AUTUMN EQUINOX - HARVEST & HARMONY
- Sanctum of the Rose
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Autumn Equinox Persephone altar, harvest and Pomegranate Money Spell. Images property of Sanctum of the Rose.
The Seasonal wheel turns to Autumn Equinox here in the Southern Hemisphere with the Traditional and Exact dates the same this year - 21st March.
Equinox is a time of equilibrium - Day and Night being of equal length, offering us the opportunity to reflect on natures cycles and our own cyclic journey and to prepare for the seasonal flow into the cooler darker months, as we embrace and integrate harmony wherever possible in our lives. It is time for gratitude for what we have ready to harvest and to reap the benefits of the lessons and experiences we have endured to get where we are, it is a good time to consider where you are at currently and honour the journey that has lead has led you here.
The Autumn Goddess is preparing to wear the mantel of Shadows as she mourns the Gods descent into the Underworld and she holds tight to the life buried deep within her womb - the energy of the Solar Child contained inside her. She is both Mother and Crone now.
The God in his Solar Form slips below to slumber and heal beneath the Earths surface and awaits his return after Winter Solstice.
The Harvest begins and is more them physical - it is also a holistic harvest of gratitude for all that we have and all that ee will have, an acknowledgement of my Magickal Path and also a time of celebrating the abundance of all the beautiful Earth provides.
Some Appropriate Themes:
Reflection
Balance
Gratitude
Release
Initiation
Preparation
Acknowledgement
Celebration of Abundance Received
Time for expression of Gratitude for the receiving of what you have sown, honour your own ability to create alongside the rhythms of Nature.
At this time, you may also wish to renew your dedication to your path, to undergo Self Initiation and to honour your connection to the Earth as she gifts us her abundant harvest.
The name Mabon has never resonated with me and I see no real concrete connection between this name and the Equinox, however I would be pleased to hear about it if you do.
The name Mabon comes from the God of Welsh mythology. He is the Child of Light and the son of the Earth Mother Goddess, Modron. The term Mabon was only applied as recently as the 1970's. All part of our modern reconstructed Paganism...and probably had no connection with the Autumn Equinox in ancient times.
The Druids call this celebration, Mea'n Fo'mhair, and honor the The Green Man, the God of the Forest, he may be offered libations such as ciders, wines, herbs and fertilizer by pouring them around the base of trees.
It is the time of transition from Mother to Crone, as Autumn dons her cool bronze cloak and prepares to transform into the silver haired Wise One of Winter. A good time to connect with Persephone as she prepares to enter the Realm of Hades. The Sun God prepares for his descent into the embrace of the arms of death in the Underworld and then later his rebirth.
This celebratory time of year is full of Liminal Magick, offering connection to the spaces in between the light and darkness.
Suggested Correspondences:
Colours: Gold, Yellow, Bronze, Orange, red
Brown and Black.
Foods: Pumpkins, sweet potato, gourds, pine cones, nuts, honey, grains, corn, apples, pomegranates, dried seeds and flowers and fruits, berries, avocado, wine, mead, dark ale.
Symbols: leaves, cones, seed pods, feathers and the cornucopia - horn of plenty.
Botanicals: Sandalwood, benzoin, ferns, dalia, Gerber, magnolia, paoer daisy, flannel flower, grevillea, honeysuckle, marigold, milkweed, myrrh, passionflower, rose, sage, solomon's seal, tobacco, thistle, and vegetables.
Stones: Sunstone, moonstone, magnetite, citrine, tigers eye, carnelian, topaz, yellow tourmaline, Black tourmaline, bumblebee jasper.
Deities: Atum, Cernunnos, Modron, Morgan, Epona, Persephone, Persephone, Pomona, Demeter, Hekate, the Muses, Ma’at, Medousa, Nephthys, Thoth, Thor, Hermes.
Magickal Workings:
Protection, prosperity, security, self-confidence, courage, transformation, release, Initiation, dedication, harmony and balance.
Goddess Persephone:
Persephone - Περσεφόνη/ Κόρη is a daughter of Demeter goddess of the Earth and Grain and Zeus King of the gods, wife of Hades, and queen of the underworld. Her name means She Who Destroys Light - referring to her connection to the descent that brings the darker months. She is also known as Proserpina (Roman) meaning To Shoot Forth Life referring to regeneration with ascent and is called Kore - maiden.
As both Kore (maiden) and Queen, she supports our journey through all the seasons and cycles both within and without. She is the budding rose full of innocence, promise and wonder as the maiden Kore and the Rose of Wilt and the Hips of Rebirth as Queen Persephone.
Persephone represents both our shadows and our light, she is our renewal, illumination and inner child and the Bone Queen that rules the darkness, shadows and death, she is an enigma and a beautiful union of all aspects.
Many see her as the abducted maiden hastened away by 'evil' Hades from her 'loving' Mother.....others see Demeter as an overbearing helicopter parent that Persephone wished to escape and Hades her lover willing to take her away where she could truly be herself....it is a complicated mythos that may bring up many emotions and layers. Mythology is told and retold and changed according to who is the story teller and a reminder also that we are endeavouring to understand stories that have a very different context in modern times to they did to our ancient ancestors. And so I urge you to consider them for different perspectives.
