Jenny Heston

Passion, Purpose, Playfulness, Possibility, Profit and Promise

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Fall Equinox is here and we have a New Moon in Libra! Whoot!

Happy Magestic, Magickal, Miraculous, Mischevious, Magnificent Mabon Monday!!!  Whoot! Whoot! Fall Equinox (Mabon) is here! I am wiggly, piggly, jiggly like a labrador puppy as I love this time of year and most certainly this celebration and the energy that comes with it.  Yummers! For those of you who don’t know anything about Mabon, you can find out here. Mabon is often referred to as “Witches Thanksgiving” (no, it doesn’t mean you have to be a witch). It means it’s the second harvest festival on the wheel of the year, a time to give thanks for the bounty in your life, to release the things that you may have outgrown and to be grateful and count your blessings!  Yes? Counting our Blessings is a powerful practice and something I do every morning on the beach.  

Thank you to so many of you who messaged and emailed over the weekend sharing how much you enjoyed the Mabon Magick Manual and telling me about the rituals that you are choosing to do today – so very cool.  One lovely woman asked for ideas to help her young granddaughters mark the day with ritual – I was thrilled to share some of the things I did with my kiddlies when they were little as ritual taught when young is so empowering and connecting.  I also want to say a huge thank you for all the birthday wishes and love, I was so touched and feel incredibly blessed!  

The weekend was glorious fun!  As one of my son’s birthday is two days before mine, we had a joint family/friend gathering on Saturday where we rolled sushi and ate the most amazing Black Forest Cake made by my lovely friend Marja.  (The best Black Forest Cake I have ever had). We laughed, danced in the kitchen, told bad jokes and snarfled a shed ton of sushi that we had made, it was great fun.  

First thing on my  birthday I took Danu for a quick jaunt around the neighbourhood bright and early and I nearly wet myself laughing at one point!  A couple of days ago I was thinking to myself – gosh I would like a HUGE planter (I mean like a good 2.5 feet tall), that’s interesting etc.  Lo and behold as we turned a corner – there on the boulevard was the perfect huge gorgeous planter! Quickly finished our jaunt, grabbed the truck and with lots of “oofs, aahhs” and brawn loaded it into the truck.  Fabulous gift from the Universe to start my birthday morning! I then bundled up and headed out with Danu in the rain to the woods. It was glorious! The smells, the colours, the soothing green that wraps itself around you like a rejuvenating hug – ahhhhh. Now, if you have never walked with a doggo I highly suggest it (go borrow one if you have to).  They a pure joy in motion. Danu was up in the bush, dashing to the lake, shooting back along the trail, trying to chase the frog, sniffing at the gorgeous gnarled roots – pure joy in motion.  

In the evening, like a fall leaf I changed hair colour (thank goodness).  Now if you know me, I have been rocking super short blonde hair with a darker undercut, all summer.  Well with Mabon here it is time to be like a leaf and change colour, so now I am rocking the colour that I love a super, super, super (did I say super) bright red – positively perfect for fall me thinkst.

Today I am taking a day to hang out with Mother Nature, garden, plant, harvest and practice ritual.  I have already done my fall cleaning and cleansing and am looking forward to some play time with the plants, nature, the random animals that appear in my garden (there was a peacock in the rainbow chard yesterday when I got home!), and doing some releasing and intention setting. How are you going to mark today?

We have a New Moon in Libra happening this Saturday on the 28th.  What does this mean for you? Remember New Moon’s set the energy for the month, and are a fabulous time to write your New Moon wishes – so think about the Libra energy.  Libra is about balance and harmony, so this New Moon is inviting you to  to look at if you might have a strong need for balance and harmony. You probably desire to keep things “nice” rather than venturing into fundamental questions in order not to disturb the peace. You must learn to share your good and bad feelings. Do not be afraid to be who you really are, despite what is expected of you.  Hell yes!  The more we own and embrace who we are and how we feel, the better the world is (trust me).

