Mabon.... a meeting of Light and Dark

Mabon arrived on time in the Northern Hemisphere at 5:22 pm and as the second harvest celebration of the seasonal wheel, it celebrates the meeting of day and night on equal terms. I chose to celebrate on Saturday night where a feast was prepared by my husband using vegetables of the season's harvest, a stew that included potatoes, turnips, and fennel. I made a salad of apples, celery, and walnuts... and there were black and white cookies which we shared as we gazed at our nightly bonfire and sipped small glasses of whiskey mead. There was poetry to write and as day and night are equal, it was a good holiday to reflect on the dark and light that resides within. As a solitary witch, it is important to bravely face the darkness which creeps into our minds, and spills into our lives. So many people do not face up to the darkness, which could be defined in many different ways depending on who is doing the assessment. The question one needs to ask is, what resides in those hidden recesses that keep us from feeling joyful, peaceful, and contented? What are we hiding within that is throwing our lightness or lightheartedness out of sync. It is a tough thing to look at oneself honestly and then make adjustments, but as we clean house of unwanted dust and clutter, we should be doing the same with our minds. As humans we often strive for perfection, and it is easy to fall into the trap of setting one's mind on a rigid acceptance of right and wrong, never questioning or deviating from the ideal vision of ourselves. But to be in balance there needs to be acceptance of the darkness, so we can learn from it. As the wheel of life turns upon the change of seasons, we must face the changes that occur in our own lives. That is not to say we should sweep what we don't like into a corner or under a rug, but those attributes or thoughts that have not served us well need direct attention, for you cannot really change what you will not face and understand. It is an ongoing process and the change of seasons is a good time to get focused.