Brid's Closet "The Messenger"
9/7/2008 Mabon Issue!September 7, 2008-
Featured Product
Tote Bag
14.99
In This Issue:
* Mabon/fall equinox!
* Events at the store!
* BUSINESS!
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1. Mabon/fall equinox!Two days a year, the Northern and Southern hemispheres recieve the same amount of sunlight. Not only that, each receives the same amount of light as they do dark - this is because the earth is tilted at a right angle to the sun, and the sun is directly over the equator. In Latin, the word equinox translates to "equal night." The autumn equinox takes place on or near September 21, and its spring counterpart falls around March 21. If you're in the Northern hemisphere, the days will begin getting shorter after the autumn equinox and the nights will grow longer - in the Southern hemisphere, the reverse is true. Global Traditions: The idea of a harvest festival is nothing new. In ancient Greece, Oschophoria was a festival held in the fall to celebrate the harvesting of grapes for wine. In the 1700's, the Bavarians came up with Oktoberfest, which actually begins in the last week of September, and it was a time of great feasting and merriment, still in existence today. Giving Thanks: Although the traditional American holiday of Thanksgiving falls in November, many cultures see the second harvest time of the fall equinox as a time of giving thanks. Originally, the American Thanksgiving holiday was celebrated on October 3, which makes a lot more sense agriculturally. It was later moved by Franklin Roosevelt in a bid to help post-Depression holiday sales. Symbols of the Season: The harvest is a time of thanks, and also a time of balance - after all, there are equal hours of daylight and darkness. While we celebrate the gifts of the earth, we also accept that the soil is dying. We have food to eat, but the crops are brown and going dormant. Warmth is behind us, cold lies ahead. Some symbols of Mabon include: Mid-autumn vegetables, like squashes and gourds Apples and anything made from them, such as cider or pies Seeds and seed pods Baskets, symbolizing the gathering of crops Grapes, vines, wine Feasting and Friends: Early agricultural societies understood the importance of hospitality - it was crucial to develop a relationship with your neighbors, because they might be the ones to help you when your family ran out of food. Many people, particularly in rural villages, celebrated the harvest with great deals of feasting, drinking, and eating. After all, the grain had been made into bread, beer and wine had been made, and the cattle were brought down from the summer pastures for the coming winter. Magic and Mythology: Nearly all of the myths and legends popular at this time of the year focus on the themes of life, death, and rebirth. Not much of a surprise, when you consider that this is the time at which the earth begins to die before winter sets in! Demeter and Her Daughter Perhaps the best known of all the harvest mythologies is the story of Demeter and Persephone. Demeter was a goddess of grain and of the harvest in ancient Greece. Her daughter, Persephone, caught the eye of Hades, god of the underworld. When Hades abducted Persephone and took her back to the underworld, Demeter's grief caused the crops on earth to die and go dormant. By the time she finally recovered her daughter, Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds, and so was doomed to spend six months of the year in the underworld. These six months are the time when the earth dies, beginning at the time of the autumn equinox. The Sumerian goddess Inanna is the incarnation of fertility and abundance. Inanna descended into the underworld where her sister, Ereshkigal, ruled. Erishkigal decreed that Inanna could only enter her world in the traditional ways - stripping herself of her clothing and earthly posessions. By the time Inanna got there, Erishkigal had unleashed a series of plagues upon her sister, killing Inanna. While Inanna was visiting the underworld, the earth ceased to grow and produce. A vizier restored Inanna to life, and sent her back to earth. As she journeyed home, the earth was restored to its former glory. If you choose to celebrate Mabon, give thanks for the things you have, and take time to reflect on the balance within your own life, honoring both the darkness and the light. Invite your friends and family over for a feast, and count the blessings that you have among kin and community.
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2. Events at the store!Bellydance Classes with Elizabeth Muise Learn the art of Middle Eastern Dance (Bellydance) and the modern twist of Tribal Fusion technique. Elizabeth Muise is a visual artist and a dancer. She has been dancing for eighteen years and bellydancing for seven of those years. She looks forward to sharing this beautiful art form with you! Please wear comfortable clothes that you can move in! No need to show bellies (unless you want to!) and please bring water! Questions for Elizabeth? email redmuise@hotmail.com
15 per class-8 week session-please RSVP!
18 per class-drop in
Try to to reserve a space asap as I anticipate filling up quickly
SEPT. 8th 7PM
I am pleased to anounce that we will be offering Adult CPR classes here at the store!
Keep-on-Pumping will be teaching this class
This class is NYS department of health approved!
Meets or exceed DOT or OHSA standards.
Everyone will be provided with a manikin to practice with
At the end of this class, you will receive your certification and booklet that goes with it.
Approximatly 1 to 1 1/2 hours long-a video will be shown for this class.
38 per person
SEPT. 16th 7PM
MABON CELEBRATION!
The wheel turns again! This holiday is also known as the "Pagan" thanksgiving, so please bring something good to eat and to share! I will be running this one this month with the help of my students! whooooo-hoooo! Angel and Zark have offered their beautiful home for this months ritual! Please RSVP soon,
SEPT 20th 7pm
SAMHAIN/HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION!
It's that time again! The wheel turns again and know we honor the new year! Our own Jodi will be facilitating the ritual this year! We will be having this years celebration at a place called "The Plympton House" in New Windsor! This will be catered buffet affair, with food being provided by Painters restaurant! There will be wine and wonderful food for all! There is also a cash bar available! More details to come! PLEASE RSVP and PAY ASAP! We need to know just how much food to make, how to set up etc! We will max out at 100 ppl! Considering just who big our events get, please reserve early! Costumes are encouraged! This should be a fun and exciting evening! There is plenty of parking in the back of this beautiful, restored Victorian landmark. The house is just off 94, just before Newburgh. If you are on 94, going towards Newburgh, make a right just before the light (right after the car dealership on the right, cemetery on left), then almost immediately, make a left and the house is right in front of you! Just wait till you see this place! Call or write me for any info!
The cost is 65 per person-over 12 please as there is alcohol being served! Please reserve early!
If coming just for the ritual, the cost is 10, be there by 11pm!
More details to come!
Link:
Stop by or call the store for any questions about what's going on within our community and the Store!
Brid's Closet www.bridscloset.com
296 Main Street, Cornwall NY 12518
Bernadette@bridscloset.com
Brids Closet spirituality wicca pagan
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