Okay, we are doing something a tad different this week.  When I was at the Mind, Body, Spirit Expo the other weekend a deck called to me so strongly that I didn’t even open it and look (which I normally always do), I just paid for her and brought her home.  Well she insisted on being the guides to work with today and for this week and I have to say I think that’s quite delicious. This is a different type of deck, there aren’t guides per se, but there are – if that makes sense.  Please let me introduce you to Blessed Be as these guides are new to you and relatively new to me, allow me to introduce them.  “May these cards and guides offer you ways to enter into deeper appreciation of your life and its manifold blessings.  May you have hope, understanding and kindness. And most of all, may you know deep within your soul, that thou art blessed.”

The crystals that were wiggling are:-  Black Moonstone – for “feeling”, and understanding via intuition and emotional “thoughts”, rather than via intellectual reasoning. Smoky Quartz – is amazing for balancing and grounding as well as helping you to vibrate at your fullest potential as it releases negative emotions, and last but not least –  Carnelian – stabilising, it restores vitality and motivation, and stimulates creativity. It gives courage, promotes positive life choices, dispels apathy and motivates for success.

And of course from our jaunts in the woods there are leaves that are just beginning to turn and some lovely juicy rose hips!  (Don’t worry they then got used in a glorious Mabon centre piece).  

Okay so let’s get centred shall we.  Just gently breathe yourself back into your body, be here now, just at this moment.  I invite you to see in your mind’s eye the Divine Mother (whatever she looks like to you), breathe.  Then imagine her putting one hand on your feet and one hand on your head and saying “Everything between my two hands is beloved and blessed by the Goddess.”Breathe that blessing in, allow it to swirl through you and know how loved you are.  Then when you’re ready; pick the card or cards that wish to bless you this week.  

Did you pick?

Shall we go see?

A BLESSING ON A BATTLE THAT CANNOT BE AVOIDED

“A blessing to help you through a conflict that must be faced with courage and compassion for all involved.”

Battles in our lives are not always the way we have seen them depicted.  They may not be a fight, or a confrontation, or the clash of swords swinging.  Most of us do not want the battle, we want the peace, and to talk and parlay our way through the differences and the difficulties within our lives.  Many times we may walk away, knowing that the battle will bring more damage than we can face. And at other times, we must walk through the fires of confrontation and go into a battle we did not want, but which can no longer be avoided.

So, this is a blessing on those who are to face a battle they wished was not theirs to fight, but it has become clear that they have no choice but to confront, to bring out their arms, and to fight.  It may be with the law, it may with wits. It may be through speaking your truth, and it may be by refusing to accept what another has determined is enough for you. It may be with a challenge, or a condition, or an injustice or a cruelty.

Whatever the nature and form of the battle before you, accept now this blessing upon you, for your courage.  For your reluctance to bring aggression into the world. For your refusal to run. For your determination to see this story through, and for the belief you now have in yourself and whatever cause it is that you now stand up for.  For your warrior’s heart, which is blessed with courage, and strength, of the feeling of fear, yet the ability to stand your ground. For the swinging of the sword, and the raising of the shield, For the quiet in the chaos that you will find, and for the sacrifice you will make, in order to see this through.  You are blessed, and your warrior spirit is rising, and it is blessed, for you are no aggressor or foolish conqueror. You are a soul who will no longer run from what stands between you, and the rest of your beautiful life.

BLESSED BE

A BLESSING FOR UNITY WHERE ONCE THERE WAS DIVISION

“A blessing to help accept the difference between you, so that they inspire conversation and exploration, interest and discovery, rather than separation and rejection.”

May the division between you be left behind as you both begin to build a bridge of light formed from the willingness within your hearts to find your way back to a common vision.  May the differences be worked through with the highest good of all concerned the foremost goal. May the differences that remain be ones that bring spice and change and agility to your ways and thinking, and may the bridge that is built between you all be strong and sturdy, lasting through the ages.

May the newfound unity recognise that there is not sameness, but a oneness of vision and a weaving together of dissimilar threads to create a glorious picture of paradox and complementary opposites.  Let the antagonism and focused-upon rejection give way to humility – a willingness to listen, and may those who are unquiet and bellicose in their rumblings and threats be stilled by the knowledge that all will gain when peace is found.

May the love that can be born between people find its way through the fear.  May the sense that when together, more can be achieved than when stubbornly apart, melt away the fences and walls that hold us from each other.  Let us live and let live, give and take, share and receive, and come to an understanding. And let none of us involved in the bringing together of separate parties set alight that bridge.

