Believe it or not, our cherry tomatoes are JUST NOW beginning to ripen. I knew we got them in the ground late, but this seems crazy late for a first harvest. At any rate, they’ll make a welcome addition to our Mabon table.
I’ve been seeing hawks and crows everywhere, indications that I need to pay attention to details, and pay attention to my magick. The cicadas have been singing like crazy and there are butterflies everywhere. The weather is still hot, though things have cooled from the mid 90s to the upper 80s. I guess that’s better? It will be a few weeks before we actually notice any difference in the weather. Probably October, even.
September is also National Blueberry Popsicle Month. So, you know, act accordingly.
Birthstones: Sapphire
Lunations:
September 2, 1:23am EST Full Moon (Pisces)
September 17, 7:00am EST New Moon (Virgo)
Astronomy:
September 9- Mars goes retrograde
September 13- Jupiter goes direct
September 29- Saturn goes direct
Celtic Tree Month:
Hazel (August 5- September 1): Wisdom, intuition, studying ancient knowledge, fertility and good luck, divination (including hazel rods used for divining for water), poetry and science, playfulness and enchantment, healing arts.
Vine (September 2-29): Collaboration and networking, aligning your energy for the dark half of the year, resolving outstanding issues, completing projects, memory and concentration. Prophetic speech, truth, introspection, relaxation, depth, fruit harvest, finding balance between dark and light (Equinox), divination.
Ivy (Sept 30- October 27): End of the harvest, looking back at our successes and losses, strengthening our resolve to face the future, taking the long-term view, fidelity and fertility, protection, healing, good luck for women and brides, guards against negativity and disaster, reaches around and through obstacles to find light and nourishment, reaching out, expansion.
Holidays (mundane):
September 7: Labor Day
Holidays (Pagan):
September 22: Autumnal Equinox/Mabon
Themes and general activities for the month: Harvesting the last of the veggies and fruits, making wine, making cider, preserving foods for the Winter, wrapping up Summer projects, decorating for Halloween/Samhain, back to school, planning Autumn and Winter projects.
Herbs I’m using: Chai tea (I’m obsessed with it right now), last of the Summer basil, a variety of self-igniting incenses sent to me by a friend.
Stones I’m using: I’m still working with chrysoprase a lot, larvikite for grounding, vanadinite for creativity.
Goddess of the Month: Eostre. I find this interesting, because here in the Northern Hemisphere, we’re gearing up for the Autumnal Equinox, which is the opposite of the Vernal Equinox that this Goddess represents. But she’s all about new beginnings, and I think that there’s a valuable lesson in that. With quarantine, our year has been so topsy-turvy that this may be the season of new beginnings for us. The message here is to keep an open mind and be aware of any new ideas, connections, or possibilities that are coming our way right now.
3 card reading:
First, we start the month strong with the Ace of Swords. We have lots of good ideas right now, we’re inspired and ready to take action on some new projects. This is great energy for us, and we’re all involved in our plans!
Next, we see the 6 of Wands reversed. So we were hoping to get a lot of things done early in the month, but we’re finding that things are delayed. We aren’t seeing the victorious accomplishments that we were hoping for.
Finally, we have The Empress reversed. So it looks like this trend is going to continue, and we need to not let these delays affect our self-esteem. Things happen in life that take you away from what you want to be doing, and that’s OK. It’s just a part of life. The important part is to hang onto our plans and pick them back up when the time is more conducive to achieving our goals.
Our special guidance is Romance. So maybe this is a good time to step back from trying to do things in the outside world and focus on our relationships instead. There’s a lot of strength there, and perhaps focusing on that will give us the energy to try again when we’re ready!
An Autumn-blooming Rose
By Alfred Austin
I found, and plucked, an autumn-blooming rose,
And shut my eyes, and scented all its savour:
When lo! as in the month the blackthorn blows,
Lambs ‘gan to bleat, and merle and lark to quaver.
Flower of my life! inestimably dear,
Now that its calendar wanes sere and sober,
To me your freshness, turning back the year,
Makes that seem April others call October.
With me ’tis Autumn, and with you ’tis Spring,
But Love hath brought these seasons sweet together.
Within your leafy life I sit and sing,
And you with me share wealth of harvest weather.
Thus all things we exchange, and nothing lose:
Take you life’s wisdom, lend to me life’s sweetness.
Your vernal voice shall wed my mellow muse,
And song give youth, and youth give song, completeness.
My personal tides and goals:
Husbear was in a terrible wreck a few weeks ago, and we’ve just both been coming back from that. He’s recovering physically, and I’m trying to make things feel normal again. It’s all going to take a while. In the meantime I’m just trying to work as much as possible while dealing with insurance, lawyers, etc. I’m looking forward to things calming back down for us, and hoping for a peaceful Autumn.