Mabon/ Autumn Equinox

The end of the season

Autumn is my favorite time of the year. The smell of autumn moving in always seems to come wafting in through the open window on the early morning breeze just about a week or so before the Autumn equinox. I begin to feel the excitement of knowing the fall harvest will be starting and the smells of the season will fill the air. 

I grew up in Wisconsin and fall was when we really began finishing up our canning, drying and freezing for the winter. The garden was just about done producing for the season and it was now time to make sure we had the last of her bounty preserved for the winter. This was also the time of year the apples were full in the orchards. As a kid I remember climbing the trees in search of the perfect McIntosh apple, for an after school snack.

Autumn Squirrel

I can remember spending weekends squirrel hunting with my little brother. He was the avid hunter and I mostly went along so I could hang out with him and enjoy the changing colors of the tree canopy. The smells from the forest floor and the nearby freshly tilled under corn fields always fill my nostrils with a longing to be a part of the earth.  The red, orange, and gold colors of the leaves always made me think of a shimmering dress. I so wanted to be a tree so I could shimmer in the sunlight too. 

Now that I live in Arizona and often bemoan the heat throughout the summer, I find that autumn still comes in like a magick whisper on the crisp morning air. Somehow the fog resting on the ground near the river makes me feel as if the earth herself was hiding behind a gossamer veil so she could begin changing the leave of the trees along the river and in the mountains. 

This year Jolene and I set our Mabon or Autumn Equinox altar in on the hope chest on the family room. It is adorned with leaves, sprigs and gourds of the season. These are silk renditions and look great without losing their luster as the season moves on. 

Autumn Equinox 2012

We even used red apples as candle holders this year. After scooping out a piece at the top of the apple (just the right size for a tea candle) we gave those pieces of apple to the earth and animal spirits that reside in our yard. 

Once our altar was set Jolene and I enjoyed several cups of hot spiced apple cider.  The first serving always goes in a small tea cup and saucer set and is placed on the fireplace mantel for the Brownies. I set the cider to simmer on the stove top with cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, ground allspice, nutmeg, and pinch ginger. I didn’t have fresh oranges so instead of using slices of orange or cups of orange juice I added dried orange peel.  I never strain the cider after its simmered. I enjoy drinking around the added spices. 

I hope your Mabon was a blessed as ours!

The Good Witches Farm House

Have a Wicked Good Day!

Molly

Fun Fest Tarot Reading

 

It’s been several years since I was out and about as a Tarot reader in a carnival situation, but this year I am stepping out and will be reading at the Fun Fest Fall Carnival (Sept 28^th and 29^th).

Come on out and enjoy the Fun Fest Fall carnival brought to you by Fort Huachuca MWR and stop by and see me, Sue or Kellie for a reading. 

Located in Sierra Vista, AZ at Veterans Memorial Park.

Have a Wicked Good Day!

Molly

Blue Moon

Today (Aug. 31, 2012) is what many call a Blue Moon. This is second full moon in a month. This is calculated based on the Gregorian calendar that most of us (in the West) use to delineate the passage of time over a year.  Another definition of a full moon is the occurrence of a fourth full moon in a season.The twist is this calendar is based on a tropical year, and has it's start date on the winter solstice.

This is where some people get caught up in the “real or true” understanding of what constitutes a Blue Moon. I’ve seen full blown debates over who is right and who is not in their understanding of this somewhat rare occurrence.

In actuality the Blue Moon is no rarer than the solar leap year. There are approximately 11 more lunar days in a year than there are solar days. This is what brings about a Blue Moon approximately every 2 to 3 years. 

I doesn’t really matter how you determine a moon is blue or not. There are many calendars used throughout the world cultures that take in to account for the difference in lunar to solar days and insert an extra lunar month according to those traditions. 

The moon can appear somewhat blue if there's been a major volcanic eruption that put tons of particles in the air, but otherwise blue moons refer to multiple full moons in certain time frames.

I often work with Lunar or Moon energy when casting spells or setting intentions and tonight’s Blue Moon is no exception. I will set my intentions on this particular full moon, with an understanding that the occurrence of two full moons within one calendar month is something that happens less often than a regularly timed full moon. With this added energy associated with this moon, I will be spending much of the day in contemplation of what I wish to change in my life. 

Often I will use the full moon energy to work towards the elimination of something from my life, by setting the intention during the full phase and watch the energy of moon moving through its waning period; dissipate that which I no longer wish to have as part of my life’s experience.  

Today I will be adding intentions of what I wish to fill my life as well. Once something is removed it often is replaced with an energetically similar event, person, or other life experience. An example of this would be setting your intention to change your job, only to find that the new job is very similar to the one you just left. This is because often we forget to set our intentions to create the energy we want to have in place of that which we are ridding ourselves of. 

Sooo tonight cast away! Work your magick! But most of all remember to set your intentions in balance and know this moon will aid you in your request.

