Bounty of Autumn

"In September, as summer fades and we turn to embrace autumn's great bounty and gifts, we enjoy a renewed perspective of the seasons of life. We are motivated to make time to identify and explore what lies at our life's center, and our resulting awareness brings opportunities to investigate new pathways to a better life.  Opening to guidance and wisdom in a variety of ways affords us greater access to the infinite power of love and gratitude.  In September, we reenter our daily lives from a renewed place and move forward into full engagement. We are able to see more clearly our blessings and our learning, and we experience the gratitude that naturally results.  And we seek opportunities to bring our lives into congruence with the new perspectives we have gained."
-  Angeles Arriens, Living in Gratitude 


"Be Grateful.  Choose positive thoughts and feelings.  Use positive words.  Acknowledge others.  Appreciate yourself."
-  Mike Robbins  

September: Quotes, Poems, Sayings

Equal Dark and Equal Light

We Druid/Taoists prepare for the upcoming Autumnal Equinox celebration, also called Mabon, Autumn Moon Festival, Alban Elfed, Harvest Home Festival, Apple Feast, etc.   

The Moon Festival, Zhong Qiu Jie, a very popular Chinese autumn festival, is held when there is a full moon at this time of the year.   


"Equal dark, equal light
Flow in Circle, deep insight
Blessed Be, Blessed Be
The transformation of energy!
So it flows, out it goes
Three-fold back it shall be
Blessed Be, Blessed Be
The transformation of energy!"
-   Night An'Fey, Transformation of Energy

   

"The last of Summer is Delight --
Deterred by Retrospect.
'Tis Ecstasy's revealed Review --
Enchantment's Syndicate.
To meet it -- nameless as it is --
Without celestial Mail --
Audacious as without a Knock
To walk within the Veil."
-   Emily Dickinson, The Last of Summer is Delight 

  

September: Quotes, Poems, Lore

"Great Goddess, Mistress of cats,
Lady of love, beautiful Vana-Goddess,
Fulfill my greatest needs, O glorious one.
Teach me the magic I need.
Give me a glimpse of your deep wisdom.
Teach me in dreams. Enrich my life.
O Lady, you are Golden-Tears of Asgard
Lady of love, beautiful Vana-Goddess,
You are the Shape-shifter, the Sayer,
The Independent One.
Give me the strength and the magic I need."
-  Prayers to Freyja   

General Preparations for Mabon 

We gather dry corn stalks and make background arrangements and corn dollys; collect, dry and display all kinds of gourds and squash; we cut long grape vines and tie into circular forms for wheel symbols; we cut fire wood for a outdoor pre-dawn campfire in our sacred circle garden; we do reading in literature relevant to the Mabon seasonal theme; we make special meals with the vegetables and fruits of the season; we make moon cakes with rice.  We tend to do pre-dawn fireplace celebrations in the summer because it is too hot in the evening. 
 

Autumn Equinox Celebration Preparations: Mabon

Repost from 2008:

We Druid/Taoists prepare for the upcoming Autumnal Equinox celebration, also called Mabon, Autumn Moon Festival, Alban Elfed, Harvest Home Festival, Apple Feast, etc.

“Mabon, or Autumn Equinox, is named for the Welsh God of the Harvest, Mabon ap Modron (“divine son of the divine mother).  As told in the Mabinogion, Mabon was stolen from his mother three nights after his birth, and swelt in Annwfn (the Underworld) until he was rescued by Culhwch.  Because of his time in the Underworld, Mabon stayed a young man forever, and was equated with the Roman Apollo.  He is the Green Man whose blood is an intoxicating beverage; Dionysos (wine), Osiris (beer), and John Barleycorn (whiskey).  The bay tree is sacred to Mabon as its magickal action is preservation, a time-honored harvest occupation.  Also known as the Harvest Home, Kirn Feast, Mell Day, Ingathering, and Harvest’s Height, this festival commemorates the ritual sacrifice of the God and his descent into the Underworld, and the brewer’s art that produces the sacrament of this season.  In California Wine Country, where we live, it is the festival of the Grape Harvest.  Whiskey, the spirit of the barley, is also readily consumed during this festival.”
-  Oberon and Morning Glory Zell-Ravencraft, Creating Circles and Ceremonies, p. 227

“Your altar is a great place for fruits, such as squash and apples set in an old wooden bowl.  You will also want to add pomegranate, in association with Peresphone.  Decorate your altar with orange, brown and yellow altar cloths and candles.  Arrange colorful autumn leaves and small gourds, nuts, dried corn, seed, acorns, pine cones, etc.  You also might want to add a bowl of water, since autumn is associated with water, emotion, and relationships.”
-  Oberon and Morning Glory Zell-Ravencraft, Creating Circles and Ceremonies, p. 228


Ask yourself these questions in the month of September:
What is your personal harvest from self-improvement resolutions planted last spring?
In what specific and creative ways can you honor the productivity of Mother Earth? 
What is something new that you produced in the last six months?
How can you best celebrate your productive efforts during the year?
How have others helped you to be more creative?
How can you best celebrate the autumnal equinox holiday? 

September: Poems and Quotes

Autumn Equinox, Mabon, Harvest Festival, NeoPagan High Day

 

The Moon Festival, Zhong Qiu Jie, a very popular Chinese autumn festival, occurs when the moon is full in September. 


