The Full Harvest Moon , Fall Equinox and Mabon

Mabon is the time of the autumn equinox, when the harvest finally winds down. September’s full moon, the Harvest Moon,will fall on September 15th, early this year and has a special place in our agricultural history. Through most of the year, the moon rises each day about 50 minutes later than the day before. However, when the autumnal equinox approaches, the difference in rise times drops to about 25 to 30 minutes and even farther north, the difference is 10 to 15 minutes. As the Harvest Moon rises after sunset, this provides extra minutes of light each evening for farmers to work longer hours harvest their crops. Today, the Harvest Moon relates to the full moon which falls closest to the Fall equinox, which falls on Sept 22nd. With advanced farming techniques and electric lights, it is not as important because to farmers today as in the past. It may be more important to some for religious purposes. The Harvest Moon can land anywhere between September 8 and October 7. The Harvest Moon is no ordinary full moon; it behaves in a special way. Throughout the year the Moon rises, on average, about 50 minutes later each day. But near the autumnal equinox, the day-to-day difference in the local time of moonrise is only 30 minutes. The Moon will rise around sunset, and not long after sunset for the next few evenings. That comes in handy for northern farmers who are working long days to harvest their crops before autumn. The extra dose of lighting afforded by the full Moon closest to the equinox is what gives the Harvest Moon its name. In the southern hemisphere, this week's full Moon behaves in exactly the opposite way: there will be an extra long time between moon rises from one evening to the next. Try looking at the Moon when it's rising in the east. You might notice something funny: the low-hanging Moon looks very big. This is a trick of the eye known as the E.T. Harvest Moon.
A Time of Positive and Negative Energy Mabon is one of those times of year that affect people in different ways. For some, it's a season to honor the darker aspects of the goddess, calling upon that which is devoid of light. For others, it's a time of thankfulness, of gratitude for the abundance we have at the season of harvest. No matter how you see it, Mabon is traditionally a time of balance. After all, it's one of the two times each year that has equal amounts of darkness and daytime. Because this is, for many people, a time of high energy, there is sometimes a feeling of restlessness in the air, a sense that something is just a bit "off". If you're feeling a bit spiritually lopsided, with this simple meditation you can restore a little balance into your life. Now that fall is here, why not do an autumn version of Spring Cleaning? Get rid of any emotional baggage you're dragging around with you. Accept that there are darker aspects to life, and embrace them, but don't let them rule you. Understand that a healthy life finds balance in all things. I decorate my home with colorful autumn leaves, acorns, small pumpkins, and other symbols of the season. I like to go outside for a bon-fire: But if your forced to stay inside you can always use candles, one white and one black which signifies the evenness of day and night. I light the candles and meditate on the following. .

Mabon Balancing Meditation

A balance of night and day, a balance of light and dark
Tonight I seek balance in my life as it is found in the Universe.
A black candle for darkness and pain and things I can eliminate from my life.
A white candle for the light, and for joy and all the abundance I wish to bring forth.
At Mabon, the time of the equinox,
there is harmony and balance in the Universe,
and so there shall be in my life.

Meditate on the things you wish to change. Focus on eliminating the bad, and strengthening the good around you. Put toxic relationships into the past, where they belong, and welcome new positive relationships into your life. Let your baggage go, and take heart in knowing that for every dark night of the soul, there will be a sunrise the next morning.