Fall Equinox
Fall Equinox
On the Fall Equinox, we celebrate the Harvest. Soon, as the wheel turns and turns, we will have Winter. For now, however, We will enjoy the fruits of our labor. We will honour the Lord and Lady, who are always with us. This is a fun Holy Day! Think of Thanksgiving Day, make it a party. There are so many activities you could do for this Day, I can't possibly list them all. Baking, Corn Dolls, Sunflower bird feeders, Wicker Men.... (See the Links and Resources section for some lists of books)
The Basics
1. Work on the chosen activity.
2. Harvest veggies (even if this means going to the market!)
3. Prepare your meal.
4. Read a Harvest story.
5. Present the activity as an offering to the Lord and Lady.
6. Eat, and enjoy this time your family.
The Details
Try to chose a project that is harvest oriented and suited to your child's level. Don't expect a toddler to create the most perfect loaf of bread you've ever seen. Expect it to be rather lumpy, hard and heavy as a brick. It will still be very beautiful! It's important for your child to feel involved.
A little aside here: Keep in mind that this is a Child's Time, not yours. Adults have their own ritual, these are lessons for the kids. Take cues from your child. Mine love to color and paint. So, we could paint pictures of the Sun and of the Garden. Someone just shouted "Paint! You must be nuts! It will be all over the house!" Go outside, in the garage, in the kitchen. Kids clean up, and so do floors. Set reasonable limits and expect the children to stay within them. It may take time, but it will work.
Let the children pick out parts of the meal. Have everyone choose a favorite. So what if you end up with macaroni and cheese, corn and chicken and noodles. One day of an "all yellow" plate won't hurt. (Besides, yellow the color of the Sun. Trust your children to come up with a good idea. As the adult, you can choose a salad as your favorite if the idea really bothers you.)
While dinner is cooking, take time to read a story about the Harvest. If your children are older, have them read to you. Or, create a harvest story together. Remember those stories that you had to fill in the blanks? Try that idea. If you want to work on another project, now is a good time. If your family also attends a larger group for Sabbats, make another offering to take to that group.
When dinner is ready and the table is set, the children can present their projects as an offering to the Lord and Lady. Let the offering set on the table thru the meal as a reminder of the Harvest. When the meal is over, the offering can be place outside (or what ever is traditional in your house). During dinner, talk about what has happened over the summer. Did the trees grow taller? Did you? How about those baby rabbits? Try to make some connections for your child.
Back to Sabbat Lessons
Created by: Zian Greenvaile.
