The Magical Season of Autumn

Hi Ladynan,

Your insights on Autumn are poetic and appropriate. Feraferia sees the seasonal pageant as telling the story of the Goddess and her Son/Lover. Here (below) are the events of Autumn. The whole Sacred Year cycle with pictures is on this site under the Knowledge tab at /Founders Writings/Nine Royal Passions and the ritual festival for Samhain is at the Practices tab under /Seasonal Rites/Festival of Samhain. Enjoy!

Harvest Home - Autumnal Equinox - September 23
The Festival of Homecoming and Release. The nights grow longer than the days. The Divine Lovers pluck and store the finished fruits. Nectars and ciders are danced out under juice-stained feet. The belly of the Goddess swells like a New Moon. She makes Annunciation. Their work-play of the year completed, the Holy Pair freely roam the cooling hillsides. They loosen all their burdens in the raining gold of Autumn Leaves.

Samhain - November 1
The Festival of Sinking to Soil and Prophecy. The Divine Lovers make all Life snug for the long Winter sleep. As seeds and litter settle to Earth, dreams and All Souls rise from the dense, rooted Underground to soften and fuse them. In the Faerie Twilight of the year, the dread Doors between Worlds swing open. The Shining Lovers descend to their Bedchamber of living loam.

7. Repose - from Samhain through December 21
The Festival of Emptiness and Return to the Raw Elements. Under gathering Quilts of Crystal, The Goddess sleeps alone. Completely enfolded within Her now, the God summons strength for His new birth. The vast throng of the Stars bestows upon Earth the Communion Kiss of All in All.

Feraferia of course follows the cycle of the year (and so those in the southern hemisphere would see the seasons flipped around a bit!), and has the addition of "Repose", between Samhain and Winter Solstice, referred to in Jo's post above.

One notable feature of Feraferia's seasonal celebrations is that at the cross-quarters, we honor and communicate with those spirits of the place where we abide. Often referred to as the Faery, we look to the particular earth forms around us to guide our intentions and invitation to those particular spirits.

I find that this process is especially grounding and connects me to place.