The changing of seasons provides such a feast for our
senses. The change over of colors, smells, sounds, and temperatures is a
reawakening! The grey, white, and brown colors of winter give rise to a riot of
pinks, purples, oranges, blues – and oh those greens! – in spring. The sound of
birds reawakening in the spring slowly fades as the rumble of summer
thunderstorms take over, which then becomes the crunch of autumn leaves under
foot. The lighter fare of summer gives way to richer, root veggie laden meals
during that change to autumn as well. Then we enjoy those final crisp days,
before winter comes in with its stinging cold yet again.
The coming of autumn is my favorite transformation. In fact,
I feel much as George Eliot did (“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to
it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive
autumns.”), but it was a belief in the rejoicing of all seasons and the unique
beauty they bring that lead to what is now my favorite new family tradition.
While Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, are beautiful in their widespread
revelry, I found myself longing for a celebration that was all our own. A
holiday not already burdened with traditions handed down from generations past,
and not tied so tightly to the family members now left halfway across the
country in a move. I found the answer in the solstices and equinoxes.
It seemed so natural to fall into these pagan celebrations
of Ostara (Spring Equinox), Litha (Midsummer, or the Summer Solstice), Mabon
(Autumn Equinox), and Yule (Winter Solstice); celebrations that shared roots
with my husband and I in the Celtic Pagans. While initially wary of what would
be required of him, my husband was won over by the fact that these celebrations
– like many of our favorite holidays – would culminate in a feast! My daughter
was happy to add any celebration to our calendar, but was especially excited
for the fun little rituals we would observe.
One of my own personal favorite holidays had always been
Thanksgiving. I loved this holiday centered around food, family, and coming
together – and the lack of focus on presents. However, distance from family had
made this particular celebration more difficult for me; full of reminders of
the who and what we no longer had nearby. Our four new celebrations held the
appeal of being present-free, and while open to any who wanted to join us,
being completely our own, needing us three alone to feel complete. We were
building these celebrations from scratch and could make them what we wanted.
With a year behind us, our second Mabon complete and
our second Yule fast approaching, it has been wonderful to see how we’ve been able
to make this idea of mine into a real tradition. Each new celebration a chance
to enjoy a feast in the literal sense, as well as a figurative one, embracing
the unique beauty of each season and the feast it provides for our sense. Colors,
tastes, sounds, and textures unique to the time of year are brought to the
forefront for this day; and we even take the time to dress in a way that
expresses those things. But the star, of course, is the feast at the end of the
day.
That might mean a picnic for Ostara and Litha; a candlelit
tucking in for Mabon and Yule. We eat, we drink, we discuss what we are ready
for in the new season, and what we are leaving behind. If you’re looking for a
little information to start your own celebration of the solstice and equinox
holidays, then let me give a brief overview, while giving you encouragement to
find your own holiday to embrace with your family!
For each celebration, I start earlier in the day by throwing
open the windows, and smudging the house with sage. Each a little way to clean
out the old stale air and bring in new fresh energy.
Ostara is celebrated around March 21. We embrace the colors
of green and yellow, and the fresh spring flowers just starting to emerge. We
talk about what areas we want to find growth in, and what new projects we might
want to start. We do a house cleaning. We eat eggs and other light foods, often
in a picnic.
Midsummer or Litha is celebrated around June 21. We embrace
the colors gold, orange, and blue. It is a time for a bonfire, and staying up
late to enjoy the longest day of sun. We talk about community and taking care
of the earth around us. We look for relationships that could use nurturing. We
eat things cooked over the fire, as well as summer fruits and berries, and
drink mead.
Mabon is celebrated around September 21. We embrace the
gorgeous gem colors of autumn: orange, red, brown, and purple. We display
cornucopias or gardening implements. The foods are harvest foods like corn, wheat
bread, apples, pomegranate, nuts, grapes, and wine. We give back by donating
food. We talk about what we are grateful for and preparing for the colder
months ahead. We do a house cleaning, like in the spring.
Yule is celebrated around December 21. We embrace the colors
red, green, and white; and display mistletoe, evergreen wreaths, and candles.
We talk about renewal, the year winding down, encouraging a peaceful planet,
and of family. We sing and maybe bundle up together. The foods are potatoes,
squash, nuts, apples, pork, and spiced wassail.
***
While the first Mabon was really all my doing, with each new
celebration, my daughter and husband became more and more involved in the
process. Realizing how much they enjoyed the celebrations, they wanted to be
more involved in the planning as well. They helped me design menu’s, find
decorations, and decide on activities.
I’m so grateful for the warmth these rituals have offered to
us. As well as the unique connection to nature and its cyclical nature, that
they deepen in me. My warmest wish is that you find the same for your family.
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~ Meegs