Instead, let us quietly, surely and with intentions matching actions build the way to reach each other once again.  United, so much can be done. We can raise each other up, and as you do, each of you who brings your heart to this task of healing will stand firm upon the solid ground you are now building.  Unity is yours, friend.

BLESSED BE

A BLESSING ON YOUR DAY

“A blessing to bring awareness, to shape and set the energy of the day, and to frame it with light and the possibilities of healing, adventure and gratitude. “

May your soul feel called by the song of the day.  May this day be gentle and good, clear and sure, filled with grace and gentle reminders of your own divinity.  May the people you meet this day show generosity of spirit, be hospitable and welcoming, and open and candid in all their dealings.  May the sky be filled with blue and white, may the green beneath your feet be solid and soft to walk upon. May the rain fall soft and nourishing, and trees whisper to you the secrets that you need to know.  

May any challenges you encounter find an answering strength and courage within you, and when you come to your rest this night, may you remember the many blessings this day held, and account for them with the Gods, and be thankful for each of them, no matter how small.

BLESSED BE

So my delicious lovely, I wish you an amazing day, an incredible week.  I invite you to give yourself time, even if it’s only 10 minutes to tap into the energy of Mabon and really embrace the blessings in your life and celebrate them.  Wishing you crisp, crunchy apples, cool mornings, brilliant sunshine and the awareness to notice the leaves changing. Huge hugs and squeezes and see you next week.  

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Mabon, Fall Equinox and a gorgeous giftie just for you.

I love Fall, the colours, it’s as if Nature is getting all dressed up and inviting us to celebrate and appreciate all the gifts and bounty we have received (think fields filled with gorgeous fat orange pumpkins).  The smell of the air, and the crispness of the early mornings, the harvest fairs and there is a sense of urgency in the air. For me there is also a melancholy that goes with Fall as I watch the trees release their gorgeous leaves and the ground starting to frost and chill, there is a sense of loss as the snow is coming and the clouds are going to drop down.  

Autumnal equinox offers us delicious lessons that run parallel with our lives.  Think about it; the first lesson is the balance of the dark with the light. On the equinox night and day are in perfect equal balance and as human beings we are invited to balance our own inner dark and light.  Joyce Rupp, a Catholic writer and poet challenges us to befriend our inner darkness: “I gratefully acknowledge how darkness has become less of an enemy for me and more of a place of silent nurturance, where the slow, steady gestation needed for my soul’s growth can occur. Not only is light a welcomed part of my life, but I am also developing a greater understanding of how much I need to befriend my inner darkness.”

Another lesson is that of Impermanence.  Spring brought the glorious buds, Summer brought the flowers and expansion and now Autumn brings the leaves falling and bare branches.  Things change and they move through their cycles, they don’t stay in one space. Imagine if you were a flower and you had gone through your budding process into your glorious blossoming period and then it was demanded of you that you continually stayed in that state.  It isn’t sustainable, you need to be able to turn inward, nourish your roots, cocoon if you will so that you can go into another state of budding and blossoming.

The last lesson I see that autumnal equinox reminds us of is Letting Go.  Think of the gorgeous leaves that gently flutter down to the ground. The tree isn’t trying to cling onto them, nor are the leaves struggling to stay where they are, they are gently released and offered back to the earth to nourish the soil.  With this we are reminded that fall is a fabulous time for putting down our burdens, for letting go of things that no longer serve us and to get out of our way and allow Spirit/Universe/God to take charge for a while.  

(Can you tell I am passionate about Fall and the Equinox!)

So as a birthday gift for you I have created the Mabon Magick Manual.  It is packed with information, ideas, rituals and for those of you bold enough – a spell.  Before you download, you might want to take a moment to centre, ground and get present.  So I have a lovely visualisation for you.  Imagine you are a tree!

 

Sending you huge blessings for a glorious Mabon (Fall Equinox on Monday September 23rd.  

 

Enjoy your Mabon Magick Manual – let me know what you play with!!

 

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Post Full Moon, Fall Equinox, Harvest Time and a Mabon Magick gift! Whoot!!

Happy Magickal, Marvelous, Memorable, Magnificent, Manifesting Monday delicious lovely!  Whoot! Whoot!