"Equal dark, equal light
Flow in Circle, deep insight
Blessed Be, Blessed Be
The transformation of energy!
So it flows, out it goes
Three-fold back it shall be
Blessed Be, Blessed Be
The transformation of energy!"
-   Night An'Fey, Transformation of Energy

   

"The last of Summer is Delight --
Deterred by Retrospect.
'Tis Ecstasy's revealed Review --
Enchantment's Syndicate.

To meet it -- nameless as it is --
Without celestial Mail --
Audacious as without a Knock
To walk within the Veil."
-   Emily Dickinson, The Last of Summer is Delight 

  

September: Quotes, Poems, Lore

"Great Goddess, Mistress of cats,
Lady of love, beautiful Vana-Goddess,
Fulfill my greatest needs, O glorious one.
Teach me the magic I need.
Give me a glimpse of your deep wisdom.
Teach me in dreams. Enrich my life.
O Lady, you are Golden-Tears of Asgard
Lady of love, beautiful Vana-Goddess,
You are the Shape-shifter, the Sayer,
The Independent One.
Give me the strength and the magic I need."
-  Prayers to Freyja   

General Preparations for Mabon 

We gather dry corn stalks and make background arrangements and corn dollys; collect, dry and display all kinds of gourds and squash; we cut long grape vines and tie into circular forms for wheel symbols; we cut fire wood for a outdoor pre-dawn campfire in our sacred circle garden; we do reading in literature relevant to the Mabon seasonal theme; we make special meals with the vegetables and fruits of the season; we make moon cakes with rice.  We tend to do pre-dawn fireplace celebrations in the summer because it is too hot in the evening. 
 

September Gardening Chores

September Gardening Chores


In Red Bluff, California:

Watering daily when temperatures over 90F.  
Removing dead and non-productive vegetable crops. 
Apply manure and compost to clay soils.  
Planting crops for late autumn harvest:  cabbages, kale, radishes, peas, fennel, cauliflower, lettuce, swiss chard, onions, leeks, Chinese peas, and endive.
Drying peppers and squash.
Start new strawberry beds. 
Dig up and divide garlic, perennials, iris, daylilies,  bulbs and onions.
Keep watering properly even as the weather begins to cool. 
Clean up all dead fruit. 
Fruit trees fed and sprayed with tonics.
Seed lawns with rye grass for winter color. 
Remove any dead shrubs or trees and place in large burn pile. 
Dig holes for planting trees and shrubs; plant in ground starting November 1st.
Purchase potted trees and shrubs for planting in autumn. 
Continue to mulch trees and shrubs.
Raking fallen leaves and add to compost pile.
Purchase bulbs from nurseries. 
Feed lawn with slow release fertilizer.
Remove spent blooms from roses.
Weed vegetables and shrubs, mow lawns.
Start to prepare sheds, tools, and equipment for Winter weather.
Repair roofs.  

September: Quotes, Poems, Seasonal Sayings

Autumnal Equinox Celebration


"I don't wanna say goodbye for the summer
Knowing the love we'll miss
Oh let us make a pledge to meet in September
And seal it with a kiss
Guess it's gonna be a cold lonely summer
But I'll fill the emptiness
I'll send you all my love every day in a letter
Sealed with a kiss."
-  Bobby Vinton 

"Harvest home, harvest home!
We've plowed, we've sowed
We've reaped, we've mowed
And brought safe home
Every load."
-  Harvest Home Song    

May you enjoy your Labor Day in America!!   

Gardening and Celebrations in September

Temperatures in Red Bluff, California, will continue to be high in the daytime (85F-95) and lowering in the night (53F-60F).  It is too hot to plant any trees or shrubs.  Watering will be essential.  We start our pruning cycle.  

This month I will add an electrical outlet and a water feature to the front yard sitting area.  We enjoy sipping our coffee and reading or listening to music while sitting in our front yard garden in the early morning hour.

We gather plants from the garden and create art for the Autumn Equinox Celebration.  

September - Poems, Sayings, Quotations.  Compiled by Mike Garofalo.

The Autumn Equinox Celebrations:  Mabon

Months of the Year

September Gardening Chores

Removing dead and non-productive vegetable crops. 
Apply manure and compost to clay soils.  
Planting crops for late autumn harvest:  cabbages, peas, fennel,
     cauliflower, lettuce, Swiss chard, onions, leeks, Chinese peas, and endive.  
Drying peppers and squash.
Start new strawberry beds.  
Dig up and divide garlic, perennials, iris, daylilies,  bulbs and onions.
Keep watering properly even as the weather begins to cool.  
Clean up all dead fruit.  
Fruit trees fed and sprayed with tonics. 
Seed lawns with rye grass for winter color.  
Remove any dead shrubs or trees.   
Dig holes for planting trees and shrubs.  
Purchase potted trees and shrubs for planting in autumn.  
Continue to mulch trees and shrubs.
Raking fallen leaves and add to compost pile.  
Purchase bulbs from nurseries.  
Feed lawn with slow release fertilizer. 
Remove spent blooms from roses.  
Weed vegetables and shrubs, mow lawns.  
Start to prepare sheds, tools, and equipment for Winter weather.
Repair roofs.