psychodrama of the Norse tale of Baldr's Death to help guide our personal reflection and gratitudes. And we will enjoy the company of others! Our ritual is taking place online - you don't even have to leave the comfort of your home! Mabon With The Ever Green Hearth
Saturday, September 24 7:00 pm PST Click to Join the Live Event
