Autumn is just beginning…
So … We are entering the Autumn season…
Although everybody seems to be talking about Halloween, Spice Pumpkin Lattes and Samhain, we still are in the Mabon "autumn is coming" Energy…
This is the gateway to the darkness. But the sun hasn’t set yet…
And, try as we might to ignore it or pretend it doesn't matter or even doesn’t exist, we all have to walk the path, to enter the dark cave, the black and mysterious part of the year, of our lives.
Trying to rush ahead won’t be helpful…
Autumn is a season of the year (of our lives?) when we face loss, endings, grief, loss of bearings, fear of darkness and death…
Autumn is also comparable to a gorgeous sunset! So we might as well fully enjoy it before we plunge into the night.
Enchantress Energy
Autumn is the season of menopause… Or the other way around… Menopause is the season of Autumn.
During our moon cycles – both personal and cosmic – four powerful female Energy Archetypes take turns on our paths, mirroring the solar year's seasons. These Archetypes emerge in our menstrual cycle, lunar cycle, and life span. This is women’s cyclic nature and our superpower!
The four Archetypes are:
- Maiden - pre-ovulation, waxing moon, spring, youth.
- Mother - ovulation, full moon, summer, fertile time.
- Enchantress - post-ovulation, fall, waning moon, peri-menopause, menopause and post-menopause.
- Crone - bleeding phase, dark moon, winter, old age.
If you feel you need more of this conversation, you can join my lovely friend Lisa Jara’s Summit called : Happy, Healthy, (W)Holy – Menopause ! More info here: https://lisa-jara.com/hhh-menopause
Autumn is when we meet the Enchantress Energy …
(more about that in my Free Masterclass, which can be seen in my Facebook group, Living a Goddess Life) …
The path of the Enchantress asks a lot from us. She asks us to trust, to accept the ‘not knowing’, to follow our feelings and to let go of the expectations and the safety blanket of society.
Miranda Gray
The Enchantress asks us to stand still, reflect, accept, and alchemize our experiences.
Because this is how we learn the lessons, grow, and move forward.
Stand still.
My invitation for this week then is to stop rushing ahead and stand still in this uncomfortable place of unknowing, focus on self-love and self-care and begin, slowly, to walk the path towards the end of the pagan year, consciously and lovingly.
And honor the Dark Mother, the Crone aspect of the Celtic triple Goddess…
I offer a ritual to do so… You can do it alone or gather in a group to practice… Of course it involves Persephone and Demeter (you knew it would!!)
Here is a little more about it...
Mabon ritual to honor the Dark Mother
Demeter and Persephone are closely linked to the time of the autumn equinox. When Hades abducted Persephone, he set in motion a chain of events that eventually led to the earth falling into darkness each winter. This is the time of the Dark Mother. This time the Goddess carries not a basket of flowers, but a sickle and scythe. She is ready to reap what has been sown.
The earth dies a little each day, and we must embrace this slow descent into darkness before we can truly appreciate the light that will return in a few months' time.
The Archetype of the Dark Mother
This ritual welcomes the Dark Mother Archetype and celebrates that aspect of the Goddess that we don't always find comforting or attractive, but which we must be prepared to accept. Many magical traditions honour a Goddess associated with darkness and shadows, and they are sometimes called upon in rituals to help a practitioner heal from trauma or fear.
Whether we celebrate her as Demeter, Hecate, Kali or one of the other similar Goddesses, it's important to show her that we respect her.
How to hold your ritual to honor the Dark Mother
Decorate your altar with symbols of Demeter and her daughter; add flowers, red and yellow for Demeter, purple or black for Persephone, wheat stalks, Indian corn, sickles and baskets. Have a candle to hand to represent each of them; you can use harvest colours for Demeter and black for Persephone. You'll also need a chalice of wine, or grape juice if you prefer, and a pomegranate (if possible).
Begin by ritually creating a circle of intimacy, compassion and light. Take a moment in silence to create a sacred, protected circle. Then say:
From Soul to Soul I weave a circle, from spirit to spirit to spirit, so that no one who does not share my intentions and does not come in peace can penetrate this sacred space.
