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Our Sacred Mother Earth

by Alixandra Peters

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.

-- John Muir

On September 22nd we will celebrate the Autumn Equinox or what is also known as the Wiccan sabbat, Mabon. This day we will have equal day and equal night and from this point on our days will become shorter until the winter solstice arrives in December. The Autumn Equinox is historically the time to celebrate the second harvest giving thanks for all that the year has provided us. With the celebration of the equinox we prepare to relax as we put all the hard work of the summer behind us. Therefore, this is the perfect occasion to think back on all the many seeds you planted over the summer months, and in so doing take note of what actually grew to full harvest as well as what did not meet its full potential. For we are now reaping what was sown; the good, the bad and the indifferent!

The plants most often associated with the Autumn Equinox are the grapevine and the apple. The grapevine is known for its magical fertility powers. Gods like Hathor of Egypt and Bacchus from Rome were both associated with the grape and the wine it produces. It is thought that in the story of Adam and Eve they, in actual fact, ate a grape instead of an apple (I can only imagine how they made some wine and had a good time)! Grapes also represent the arrival of abundance into your life. Folklore has it that if you grow them by your front door they will help attract abundance into your home. The sharing of wine is one of the best ways to celebrate this season, for with it we give thanks and cast our worries aside for another day.

Now, on the other hand, the apple is best known for being the food of the dead. It has magical powers associated with immortality. In Norse mythology, Idun is the goddess of eternal youth and the keeper of the golden apples. These apples were designated as the food of the Gods, meant to keep them forever young and grant them eternal life. Do you remember the adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”? Well there just might be something to that after all. When an apple is cut open, on the inside, you can see a five pointed star or a pentagram. Pagans often used this as a sacred symbol in their ancient rituals. The five angles are said to represent the elements of Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Spirit while the circle represented unity with Divinity. Because the apple has always been important in matters of love, the ancients believed that it was wise to keep an apple tree in the backyard for matters of the heart and to stay young forever. It was also believed that if you peel an apple, and drop the peel on the floor, it will form the first initial of your true love!

Whether or not you invest any credibility in the folklore of our ancestors, the Autumnal Equinox is indeed an excellent time to reflect upon the measure of balance in our lives. With the equality of day and night on this first day of fall, we are urged to take a good look at how light and darkness are being balanced in everyday life. Do we go to one extreme over another? How do you take care for your body? Are you overeating and under exercising? Are you staying up to late working and not getting enough rest for your body to recover? These are important questions to ask yourself. And what about the balance in your relationships with spouses, friends and family. Are these relationships happy and healthy? This is truly the season to do all this inside work. As summer is the time to create, autumn is the time to reflect. As the leaves change colors and fall to the earth, give yourself time to meditate on what no longer servers you in life. What needs to fall away? This can be a very difficult exercise, for it is human nature to hold onto things that are not good for us, mentally, emotionally and physically. So, take time out of your busy schedule to venture into nature in order to meditate on what changes this autumn can bring. After meditating on these matters, remain open to the gifts of Spirit as She is always looking out for our best interests. Don’t forget to explore your sacred Mother Earth. Be Blessed this coming season……

Alixandra Peters is the second oldest daughter of the publisher’s of Kinetics Magazine. She has been formally trained as a naturalist and horticulturist. In her spare time, Alixandra enjoys being a freelance photojournalist. She resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with her dog. Homer.and her three adorable cats - Skye, Jasmine and Chamile. You can contact her at Celticcat27@hotmail.com