The autumnal equinox coincides astrologically with the sign of Libra, symbolized befittingly by the scales. Balance is magically energized by the equal parts of day and night, and in this second of the pagan fall sabbats, we can focus our energies on letting go, cleansing, or banishing that which hinders our progress or no longer serves us. This in turn allows us to invite those things into our lives that we want or need in order to grow and thrive. This is the epitome of creating balance! Autumn favors any banishing work we may need to accomplish and this is a great time of year to bust out some Florida water and cleanse your magical tools or altar space. You can also work with the seasonal energy to harvest more abundance with one of Mambo Sam’s amazing 9 day spell kits, such as Big Money or Lots a Luck. If you like to do a deep clean of your home before the long winter, it can get a great magical boost when you utilize a Marie Laveau House Blessing Kit to begin with a fresh slate on every level!

 I, for one, feel at my absolute witchiest when I get a whiff of 2 things- voodoo… or autumn!

 Outdoors, I love a blazing wood fire, or the scent of fallen leaves. Indoors, I just love the warming spices like cinnamon and vanilla, and the seasonal goodness like apples, pumpkins and pomegranates.  Speaking of pomegranate, it is that very fruit that is mentioned in the myth of Persephone and Hades that explains the phenomenon of the equinoxes most perfectly.

Persephone, daughter of Goddess of the Harvest Demeter, was kidnapped by the God of the Underworld, Hades. When Demeter pleaded with Hades to return her beloved child, he agreed, providing that Persephone had not eaten anything while in his underworld kingdom. Alas, she had eaten the seeds of a pomegranate fruit. So, it was agreed that for just one half of the year, Demeter would be allowed to bring home her beloved Persephone. During this time Demeter would ensure the earth flourished and all living things would grow and flower. Come the other half of the year, at the fall equinox, Persephone was taken to the underworld with her husband Hades, during which time Demeter would grieve, and the earth would lie cold and bare, in a type of solemn slumber.

This myth perfectly illustrates to me the human condition. Persephone was both Queen of the Underworld and the Goddess of Springtime. She possessed both darkness and light, as we all do. Additionally, the fall festivals all lead us up to Samhain on October 31^st, when we honor the souls of our deceased loved ones. Grief, after all, is just love that we feel for our dearly departed. Much like Demeter grieved the annual departure of her daughter, so we honor and memorialize those we have loved and lost when we observe the harvest season. We all have roots, and this is the time to commemorate them and honor the fact that we will return to those roots when our journey here on the mortal plane has ended.

In voodoo, of course, the last of these harvest holidays bring us Fet Ghede, a time to honor our very own Lwa of the Dead, Baron Samedi and his inimitable wife, Maman Brigitte. It is Baron and Maman who escort the souls of the dead through the veil, and who impart us with the ancient wisdom that can only be obtained through the final journey of the soul. If you are looking to honor your ancestors, I highly recommend that you check out the incredible personalized ancestral candle (created on the pwen of Maman Brigitte by our own beloved Parran Matt) in Mambo Sam’s Etsy shop. It’s just a few more weeks til Halloween, Samhain and the voodoo new year- Fet Ghede!!

In service,
Khouzhan Morgan