Celebrating the 'Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness'
Sept 21, 2014 17:45:34 GMT -5
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Post by Joanna on Sept 21, 2014 17:45:34 GMT -5
Celebrating the Autumnal Equinox
The autumnal equinox is the first day of fall. It is celebrated by many different cultures and plays a significant role in some beliefs such as modern-day Wicca. For most people, fall is a time of harvests, preserving food for the coming months, enjoyment of the colors of the changing leaves prepare both physically and psychologically for the bleak months ahead. For Keats, the famous poet, fall was the "season of mists and mellow fruitfulness." A beautiful season, fall is filled with color and crisp days and provides an excuse to indulge in great foods. And it all begins with the first day of fall. Here are some suggestions for celebrating the autumnal equinox.
1. Understand the significance of the autumnal equinox. This is the day when both daytime and nighttime are of equal length, which has been long interpreted to mean the world is in balance. Once the autumnal equinox passes, the nights grow longer and the temperatures begin to fall. Autumn is a time of dual purpose – a time to gather the main harvests and determine what is needed for the upcoming winter. It is also about balance and as such, fall is considered the season of balance, a time during which a person can restore balance to his/her life.
2. Consider staying awake during the night to welcome autumn. Many people welcome fall by remaining awake all night in honor the equal length of day and night and perform balance spells (if you’re in to that sort of thing). Hold a small dinner party featuring the flavors of autumn, such as squash, pears and apples. If you're not keen on an all-night vigil, stay up only until midnight.
3. Build or set up a display in honor of autumn. If you want to share your joy at the arrival of fall, set up your display on your porch or law. Pumpkins, gourds, pots of gold and burgundy mums, scarecrows, bales of hay and corn stalks are say “Fall is Here.”
4. Be creative. For those who love crafts, fall is a great time to begin some sort of fall-inspired project. There are all sorts of fall crafts such as carving shrunken apple heads, making leaf prints, creating a fall herbal wreath, framing fall foliage for decoration, etc. For those into preserving foods, fall is a time for making preserves, pickles, wine and sauces.
5. Make a list of your inner harvest. An inner harvest refers to a person’s achievements during spring and summer. This is a way to bring gratitude to your life as you realize what you have done and how you have coped with challenges during the past months. Take this opportunity to consolidate your energy and fine-tune what you've achieved since spring. Be grateful for what you have.
6. Express your appreciation of fall. If you're a photographer, artist or writer, attempt to capture the essence of fall in photographs, artwork or words. Don't just focus on the changing leaves and bountiful harvests, consider the deeper meanings of the season as they resonate with you. Perhaps this is a time of necessary change and expressing this through your creativity is a great way to get started.
7. Contemplate. This is a season when the buzzing activity of summer dies down and the excitement of life outdoors begins to relax into the more evenly paced, more predictable rhythm of fall. Think about the ways in which you have neglected your inner growth and how this might be remedied. Meditate or do tai-chi. Attempt to find your balance in the same way the world finds its balance on the autumnal equinox.
8. Seek to improve your health. This is as great a time to balance your life health-wise. There are delicious foods from the harvest to help cleanse your body and maintain a healthy diet and begin eating apples, grapes, pears, peaches, plums, pears, squash, zucchini, grapes and other fruits of the harvest. All these healthy foods can be incorporated into a healthful lifestyle diet that keeps you fit and energetic. Where you can, support the growers of organic produce, which helps to sustain healthier soils and wildlife as part of the growing balance.
• Weigh yourself. On the day of the autumnal equinox, the sun enters the sign Libra, the constellation of scales. Are you happy with the weight reflected on the scales? If not, what do you intend to do about it?
• If you're not already exercising regularly, make today the day you begin. Start with gentle exercise that allows you to ease into the rhythm, such as stretches, walking, yoga or Pilates. Take up an exercise that you've long wanted to try, such as cycling, jogging or swimming. Most sports can be continued during winter, so don't delay starting a new activity just because there are colder days ahead.
• Focus on improving your breathing and posture. Good breathing techniques and posture will help restore energy to your body and can help you cope better with respiratory illnesses the colder months bring.
Source: Celebrating Autumn.