Day and night are equal once more as the God prepares to travel toward renewal and rebirth from the Goddess. Mabon, a Welsh son of the Divine Mother, was captured as a child and taken to the Otherworld. He was ultimately rescued and this sun festival celebrates the second harvest (or second chance).
Autumn is a season of shadows and a time of waning light, but it is also a season of abundance, giving thanks and harvest.
Traditions from this season include traditional walks through wilderness or fields, gathering dried plants to be used for decorating or future herbal decoctions. The altar can be adorn with acorns, pine cones, corn stalks, and various colored Fall leaves.
This is the time for completion of tasks, the act of forgiving and the fruition of long-term goals. Celebrated all over the world.
Day and night times gradually change, the nights will be longer...in a way; the days become shorter, we will experience more darkness...
Autumn is a time to take a good look at our health and our lifestyle. Start by looking at the life around you. Are you living in chaos? Is your home in a shambles? Is there clutter everywhere?
Now we enter new rhythms and routines,with the challenge of balancing time for work and rest.
It's time to:
Balance body, emotions with the autumn seasonal rhythms, deal with inner soul conflicts, find new energy.
Improve your health, detox, renew.
It's a time of Harvest when we gather the colourful fruits and vegetables for winter storage.
The healing energies of Autumn time teach us how to keep in harmony with nature, being in tune with our bodies and our inner needs should promote a healthy detox and prepare us for the damp and cold season ahead.
Our food choices should be warmer and nourish your body. Reprogramming the way we eat can help us to maintain energy, balance blood sugar levels and keep our bodies running at optimum health.
Let's remind our bodies and souls how to listen to Mother Earth and make us stronger and more energized.
Harvest, gathering fruits and vegetables.
Gather your energies ready for the colder season.
As an expression in nature, this is the time when crops are harvested. Leaves are changing to brilliant colors as they float gently to the ground. Gathering and elimination are the traits of this season and can be seen in nature as well as human health. You may want to consider starting with a good gathering and elimination session.
One of the most important areas of macrobiotic science is the division of life into five elements: fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. Each of those elements has a corresponding season, with its attributes and foods. What follows is a basic summary of how the elements translate into our Western calendar, and how to make food choices that are particularly nourishing for our bodies during any time of year.
Metal: Autumn, from Sept 21 to the winter solstice of December 21
During the fall a downward shift occurs; the light lessens, days grow shorter, and energy descends back into the earth for the dormant cycle. Leaves fall from the trees, the last fruits ripen, and life energy contracts. The color of the metal element is white, its flavor is spicy or volatile, and the associated organs are lung and large intestine. The hours for lungs are 3 to 5 a.m.; large intestine is 5 to 7 a.m.Foods that enhance the metal element:
Grain: White, brown, and sweet rice, mochi
Vegetables: cauliflower, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, celery, daikon radish, onions, watercress, mustard and turnip greens, turnips, garlic, cucumber, leeks
Beans and Pulses: white beans
Fruits: Banana, pear, apples
Fish: Bass, snapper, cod, haddock, herring, flounder, sole, halibut
Herbs and Seasonings: dill, fennel, thyme, ginger root, horseradish, cinnamon, cayenne, basil, and rosemary
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