The Breath of Life by Peno Hardesty

gracias----come--we walk now----si---is dusk and the creations are singing---it is alright---that is only the old bald pig---he does not see well now---speak to him---he follows the voice---come---under the vines---they are fragrant--si?---listen---cicada----there---the owl---soon she will fly---now she shares our walk----is something wrong?---that is just the beating of your own heart---it has been a while since you have heard it---feel the earth beneath you--touch it--feel the bark of the cypress tree and hold the dangling moss close to you----look up--through the canopy as the darkness encircles us---feel the night ---here--put you hand in front of your mouth and feel your breath---become aware as your chest moves---feel it--experience it---life---your life---now give me your hand----close your eyes and concentrate on your own breath--feel it --experience it----warm breath against your hand--only this is the breath of the old bald pig---and my breath----and the breath of the night----life---the breath of life---all life.......................

Mabon 2013 by Barbara Carvallo

 

It is Mabon, the second harvest.  Many of you know this day as the Autumn or Fall Equinox.  This is the time we gather up our new wisdom born of learning and intuition from tiny kernels planted last year.   

The Great Mother, pregnant throughout the summer with the promise of harvest time, gave birth at Lammas to the first crop and the infant essence of a new temporal reality growing toward its childhood at the third and final harvest.  It is at Mabon that we gain the sight with which to recognize the child of the future.  For with some Witches sight is all.     

In the gorgeous glory of Fall, Goddess dons Her gown of russet and gold.  She will dance in mellow sun and creamy moonlight with the toddler whom She calls, Hope.  Her lullabies, sung by starlight, drift on the crisp night air alive with the smell of falling leaves, apples and wood smoke. 

Owl, Her precious familiar, waits at the edge of the veiled forest as Her gown darkens and She transforms into the Crone of Winter in black and royal purple.  Queen of the Witches, She protects the seeds of new life, growth and consciousness below the frozen hem of Her cloak as She and Her companion, the billowing North Wind, clear the way for the new vitality of Tulip Time and the April light of the Maiden Goddess.

As harvest season draws to a close, dressed in Her regal ebony and amethyst gown, She is robed for Samhain the third and greatest harvest. At that time She will begin to inform the new reality in preparation for its meeting with the Virgin Lady of Sunlight at its maturity.  For Her daughters as the Wheel of Life comes full circle at the end of October and the New Year, we will see the spiritual fruits grown from seed planted last Autumn along our path.  We will gather Her gracious bounty, scattering new seed for the next year as we go.  Thus is the Cycle of Life fulfilled in the words of the old ones, As Above So Below. 

Harvest Celebrations by Jackie B. Steele

 

 

 

Good Morning Good People,
Here in the North, The wild Grape vines & Sumak are starting to turn Bright red,
The Birch, Poplars & Aspen initiate their Autumnal golden glow. We have been in a drought, and the land was kissed by some rain, we were gifted. Earth & Sky join together in such bliss they wept, and the rains gently fell. While the trees & I sang songs of thank you, I wept in gratitude.
... Nearly equal night and day, in the Northern hemisphere we celebrate harvest and conclusions, (& sweatshirt weather!) while the Birds ready themselves to follow the Sun-star South, where they are planting the seeds of Springs renewal.
Embracing all of this,
Enjoy your Harvest celebrations,
I Love you and yours.

The Last Roses

 
This has been an extremely difficult season.  Gardening in Colorado is not for sissies under the best of circumstances, but the last two seasons we have had virtually no spring.  No spring means limited gestation of perennials, limited blooming and slow growth of annuals.  Add to this excessive heat, draught, the wind that follows it, and insects, not to mention rabbits and other burrowing creatures that I have not seen before in my gardens, and you have a disappointing and frustrating season.

Still as the Summer begins to cool, and the Autumn whispers with the chirping of crickets after sunset, Goddess sends a message. "I am here and always will be,"the blooming rose attests. Two of the last beauties of a season that saw so little of the rose: VaVoom – bright orange; Scentimental (so named for her rich, true rose scent) – red and white.

As Mabon, the 2^nd Harvest or Autumn Equinox approaches I hope for a better season next year.  I pray Goddess that the Winter will heal any damage done to Her green world by an brutal season.

This Year's Show

It has been a hard season.  Too little spring, too much heat, virtual no water and insects.  However, the gardener proposes and the Goddess disposes.  She always knows best.

America, I Answered by Peno Hardesty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

----when one lives in a neighborhood that is predominately white the nice cops feel neglected---there are just not enough persons of colour to find suspicious---so the nice cops check their roster of CI and leave them folk alone and go out in search of those who are not on the "protect" list----there is the "red line" the list of persons who have spoken out against local law enforcement---the list of persons who do not support stand your ground---the list of persons who have equal sign bumper stickers----seems i am on one or more of the lists---my son and his fiance stopped by to bring me a bag of horse feed---i walked out past the gate to the side of the road to talk to them---the cop pulled up right behind----"step away from the car ma'm"---instinctively i put my hands out palms up---"are you alright?"--fine and you?---"what is your name?"---what are the charges?--"what is your name and what are you doing?"--my son came out of the car and offered the nice cop his license and the nice cop said thank you but he wasn't interested in him---i sent my son into the house to get my purse and showed the nice cop my license----it seems the nice cop thought it was a drug deal going down---just by accident he happened to be driving by--just by accident undercover were sent to the dem meeting and to the meeting against stand your ground not to mention my recent article in the paper----just by accident i noticed the bend in his elbow and mentioned it when my son told me to put my hands down and said that the nice cop was not going to draw his weapon---"new york or boston?" asked the nice cop-------america i answered----