How was the watery Harvest Full Moon for you?  Did you do some releasing? I found it rather bizarre as on Friday morning I found myself feeling rather emotional and very “tweaky”, so much so that the mantra “Fuck this, I’m not impressed”, was running through me head!  As I felt it really start to swell and rise to the surface I pitied anyone that I would encounter lol. Thus, I took myself outside, sat on the grass under a tree and just let it all pour out and become cosmic compost for the huge roots of the tree.  Phew! Humanity was safe! So if you found yourself feeling rather emotional and tweaky, don’t fret, and if you still are having remnants of that fluttering around you – go find a lovely strong tree, give it a hug and tell the tree everything and let it wash down into the earth.  (Works, trust me!)

This weekend I went to a Mind, Body, Spirit Expo (having never been to one before) and it was quite interesting.  There were all types of vendors and workshops going on and you could find everything from crystals to hypnotherapy and body scanning.  I was turned off a tad as a gentleman barged up to me as I was browsing and very bluntly said “I bet you don’t know your soul purpose and for $300 I can tell you everything you need to know.”  Ummm, hmmmm, well this is a tad presumptuous, so my response was “Actually I have a really good grasp on what my Soul Purpose is thank you and I live it, work with it and embrace it daily.” Cheeky chap!  So as I left the Expo it reminded me of the theme of this month “Commitment”.  How are you doing with that?  Have you decided what you are willing to Commit to for YOU?

Fall Equinox is coming on Monday September 23rd.  I love, love, love this Equinox!  (Did I say I love this Equinox?) My body responds to the change in the season, the cooler weather and the sense of a reset button and harvesting.  I find it quite a magickal time and most certainly practice ritual and give myself time to celebrate and welcome the new energy into my being, my home and my work.  I always remember when I was a kid going with my Great Aunts and harvesting flowers, squash, turnips, kale, apples, pears and a myriad of other fruit and veggies which we would then take and decorate the tiny little stone church in our little village in Yorkshire.  It was amazing and made the little church look like the cutest and most organised Farmer’s Market you have ever seen!

As my birthday is the day before Mabon I have a gift for you.  I want to gift you something to really help you really tap into and harness the energy of Mabon (Fall Equinox) and embrace the energy as we shift into it.  Thus, I am putting together some rituals, a spell or two and a lovely guided visualisation which will come to you on Friday. I’m calling it the Mabon Magick Manual lol. (HA!  We are working with the letter M again!) So do make sure you are on the email list so that you can receive it!

Okay, let’s crack on with the reading for this week.  When I went to the cards and asked who would like to guide and support this week I was tickled to see The Divine Circus Oracle were most adamant as they are clear they have something to share.  Now if you have never encountered these lovely guides, please let me introduce you:-   “What is life if not a Divine Circus?  Life might seem ordinary at times, yet when we look more closely, it is bursting with creative diversity, constantly evolving, pulling rugs out from underneath our feet (usually just at the moment we think we have everything under control) and opening doors we couldn’t even see were right there before us  moment earlier. Life is magical, thrilling, sometimes strange and even scary. It can inspire you and touch your soul, inviting you to discover the unique magic within you, to dare to live it, to express it, to play with possibilities and embrace what sets you apart from the crowd.”

Interestingly enough, when I asked the crystals who would like to join in, the shells were very loud and pushy, which if you think about it makes total sense as we are still in the waves of the watery Full Moon in Pisces.  So we have some glorious shells to accompany the guides and the nasturtiums in the garden (along with fennel) wanted to add some autumnal feel to it all.  

Ready?  I invite you to take a moment from the hurly burly of the day and just get present and in your body.  Breathe your way back into it fully and as you breathe invite the thought of Harvest into your mind’s eye.  What are you willing to harvest this season? What are you willing to release this season to have an abundant harvest?  Let this question perk for a bit and just BE with it. There is no right nor wrong answer. Then, when you are ready; pick the card or cards that brush alongside your mind like a warm autumnal breeze.

Did you remember to pick?

Shall we go have a little look see?

RA! RA! RA!

Have you had enough of the dark side of life?  Fear doubt, uncertainty, anxiety, frustration and believing that you cannot manifest your dreams are signs you’ve been in the darkness for too long.  It’s your time to step out of the darkness and into the light.  