Have a Wicked Good Day!
Molly

Spring Equinox 2012

This year the Vernal Equinox or Spring Equinox as most of us know it is marked on most calendars for today (3/20/12). It happened to be at its apex in AZ (where I live) at 10:14pm yesterday (3/19/12) this year.

flurries

Because of the time difference caused by the time zones, I started my Spring celebrations yesterday and carried them over to today. Yesterday was an interesting start to Spring for us here in Southeastern AZ, we had a really good snow storm that lasted most of the day and into the evening, covering the local mountain ranges, (The Huachuca Mtns, The Mule Mtns, and the San Jose Mtns) it even flurried in the River valley (San Pedro) where I live.

on the way up the canyon

Normally we do not have snow this late in the year and this year is a surprise because it has been such an exceptionally mild winter. I’ve been out in the yard in my shorts and T-shirt a few days this month.

My nine year old daughter, Jolene, and I started our Spring celebrations by coloring eggs. By the time we had our eggs dyed, the snow was coming down pretty good and my oldest Son (Albert) showed up with my his daughter (Leilani), who is also my oldest grandchild. We watched the snow fall and talked about going to play in the snow in the mountains. When Chris (Fiancé) and Travis (youngest son) got home from work we did decide to head up to the Mtns to play in the snow. After bundling up and deciding on which canyon to go up, we headed out.

Can you feel the Magick?

As we got closer to the mountains I started to feel the Magick. I can’t describe it any other way. I know it is a local Mtn deity, and this deity is sometimes male and other times female. I am not sure if this is a pair or if this is one deity.

I hadn’t felt this particular entity in six years; I haven’t felt any divine energy in five. I’ve been plugging along and trying to get through my daily life knowing that at some point I will reconnect with some form of divinity.

Huachuca Mtns.

Yesterday marked the sixth year since I had felt the connection with the Mtn deity. Six years ago I was in some turmoil over a Magick Shop I owned. I had started this shop online and had built it up for several years. In 2004 I opened a physical location for the shop and in 2005 took on some business partners. A lot of things went on within the business until the spring of 2006. At this time it was clear to me the partnership needed to dissolve and that meant I would be handing over my business to my partner. It was a difficult decision, but one I finalized at the community Equinox Celebration in the Huachuca Mtns.

Sun, Moon, and  South marker

One of the local covens was conducting the ceremony and many others were in attendance for the ritual. A friend and I chose to support the ritual by climbing up the canyon wall and drumming for the duration of the ritual. The whole time we drummed the snow fell thicker and faster. This would be the last time I participated in the general pagan community in my area.

When we arrived in the canyon yesterday, I could feel the energy of the area, it was almost palatable.

Chris, Leilani, Travis, Jolene, and Albert

Right way I took Leilani and Jolene over to the circle. I was surprised and pleased to see that someone had been using the fire pit and I saw that two of the directional markers as well as the sun and moon rocks were still in place. I felt as if I had come home. After the guys all showed up in the ceremony area, they started snow ball fighting and just having a really good time.

Me, Jolene and Leilani near the circle

I didn’t cast the circle, nor did we have ritual there, but we did have great family time and I was so pleased to share this sacred place with Jolene and Leilani for the first time. I did leave a small offering of hair pulled from the nape of my neck in one of the trees.

Today I looked out at the mountains and could feel them again as I did yesterday. It’s like this separation from divinity has been ended. It ended at spring equinox six years ago during a snow storm and was renewed yesterday during a snow storm. I am looking forward to building my relationship with the Mtn. deity, whoever she/he/they may be.

Huachuca Mtns as seen from my yard this morning

Spring Equinox Altar

After Jolene hunted and found all our colored eggs, many of them with magickal symbols drawn on them, we used them in our Equinox ceremony. After smudging our altar and each other Jolene and I placed  Blue for water in the west, green for earth was in the north, yellow for air was in the east, and pink was in the south for fire. I know fire isn’t pink, but it is as close as we could get with spring colors. We also placed the green egg marked for the green man on the right and the pink egg marked for the goddess on the left.  I’ve never really included a male deity in my workings, and since this is a time of balance, I made this the first time to include him, with the intention to make a connection with the male aspects of deity.

Jolene being a friend of the Equinox Rabbit

We blessed her candy rabbit (white chocolate) and a glass of milk for the goddess and a cup of coffee for the Greenman. We chose coffee for the Greenman in honor of my fiancé, the green man of our family. He loves his coffee!

After this was done we took the drinks outside to our outdoor circle and sprinkled them all around the parameter. At each of the four directional markers we left an offering of a fresh egg, and in the center we left a huge carrot for the birds and animals who might want it... We also gave our horse Bubba carrots along with his breakfast. He was really surprised, but gladly ate them right up.

This year we baking sweet egg bread. I'll let you know how it turns out in another post. ;-)

I hope your celebration was as special as ours was.

Have a Wicked Good Day!
Molly