Autumnal Equinox Balance

balance
balanced
balancing

learning painting tips, painting a vision from a year ago
raptors overhead
in the warming sun after a grey cold day when we could sense winter approaching

most folks occupied
many at the Climate March representing in person
what we held sacred here
alone
just us
the 2 of us.Is is so dry here that even a cloudburst last night is invisible.
Except for the wind.

So we had thoughts about a big fire, or even a small fire
in the woods 
but the land so waterless
and us still needing to be able to sit
and be comfortable
we decided on the small close to the house fire pit
and at first light only small branches in a metal bowl
at the top of the trunk of an old xmas tree still holding up the sun chimes and serving as our sacred tree at this site.
We placed or poured or tossed all our sacrifice
into the not-yet-lit center
and with patience and effort transferred the flame
from the small contained embers
to the short-lived intense blaze
consuming it all.Let this fire be a good fire,
Let it carry our prayers.

Just peaceful being here, being present
remembering to take pictures
not thinking about others
only the others
the Kindred
the birds
the bees
the folks marching
the Earth Mother
each other.
Sometimes and especially lately it has been hard.
We are not yet done crying, at least I am not.

But this circle of seasons, so strange in its passing of time is so very grounding.
Literally.
Soon the ground will be covered with leaves, then snow.
And then buds and vole tracks. Equinoxes are busy.
This moment in time, almost imperceptible,
and yet absolute.
It is different now, afterward.

Cutting up the sassafras
leaves and branches
for the fire,
putting out gathered sacrifice,
staying on the time schedule
almost as a means of remembering.

We ask out loud a lot these days
”What day is it? What time is it?”
and then soon afterward again
”What day is it? What time is it?”
We have been rebalancing
in all these changes-
Earth changes
life changes
family changes
health changes

Earth changes life changes family changes health changes.
(add punctuation as needed)

It was a beautiful ritual,
so lost in the meditation on and with the Earth,
I came to the directions from far away it seemed.
Redirecting our energies with the orientation of this planet,
bunny crackers, orange like fall, in handfuls like bunny poop
in each direction. Not a trace of them the next morning.

The East of vision like the eagle or the hawk and rising each new day to that light and the South of our environmental lessons and our family of 400,000 peacefully gathered together due south of us and the West of our neighbors and the sun setting exactly on center and the North of the coming Winter and the White Buffalo and good healing
for ourselves and our families and our Earth Mother.
And the up and the down and the center.

Moth-full tortilla flour gifted with love to the Earth,
falling in dust and clumps,
she supports us all.

dark pink rose for Mananan, surrounding us with its scent
and also fermented cider with intoxicating apple smell,
then a white rose for Goddess Bridget
and more cider
in a circle
with gratitude.

   Our outsiders offering towards the woods with kindness
Bryan brought peach scraps, rotted parts and pits
from our first harvest & processing of this year.
He returned with the container filled with fresh whole fruit.
Like a magic trick.  
 
Balancing and rebalancing.

 dried flowers for the Ancestors-all our ancestors,
those humans who were, our family, 
friends and family especially those recently passed,
our teachers, our inspiration, artists from the last century, scientists and writers, farmers and actors,
people who struggled and lived and loved and died.

garlic stalks from the last of last year’s harvest for the Spirits of Nature and Place-rocks and hummingbirds and crows and blue jays and bees and cats and wind and clouds and sun and all the water and waterways and animals and bugs and grass and flowers and seed heads and fruit and mold and rot and compost and so much more on this amazing planet.
dried Thuja branch trimmings for the Gods & Goddesses, the shining ones and the eventual match for our fire.

lighting the fire as final sacrifice
and also tossing in
the three corns-chips, crumbs & meal
for the season.

Circles of offerings of circles
letting go of old and no longer needed circles
grateful for healing circles
prayers for helpful new circles
grapevine wreath from last year
sweetgrass wreath from last season
small wreath from my pocket

so gentle and focused just the two of us.

reaching into the endless bag of divination
(it’s bigger on the inside) 
finding all or enough of the runes  

from the Ancestors: Jera or harvest or a year
from the Spirits of Nature & Place: Berkanu or birch or beginnings
from the Gods & Goddesses: Kenaz or the torch or the shaping & crafting
for the Season: Fehu or fee.
We get the same or some of the same omens a lot,
we are being told to listen
listen to what we know
hallowing the waters and a bit of mint flowers
in the leftover smoldering smoke. 
2 large glasses and a bit extra
Bryan drinks his down continuously and slowly and I drink mine in several long sips with long breaths in between.

Oh thank you everyone, 
finish the cider all.

We sit and we hug 
We walk into the nemeton to see the sun set
through the entrance due West from due East
We talk about this life, this season, the dry stream,
our growing son, changing times, the Earth Mother