Fall has arrived...

I feel like my posts have taken a bit of a negative turn of late...Sorry.. But I've needed some extra venting time. So much has been going on. But having said that I want to get back on track, the other day was officially the first day of Fall!! Woohoo.. Happy Fall to All! You can really tell fall is here and winter is just around the corner. Those cool temperatures are simply intoxicating, and the plants are all making one last showy appearance before they die back.. The first day of Fall is steeped in a rich history of festivities and spiritual significance. I'm specifically speaking about Mabon, a Celtic holiday from days of old...I'm actually not sure if it was called Mabon back then, but that's what people call it now...soooo that's what I'm going with.. I'm not as good as I should be about celebrating Holidays of nature, full moons, etc. But I want to get better. Maybe that will be one of my New Year's resolutions. Below is a little write up on Mabon...The Second of the Harvest Festivals...Alos I added a yummy Mabon recipe, and a way to make use of all those Poke Berries you could be harvesting right now..lol Oh by the way..I found out this year Mabon...aka the Autumn Equinox is actually on Sept 23..
Mabon: Autumn Equinox - September 21st-23rd
Gwyl canol Hydref or Mabon: (Also known as Harvest Home, Harvest Tide, Fall Equinox, Autumn Equinox etc.), September 21-24.
Technically, an equinox is an astronomical point and, due to the fact that the earth wobbles on its axis slightly, the date may vary by a few days depending on the year. The autumnal equinox occurs when the sun crosses the equator on its apparent journey southward, and we experience a day and a night that are of equal duration. Up until Mabon, the hours of daylight have been greater than the hours from dusk to dawn. But from now on, the reverse holds true.
Mabon marks the middle of harvest, it is a time of equal day and equal night, and for the moment nature is in balance. It is a time to reap what you have sown, of giving thanks for the harvest and the bounty the Earth provides. For finishing up old projects and plans and planting the seeds for new enterprises or a change in lifestyle. Mabon is a time of celebration and balance.

This is the time to look back not just on the past year, but also your life, and to plan for the future. In the rhythm of the year, Mabon is a time of rest and celebration, after the hard work of gathering the crops. Warm autumn days are followed by chill nights. Endings are a good time to celebrate our successes, thank our selves and those who helped us, and take part in the balance of life!

Mabon Magical Cooking!
In the midwest, the Buckeye tree, or aesculus glabra, flourishes. It's part of the horse chestnut family, and although the nuts are toxic to anyone who's not a squirrel, it's a very prolific and abundant species. The small brown nuts, which begin dropping in late August, have been used for many years in some traditions of folk magic.The Buckeye is associated with prosperity and abundance. Why not whip up a batch of Buckeye candies for your Mabon guests, and share your wishes for a bountiful harvest with your friends? This recipe has been popular in Ohio - the Buckeye state - since the 1920s.

Ingredients

• 1 16-oz jar of creamy peanut butter
• 1 pound bag of confectioners sugar
• 1 C stick butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 12-oz bag of chocolate chips for dipping

Preparation

Combine peanut butter, butter, and vanilla together and cream until smooth. Add the confectioners sugar a little bit at a time until you've gotten it all mixed in. It should produce a really heavy, thick dough. Roll this into small balls (one inch diameter or less) and place them on wax paper. Chill in refrigerator until firm - if they get warm, they tend to get soft, like the ones in the photo above.
Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler over low heat. Use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to dip each peanut butter ball into the chocolate -- be sure to leave a bit of the peanut butter showing at the top, so you get the brown-and-black look of a real Buckeye! Return the balls to the wax paper and allow to cool. Keep in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Making your Own Magical Ink...

Pokeweed is a purplish-red berry found in many parts of North America. In the Midwest and most northern states, it blooms in early fall, typically around mid-September -- just in time for Mabon. The poisonous red berries can be used to provide ink for writing - legend has it that the Declaration of Independence may have been drafted in pokeweed ink, although the final version that sits in the National Archives was done in iron-gall ink. Many letters written by soldiers during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, because it was something that was readily availably -- pokeweed grows over many parts of the country. According to the Ohio State University, pokeweed berries get their name from a Native American word for blood, owing to the color of the juice. Legend holds that tribal shamans used pokeweed berries to rid the body of evil spirits - probably because ingestion led to copious vomiting and diarrhea.

With a little bit of work, you can make your own pokeweed ink to use in magical workings, particularly those used in banishing spells. The ink seems to be sensitive to sunlight and browns when exposed to UV rays, so if you're going to store it, use a dark-colored bottle or store it in a cabinet out of the light.
Warning: the entire plant is toxic to humans, so don't try to eat them!