Saturday, March 22, 2014

Circle of Bliss

This evening (its 11:32pm) I am feeling blissfully fatigued. Yesterday was Mabon here in Australia and yesterday evening saw me gathering with a 13 witch circle made up of truly unique and amazing individuals in celebration of the passing Equinox. It was a such a blissful event, so open, relaxed and nurturing and I feel truly grateful to have been gifted the opportunity to attend such and open and welcoming space.

There is such joy to be found in group magickal workings, if I'm being truthful, I feel rather homesick each an every time I find myself in sacred space with others. It is so reminiscent of home and coven work that it tugs ever so gently at my more "exposed" I guess you could say, heart strings. Nevertheless it triggers the most delicious memories, all of which I'm quite grateful for.

Today on the other had, was busy in a different way, I had client readings to complete and the first proved to be the longest reading I have even done in my professional career as a Tarot reader and I'm certain the introspective energy of the passing Sabbath had a lot to do with the way this mornings readings was carried out, I shall be vlogging about it later.

It was amazing though, my beautiful client had chosen a spread the screamed of balance and I thoroughly enjoyed that small yet rather significant fact. And as I surrendered to the intoxicating aroma of Palo Santo the level of message that came through was mind blowing. So for the entire time that I sat at my laptop typing out the reading, I was enveloped by wave upon wave of intuitive "Fuzziness" so electrifying that the hairs on my arms and legs were standing on end and the nape of my neck was left tingling.

I love working with my cards during or around a sabbath, the energy is naturally so intense. Not to mention hectic with spiritual duties the likes of which I just love so much.  It does however lead me into my current state of exhaustion which is kind of awesome and so, off to bed I go while setting the intention for some lovely lucid dreaming to match that of yesterdays evening of potent dreams, lets see how I go.

What a day people, what a day and what a night too!

Bright beautiful blessings to you ~ Avalon xo

Mabon Altar where I blessed and charged 2 of my new decks

Mabon Altar at the Pagan Spiral's Sabbath celebrations 
 

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Merry Mabon ~ 2014 Cairns FNQ

 Mabon has once again arrived, and for me the energies of this Autumn Equinox can be seen and felt both without and also within. Mabon has such a strange yet necessary introspective energy and its because of this introspection, that its one of my favorite times of the year. I have always associated Mabon and its introspective theme to the High Priestess and Hermit cards of the Major Arcana. To me both Tarot archetypes embody this sentiment with a certain tenacity and so I choose to work with their energies on this day.

Tarot of the Illuminati
Its fitting really, the High Priestess of the RWS system sits poignantly on her thrown, between 2 black and white pillars representing balance (reminiscent of the energies at equinox) exuding a silent yet mighty power of inner knowing, contemplating the wisdom of the library in silent introspection. While the hermit can be seen holding the light of his lantern or torch to balance the Shadow he retreats into during his withdrawal from society and into an inner spiritual sanctuary, the very playground of introspection. The Hermit card from Ciro Marchetti's Legacy of the Divine Tarot is in my opinion a brilliant representation of this crucial archetype.   


Ciro Marchetti's Legacy of the Divine
And so for me and perhaps many others, introspection becomes the them of Mabon, and while I'm fully aware of the medicine and or healing properties that a certain amount of introspection can bring. Introspection can also be taken to the "next" level during this time facilitating the surrender to the collective unconsciousness which does to me, have a certain amount of negative connotation. And so for me during this potent time, the theme of balance is also at the forefront of my mind, reminding me that all our thoughts and feeling should be honored and in the spirit of growth, released if they no longer serve your authentic self.

The practice of release brings me to the lighting of the cauldron, during Mabon, even here in the Tropics we engage in the first lighting of the cauldron. For me this is a powerful ritual that brings me closer to a Goddess I am journeying with at present, Ceridwen the cauldron keeper mother goddess of magick, wisdom, rebirth and transformation. I have been waiting for Mabon's magickal lighting of the cauldron to connect more deeply with this Goddess Archetype and so, I can barley contain my giddiness at present :-)

My little Cauldron 
In celebration of Mabon, I will do a small ritual at home this afternoon and then gather with a circle in the evening for celebration, contemplation and other magickal workings. I'm certain it will be wonderful and hopefully the rain doesn't deter too many as this is once instance where the more really is the merrier. 

As for the physical world around me, well.... Cairns has been positively drenched by rain, as is usually the case during our illustrious wet seasons. So at present, the sky holds an ambiguous kind of greying darkness that is to me electrifying. The greenery around my home is a vibrant glowing shade of green thanks to the various heavy down pours of just this past week. Our garden is almost glistening in rain drops, I can only imagine what our beautiful yard would look like if the sun were to peak out for just a moment... I feel it would be dazzling.

Our Garden 
Nevertheless the heavy presence of rains anchors me into the reality of Mabon in tropical Far North Queensland Australia. Our landscape is devoid of Golden Maples and falling leaves in various shades of orange and brown the likes of which can be see in parts of our Northern Hemisphere. That aside however, the vaguely cooler claimant that approaches brings with it the long awaited dry season, where tourism peaks and the sweltering humidity that has griped us for the last 6 or more months drops significantly.
A pine cone from the Hinterland I found months ago

Another upside to Mabon in the tropics is gardening, we are now able to grow certain varieties of vegetables and root crops that require a cooler claimant. And coming from someone who loves her potatoes, these are happy times :-)

And that is it folks, my Mabon 2014 reflections! I wish you all an extremely productive, introspective, balanced and deeply spiritual Mabon.

Much love, magick and blessings ~ Avalon xo