Fall for Autumn

The Wheel is in full harvest,

And the trees turn red and gold.

We welcome Alban Elfed

As the air turns crisp and cold.

And now in perfect balance

Of Summer's light and Winter's dark,

We gather round the table

As the swift becomes the lark.

And as the lark song rises

And the leaves begin to fall,

I grant you Mabon blessings

And raise a toast to all.

'Alban Elfed' by T.J. Winters ©, 2024

I have ummed and ahed for several weeks now about when to start posting on the blog before settling on a Alban Elfed, the second harvest festival and Gateway of the Year. The Autumn Equinox. It's from here that our days become increasingly cold and dark, and that darkness will eat away at ever diminishing daylight hours.

It's a time of year that many people in the Northern hemisphere dread, especially in the UK. Our notoriously precipitous weather becomes even soggier, and those precious few flakes of snow immediately turn to a brown-grey sludge and somehow manage to bring the entire country's transport network to a halt. And that's without even mentioning the dreaded leaves on the railway tracks.

Of course, we are inherently a nation of complainers (some worse than others), and we seemingly relish in our misery as loudly as possible.

And perhaps that's one of the reasons I was so drawn to Druidic practices; there's an acceptance of the darkness, a peace in letting the heavy rain wash away the stresses of everyday life, an understanding that sometimes our world stops moving so that we can take the time to simply slow down and recalibrate.

It's not long, now, before we can truly embrace the dark half of the year, heralded by the final harvest of Samhain. You can be certain that I am squirrelling away making all sorts of seasonal and festive goodies, and they shall soon be making an appearance in the shop. I will also start adding to the recipe page this week. Expect to see lots of hearty, warming dishes, perfect for this time of year and upcoming holidays.

In the meantime, use this opportunity to gather with loved ones and to give thanks to the bountiful harvest we have been blessed with. These may be strange, fearful, and chaotic times we live in, but that's all the more reason to hold on to things we hold dearest and to let those loved ones know just how much we truly appreciate them and all that they do.

Mabon blessings to you all,

Victoria xx

#AlbanElfed, #AutumnEquinox