It takes a lot of courage to leave darkness behind and embrace the light.  To step into the light means that you give up attachment to drama, the stories of suffering and the pain of the past.  You don’t deny your struggles or your pain, but you know it is possible to let it go in favour of trust, reassurance, comfort and commitment to what holds meaning for you, again and again and again, for as often as needs be until you are free.

Sometimes the courage of stepping into the light means a willingness to set aside the mental anguish and say, “Today I just choose to trust that everything is going to work out according to a higher and unconditionally-loving divine plan that has my best interests at heart.”  It means that you acknowledge what you have gone through without needing to keep score. 

Like the sun cracking through the night to bring the dawn of a new day, this is your divine wake-up call.  Your dark days are numbered and your time in the divine spotlight is upon you. Be willing to shine your light, even if no-one else around you seems to understand, acknowledge or recognise it at first, or even for a long time!

ALICE

New worlds are calling you forth where the old rules don’t apply.  It might seem strange, or freeing, or wild, or even scary at first, but you are meant to explore these new worlds.  You will gain so much from the experiences. There’s no need to be afraid.

When your world becomes too small for your spirit, it can feel painful, like trying to walk about in shoes you’ve outgrown.  If you do this for too long you can feel crippled with pain and unable to walk at all! You have a spirit that is outgrowing the worlds you’ve known and is yearning to experience new ones.  The Universe is responding to your spiritual need to broaden your horizons with new friends, opportunities and communities that are, or soon will, become available to you. You may welcome the unfamiliar, or you may find it intimidating.  You may wonder if you belong in those possibly strange new worlds, or you may feel like you’ve come home. No matter whether it is just another world you are meant to pass through on your life adventure, or a return to a true soul family you never knew you had, there is value in this next phase of your life path.  It is essential to your overall plan and divine destiny.

Follow that which is novel or unusual, that which seems to take you into new worlds, rather than making do with what already has been.  Following those initial inspirations will open doors for you and gain you entry into entirely new and exciting worlds. You are ready for the adventure, whether you know it or not.

JOKER IS WILD

The Universe has a sense of humour, but never at your expense.  It is laughing with you, not at you. You’ll see this for yourself as the Joker weaves her magic in your life, bringing you the grace that is beyond all reason, the necessary ingredient to ensure you win with the hand you have been dealt by life.  There’s nothing impossible when the Joker appears. Her wild ways can transform a losing streak into a lifelong love affair with Lady Luck.

Strap yourself in and prepare for the ride of a lifetime.  The Joker has come to you and the Joker is wild. Unpredictable and brilliant, she brings you a message.  You are being empowered to overcome all odds. So you are going to win. No doubts, no dramas, but not necessarily in a way that you expect either!  She is sending the best possible situation to you even now. It might startle you, like a sudden light in the middle of the night, but it will be welcome nonetheless.

You probably won’t see it coming.  It will probably be in a way that subverts everything you once believed to be true.  But it will be a welcome trick by the Universe, a loving joke that opens your heart and helps you realise that this vast impersonal universe personally knows and cares for you, so intimately and with such meticulous care.  Just don’t expect to feel in control of the process, for the Joker is wild and moves according to her own genius, but always blesses you with what will work best, beyond compare, now and always.  

Yummers!  What fabulous cards for this post Full Moon and pre-Mabon!  How did your card/s feel for you? I’m so tickly wiggly excited about Equinox coming and putting together your Mabon Magick Manual!  Have a wonderful week, breathe in the cooler air, laugh as the leaves start to gently fall to the ground and smile like a big happy faced sunflower!  Have a superb week and see you next week. Don’t forget if you know of someone who would benefit from the Mabon Magick Manual, let them know. Huge hugs and big cups of tea!

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Happy Post Equinox and Welcome to Fall! Weekly Reading September 25th.

Happy wonderful Monday delicious lovely and welcome to Fall!  Yes it’s here (unless you live wayyyy South and then it’s Spring!)  I have to admit my two most favourite seasons of the year are Spring and Fall, the colours, the smells and the energy that each season brings.  I noticed when I went into the woods today, some of the leaves are starting to gild themselves with gold and orange, the squirrels are most certainly getting cheekier with their gather and hoard and there was the very first V of Canada Geese flying overhead.  

