Today's Draw Classic*: Mabon (Justice) from the Book of Shadows Tarot. What does "being ready for winter" entail for you? Are you ready? And what do the winter months mean to you?
I didn't have it in me to a write a new post tonight, so I thought I'd search my old posts for one about fall and the coming of winter. And what do you know, the post I found was written one year ago to the day! It's like I'm a clock set to go off on fall on 11/6 every year (I write these posts the night before the date indicated). So enjoy this classic post about preparing for winter...
Mabon is the time of the Autumnal Equinox. It's the time of harvest and of preparing for winter. It's also the time when, in the myth of Demeter, that Persephone begins her descent back into the underworld until Spring. This is a time of forgiveness and of preparing our souls for the long, dark months ahead.
Back before electricity and other modern conveniences, the work you completed now determined whether or not you'd live through the winter. Did you make enough hay? Chop enough wood? Store enough food?
This time of year we still "winterize" our properties. For me, that means trimming the azaleas, mulching leaves and doing a winter weeding. I'm not much for gardening, but I manage to do it every year. And we sort of mentally prepare ourselves for the months ahead. The darker months can be depressing. One of my online friends lives in Alaska and they go with barely no sunlight for a good couple of months!
Personally, I like winter. I like the snow. I like the cold. While many will spend less time outside in the winter months, I'll be out there more. Certainly more than I'm outside in summer. There have been times when I've laid outside on the hammock so long watching the snow fall that I've accumulated more than an inch of snow on me! I love to bundle up and watch the snow fall. Is it ever more quiet and peaceful than when the earth is insulated in that way?
Anyway, I've been trying to think of things I do to prepare for winter...or things I do differently. I get out the blankets, because I like a cold house. I drink more hot tea. I snuggle with the pack more. Cook more soup. I nest. I don't ever have to prepare my soul for the long, dark months ahead because it is always more than ready for the downtime...haha.
How about you?
*Adapted from a post written on 11/7/12.
No comments:
Post a Comment