Wintering-In Ritual for the Fall Equinox
Susan Pesznecker
When magical folks think of ritual, they typically imagine an organized (maybe even scripted) activity lasting about an hour. Each tradition has its own ritual design and practices, and there often isn’t much variation. Typically a number of people have an active role in the activity, with the rest simply watching and participating as instructed or guided. Rituals are often preceded by preparation and followed with feasting. And then, everyone goes home.
I want you to try something different.
What follows is a day long celebration that wanders from casual to ritualistic moments and which aims, above all, for you to enjoy yourself and participate fully as you connect with the wonderful magic of the autumn equinox. This ritual could be celebrated by you alone—in a wonderful day that would feel like a glorious personal retreat—or could be joined by friends, family, or your magical community. I’m going to proceed as if you’re working with a few other people, and you can adjust as needed.
This will be a ritual of wintering-in. While wintering-in (an arcane term describing a process of completing the harvest and getting ready for winter), each person filled their own larder and took stock of their own needs, while also experiencing a tremendous feeling of community—of being a part of something greater and of sharing one’s own contribution to that “whole.” Working together, the community insured its success and its safety. This ritual will echo these ideals. Set aside a whole day to work through this.
As with all rituals, we begin with intention, move on to preparation, carry out the practice itself, and reflect on the results.
The Days Before (Preparation)
Read through this entire ritual first, then begin planning. Who will attend? What will they bring? Everyone should contribute something to the communal harvest feast and participate in some way. Everyone should also bring a gift—preferably homemade—to share: a canned good, homemade soap, a baked good, or something similar.
Clean and tidy your home and adorn it with autumn colors and decorations. Prepare a fire pit or fireplace, either inside or outdoors, setting the fire so it’s ready to light.
Plan your menu. Gather recipes and create a shopping list. If working with other people, you may wish to divide up the shopping and food preparation. Set a time and place for the ritual meal, and let everyone know when to arrive and what to wear.
Morning of the Ritual (Intention and Preparation)
Take a cleansing bath or shower. As you bathe, imagine the water washing away impurities and refreshing your soul—take this with you into the day.
Sit quietly for a moment and consider the nature of the autumn equinox. Is your life in balance? If not, what needs adjustment and how will you accomplish this? What is your harvest for the past year, both literally and metaphorically? What will you tuck away to get you through the winter? Who makes up your community, and how will you come together with them as you move toward winter? Where is your gratitude, and who are its recipients?
Consider your intentions for the ritual: what do you want to accomplish for yourself and/or for the people who will come together?
Set your feast table with linens, candles, centerpiece, and place settings. Your table is an altar space for the purposes of this ritual; add magical items as you see fit.
Consecrate your kitchen—and any other locations where food preparation will occur, e.g., a barbecue)—with the four elements: salt (earth), air and fire (smudge stick or candle), and water. Move deasil through the kitchen, blessing each corner (and the range) and saying, “May this hearth, center of the home, nourish and fulfill us.”
Gather the food and drink for your feast. Plan a menu that involves each of these groups, focusing on those that are local and in season. Purchase, if you can, from a local provider or better yet, harvest from your own yard. Shop the day of the ritual or earlier if you prefer. If you’re vegetarian, vegan, or have dietary restrictions, please adjust these instructions to meet your needs while retaining the goals of the ritual.
Gather the foods of the land and forest. For this, you’ll want some sort of meat: beef, pork, or lamb will work well. Mushrooms would be grand, too.
Gather the foods of the sky. Look to a fowl of some sort: perhaps chicken, turkey, squab, or a Cornish hen.
Gather the foods of the sea. Choose fish or seafood.
Gather the foods of the plain. Select vegetables, fruits, and grains that grow on the ground or on shrubs.
Gather the foods of the tree. Choose fruits and nuts from trees.
Gather the foods of the vine. Choose a local wine or ale, tea prepared from fresh herbs, or a freshly-squeezed cider. Include a separate measure of cider for the fire ritual.
As you gather each of these, murmur a blessing of gratitude and thanks, for instance:
Thank you Earth for gifting me with your bounty. I am grateful.
Put the food away or, if any immediate preparation is needed, take care of it. As you work, remain mindful of your intention and of the richness of autumn’s gifts. If you have time, take a walk outside, embracing nature and perhaps collecting a few more items for the harvest table.
At some point as you work, cast an omen, working with tarot cards, runes, or your medium of choice. Reflect on the results.
Midday of the Ritual (Intention and Preparation)
Have a nourishing lunch and wash your hands again, symbolically re-purifying yourself. You’re well into the ritual now. Begin preparing your food, keeping focused on your intention and the important work you’re doing, preparing nourishment for yourself (and maybe family and others). You’ll also want to plan the order in which the food will be presented to your guests.
Heat cider in a large saucepan with stick cinnamon, whole allspice, grated nutmeg, a few lemon slices, and some brown sugar. Save this for the fireplace part of the evening ritual.
At some point in the afternoon, cast another omen, and again reflect on the message.
Evening of the Ritual (Intention and Practice)
As guests arrive, greet them at the door and ask, “What have you brought to share in this community wintering in?” Each should reply accordingly, leaving their gift or gifts in the designated area and taking their food to the kitchen.
Seat your guests at the table as they arrive. When everyone is present, offer a blessing over those present, light candles, and let them know that the celebratory part of the ritual has begun, including the practice of toasts, boasts, and oaths.
Pour everyone a beverage. Say,
The gifts of the vine.
Share a group toast to a successful harvest.
Now, bring the foods to the table in courses. For instance, if presenting the meats first, you might bring them to the table saying,
The gifts of the forest.
Each course should be met with cheers—and possibly more toasts—from those at the table. Pass and taste each course, then bring in the next one—again with cheers and toasts.
Once all the food is on the table, everyone may commence feasting!
When everyone is finished, go around the table and have each person mention something that has gone well for them in the past year: their successful harvest. As each makes their boast, it should be met with more cheers.
Ending the Day (Practice and Reflection)
Have everyone help clear the table, then move to the fire. Light it with ceremony and cheer as the flame builds, saying, “May this gift of fire keep us safe through the coming darkness.”
Pour hot cider for everyone, then ask for silence. Have each person, in turn, make their oath: a promise or plan for the coming year. As each oath is made, the group silently raises their mugs of cider and takes a drink.
After all have made an oath, the group briefly moves outside, where an offering of cider is poured onto the soil while one person says,
Mother Earth, we bless these gifts that you have given and share them with you in return. May this gift ensure the richness of next year’s bounty. Thank you!
Everyone offers thanks and then heads back indoors, where dessert might be enjoyed, games played, and fellowship shared. When people leave, they select one or more items from the shared gifts. The ritual ends….
After your guests leave, draw a final omen and reflect on what it means to you. If you keep a magical journal, write a note and share your omens. Finish a perfect day with a hot scented bath and soft pajamas.
Blessed be….