Whether we like it or not things change and are cyclical, so it’s about how to use that energy for your best and highest good.  Personally, I have been getting outside as much as possible and harvesting fruit and veggies like a machine!  Soon it’s time to dry all the wonderful herbs from the garden for winter and make gorgeous bundles of lavender that get tucked in the boys sox drawers when they aren’t looking (as they can often have stinky soxs!)  This weekend we had a glorious time of celebrating birthdays and Mabon, it was fabulous as well as some gorgeous hikes into the deep woods and rock hopping through the babbling creeks.  (The hounds were in piggy heaven to say the least).  One of the things I love about celebrating Mabon is it is an incredible time to release so I gave myself the gift of time and sat and wrote down everything I do not want in my life.  I know that sounds negative but it actually isn’t, if we really know what we don’t want then it is so much easier to flip it and know what we do want.  Which is exactly what I did.  So now I have a very succinct list of the habits, the ways of being, living and moving in this world that I really value and appreciate.  Try it, it’s pretty fun.  

I received a new Oracle deck last week and in usual style she has been cleansed, blessed, consecrated and given a mission and I was thrilled to see her jump off the shelf today and most appropriate too I think.  She is The Faery Forest, An Oracle of the Wild Green World.  She is filled with lovely characters who want to guide, support, kick your arse and help.  When I went to ask which crystals wanted to come play a delicate whisper from outside told me I was looking in the wrong place.  What?  When I went out to the garden the fruits and veggies called out loud and proud, as after all Mabon is the second harvest festival, the festival of fruits.  Ergo, we have fruits and veggies that insisted on coming to play.  A couple of deep, deep purple plums, an apple from a tree I planted last year and gorgeous little bumblebee tomatoes.  What can I say?  

So let’s just rest and pause for a moment.  As you gently slow your breathing down I invite you to think about all the glorious moments, thoughts and things that you have harvested in the last while and all the ones that are coming to you.  On your next exhale just release, release and relax.  Breathe in your golden harvest and breathe out the release.  That’s it.  Keep breathing and when you are ready open your eyes and pick the card or cards that resonate for you.

 

Shall we go have a look?

THE HEDGEWITCH

You are being asked to consider herbal forms of healing – working with what is in-between, effective and yet natural, available to and yet still hardly acknowledged.  Changing the foods you eat to include more greens and herbs to boost energy and health, and begin to pay very serious attention to the quality of the foods you eat – again, with a very close focus on the world of herbs and plants.  

You can at this time adjust the way you eat and feind essential oil blends which assist with sleeping, with becoming calm, with dissipating anger, increasing self-love and deepening your wisdom.  Explore growing your own flowers, vegetables and herbs.  

When you begin to consider the truth that why you ingest becomes the very molecules of your body, and you may decide at this time to reduce additives, sugar, GMOs, and various forms of meat, too.  You now begin a journey into health and wellbeing, and eat what is good and wholesome for you.  The Hedgewitch is the messenger guiding you to this path of nourishment and well being through the plant world.  Nurture and nourish yourself so that you continue to grow and glow.  

THE ANCIENT

The Ancient is so old she is almost beyond time.  She is able to speak the truth without compromise – as are you, when this card comes to you.  She is so old, has experienced so much, learned and taught so many lessons, that she has become powerful and influential, just as you are becoming too.  So too are you growing older, coming into wisdom.  She knows that while others are now going to come to you for advice and guidance, she sees your humanity – your faults and your flaws and your feelings of unworthiness.  She wishes to reassure you.  Others will come to you, seeking knowledge, awaiting a blessing, an initiation, and oblivious to the consequences of the path they wish to walk.  Wisdom, true wisdom, understands complexity, and you have developed this quality.  The Ancient is honorable and human, and yet more than human, and she is courageous and has made sacrifices – as have you.  She sees straight through comforting illusions – as you do.

She represents ancient tradition and the challenge of defining the self, yet remaining within a tradition that you value – and this too is one of your challenges.  So take responsibility in your life.  You will face the battle of choice, and will be the antidote to gurus and dominant personalities who claim to have all the answers.  The Ancient recognises the challenge of being a teacher.  

