The first harvest Feast of the year!
I began by taking down my summer altar and re-newing it in honor of the day. Then I baked a loaf of honey bread with full intentions and gratitude infused into the dough all throughout the process. Finally, I cleansed the house, opening all of the doors and windows and making sure light got into every corner. The sweet smell of summer was magickal, and everythign felt so much fresher for the new air everywhere.
a lizard in Paestum
The dinner meal I shared with my sweetie included the bread I’d made, sweet corn (grilled), and grilled trout. Dessert was a medly of berries, perfect on their own.
My ritual was also simple. As the sun set, I finished my shower and carefully dried off. The incense was XXX and the candles small. I created sacred space and then called upon the Green God and the Lady of the Harvest to join the Elements in my circle. Together, we contemplated the goals achieved, the intentions that failed, and the lessons learned this past year.
I contemplated my personal frustrations and vowed (again) to accept myself as I am: a being doing her best to be her best.
We had a long talk about how I’m feeling about myself.
I did some goal setting for the coming year and then brought ritual to an end. Bidding farewell to Them, I was reminded of the field of corn next to one of the places I lived as a child. My life was going through a major upset at the time, and I spent much of my day out of the place we lived. It was there that I first tried raw corn, still warm from the sun, freshly shucked in the shadow of the plant itself.
Seven years ago I had my first mammogram, and a few days later got the phone call telling me I had breast cancer; my world was shattered and rebuilt within that evening. I am perhaps a little more introspective than normal and will continue to be as I relieve that cycle.
Blessings of the Earth upon us all!