Persephone may represent victimhood, innocence, innocence lost, freedom, wildness, wilfulness, power, processing of trauma, queen of shadows, cyclic goddess of transitions....she supports us to work through so many things....so many layers, she is complicated as are we!
Orphic Hymn to Persephone:
"Persephone, blessed daughter of great Zeus, sole offspring of Demeter, come and accept this gracious sacrifice. Much honoured spouse of Plouton, discreet and life-giving, you command the Gates of Hades."
Some Persephone Correspondences:
Maiden Aspect: Kore. Queen Aspect: Persephone
Mother: Demeter. Father: Zeus Husband: Hades
Children: Zagerus, Melinoe, The Erinyes.
Guide: Hekate.
Mythos: Eleusinian Mysteries.
Symbols: Wheat, Spring Flowers, Wild Rose, Pomegranate, Serpent.
Botanicals: Rose, Pomegrante, Asphodel, Narcissus, Hyacinth, Mint, Parsely, Crocus.
Stones: Aventurine, Moss Agate, Garnet, Obsidian.
Colours: Green, Red, Gold, Purple, Black
To work with Persephone at Equinox whether her descent (Autumn) or Ascent (Spring) invites us to also look at the other players in her seasonal story, her Mother Demeter stricken with grief who lays waste to the world. Her Husband Hades, the embodiment of the silent unseen realms. And Hekate who is guide, guardian and protectress through the mysteries, who stands upon the threshold of change weilding her torches of illumination and her keys to the realms beyond.
There are several posts here on the blog about Hekate. I have also recently shared on my social media 3 offerings that I use for Equinox and may be used for Autumn or Spring, see the link here on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWAMdVFEh36/?igsh=MXE0eWpyeWhoZjA3aA==
There is also a video of the set up of the Autumn Altar featured in the grid photo at the top of this post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWAMdVFEh36/?igsh=MXE0eWpyeWhoZjA3aA==
Tip: If you want to draw in fertile abundance cut up a pomegranate and place it upon a bed of coins and tickets, receipts or other things that you associated with drawing in currency or a photo of someone whose love you wish to strengthen or offer support to depending on your intentions. Pour honey over it or sprinkle with appropriate herbs, you can place in on your threshold to encourage wealth to enter.
Another Goddess that I personally work with at this time is Roman Wood Nymph and Goddess of Fruiting Trees, Orchards and gardens, the beautiful Pomona who oversees the flourishing growth of these vital gifts and is especially associated with Apples.
Here is a gorgeous poem by Meri Culp:
Pomona, goddess of garden, of orchards,lead me to your sacred grove,where plum shadows curve, rounding to dusk, purpled in the deep gold of over ripe pears,the stretch of your arms covering the tallest of trees, the smallest of cherry;
find in me, Pomona, a remembrance of place,the pulse of stone fruit, the planting of my feet,strong and sure, the soft dirt welcome of fallen figs,of Eve apple comeuppance, the simple seductionof orange, your gown, your hair, nectarine smoothed;
leave me here, Pomona, in my mythology—your platters of fruit, my sustenance, your gardens,my sacrament, my so be it amening your dusk orchard call,your sway of ritual bending branches—watching for nightfall, fruit fall, mindful of this still life.
☆AUTUMN EQUINOX EASY SPELL☆
Most of you will know when cut horizontally the apple reveals a pentagram and is thus considered a sacred fruit to many Witches. Apples are associated with immortality, prosperity, fertility, divination, thresholds and hidden knowledge.
They are generally aligned to Venus and Water but obviously also associated with Pomona and she is connected to Earth, as a fruit of immortality I also aligned them to Void, which to me is the 6th Element.
Note: you may wish to set up an Altar to Pomona, and make an offering to her such as fruits, apple juice or cider if you wish to call her in as an ally for this working.
Simple Apple Spell:
Choose edible ingredients that relate to your intentions for Autumn Harvest.
Cut your apple in half to reveal the pentagram, sprinkle, dress, or press those ingredients into one half of the apple.
Consume the apple ingesting it's abundant power and that of the supporting ingredients. Voice your intention through; chants, prayer, song, however you wish. Feel the power of your intentions flowing through you and take a moment to visualise it, seeing, feel it, believe it. Know it to be True. You may wish to call Pomona or whoever you work with to support you.
Take the other half of the apple now, fill it with what you are releasing, shedding, letting go of, visualise it flowing into the apple and the fruit being a container to support this release. Bury your apple within the Earth.
Offer thanks.
Both Persephone and Pomona feature in my Autumn Equinox Immersion that is taking place this Saturday 21st March here in the beautiful Northern Rivers NSW, if you would like to join me there are a couple of spaces left, ticket sales end tomorrow so get in quick:
And as I write this we are flowing with the last slither of the Waning Moon as she flows into her true dark form tomorrow and so it is time to begin to prepare Hekate's Deipnon, I will be adding pomegranate seeds and apple as well as parsley, rose and saffron to her feast this moon ready to seek her blessings for the journey into the Equinox Threshold and the start of Autumn. May Hekate guide us all as we prepare to descend with Persephone into the cooler darker months here in the Southern Hemisphere. If you are in the North my you rise into abundant growth.
Blessings,
Jenni-Rose
Sanctum of the Rose
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