It was, I think, as many as five years ago, when I received an intriguing looking invitation, hand-penned in white ink on black paper, to attend an Autumnal Equinox party. I had never heard of such a thing, but having always had a curiosity for the mystical, I was very excited about exploring the idea further.
That party was really my introduction to what now, many call feminine spirituality, or nature religion. It was then I began to discover the sacredness of celebrating and acknowledging the seasons. Being raised Catholic, I had always celebrated Christmas and Easter. But, I celebrated them as a Christian. I did not observe the Winter Solstice, or the Spring Equinox as being dramatic days in the course of nature, when there is a specific alignment of space, matter, energy and time. If we are truly of this universe, and are made of matter and energy, we are also a part of this event. Consciously or not, we experience the seasons internally.
I think we have all felt this to be true, even if we
experience it as an urge to do spring cleaning, to travel,
or to stay near home. Many people still feel September is
the start of the new year, no matter how long they've been
out of school.
Ancient people were aware of these cycles of the cosmos, and were aware of being a part of this phenomenon themselves, biologically, emotionally, and spiritually. They honored the seasons of change taking place inside as well as outside, knowing them to be the same.
To me it speaks of having magic, to be aware and in awe of the eternal creation going on around us, and within us.
Autumn is the time of harvest. It is a time to gather up the fruits of our labors, to give thanks for our bounty, and to prepare for the winter to come. The Autumnal Equinox is also the time of balance between light and dark. It is when the Sun passes our equator. It is a time to prepare for the descent into the darkness.
The ancient Celts interpreted this transfer of light to dark, as they did all dramatic changes in the Earth and Sky, both literally and figuratively. They celebrated the universal story of Mabon. Mabon ap Modron means son of the mother, Modron being the great Mother Earth. Mabon is the Divine Youth, or Son of Light.
Three days after being born to Modron, Mabon disappears. Modron is
distraught, the Son of Light is gone. Mabon is finally set free
through learning the wisdom of the most ancient of animals, even
though he has been safe all along in Modron's Otherworld, her womb.
There, he is nurtured. He has brought the Light into Mother Earth
until he can emerge powerful enough to take over the darkness once
again. The Light now has enough wisdom and strength to plant the
new seed.
The September Equinox is a time to prepare for the new life and light that eternally begins. We go into the darkness to gather strength and wisdom. We gather with friends and loved ones to renew our reserves. We feast on the gifts of the harvest. We know that sometimes there is sorrow, sometimes joy. We know that the light will win again, but we must enter the darkness to get there.
