Hey folx!
I realize this is a bit delayed which makes sense with how intense and BIG the energies recently have been flowing. Phew!
Autumn Equinox was pretty quiet for me; I intentionally chose to not do any big ceremony re. Autumn Equinox. It feels like I have needed to let my physical body rest and ground more prior to Samhain in October. Small observances and rituals feel good to me currently and I’ve been going with that; its best right now to just let the flow unfold and go with what feels right to one’s instinctual self.
It was also my biological dad’s birthday on the 22-23rd of September. He was born just right after the cusp of Virgo and Libra. He’s just turned 65! I told him he’s a young 65 for sure since I can see he does his best to take care of his body. We appreciate some of the common same things such as good food, baking/cooking, coffee, whisky, libations, family history….
I’ve learned a bit more about him through his putting together a book he made about his father, my papaw. It was about this time several years ago that I had started wondering some things about papaw and decided to ask my paternal parent about papaw – since papaw passed before I was born into this life. That is when I learned that papaw loved roses, grew them, and enjoyed connection with the land enough that he bought the next door lot to their house so he could grow more roses. That is a sign to me of a person who loves plants and values deeply the medicine of the earth. I eventually got a tattoo of rose petals in 3-D format on my right forearm to honor the memory of papaw. It felt right and good in that.
Another thing I love knowing about him-papaw is that his nickname was Sunshine. Papaw was a Leo, born in August. It makes sense in many ways of him being Sumshine. My rising/ascendent is in Leo so in a way, it’s a comfort I can relate a little with the Leo energy 😉 heh.
My step-mother said – when first meeting me and having asked me to stand next to my bio dad – she said, I quote: “you’re the spitting image of your dad!”…. Then she said that she can’t wait to see me as I get older since I’ll have salt and pepper hair just like him- bio dad. At that time, I was in my 20’s and – of course, I cringed a bit at that comment.
Now, I’m older and in my late 30’s …. I actually appreciate it a lot more – the comment about the salt pepper hair. I’ve also received the compliment that I will be a good looking silver fox. Hehe. I received that compliment from a dear friend, B for short. I feel that salt pepper hair is quite good looking now in my perspective.
————–
Anyway… Back to Equinox…. Balance is the main word when it comes to that time. It is a equal time of day and night both. It also symbolizes the beginning of Fall for many people. For me, it feels like entering the late Autumn season, even if the weather here in Portland may feel like late Indian summer, so to speak. (cue wry chuckle)… Why do I feel that in particular? Well, I don’t follow the typical calendar which says that Equinox (autumn) marks the beginning of fall – the “modern” calendar is still young compared to how the Old way/pagan/Celtic, etc related wheels of the year were recognized. Autumn Equinox is the second harvest home festival then the third one is Samhain, the end of fall-beginning of winter.
Equinox (fall) is a time of thanksgiving, abundance, bringing in more of the harvest, getting ready for winter and other related things. I’ve started feeling more crafty and wanting to create more. That makes a lot of sense since the winter season is a very internal time – incubation and creating kind of times. I’ve been cultivating a Deeper appreciation of gratitude, abundance, recognizing what I’m grateful for…
Tomorrow, I will go apple harvesting with my dear friend-chosen family April. It felt good to offer my support with her for apple picking since it does take a lot of energy for Apple picking…. Plus, I’ll be able to keep a bit for myself. It also feels good because I’ve been wanting to go to an actual orchard for Apple picking and not have to continually buy apples at the market.
Ive noticed another thing – it is important for me to nurture my connections needed between myself, food, and the earth in different ways possible. Food IS medicine indeed. A powerful healer more than we realize. I’ve already started making food with root vegetables. Yum! I’ve also started again with giving offerings in a special bowl that I was gifted with from a dear person in my chosen family/tribe. It felt like the right time and I needed to get back into this practice. This practice is important to me for many different reasons… It is one way of many that I feel able to connect with Spirit.
—————–
full moon + eclipse portal:
This one was said to be an apocalyptic moon…due to it turning red as part of the eclipse unfolded. Also, it was a Supermoon – meaning what? It was 30 percent bigger than normal and closer to the earth than usual. It felt like a powerful, intense moon portal for me! Definitely NOT apocalyptic, but more in the rebirth, recalibration, transformation ways it felt for me.
I was invited to join with some friends to view the eclipse. I ended up preferring alone, quiet time and not to be around people for this kind of thing. It felt like ALOT of energy and I wasn’t in the mood to be around many people out there viewing the eclipse. What did I do instead? I went for a short walk to a little rose garden nearby the house I’m living at currently and it was nice to just meander around. I also got to see some dusk sky colors, very beautyfull. I definitely felt the shift of energy while leaving from the garden back to the house. Afterwards, I made some yummy hearty simple food and then got cosy for the night. I ended up not sleeping til 3am last night – just before I went to sleep, the Moon was right there where I could see it from my window. It felt good to open my window & let in a bit of night air while chatting with the moon. She was super bright and luminescent white. Wow. Amazing.
I still feel the portal energies unfolding…. BIG time!!
Thats my thoughts at this point. More soon….
-mr. Thorne