How did you celebrate the Equinox holiday?

Amsonia

celticnoodle said:
That sounds like a lovely day, Amsonia!

Unfortunately, I didn't do anything so grand. Though I did get 2 loads of laundry done and hung on the line before 10am this morning. I scrubbed the bathroom tub, sink and toilet, did about 20 to 30 minutes of tai chi and my morning meditation on the rosary. Then I went grocery shopping. Returned home and took the still damp clothes off the line--though they had been hanging there for 6 hours. It was cold and damp here today, as usual. I finished drying them in the dryer, and they await to be folded and put away. I did get one load folded and put away--but the other one still awaits.

For dinner, I made an awesome roast chicken dish with roasted veggies from our garden. onions, zucchini and carrots. the potatoes in there were from the store, but the rest were from us. and herbs from our herb garden. It was delicious! I was planning on left overs for tomorrow, but I'm going to have to make more veggies--as they were so tasty, we devoured most of them!

The hubby and I took a walk around our property just before dinner and our maple trees are really turning their glorious fall colors. The creek is getting dry, but still a trickle of water running. Walked around our garden, and noticed the deer had a good munch on my plants! The one plant was a cut from the 'family' sedum--I'm the 4th generation to get a cut of it (we all have a cut of it) and my plant was a nice sized bush earlier this year. Now, I'm left with a few twigs and a few scrawny looking leaves on it! darn deer! They also ate our clematis and my four o'clocks!!! They also ate a few other plants, but apparently didn't like the taste of those and spit them out. I like the deer--but I was not so happy with them tonight! My sedum!!! boo hoo!!!

btw, do you grow your own mushrooms too?

we went out to see the stars tonight and they are brilliant! really shining and gorgeous tonight. nice...

A couple years ago we finally put a deer fence around our yard. 18 deer at a time in a suburban backyard are way too many, the population of deer is way too high around here and they are very very distructive to not only home landscaping, but to the forests and parks as well. They eat all the small trees and there are problems with the forest not regenerating...and the other animals suffer when that happens too...it is sad.

We do grow our own shitake mushrooms! The logs we have make lots of mushrooms in the fall and spring. Our neighbor had the Oak logs from cutting down a tree, and aged them the right length of time, then my husband and him drilled 14 logs with a total of 1000 holes and the neighbors wife and I pounded in 1000 little inoculant plugs we bought online into the holes. The logs are about 3 years old now, they will produce for a total of about 6 years...I love them and they are easy to take care of...just shade and rain. Here is the link to where we bought the shitake plugs http://www.fungi.com/shop/grow-mushrooms-on-logs-and-stumps.html

Disa said:
My "Celebration" has been ongoing since last week. I had scrubbed the floors, cleaned, etc all with the windows and doors open and the attic fan on. Last Saturday I made chicken tortilla soup in the crockpot and 2 round loaves of cornbread which I cut into 8 sections each. I had family over to share the food. I did notice the brilliant stars early in the morning yesterday and today. I lit my Mabon Altar last night with the intent and a reminder to leave toxic things in the past- a timely message for me at this particular moment in my life as past things are coming again to the surface. This weekend more cleaning, ceiling fans, window treatments, etc. Chili and more cornbread-this time muffins, more family to share the food.

It's really just a personal celebration, because though I have family participating and have made mention of the Equinox, it isn't really on their radar and they aren't really focused on it-it's my celebration and they are just all hanging out

Yes, the Equinox isn't on many people's radar, most don't even know what it is...which is a sad. Most people are so disconnected from science and nature. I am amazed at how many people don't know which way is north at their own house or what species of trees are in their yard...

BodhiSeed said:
Each equinox or solstice, I always set up my Sacred Wheel (based on the plants, animals, minerals and climate of my area). I've written a booklet of "lessons" each object on the Wheel represents. I used to meditate on it and see where my attention was drawn, but now I stand at the four directions and flip a wooden disk and see where it lands. I have a couple of friends who ask me to do a toss for them as well, then send them the information.

That is really lovely! I'd love to hear more about your wheel!

Moonbow said:
Lovely altar!

I burnt unused old herbs in my chiminea and gave the ashes back to the Earth, with thanks. Made two new loose incenses, cleared a very overgrown part of the garden, changed my altar around, cooked a roast dinner, then settled down to play with the Robin Wood Tarot.

My garden was pretty overgrown a week ago...and now has had a good clearing too!

BodhiSeed

Amsonia said:
.

That is really lovely! I'd love to hear more about your wheel!

The center candle is what is Sacred, however that Mystery might be defined. The large stones around it are the Elements, and there are pathways that lead to the center (visionary, warrior, healer, teacher). Spheres mark the directions with moons (based on the type of seasons we have here in my area). Each quadrant contains a tree, mineral, animal and ally for each direction (again native to my area).
I was inspired to create the Wheel from a quote by Loren Cruden: "There is a spirituality indigenous to every land. When you move in harmony with that spirit of place, you are practicing native (not Native) spirituality."

