I feel like Autumn Equinox gets short shrifted every year. More of a perfunctory way station to spooky season than a pause in it's own right. School has started for the year and the holidays are right around the corner, especially Halloween which is so much more fun for most people than sitting in gratitude.
I read somewhere a long time ago that Mabon was like the witches' Thanksgiving. As the Second Harvest celebration, there are different food correspondences than we had for Lughnasa (bread, berries, corn) such as apples, onions, root vegetables, and squash. The pause of the equinox makes for a great time to look at the seasonal produce in your area. Maybe even going to farmer's markets to check out what's fresh locally. Even if you can't afford farmer's market prices, it still gives you a good idea of what's ripe this time of year so you can make informed decisions on options that fit your budget. Try looking from the lens of abundance even if your budget is small. The earth provides us with so much food, and looking at (and eating) produce can be a great way to reconnect with the earth and remembering that she sustains us. It makes infinitely more sense to me to have a harvest/Thanksgiving celebration in September than in November like we do in the United States. Also, Thanksgiving celebrations in the US have a complex history . Here are some interesting articles, but this is a way bigger discussion than today's blog post. Just some food for thought as the holiday season approaches.
It's understandable to me that in the US since we already have a Thanksgiving holiday, that Mabon seems like something to skip since we'll do a different cultural activity later. But I urge you to stop and ponder this season a little before we get into the spooky fun of Halloween/Samhain. However, it's a pause to celebrate the second harvest and enjoy the seasonal shift of fruits and other food. Notice what's in season now. Even if if you can't afford farmer's market prices, you can check out what farmers in your climate have to offer in season and search for similar foods at a price point you can afford. Eating seasonally is a great way to connect to the earth, and there's usually a budget friendly way to do it.
The Autumn Equinox is a balance point between light and dark. So is the Spring Equinox but while we're usually excited about the world warming up and becoming more active in the spring, but we really resist the pause to slow down and welcome the darkness and introspection of this time of year. We also distract ourselves with lots of bright lights, celebrations, and activities to get away from spending time with ourselves. The fiscal year ends on Sep 30, but there's sometimes still a push in the workplace to "be productive" in the last quarter of the calendar year.
I'd like to propose a different narrative though. The Autumn Equinox calls us to start slowing down and going within. Autumn Equinox also calls us to pause and consider balance. Where your life feels balanced, where it feels like you're doing too much, and where you want to focus more energy in order to make any adjustments you'd like as we head towards winter. The wheel of the year invites us to pause, not just give a head nod and keep on going. Consider the areas of Friendship, Family, Physical Health, Mental Health, Finances, Career, Spiritual Practices, and Personal Development. How satisfied are you with those areas on a scale of 1-10? Where would you like to focus energy on making improvements?
It's also an opportunity to spend time in gratitude. And I don't mean the perfunctory "Thanks for the grub" or "Thanks for holding the door" kind of gratitude. Rather deep, open hearted gratitude. Merriam-Webster defines gratitude as the state of being grateful: thankfulness. Since using another form of the word to define a word makes my inner English teacher run her nails down the chalkboard, I had to find the definition of thankfulness. The definition I like best, again from Merriam-Webster is conscious of benefit received, which is a definition that dates back to earlier than the 12th Century (1100s). I love this definition so much more because it's gratitude with reciprocity. We're not just throwing "thank you" out into the world, but opening our hearts to feel the gift of love we're receiving from another. I teach this practice to my coaching clients and it's a huge shift to see them go from just giving to giving and receiving gratitude. It was also a huge shift for me when I started doing this practice. Opening my heart and receiving felt so vulnerable. Once I set the intention to receive though, I was offered so many beautiful opportunities from friends and loved ones that helped me feel safe in that vulnerability. So as we enter the season of celebrations and gift giving, try to keep an open heart and feel the love and gratitude you give to other come back to you.
Love and Sparkles,
Ryan
Comments