EarthLove

Sharing Songs of Earth and Sky

Samhain; Betwixt and Between

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Originally published November 1, 2017


Certain times in our lives are filled with potency and magic. Twilight is such a time, as is dawn. These are magical moments when it is neither day nor night. Birth is another potent in-between time, along with death. These special times mark borders and transition zones. The in-between is a sacred time when magic is afoot.

Here in the northern hemisphere, we find ourselves on the boundary between autumn and winter. The light is slowly fading away as our Sun drops lower and lower in the sky and our nights grow longer. This is another potent in-between time. The ancient Celtic people would celebrate Samhain (Sow-in) at this time.  Some tribes chose to celebrate at the 1st new moon after late harvest. Other tribes celebrated at the 1st full moon after harvest. The celebration of Samhain was a beautiful way to honor the seasonal  transition out of the light and into the dark.

The veils between the worlds grow very thin during this sacred in-between time.  Loved ones who have departed this Earth are believed to be nearby. Many people in Mexico honor this by celebrating Dia de los Muertos  (Day of the Dead) at this time.

Samhain is the perfect time to acknowledge and celebrate the sacred cycles of birth – growth – death – rebirth that are an integral part of Nature.

♾

Some suggestions for acknowledging and honoring the magical in-between time of Samhain:

Take a few moments to honor everything you have “harvested” this year.

Bow to your ancestors and thank them for giving you this life.

Offer love and prayers to loved ones who have transitioned.

Thank the brilliant light of summer and embrace the deep dark of winter.

Listen for spiritual guidance to help you in the coming year.

♾

Celebrate the Magic of Samhain.

Split Boulder Photo by Nancy Lankston

Ahhh, Autumn

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Photo by Lars van de Goor

As the northern hemisphere moves into Autumn, there is a brief period of balance; where day balances night. It is here now. Autumnal Equinox has arrived.

The energies of Mama Earth are beginning to slow and cool here in the north. Every part of Nature knows that Winter is coming.

On some level, your animal body feels this shift, this turning toward cool, dark, slow, yin energies. Your body senses it just as the squirrels and trees and bears sense it.

Honor this beautiful transition with a small ritual; say a prayer of gratitude for Mama Earth and Autumn, cook squash or pumpkin, spread flower seeds in the garden, sit or walk among the beautiful leaves and seeds and nuts in the forest, light a candle at dusk. Honor Mama Earth in some small way for this season of transition.

Savor the shift.
Savor the yin gifts of Autumn.

#Cycles
#Seasons
#Transitions
#TurningPoint

Look Under Your Feet

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The lesson which life constantly repeats is to ‘look under your feet.’

You are always nearer to the divine and the true sources of your power than you think.

The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive.

The great opportunity is where you are.

Do not despise your own place and hour.

Every place is under the stars.

Every place is the center of the world.’

~John Burroughs

🌎

#EarthWisdom

Eyes to See

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“The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth, the earth which bore us and sustains us, the only paradise we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need, if only we had the eyes to see.”

~Edward Abbey

🌎♥️

Photo by Jonathan Pendleton
on Unsplash

Harvest Time

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Three-faced God Lugh

Here in the Northern hemisphere, we are entering into the Lughnasa festival days. Lughnasa (or Lughnasadh) is a traditional Celtic celebration time that marks the beginning of the harvest season in the northern hemisphere. Lughnasa was celebrated in early August all over Ireland and Scotland for centuries.

Legend tells us that the ancient Celtic God Lugh created this harvest festival time in honor of his Earth Goddess Mother Tailtiu. Traditional Lughnasa rituals included an offering of the first of the corn, harvest feasts, athletic contests, bull sacrifice, and ritual dancing. The Lughnasa custom of climbing hills and mountains has survived in some areas to this day.

Now is the perfect time to honor the abundance and harvest in your life. Offer up your gratitude to Earth and Sky for the good things that have shown up in your life this year. Honor everything from your garden harvest to new friendships, children’s milestones, new jobs, your health… any and every bit of abundance in your life.

#harvest
#abundance
#gratitude
#Lughnasa
#celebrate

Wild Love

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“The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth, the earth which bore us and sustains us, the only paradise we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need, if only we had the eyes to see.”

~Edward Abbey 

🌎♥️

image: Wild Mountain Bergamot
by Nancy L