Tomorrow at Highbanks Metro Park (Lewis Center, Ohio), a local Druid grove is having their Equinox ritual. I'll be there in person with my family. They also have a Zoom link. Love to see yall there.
September 17, 2023, Sunday, 2:30 pm - Three Cranes Grove Autumnal Equinox at Highbanks Metro Park. Potluck. (They also have a Zoom option.) https://www.facebook.com/events/796403551962762
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Pagans of Delaware County Fall Equinox Ritual on September 24, 2022
The equinox is a time to celebrate and honor the Harvest, be it wild or domestic, flora or fauna. To give thanks to ethical gardeners, farmers, hunters, and fishers; butchers, truckers, cooks and waiters, retail workers, delivery people, and other important and often overlooked/mistreated workers of this time of the year. To honor your own gardens and harvest, and all of the lessons along the way. A time for family–blood and/or chosen. For gratitude.
If you work with entities/energies (not necessarily deities/spirits), you can also honor those of Agriculture, Hunting, Gathering, Death, Hearth and Home, Nature, and whatever energies make sense to you during this season. Remember if you don't vibe with a holy day, you can change it to suit your own beliefs…or do without it! If it holds no meaning to you, what's the point?
Fall is also a time to mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally prepare for winter. Time to start thinking about winterizing your home, property, and vehicles. If you've attended August's Honeysweet Ritual, keep your sweets close for those dark and gloomy days–may they help you cope with the solemnity of fall and the barrenness of winter.
A little bit about this month's equinox (course there are many other correspondences):
Other Names: Fall Equinox, First Day of Fall, Autumnal Equinox, Second Harvest, Mabon, Alban Elfed "Light of Autumn", Pagan Thanksgiving...
Some Entities/Energies:
Agricultural
Dark Gods and Goddesses
Death
Earth
Hearth and Home
Nature Spirits
Psychopomps and other Death/Spirit World Guides
Rain, Storm, and Wind
Celtic/Irish/British: Cerridwen, Banbha, Elen of the Ways, Herne, Cernunnos…
Greek: Gaia, Artemis, Persephone, Demeter, Arachne, Hermes, Hekate, Helios, Medusa…
Minoan: Ariadne, Dionysus, The Melissae…
Norse: Jerd, Frey, Freyja, Thor (Agricultural aspect), Idunn…
Roman: Ceres, Pomona, Bona Dea, Bacchus…
Welsh: Modron…
Energies: Preparation, Harvest, Letting Go, Gratitude, Shadows, Hunting, Fishing, Gathering, Farming, Change, Transitions…
Symbols: Dying Leaves, Scarecrows, Broomsticks, Acorns, Drum, Cornucopia, Fire, Tractor, Woven Baskets, Yarn/Hooks/Needles, Hoodies, Hand Sickle, Bolline…
Colors: Oranges, browns, reds, yellows, light greens, purples, golds, grays…
Animals: Fox, Deer, Squirrel, Owl, Goose, Bees, Crow…
Plants: Aster, Black-Eyed Susans, Chamomile, Coneflower, Dahlia, Fern, Goldenrod, Honeysuckle, Maple, Marigold, Mums, Oak, Pansies, Parsley, Petunias, Red Twig Dogwood, Rose, Rosemary, Snapdragon, Sunflower, Thistle, Yarrow…
Oils / Scents: Cinnamon, Apple, Sage, Frankincense, rain…
Stones/Crystals: Citrine, Amber, Sapphire, Carnelian…
Foods: Wild game, poultry, honey, nuts, apples, red wines, grapes, corn, squash, gourds, pomegranate, mead, cider, beans, grains, berries, soups/stews, carmels, pumpkin spice, hot cocoa, bone broth, anything that's wild/domestic harvested locally in your area.
Children's Story/Movie Favorite in my Home:
dePaola, Tomie. Strega Nona's Harvest.
Donaldson, Julia. Room on the Broom.
Gaddis, Lora Craig. The Elsie and Pooka Wheel of the Year: Autumn.
Grani Hulda. Mabon: Learn About Paganism with Grani Hulda.
Joyce, Melanie. Little Acorn.
Kyrja. Rupert's Tales: The Wheel of the Year Beltane, Litha, Lammas, and Mabon.
Long, Loren. Little Tree.
Pak, Kenard. Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn.
Pfeffer, Wendy. We Gather Together: Celebrating the Harvest Season.
Rawlinson, Julia. The Fox/Fletcher and the Falling Leaves.
Sorrel, Traci. We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga.
Some Activities Alone or with a Group:
Baking/Cooking - Pies, fall themed cookies, Apple Cake, Thunder Cake, Bone Soup, Family Recipes, etc.
Making Your own Family Recipe Cookbook.
Apple Picking
Photography Hike/Nature Walk
Leaf Crafts
Ancestor Stories/Scrapbooking
Story Telling
Camping
Bonfire
Canning
Candle/Fire Magics
Homeless Projects
Food Pantries/Shelters Volunteering
Community Service
Donations.
For this holy day, I usually focus on Persephone/Ariadne's return to the Underworld for 6 months.
In years past, I've done rituals to help people travel with Bee down into the Spirit World to meet with a deity that may aid them with handling their Shadows during this time of the year. To find their torch and spark to light it to become their own guides.
Last year, with the Pagans of Delaware County, I taught attendees how to make rattles from recycled and found objects. We used those rattles to build up energy to release and clear the space within and around us.
Pagans of Delaware County Fall Equinox Ritual on September 24, 2022
Join me on Sunday, September 24th, 2-5pm, at Delaware State Park to celebrate the Fall Equinox. This year I was inspired by a children's book called The Fox and the Falling Leaves by Julie Rawlinson (a fall fav). A story about how a little fox fights against the changing season, not quite understanding this autumn business. Then at the end, little Fletcher learns how beautiful change can be. Using wooden leaves and acorns, we'll focus on things to let go of, things that may be holding us back in order to invite those necessary energies for change.
https://www.facebook.com/events/254609070747845
What does the Fall Equinox mean to you? Who or what do you honor and celebrate? Deities? Spirits? Energies? How do you observe this season? You can comment below if you'd like, or journal about your thoughts.
Blessed Fall Equinox! And for those in the Southern Hemisphere, Happy Spring!
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Sources
Mankey, Jason. Patheos Pagan: Raise the Horns: Mabon: The Most Pressing Issue of Our Time. 2021 September 15. https://www.patheos.com/blogs/panmankey/2021/09/mabon-the-most-pressing-issue-of-our-time/
Maze, Janice. Sansone, Arricca Elin. Country Living: 35 Best Fall Flowers and Plants for Autumn Interest. 2023 Sept 11 .https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/garden-ideas/g4662/fall-flowers/
Wigington, Patti. Learn Religions: Mabon: The Autumn Equinox. 2019 June 25. https://www.learnreligions.com/all-about-mabon-the-autumn-equinox-2562286
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