Soul to Soul, spirit to spirit to spirit.
So mote it be.
May the fire, earth, air and water gathered here help, inspire and guide me to consecrate this circle and bring my projects to fruition.
I greet you.
Ancient spirits, of our ancestors and forefathers,
Spirits of the North, Spirits of the Earth,
Spirits of the West, Spirits of Water,
Spirits of the South, Spirits of Fire,
Spirits of the East, Spirits of the Air,
So mote it be.
May the Gods and Goddesses guide me and inspire me to consecrate this circle and bring my projects to fruition.
So mote it be.
Center yourself, with your eyes closed, to enter into yourself and find calm.
Turn towards the altar and light the Persephone candle and say:
The earth begins to die and the ground grows cold.
The fertile womb of the earth has become barren.
Persephone has descended into the Underworld,
So the earth continues its descent into night.
As Demeter mourns the loss of her daughter,
We mourn the shortening of the days.
Winter will soon be here.
Light the Demeter candle and say:
In her anger and grief, Demeter scoured the earth,
And the crops died, the life withered and the ground became dormant.
In her grief she travelled in search of her lost child,
Sowing darkness behind her.
We feel the mother's pain and our hearts break for her,
Searching for the child she gave birth to.
We welcome the darkness, in her honor.
Break open the pomegranate (it's a good idea to have a bowl to catch the juice) and remove six seeds. Place them on your altar. Say:
Six months of light and six months of darkness.
The earth falls asleep and will awaken later.
O Dark Mother, I honour you this night,
And dance in your shadows.
We embrace what is darkness,
And celebrate your dark aspects.
Blessings to the Dark Goddess this night, and all other nights.
Drink a sip of wine, then place it back on the altar, raise your arms in honour of the Goddess and take a moment to reflect on the darker aspects of human experience. Think of all the Goddesses who evoke the night and whisper:
Demeter, Inanna, Kali, Tiamet, Hecate, Nemesis, Morrighan.
Bringers of destruction and darkness,
I kiss you tonight.
Without rage, we cannot feel love,
Without pain, we cannot feel happiness,
Without night, there is no day,
Without death, there is no life.
Great Goddesses of the Night, I thank you.
Repeat 3 times
Take a few moments to meditate on the darkest aspects of your own Soul. Is there a pain you want to get rid of? Is there anger and frustration that you haven't been able to overcome? Is there someone who hurt you, but you didn't tell them how you felt? Now is the time to take that Energy and transform it for your own purposes. Take all that pain inside you and reverse it so that it becomes a positive experience. Find the messages of the Dark Mother in these pains and trials and, like the phoenix, prepare to rise from the ashes in the spring...
When you're ready, complete the ritual.
I thank all the spirits who have honoured me with their presence. Return to your kingdoms in peace, we bid you farewell and see you soon!
Ancient spirits, of our ancestors and forefathers,
Spirits of the North, Spirits of the Earth,
Spirits of the West, Spirits of Water,
Spirits of the South, Spirits of Fire,
Spirits of the East, Spirits of the Air,
I thank you, I honor you and I bid you farewell and see you soon!
Express you gratitude.
Extinguish the candle.
May the circle be open but never broken,
Let me keep faith in myself today and everyday.
I believe that is all for today.
I would be so happy to hear from you.
Thank you in advance for your comment.
See you soon, for my next online adventures!
Until then I send you love, light and gratitude.
Isaya
PS: 1. I’m coming to London, UK and on October 31st, I’ll be offering a Samhain Goddess Self-Care Circle Workshop to Honor the Ancestors and Embrace the Divine Feminine Within.
If you want in or want to know more, click here for early bird price and more info: https://app.eventsframe.com/app/event/6754351352643584/
PPS: If you feel you need assistance to transition to a full Goddess Life and feel both the joy and your connection to the Divine daily, I invite you to contact me and book a 15 minutes Flashlight Call where I help you light up the areas that need some love and we see how I can to support you on this sacred pilgrimage: https://bookme.name/isayabelle/lite/15-minutes-flashlight-call