September

Celebrate Accomplishments

September's Sensual Nature

The first whiff of fall in early September fills our senses with all manner of things associated with school. Sometimes, the aromas are not always pleasant or appreciated. This could be because school signals the end of summer. Very few of us are ready to fall back into the daze of school. It's a shock to our collective system still accustomed to the carefree life of summer. We can empathize with parents and kids still in summer mode having to manage the frenzy of the first day back which arrives far too quickly. Like it or not though, there is nothing like the scent of school to ground a soul back in the pursuit of learning. The olfactory sense seems to work overtime inside educational walls. For grade-schoolers, pencil shavings and new crayons add to the new, shiny classroom smell. The power of the nose is not lost on parents. As we walk through the door we're hit with our own memories. The aroma of school disinfectant and floor polish conjures up our own set of recollections. For students, the taste of stadium hotdogs and brats will forever trigger the memory of infectious camaraderie and school spirit inspired by sporting events.

The sounds of school are also explicit, beginning with the change in street sounds from the flash of skateboard wheels to the lumbering groan of a school bus full of kids. The noise of classroom doors slamming shut, the click of shoes down the stairs and the hushed reprimands of students out in the hall flow in and out of earshot. The commonplace noise of school becomes embedded shaping to some degree how we will respond later to similar sounds. Hopefully, the more pleasant sensual offerings will outweigh the painful ones, such as the drumming of marching bands. Happening upon a practice after school is an unexpected treat. Whatever we were doing or thinking stops as the compelling beat pulls us into the moment. For a brief time our own internal rhythm is thrillingly in sync with something outside of ourselves. The musical pulsing of drums awakens the sleeping artist within and wishful thoughts of joining the band arise.

The weather is another influence on the feel of early September. The wind picks up blowing some of summer's heat away offering the crisp promise of cooler days to come. True to form, our day may begin with a morning walk in a hoodie and end with a stroll down to the coffee shop in flip flops. September is milder than August. But, the rains bring a damp mugginess to the air, reminding us that summer weather will continue to make appearances all the way to the end of the month. Fall storms in September are unlike October's. They thunder and bluster, but the leaves remain intact surviving green and lush. This quickens our appreciation of their protective canopy, soon to be gone.

The last of summer's garden also foretells the coming of fall. We pick the garden clean filling the Mother's cupboard one more time with fresh, ripe, juicy delights. Kitchen witches turn all manner of fruits and vegetables into frozen and canned edibles to be enjoyed during the winter months. Foods of September become more hearty and hot as the morning remains chilly after the night's cooling off. Savory recipes plucked from magazine pages become regular fall favorites. Kettles filled with onions and roots become tasty stews after a long days, slow simmer. Beverages served in ice-chilled glasses switch to earthen mugs filled hot to the brim.

And then there's the apple. Autumn is apple's turn to shine. The apple is a diverse fruit: some sweet, some tart, some better for cooking, some not. We partake of this fruit in all manner of ways: sliced, dipped, frittered, turned over and bobbed. This American staple is found in pies, cakes, salads and butter. Anyone fortunate to grow up with Granny Annie in the kitchen remembers this favorite orchard cobbler with crust made from scratch. Never wasting a scrap, leftover dough in granny's hands turns into squiggly, hot cinnamon crisps, simple but scrumptious. A slice of Granny Annie's apple spice and raisin nut cake drizzled with crème cheese frosting or served 'a la mode represents the hearth warming food sure to be found on September's table.

A Visit to the Wise Hazel Tree

The steward's belly is full with the fruits of September's bounty. Laying on his back, he looks up through the Wise Hazel Tree. The wind brushes leaves aside making it easier to see the intended branches. He counts four of them. The steward peers closer and sees that these particular branches are etched in the ancient languages of Astrology, Numerology, Feng Shui, and Wicca. Sensing his wonderment, the Tree tells the steward, "Settle yourself in, rest your back against my trunk and listen to the spirit of September's story written in the bark of the tree."

Branches of September's Wise Hazel Tree
Mabon~ Autumnal Equinox
Ken~ Knowledge & Spirituality Bagua
Vibration of 9
Sun in Virgo

The formal turning of the wheel to autumn occurs when the Sun crosses over the equator. The Sun's southern sojourn is known as the autumnal equinox. Those who love the Sun may grasp at summer's hot foothold all the way to the equinox at the end of the month. We who prefer fall tend to advance the wheel after the first crisp morning breeze. The Mother, understanding her children and their differences, indulges these seasonal liberties. The autumnal equinox is also known as Mabon and Harvest Moon. For farmers and witches alike, this day marks the point in time when dark and light are of equal length. An interesting side note is the discovery that the equinox date in both the Farmers and Wiccan Almanacs is the same. This may serve to allay the fears of those not as familiar with Wicca's earthen spiritual focus.

Followers of this olde religion are in tune with the changing season for similar reasons as those who work the land. In pagan lore, it is the passing of the reign of Lugh, the God of Light to his twin, Goronwy, the God of Dark. Under the rule of Goronwy, the light of day falls sooner under the night's veil. The growing season, in the absence of light, will come to an end. Mabon thus completes a bi-annual cycle. The vibration of the nine, September's number, propels the harvest towards completion, thus helping the Mother bring closure to this turn of the wheel. This phase of the harvest is only complete...