Celebrate & Honor the Autumnal Equinox
Celebrate & Honor the Autumnal Equinox
We are, by our very nature, cyclical creatures. Especially women, as our bodies operate on a monthly cycle (there is even argument that the first calendar was created based on a woman's 28 day cycle). However, due to busy lives, little time for play, not slowing down as often as we need, and having a variety of foods at our fingertips, we often forget the importance of these seasonal celebrations. The Autumnal Equinox, which falls on September 22nd this year, is a time that we gather our final bounty, count our blessings, share our abundance with our neighbors, and finally turn inward to rest. As the fall gives us a fancy fashion show with all of the changing leaves, everything begins to slow and die (turn inward), only to rejuvenate itself in the spring. For our ancestors, this time of the year literally meant life or death. This is the time when the final harvest of the year was gathered, and if enough food wasn't grown there was a chance the family would not survive the winter. This is something, as I mentioned, we take for granted because many of us don't grow our own food. During this time of the year, our ancestors would use different methods to preserve the food they gathered - because back in the day, there were no refrigerators or freezers! They would practice methods such as drying (herbs and spices), salting meat and fish, smoking meats, canning or bottling, pickling, and burying foods like cabbage and potatoes (can be buried in the ground to preserve them in the winter months). In our fast-paced world, we don't take the time our bodies need to rest and rejuvenate. We are, in fact, creatures of this earth so why shouldn't we cycle with her? For your overall health it is so important that you, Mama, find a way to honor the way your body is shifting energetically during this major shift. Below are a few ways you can honor your mind, body, spirit and Mama Nature during this Equinox.
Meditate. Take a few minutes each day to sit somewhere quietly, or listen to soothing music, focus on your breath and think about your hormones, your cells, your being finding balance.
Learn a new way to preserve a food.
Have a bonfire either on the night of the Equinox, or on the full moon (Oct. 1st) and celebrate this season.
Create a gratitude notebook. Every day write down five things you are grateful for.
If you have littles, go up to a forest or find a park full of trees, and collect items to honor the season's change (leaves, pinecones, etc.). Create a display, a shadowbox, a mod podge creation, a decorative hanging, etc.
Share any of your abundance (food you've grown, or make a dinner) with friends or neighbors.
Get outside during the day, and even spend some a few minutes outside at night (especially during the full moon) to help your body sync up with the Earth's natural cycles.
During this time, it is also very beneficial to enjoy particular seasonal foods. This is just another way we can become more in tune with our Earth, helping our bodies to achieve optimum health and balance.
Fruits & Veggies:
Tomatoes, Sweet Corn, Chard, Pumpkin, Cabbage, Leeks, Beetroot, Potatoes, Squash, Apples, Blueberries, Blackberries, Figs.
Meat & Seafood:
Venison, Wild Rabbit, Clams, Crab, Lobster, Halibut, Salmon, Sea Bass, Oysters, Mussels, Mackerel.
Herbs:
Chamomile, Dandelion, Oregano, Juniper, Hawthorn Berry, Nettle.
Have fun, relax & enjoy this time of the year!
*Pictured below is my daughter and I taking one of our favorite hikes in Poli Poli State Park. The air is cooler, there is always a bit of fog rolling through, the leaves change colors, wild berries grow in abundance, and I always find pinecones on our hike.
