September 21/22
The autumnal equinox celebrates equal day and night, and the preparation of winter. This is the time of the final harvest and is an early Thanksgiving celebration. Fall has arrived and we say goodbye to the sun as we prepare for winter. Another name is Mabon.
Purpose
To celebrate the equinox.
Preparation
Make small squares of paper to write down what participants are ready to let go of. Prepare a large bowl with earth and a central candles inwhich participants can burn their squares of paper.
Welcome and Greetings
Welcome to our Fall Equinox ceremony. Introduce yourself and go around the circle having each participant share their name and why they came to the circle. Have them close their eyes and share a moment of silence to prepare for the ceremony.
Call the Directions
Call in the directions and the energies of the autumnal equinox.
Teachings
Tonight, we come together to celebrate a time of equal day and night as we move toward the darkest night of the year and winter. We bid the light of the god Lugh and the goddess Lucina (Nordic) farewell. We say goodbye to our diminishing days of sunshine. This is the time of the final harvest and gratitude is an important part of this early Thanksgiving celebration. We gather the last of the harvest and we store the seeds and food for winter. We gather the fruits and vegetables from the gardens. The leaves fall from the trees with the increasing winds and changes in the weather. Now is the time to gather your herbs, seeds, and leaves to add to your medicine supplies.
Another name for this holiday is Mabon. Mabon is a time of repose and rest after the labors of the harvest. We compost, mulch, recycle, and clear our gardens for winter. This is a time to turn inward and let go of that which has not borne fruit in our personal lives. Demeter (Greek) lets go of her dear daughter Persephone as she descends to the underworld. What do you have to let go of that is near and dear to you? Herne the Hunter hunts down the stag and becomes the great horned god Cernunnos. The stag/god gives up its life for the people; the vegetation god sacrifices the fruit and seeds of his labor; corn and wheat are ground into flour. Soon the stag will die and his crown of antlers will return to the earth. Soon the vegetation will be reaped and what remains can be composted back into the earth to feed her with nutrients.
We honor that which dies so that we may live. We honor the fruits of the trees, the vegetables of the garden, the wheat and grains and vines, the animals, and all that sustains us. We honor all of life. We honor the elements that sustain us, and we give blessing to our Mother Earth, Gaia. We honor the crone aspect of the Great Mother. She is the Grim Reaper, and she is the midwife. She allows that which has died to replenish the earth so that all may grow again. She is the end and the beginning.
Sing
Choose songs that have to do with autumn, or the crone aspect of the Goddess.
Chant
What is the teaching of the Fall Equinox? Regeneration.
Our freedom comes from releasing our past as we bid adieu to the sun.
Behold! The crone returns to reap what we have sown.
And we are free to let go of that which has not borne fruit.
We seek to give our gratitude for another cycle of life.
What is the teaching of the Fall Equinox? Go within and rest.
Read
We recognize this time of year as a time of being rather than of doing. We celebrate caves and quiet spaces. We let go of striving. We honor shadows and interior places. We go within. This is where all regeneration takes places. Although we do strive to fulfill our ambitions, this is a time to rest after the work of cleaning things away. We honor what is now barren, in preparation for what will grow. We clean our gardens and pull out the weeds and that which is left over after the harvesting; that which is done. We watch as the bear readies herself for hibernation, the birds begin to fly south, and the squirrels are busy foraging. We watch the leaves turn colors and fall to the ground. We take care of the residue.
We recycle and compost the leaves that are left. Take a moment to think about what you are done with. Are you willing to let go of it all like the tree must let go of its leaves? Are you ready for another turn around the wheel? Are you prepared to enter the dark?
Sing
Choose songs that celebrate fall and honor the trees, the mystery, and the ancestors.
Chant
The wheel turns again.
We welcome you, the portal of equal day and night.
We welcome our crone on this autumn day.
She is the end and the beginning.
She is our mystery.
Activity: Letting Go
Pass out a small square of paper and a pencil or pen to each person. Have them make a list of that which they are done with. Then have them fold their papers into triangles and let each person feed their paper to the flame with their blessings. Allow that energy to return to the void so that it can be used again to create something new. As each participant goes to the flame they say: “I bless that which I let go of. I feed it to the fire of creativity. I know that the ashes of my creation will feed the creation of something new.”
Go around the circle and have each participant say: “I give this time to laying fallow the garden and resting. And to speak of that which I am grateful for.”
Have each one share what they are grateful for as they count their blessings.
Read
Now we begin our movement toward the dark half of the year. We begin reaching toward the darkness. Do not be afraid of the dark. Let’s use this little bit of precious time to honor just being, to unconditionally accept ourselves.
Guided Meditation
Take these few moments of meditation to simply be with yourselves and to breathe deeply. (Play some sweet music, turn off the lights, and allow the group to breathe together in silent meditation.)
Sharing
Have the participants share their experiences in the meditation.
Sing
Choose ending songs or songs that express the mystery.
Endings
Open the circle by thanking and releasing the four directions and the center. Thank the gods and goddesses that were evoked and all the totems and spirit helpers.