This immersion in a world to learn the ancient arts and venerate wisdom and old ways can be expressed in many forms, but everything you are now learning has value.  She is the repository for ancient secrets and the contact between worlds.  She is wise – and has learned to consider every word that falls from her lips, even as she longs to call out for freedom.  You don’t need another course, degree, or certification to share the wisdom that perks and lurks inside you.  You just need to be willing to share.  

THE LIFE BRINGER

About you now ideas and projects are gestating, constellations of ideas are birthing, your creativity is flowing from within, and ideas are developing in an easy, organic flow.  For a time, you will be rich in health and love and in physical beauty.  While there is much that is new about your, what has already been developed within your world can now be brought to greater fulfillment – so children may begin to mature and grow older, and your ambitions and your dreams may need support to move from their beginnings to become truly established and make their presence strong and unshakable.

Your accomplishments will now be acknowledged, respect will be given as it is overdue, and your contributions and your work will now receive the value and recognition they deserve.   

This could also mean you are able to ask for more money in exchange for your services and seek investment to develop your business.  Your influence, power, and reputation are all growing in healthy, inspiring ways.  You feel good in yourself – a loving relationship with your body now develops, and you accept and receive loving support from others.  

No more will you receive disrespect – unkind words about yourself or your ventures will no longer be tolerated.  You are growing in stature – finally, the world sees you for who you are, a successful being who has followed their dreams!

So there we go glorious one.  Interesting how the cards reflected nourishing yourself, embracing your wisdom and then watching the respect come in!  Whoot!  

I wish for you a stupendous week, glorious harvests and big releases.  Let me know what you think of this new deck!  See you next week!  

 

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It’s All About the Balance Baby – Autumnal Equinox and 8 steps to harness this energy.

There are 8 spots on the wheel of the year and these are called Sabbats.  4 are major and 4 are called “lesser” in other words they are the mid point between 2 of the major.  So this Equinox,  which is also known as Mabon (named after the Welsh god, Mabon, son of the Earth Goddess Madron),  is a lesser Sabbat as it is mid way between the summer solstice and the winter solstice.  Does this mean it has less energy – heck no!

This is the second harvest,  the fruit harvest,  late July we celebrated the first harvest festival which was Lammas.   With this festival,  you are being invited to look at the seeds that you sowed in the Spring, on every level, and reflect on how they have manifested.  Most crops are in and the fields are beginning to look brown and are slowly going to sleep for the winter (unless they are filled with gorgeous orange pumpkins).  I personally have pulled up all my soft and tender zucchini plants and am almost done harvesting my tomatoes, but I am going to leave my carrots and beets in the ground until first frost (it makes them far more juicy!)  In my wanderings with the hounds I also found a gorgeous old, old abandoned orchard filled with apple trees and have been harvesting apples galore (although the bears have had something to say about that!)

What you need to appreciate is that Mabon is the balance point, the place where there is equal amount of day and night.  While we harvest and celebrate the glorious gifts we are receiving we have to accept that the soil is dying, and release.  We have food to eat, but warmth is gently tucking behind us and cold and dark lie ahead.   Now if this if making you gulp a little, don’t!  Remember you can’t experience light without the dark and vice versa.  When the day and night are of equal length, it offers a powerful vibration and harmony between the time of creation (night) and the time of manifestation (day).  This allows the flow between creation and manifestation to be more seamless and flows with ease and effortlessness.  There are no limits on what you can manifest during an Equinox, however, for a Spring (Southern Hemisphere) it is a time of new beginnings and for us in Autumn it is a time to harvest, release and let go.  

So how do I mark this time and celebrate it and harness this glorious energy you may be asking.  Good question and there are a myriad of ways, so pick whichever resonates for you.  You can do more than one most certainly, but if it feels like a chore – put it to the side!

Create An Altar

Now if the word altar makes you uncomfie, call it a celebration nook or a gratitude space.  It could be on the dining room table, a kitchen counter a dresser – you name it.   Gather up leaves, acorns, seed pods, rocks, twigs  – whatever calls out to you and put them in a lovely spot and enjoy them. Take your kids or friends on a Nature walk.  When you have gathered and placed give them a little blessing and thanks.  It’s the ritual of taking time to acknowledge that’s important, not the objects per se.

Clean House!

