A Portent of Autumn.

September-Woodcut.

Autumn is on the doorstep. Predictions of ground frost and a definite cooling on the breeze. Its the quality of light also. The Sunrise this morning had that tinge of gold that is the signature of Autumn, a thread that glints through the fabric of this time of the year. The unmistakable "urge" to prepare takes over! Folk are noticing a need to decorate, and clean the nest. Spring may be the traditional time for cleaning, but if you're going to spend a long Winter mostly indoors, a thorough cleaning and cleansing seems totally reasonable too.  The hedgerows are also preparing. Berries and hips are swelling, getting ready to ripen, and I'm collecting jars and bottles in readiness for a preserving frenzy that will last until October, when the sloes will be ripe and good for Gin!

 September also heralds the end of season glut of green tomatoes and the odd courgette that escaped unnoticed and morphed in a marrow! All gratefully received, along with other contributions to my "Donation Chutney"
And so we are on the path to the equinox, Alban Elfed, the gateway of the year, where we notice a subtle change, a shift in gear, a time to honour the spirit of Mabon, as the Goddess mourns the death/sacrifice of the God at Lammas.
As we travel the wheel, we are always in a state of "preparing," as ever it is the joy of anticipation; the journey rather than the destination that is the real lesson. Which proves that the moment we live in is surely the most important we have and that the charge of life is to embrace our connection to the seasons and cycles of Nature, to adapt and realign to the flow of the seasons as they occur, so as to fully engage in the unity and beauty of creation.
September is the advent of the beauty to come.