Creating a Family Harvest Celebration!
"When the goldenrod is yellow,
And leaves are turning brown -
Reluctantly the summer goes
In a cloud of thistledown.
When squirrels are harvesting
And birds in flight appear -
By these autumn signs we know
September days are here."
Brierly Ashour
While much of the early part of September is dedicated to back to school, this month is also the time when we celebrate the Autumnal Equinox. This is a great month to put up a scarecrow and celebrate the harvest like our ancestors did!
Building the scarecrow can be a fun project for the whole family. People all over the world have used scarecrows. They are a part of farming cultures in places as diverse as South Africa, Japan, Scotland, here in the U.S.A. and everyplace in between! They are also wonderful symbols that have been used for centuries to celebrate the harvest. (Check out "Harvest Home" in the Footprints of the Ancestors section of this issue.)
If you decide to make a scarecrow, he/she can make your yard look great right through Thanksgiving! It's fun to pile a bunch of pumpkins at the scarecrows feet to make a lovely Autumn scene. I'll bet you've either made or seen sagging, droopy scarecrows. With a little effort and some advice you can have a straw figure that will stand up strongly for several months! Just click on this picture to get Spirit Living's "Tips for Building a Sturdy Scarecrow!"
Once you have your scarecrow finished, it's time to think about your family's harvest celebration! Historically, the celebration would include an offering to the spirits of the land which would be followed by a feast. Offering rituals can be tailored to your family's needs and desires.
A simple one that is easy to do is to share a meal outdoors near the scarecrow. Create a meal that includes fresh, seasonal treats and imagine that you are including him or her in the feast! The perfect beverages for this feast are cider for the kids and mead or wine for the adults.
Ask the oldest person to pour a little of their drink on the ground to thank Mother Earth for the harvest. Say whatever words come from your heart. Thank Mother Earth for the food and drink, for your yard, your time together and all her beautiful creatures!
Have the youngest person put together a "spirit plate." This is a plate of food that will be left out overnight to "feed" the spirits of the natural world. (This feels something like when you leave cookies out for Santa!)
It's great to leave special treats out for the birds, too. A little bit of extra suet or seed can be a lovely way to show your gratitude and send them on their migrations with full bellies. Give the squirrels a few unshelled peanuts, too!
When the feasting is finished take a walk together to continue the celebration!
Share your Autumn revelries with us at editors@spiritliving.org.
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