TURN, TURN, TURN...

Another Summer has passed, and we approach the time of equal night and equal day. The Autumnal Equinox, or “Mabon” to we Pagan folks, occurs on September 23^rd this year, and it couldn't come fast enough for me! Lower humidity, cool nights, crisp breezy mornings...bring it on! Along with enjoying the relief from the heat, however, it should be a time of preparedness. Samhain is right around the corner. Do you know how to use the time between Mabon and Samhain to get ready for the kiss of Winter? Here are a few ideas that may help:

 

1. Start cleansing your environment. It doesn't have to be a massive attack on the clutter. Each day, pick one thing to organize: the cupboards in the bathroom, the linen closet, your desk drawers, your pantry. Just do that one thing. Be prepared to decide what to do with the items you don't deem necessary. DON'T JUST MOVE THEM TO ANOTHER AREA! That, my dears, would be cheating. Don't be afraid to use your trash bins. Unless you know a specific person who would want an item you have deemed “unnecessary”, pick one of two options: donate or discard.

2. Dust. Yes, get out your Swiffer and dust. Do you realize what's in that stuff? It's soil, pollen, fibers, animal and human hair...and human skin cells. That's right...”silty gray”...IT'S PEOPLE!! You are surrounded by little bits of other humans, their vibes, their energy. Like it or not, conscious of the effect or not, this interacts with your own aura. Mother was right: clean your room!

 

3. Find a secure place for your important papers. It doesn't have to be a safe, or an expensive trunk etc. Just designate a desk drawer, a rubber maid container, a printer paper box, and start locating your vital info within. Mabon, for my tradition, is the beginning of the Samhain Season. If it can go wrong, go missing, or get miscommunicated, now's the time. As you sort and organized, keep an eye out for you mortgage papers, your vehicle info, your last insurance decs, a list of your medications and when you take them, doctor contact info, your Will. You need to keep this all secure and in reach..unless you want to go searching for it until Beltane.

    4) Find a new spray bottle, fill it with an inch of sea salt and 16 oz. of     pure water. (I use Fiji. Maybe I'm buying into their hype. Maybe it is untouched by man. Maybe gorillas work their processing plant, but I'll take them on face value.) Shake it well. Go to your local New Age store, or go on line to a site such as Amazon, and buy some sage spray.

 

 

If you'd rather do this the traditional way, buy a smudge stick of white sage, matches, and an abalone shell to use as a resting plate for the stick and its ashes..

 

 

 

First, spray the salt water widdershins in each room, starting on the top floor. When you are done, spray the sage (or use the sage wand to smudge) in each room, deosil, starting at the bottom and working your way to the top. If you know how to make wards, place them in the four corners of your property. The salt removes any negative energy in the home. The sage cleanses and increases the positive vibes. (If you don't know how to make wards, but want to learn, let me know. I will send you a copy of the article I wrote for Circle Magazine.)

5. Now, it's time to think about you. Autumn is the season of letting go. Trees are turning, winds are cooler, and they blow the smell of brittle leaves and harvested crops like incense over everything. It is time to count your blessings, to see what you've accomplished, and who stood beside you and supported you.

It is also time to look over other relationships and decide if you wish to continue them. I had an older friend who was loved by everyone. When he retired, he developed back problems and was no longer mobile. One by one, friends faded. He became inconvenient. He passed last year. I was shocked how few of these close work friends came to the service. But I wasn't completely surprised. After I became disabled and on a limited income, I also watched those who had benefited from my creativity, my contacts in the Pagan community, financial aid, and/or spiritual insights, forget my number...unless they needed a free reading, a loan or to borrow something. I spent my Summer in a deep depression, wondering why I was no longer worthy of their friendship.

It took one photo to snap me out of it. Old friends held a celebration. I was not invited. Granted, I can no longer drive so would have found it difficult to attend, but it would have been nice to be remembered. Front and center, however, was the face of someone who had met these folks through me, and used them to do a lot of “social climbing”. At that moment, it dawned on me: I don't have to be worthy of such people. They aren't worthy of me. Rather than have these barnacles on the hull of my life's boat, it is time to remove the encrustation...and sail on. Good luck to them, but Hail and Farewell. I have made new friends in the last years, and still have those that have stood with me for decades...and most of all, my family. We have been good to each other, as it should be.

 

So, take a look and decide: are you being held back by outworn attachments? Old guilt? The need for “closure”? Are you still waiting for that old friend to come and visit, drop by to re-pay a loan, come and celebrate an anniersary, or go out for a meal? Think on this: If someone really wants to do something, they make the time. If you're sitting home, waiting for a phone call, and your buddy is posting vacation shots, and photos of him/her having a good time shopping, eating, and pub hopping with others, you are not a priority. Time to move on.

By the same token, are YOU one of these people? Perhaps it's time to do a little soul searching and let go of hurtful behavior. Are you being a coward? Are you avoiding a nice sit down with an old friend in order to say, “Things have changed for me, and here is why..”? Are you sacrificing Truth in exchange for comfort and deniability? After all, at the end of the day, wouldn't you rather folks think of you and say, “What a genuine human being”, instead of, “What a dickweed!” ?

6)  Finally, draw your energy inward. As you clean, center and reflect, also allow your spark to catch fire. Do something creative: write, knit, blog, correspond the old fashion way, create Samhain gifts for love ones, or spells to aid in their needs. Don't just buy, create! Research elements, locate all you can from that which you already have, only buying what you feel is essential. Open your heart and let your spirit shine. It will light your way into the Season of the Old God.

So, there you are. You could try balancing an egg on its end this Autumnal, or sit and weave corn dollies (never a bad thing), but why not try something both magical and practical? Why not work towards the greater good of your spirit and others? Perhaps this Samhain-tide will be less hectic and stressful if you lighten your emotional load and set yourself some positive goals for change. As the Quakers use to say..

On the Sherlock front, here's an interesting ditty I never knew existed!

Be well, and a glorious Mabon to you all!!