Welcome Autumn

You know in the animated Grinch film when Cindy Lou Who sings that little song about welcoming Christmas? 

Fah who foraze! Dah who doraze!

Welcome Christmas  Autumn! Bring your cheer!

I feel that happy, happy, cheerful way about Autumn.  Autumn is my season and after the portal to h*ll summer we have endured the cool of Autumn is even more welcome.  There is nothing I don't love about Autumn.  The cool, crisp air, the colors, the cool, crisp air, going to the apple orchard, fires both indoor and out, the cool crisp air.  I even love the gray drizzly days.  I might even love those best of all.  So, being Autumn's number one fan, I was THRILLED to host a small Autumnal Equinox ritual here last night. I say "host" meaning that I offered up my space and fire pit.  Other, much wiser people planned the ritual.

Any time we get together for ceremony or ritual I get fired up. Each one is a little different, though they all share the same celebration and respect of our beautiful earth.  I love the smudging, the opening of the circle at the beginning and closing of the circle at the end.  I especially love when Nadene thanks Mother Earth and asks her forgiveness for what we have done to harm her.  I find that really powerful. I love the drumming, the genuine opening up of hearts and bringing them collectively together to one purpose of peace and harmony. 

The sky before we began was just breathtaking.

We were each given a candle and invited to walk the labyrinth while meditating on peace, harmony, and abundance and direct that energy into the candle. When we came back to the fire we each lit the candle and then set them into the fire pit, joining them together with each other and the fire. I thought this symbolism was about coolest thing ever. The landscape lights along the path gave off these star like patterns.

There they are, little orbiting planet flames around the fire sun.

My crazy little point-and-shoot camera turned the dying fire into this purple aura and if you click the pic to embiggen you can see a cool little spark show near the top. 

Something sort of magical always happens around a fire.  I'm not sure if people feel a kind of safe anonymity, but it seems that the conversation is always open and genuine.  The connection of last nights group was really lovely and I so enjoyed being with them all.

So Autumn, you have officially been welcomed. Bring your cheer and stay with us for a few months while we bask in your coolness. 

Nameste

Comments

[wenders]

Love love love! I've always wanted to mark the equinoxes with some sort of ritual, but never seem to have my timing right. I love fall, too - it's my favorite!