Autumnal Bliss

There’s a crisp, clean scent in the air and the days are getting shorter. Today’s the Autumnal Equinox and although to many people that means the first day of Autumn, to me it will always be the middle of Autumn. Scientifically, the Autumnal Equinox means that day and night are exactly equal and that starting tomorrow the hours of daylight will start shrinking as the hours of night expand. However, from a blissful point of view, the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere means that there’s a touch of magick in the air as the days count down toward Halloween.

Autumn is the time when the leaves spring forth in brilliant color as a last hurrah before they fall from the trees and turn a dusty brown. The colors are magnificent oranges, reds, and yellows. People journey hundreds of miles to see the magick of fall. It’s not only the harvest that brings a smile to people’s face, it’s also all the blissful food that is available: crisp apples, pumpkins for pie, grains, and other wonderful foods that make this a time of feasting.
In ancient days, the feasting of autumn was soon to be followed by the scarcity of the long cold days of winter. The ancients knew they had to eat while the eating was good because soon the fresh food would be gone and there was no guarantee that they would be able to put enough aside to last through the long, cold, dark days to come.
Living in Northern Illinois, we are surrounded by the beauty of nature and today the trees are starting to turn beautiful colors. When I go for walks, I see the reds and yellows of the trees in the neighborhood and the fallen leaves are blanketing the walk. It’s dark when I wake up in the morning, which makes the thought of burrowing under the covers and sleeping a few more hours very appealing. Soon it will be dark when I leave for work in the morning and dark when I return home at night.
However, unlike the ancients, I know that soon it will be Halloween, and then the Solstice when once again the days will start getting longer and longer as the earth turns toward the sun. I am able to celebrate the coming days of darkness as a time of turning inward, a time of reflection, and a time to prepare for the coming year.
My hope is that your fall is every bit as blissful as mine as I celebrate apple cider, pumpkin pie, and all the treats that the autumn brings.

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Raine Shakti

Raine Shakti believes in living her life cairn by cairn and in helping others learn to do the same. Her day job is in the training and communications field and her best professional experiences are when she is able to empower people. She has spent the last few years reclaiming her life and her inner warrior. Part of this journey was becoming an ordained priestess with the Fellowship of Isis. Her Matron deities are Nephthys who has helped her become a true virgin woman, the Morrigan who has taught her what it means to be sovereign, and Yemaya who has taught her the strength in having a loving heart.

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