Cat’s Bits for September 17-23 : Autumn Equinox and Opening Your Heart

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“Nature holds her breath …………….. and Summer slides into Autumn. ~ Cat”

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September Events:

Sept 20: New Moon at 1:30 am EST

Sept 21: International Day of Peace

Sept 22: Fall Equinox/ Mabon and Sun enters Libra at 4:02 pm EST

Sept 30: Celtic Tree Month of Ivy begins

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Harvest home, Harvest home!

We’ve plowed, we’ve sowed.

We’ve reaped, we’ve mowed and brought safe home, every load.

Harvest Home Song

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Autumn Equinox / Mabon / Harvest Home: On or around September 21st

This year Mabon is on Friday, September 22

This is the second harvest festival and like the Vernal Equinox night and day are equal. It is a time to honor the changing season and to give thanks for the bounty and abundance in our lives.

Symbols and Decorations: Fall leaves, apples, gourds, vines, flowers, acorns grapes, berries, indian corn and grains.

Colors: Wine, Rust, Brown, Autumn Orange and Gold

Deities: Pomona, Demeter, Persephone, Bacchus, Dionysus, Green Man, Tezcatzontecatl, Osiris

Herbs: Marigold, Milkweed, Fern, Benzoin, Honeysuckle, Passionflower, Rose Sage, Solomon’s Seal, Thistle (A Druid’s Herbal)

Incense: Pine, Myrrh, Sage, Sweetgrass

Trees: Maple, Magnolia, Locust, Hickory, Hackberry, Aspen. (Whispers from the Woods)

Sacred Stones: Green Aventurine, Dendritic Agate, Chrysoprase for goal setting and planning /Sunstone , Moonstone for balance. (Hibiscus Moon)

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Autumn Equinox and Opening Your Heart
By Tammi Baliszewski, Ph.D.

The Autumn Equinox signals the end of the summer months and the beginning of winter. From the Equinox forward, the nights become longer and the days become shorter. The word “equinox” comes from the Latin term that simply means “equal night.” The Fall Equinox arrives on the cusp of Virgo/Libra with astrology using the scales as a symbol of this season. Not only does this represent the balance of light and dark but also an important time to cultivate personal balance and inner harmony.

When the Fall Equinox occurs, the universal energy on our planet shifts, and all of life begins to turn inward. Accompanying the Fall Equinox is a shift from the more “Yang” masculine, action oriented self, to a more “Yin” feminine, intuitive, receptive self. We are being invited into the realms of our inner-worlds, perhaps giving ourselves permission to sleep a little more and delve more fully into our subconscious worlds of dreaming, meditation, contemplation, prayer and creativity.

Autumn is Earth’s designated time to turn inward and surrender. As the nights lengthen and cool, the trees change into their warm and varied colors we are reminded of the cycles mirrored in our lives. As we witness the trees begin to surrender their warm, bright and varied colored leaves, we may be inspired to surrender and relinquish those things that are a burden or no longer serving us. All religious traditions pay tribute to such acts of relinquishment. Fall is the time to practice getting out of the way and invite Spirit to take greater charge of our lives.

The beginning of the Fall season can be a powerful time to take personal inventory and reflect on the seeds you have planted and if those seeds have grown into fruition. It is an opportunity to acknowledge how far you have come and where you may want to go next. This is a potentially a transformational time, where you have the opportunity to take greater responsibility and refocus your attention on what you truly want to manifest and then set the intention to create it.

As we go deeper into the Fall, we celebrate the season of grace, gratitude and thanksgiving. The time of the abundant harvest is symbolized by cornucopias and horn of plenty, overflowing with great bounty. This is joyously accompanied by huge feasts, celebration, music and dance. This is the perfect occasion to consciously open your heart more fully in generosity and celebrate both your divine connection and human relationships. This is a beautiful season to begin a tithing practice or give more fully of your heart, energy, resources, talents and time.

Our time here on Earth is temporary and to meet the seasons with an open and vulnerable heart helps us experience a deeper and more soulful life. To venture forward courageously, with intentionality, while taking responsibility, can support each of us in becoming more empowered and more fulfilled. It can also help us cultivate greater affection and reverence for ourselves for each other and for the world.

Dr. Tammi Baliszewski is a holistic life counselor, author, artist and sacred art facilitator. To learn more about Tammi and her services, or to receive your free Manifesting Report and MP3 guided meditation, please visit her website at http://www.tammibphd.com/ Tammi also hosts a weekly radio show Called Journey to Center http://www.empoweradio.com/home/

Bright Blessings for a Magickal Week!

Cat

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Autumn-Equinox-and-Opening-Your-Heart&id=7297570] Autumn Equinox and Opening Your Heart

Laura (Cat) Bolotin has been following an eclectic pagan/spiritual path for over 25 years. She currently lives in Western Colorado where she enjoys communing with nature, desert crawling, belly dancing, nature photography, jewelry crafting and writing stuff she hopes will help others along their path. She is married and owned by 6 cats.

 

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Please feel free to check out my websites!

The Desert Path: The Dusty Ramblings of a Desert Pagan. https://catsister.wordpress.com

Sacred Spirals on Facebook: The Place Where All Paths Meet  https://www.facebook.com/groups/sacredSpirals/

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