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Mabon: We Are Seeds
Mabon (pronounced MAY-BON) is a fairly new term for an ancient holiday on the Celtic calendar that marks the Autumn Equinox, the first day of fall, when the length of day and night are the same. This year in the northern hemisphere, the Autumn Equinox falls on Wednesday, September 22nd. It is a time to celebrate a moment of solar balance, to go hearth-side, welcome the longer nights, and relish the cooler days. In this bundle, we’ll be exploring seasonal themes of Harvest, Decay, Regeneration, and Seeds.
All Creative Alchemy Cycle bundles are self-guided. I’ve created this landing page as a home base for us as we journey through the season of Litha. We’ll also meet in person on the fourth Sunday of each month (scroll down for links.) Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
Table of Contents
PART ONE: DIGITAL CONTENT
Story of the Season: a Homily for Mabon (audio & PDF)
The Great Wide Open (video)
In the Studio (video)
Collaborative Alchemy Podcast: Episode 9 with Jacqueline Goldfinger (audio)
Fuel for the Fire: Writing prompts, links, reading lists, Spotify playlists, etc.
Further Connection: Monthly Community Zoom Call / Recording (links)
PART TWO: FOR FULL SUBSCRIBERS
CAC Network: Online communication platform
Altar Box: Description of your seasonal care package
NOTE of ENGAGEMENT:
Please do not share the link to this page with others. This content was created just for you. Thank you for your respect and understanding.
PART ONE: Digital Content
Seasonal Focus: Gratitude Practice
All life is teetering in the balance now. This is a moment to take stock of what we have, give gratitude, and plan for the coming dark. The Autumn Equinox marks a moment of solar harmony as the sun moves north across the celestial equator and we embark on the dark half of the year. A Celtic thanksgiving holiday, Mabon honors the second harvest of the year. It's time to give gratitude!! (Isn't it always?)
Over the past few decades, the self-help industry has co-opted and commodified gratitude as a practice. Gratitude is sold to us in the form of ‘health and wellness,” something to be cultivated as a means for building wealth, longevity, and even a kind of mental fitness. Gratitude has been relegated to the “to-do” list along with skin exfoliation and your morning protein smoothie. Let's reclaim a gratitude practice for ourselves.
I invite you to take some time this season to explore why and how gratitude is the foundation of joy, contentment, and creative flow. The greater your capacity for sincere appreciation, the deeper the connection to your heart, where intuition and unlimited inspiration and possibilities reside.
Calling You Home — A Homily
This is a great place to begin. For each of the eight bundles that make up the Creative Alchemy Cycle, I write a seasonal story to set the container for the bundle. These homilies are my way of practicing alongside you and using the creative alchemy tools to create my own work. You can download a copy using the button below and/or listen to the audio.
The Great Wide Open
Follow me deep into the Eagle Cap Wilderness of Eastern Oregon. Explore waterways and remote mountain meadows. Forage for berries and blossoms. Soak up inspiration from early autumn seed pods and enjoy this meditation on loving the small things.
In the Studio
After viewing The Great Wide Open, let’s head into my studio. We’ll start with some Red Clover blossom tea and a short tour of my space. Then we’ll create a seed pod portrait and explore some color theory inspired by our time outside. Let’s dive in!
Collaborative Alchemy Podcast
Collaborative Alchemy is a series of conversations with artists, thought leaders, activists, farmers, educators, creatives, and other polymaths where we tell our stories, expand our histories, and hold space for new ways of being. In this episode, we’re talking with playwright and author Jacqueline Goldfinger about the how and why of effective storytelling, adapting works for the stage, and the beauty of how the arts influence culture. We share our excitement and hope for the new and emergent generation of storytellers, who are offering nuanced and elegant solutions to some of our most pressing social justice issues. This is a wide-ranging conversation that addresses the intricacies of our mutual use of the she/they pronoun, the work of Madeleine L'Engle, tips for writing great characters, and how parenting has shaped our creative work.
Fuel for the Fire
Writing prompts and further exploration, links, reading lists, spotify playlists, etc. Click on the images or buttons below to view, visit, or download.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Invitations for Further Connection
CREATIVE ALCHEMY COMMUNITY CALLS occur consistently on the fourth Sunday of each month from 10:00—11:15am PST. These gatherings are recorded and posted right here the day after. Sarah will send a reminder email the week before and the day before each gathering.
RECORDING: October 24, 2021
RECORDING: September 26, 2021
PART TWO: For Full Subscribers
The Mabon Community Network & Gallery
The community network & gallery is a communication platform for those who are full subscribers! It’s like Facebook but WAY better: no advertisements, completely private, and built collectively. As a member of the Cycle you received an invitation to join our Creative Alchemy Cycle (CAC) online network via Mighty Networks. The button below will take you to the network.
About Your Mabon Care Package
For those of you subscribing through Patreon, your care-packages will arrive between September 17-22. These love-filled packages contain natural objects, local Eastern Oregon flavor, and art ephemera to inspire your journey, and adorn your seasonal altars. If you want to take a look at my personal altar, you can find it right HERE.
CONTENTS of the MABON PACKAGE:
✦ welcome letter and poem by Brooke McNamara
✦ Creative Alchemy Oracle Card bookmark
✦ dehydrated organic peaches from Eagle Creek Orchard
✦ poppy and bachelor button seed pods
✦ pine cones from my Douglas Fir
✦ beeswax tealight
ABOUT the DRIED FRUIT:
Type: JH Hale Peaches
Source: These are all organicaly grown at Eagle Creek Orchard. I harvested and dehyderated them ((in a Covid-safe environment)) so that you might enjoy a taste of the season’s last offerings.
Directions: You can eat them as is, or you can soak them in water for a few minutes to rehydrate them a bit. You can also add them to black tea for steeping. Your choice. Either way, they’re delicious!
“…here, exactly as you already are,
break ground, dig down,
and simply, faithfully,
bury the seed.”
— Brooke McNamara