Autumnal Equinox, Mabon and the Ancestor Time is unfolding around us.
The Equinoxes are about balance, the balance of day and night. They are important markers to the shifting Wheel of the Year and help us to prepare for planting or harvesting depending on the season.
In modern times, the autumn equinox is referred to as the holiday of Mabon, the Witches Harvest, and Second Harvest. We enter the time of preparation.
The Twilight Time. The Thinning Time.
Take a moment during sunrise or sunset in the coming weeks and just be on the land. Use all your senses to become one with the Earth and the shift taking place.
What do you see, hear, smell, taste and feel?
What do you sense on the Wind, in the Air, beneath your feet?
How does your Spirit respond?
We can use the energy of Mabon to bring ourselves into alignment, into balance, to center and ground.
Now is when we bring in the second round of the harvest that will feed us for the coming winter. Harder to imagine the importance to survival now with modern grocery stores, yet the time taken for proper harvesting and storage could make or break surviving the winter in the past. Harvesting is hard work. Once the Harvest is secured, then it is time for feasting and enjoying the last of the earth’s abundance before the barren time of frozen ground.
The time when the Veils Between the Worlds are growing thin.
Take a moment to experience the energy in the mists that form early in the mornings these days or late in the darkest time of night just before the pre-dawn light comes. Listen.
There is a rhythm and song to these Other World times, there are Spirits afoot, and Gateways that open.
We can honor our Ancestors by creating an Ancestor Altar in our home. You can use photos, flowers, candles, small dishes of food or drink as offerings and any items that are connected to your loved ones that have crossed over. For example, I have a small, antique hand sewing machine that my maternal Grandmother purchased when she first came to America. You could build an outdoor altar using stones, flowers and statues.
We can honor recently passed and our older lineage whether we know their names or not. If you are new to this level of work, it takes some time to establish a relationship with Ancestor Spirits. This kind of work goes further than just looking at one’s immediate family.
(this post was originally written 9/20/2008)