With the longer nights soon approaching and most of us spending more time inside than out, this is a perfect time to do a fall version of spring cleaning.  Gather together the things that no longer serve you, it could be clothes you don’t wear anymore, books that you aren’t going to read again, those random arsed odd soxs that you hold onto just in case……  Release them.  Gift them to a charity shop (not the odd soxs), take them to your library, but give them a little pat and thanks and pass them on to someone else who will enjoy them.  Give your house a good clean and then do a smudging.  Decorate your home with symbols of the harvest season.  Buy or pick a gorgeous bouquet of orange, gold and green and have it somewhere where you can see it daily.  

Celebrate Your Abundance!

When we say abundance, it doesn’t necessarily mean material or financial gain — you may be abundant if you have friends who love you, a satisfying family life, or a rewarding career. Think about that things you have for which you are most grateful.  I get Notes from the Universe, every morning (and I love them) and today’s was  – “If you’re reading this right now on a phone or computer, you’re rich.  If you have somewhere to go today, you’re connected.  And if there is anyone anywhere for any reason knows where you are at this moment, you’re loved.“

 You can turn it into a game with your family at dinner time and everyone takes turns to share what makes them feel abundant (it’s very cool to hear all the various responses).  

Play With Your Food

If you have access to berries, apples, pears or whatever fruit is around you right now.  Gather it all together and create an abundance mandala.  In other words, play with your food!  Get your most favourite dish out and arrange the fruit in any way that you like that resembles a mandala and have it for dessert (or your main course).  Involve your kids, have friends over, but celebrate!

Apple Magic

Apples are the perfect symbol of the Mabon season.  Long connected to wisdom and magic.  The apple has figured significantly in many sacred traditions.  It is known as a symbol for life and immortality, for healing, renewal, regeneration and wholeness.  

If you cut an apple widthways it reveals a pentagram containing seeds.  The five points represent the elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water with Spirit at the top, and thus also the directions of East, South, West, North and Within.  The circle of the apple around the pentagram represents the eternal circle/cycle of life and nature, and of wholeness.  

So if there are apple trees nearby, or a local pick your own orchard go get some apples!  Then think of the pies, crisps and crumbles you can make with your glorious fruit.  You could also dehydrate (dry) the apple circles and make them into an edible wreath.  

It’s All About the Balance Baby

As I mentioned earlier, Mabon is the perfect time of balance between light and dark.  So why not give yourself the gift of balance.  Take a few moments or longer and just sit and breathe slow and deep and meditate on balance.  Reflect on how you handle pressure, how you manage your emotions and other people’s.  Is your life in balance?  Do you make sure you get enough rest, water and play or are you pushing and striving and feeling a tad overwhelmed?  What little shifts and changes can you do to create more balance in your mind, body, work, home life, family?  Do you need to practice saying No more or do you need to practice saying Yes more?  Get it?  So just take some time and if you feel inclined write down a few small tweaks that would make you feel more in alignment and balanced.

Decorate with Sunflowers

As I have said repeatedly, I love, love sunflowers!  Their big bobbly heads that track the sun, their glorious cheerful faces that waft in the breeze.  But as with all things, that changes.  The petals are starting to drop off and the seed heads are beginning to curl back a bit and the leaves are drooping.  So I’m gently going to trim the heads off the flowers, save one and dry the seeds (so I can’t plant my seeds at Spring Equinox) and with all the rest (and there are quite a few), I’m threading them on fishing line and hanging them in the branches of the trees for the birds.  That way the birds and the squirrels can stock up on seeds before the winter comes.  

Light ‘Er Up!

Get a candle or candles and as you light them you can ask for blessings on your home, hearth and self.  This doesn’t have to be complex or over the top (although if you want it to it can be).  You can just simply take a breath, light your candle and say “Goddess or Green Man, I ask for your blessing on this special day.  Bless my harvest, my home, my hearth and my self.  Keep us safe and warm, the winds away from the door, harmony and health abounding.  I give thanks and so it is.”  Voila!  Remember though, please don’t leave candles unattended and most certainly don’t go to sleep with one burning.  

 

If you like ritual there are two gorgeous ones here – one is for Autumnal Equinox (Mabon), and the other (if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere) is for Spring Equinox.  

So delicious one, that is how to celebrate and harness this potent time of Equinox.  I hope you give yourself the gift of doing something to mark this special day.

Enjoy!