Morwenna

Went to a friend's funeral.

It was a good gathering though, and good to remember him.

Also, this is fair season, so we baked up a storm for the entries. I'm still at it; the apple pies are due today (most of the other baked goods were due yesterday).

Sunday we had the equinox service at the UU church; that's the one place I can guarantee I'll be observing the markers on the Wheel of the Year! They keep me focused!

kduphily

I spent some of the morning doing laundry and housecleaning, went to get groceries and locked myself out of my car. After calling AAA and waiting for them to show up, i finally got home and did a small ritual at home (had a bigger one planned). Then I got together with my coven and we had our Thanksgiving dinner and ritual where we celebrated all the wonderful things from the harvest (one member has an amazing garden and orchard that she harvested most of the veggies we had). She made an apple pie that was the best one I ever ate, im still thinking about it lol. All in all a good day spent doing things I enjoyed.

Disa

I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend, Morwenna.

Everyone's celebrations sound wonderful. So many great ideas (Though being locked out of the car should not be incorporated in future re-enactments-so sorry for your experience kduphily)

ivanna said:
Really nice picture.
May I ask what is this book in leather on the right hand side? A grimoire or similar?

Thanks. Yes, I suppose that book is my book of shadows. I bought 5 small ones thinking I would fill them quickly, this is this first one and only has a few things which I began recording about 3 years ago. It's just an ongoing book of things I find I'm working on arranged in no specific order. I have one giant blank leather book which will be used eventually to put things in a more logical order, once I decide what works and what doesn't.

celticnoodle said:
oh, nice altar, Disa! My! you were busy with all that cleaning and cooking too! I especially liked this line of your post:

Something everyone should do.

TY. Yes I was busy, but as the weather turns cooler I am always inspired to do some "autumn cleaning". I read that somewhere, to use this time to put the toxic things in the past. I put that in the above book last year when I ran across it at Mabon, not realizing at the time just how important those words and the action would be to me now. It's almost as if I wrote a message to my future self and found it at just the right time (like Bill and Ted in their excellent adventure

)

BodhiSeed said:
Each equinox or solstice, I always set up my Sacred Wheel (based on the plants, animals, minerals and climate of my area). I've written a booklet of "lessons" each object on the Wheel represents. I used to meditate on it and see where my attention was drawn, but now I stand at the four directions and flip a wooden disk and see where it lands. I have a couple of friends who ask me to do a toss for them as well, then send them the information.

I like your Sacred Wheel very much. The concept is wonderful and the image is beautiful.

celticnoodle

BodhiSeed said:
Thank you! I'm going to leave the Wheel up for another hour before I dismantle it; if anyone wants me to do a four-direction-flip for them let me know and I'll PM the information.

oh darn! I didn't see this offer till now. But, I'll try to remember this next year, if you do this again and offer this again.

Amsonia, thanks for the links. I'm also going to send it to our daughter. She and her family absolutely LOVE mushrooms and I am willing to bet she'd love to try growing her own. My husband doesn't really want to garden for the next few years. (we'll see if he sticks to that!

)-as we will be going to our vacation home every weekend too now. However, we are still planting our herbs--right in the ground, in both homes, so we'll always still have those! Mushrooms are really no problem to grow though, so perhaps he'll be tempted for that as well...

The hubby has already dismantled many of our above garden structures and taken down the dense fencing we had all around it. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to do my best to cut the rest of our herbs planted in these and dry them. We have huge bushes of oregano, thyme, tarragon and a smaller sage that is not in a pot, so these I will dry. The ones in the pots will be transplanted into the ground at the new home.

(((Morwenna))) My condolences on the death of your friend.

Its fair time here too and unfortunately, I won't be able to work the fair this year, like I have in previous years.

I always enjoyed it tbh. But, that's okay--we're going to be busy with moving things into the vacation home and we are then heading to Montreal on 10/06 for a business trip. We are planning to get together wish Sunchariot and her S.O. while there and then after business is over head to Vermont for a wedding and a visit with all our buddies there. I can't wait!

Fall is definitely here. The trees are changing to their glorious fall colors, and dropping some too, which we are raking up. Going apple picking today and will make an apple crisp, I think with our pork tenderloin dinner. YUM!

HAPPY FALL EVERYONE!

BodhiSeed

celticnoodle said:
oh darn! I didn't see this offer till now. But, I'll try to remember this next year, if you do this again and offer this again.

HAPPY FALL EVERYONE!

I actually put the Wheel up at each of the equinoxes and solstices, so if I forget to remind you, just shoot me a PM if you still want one when winter rolls around.

Happy Autumn to you too, CN! :heart:

celticnoodle

That is very nice of you, Bodhiseed, thank you! I will make note of that.