Aria Yale
October 27, 2013 7:02 PM
Celebrating the Mabon. by Aria Yale
Today was the Autumn Equinox, which in Aria’s world, was the Feast of Mabon or, a more friendly term of the Harvest Festival. It was a ritual of thanksgiving for the plentiful goods of the Earth and a recognition of the need to share them to secure the blessings of Mother Earth during the winter months. This is a celebration of thanks done through song, dance, and feasts. But the Sabbat is also a time for meditation and introspection as people begin the journey into the darker days that is brought about with winter. The time of reflection is to appreciate the connections that have been made with those around us and o those who had gone before us.This was a Sabbat that reflected on the community as a whole and Aria missed the celebrations for the Harvest more so than she felt any of the others she was unable to attend while at Sonora. There was the story of the Son of Light and how the Sabbat is how he renews his strength and gain wisdom in order to be reborn again at the Yule. Aria missed her home. She missed her parents. She missed her friends. In their absence, she wanted to keep to her traditions and that meant celebrating what was important to her.
She had asked Tuppy for help with the preparations for her celebration. Since it was only her, she would not need much by way of the feast. Aria enjoyed chatting with the Prairie Elves. She tried not to take up too much of their time because then they get upset if they are off schedule, but they never seemed to mind her company. Sometimes, when she was meditating, she would catch one or two watching her or mimicking her moves. Aria enjoyed the company during those mornings.
Aria had weaved baskets over the summer and decorated them with flowers charmed to last for a longer period of time. In a secluded part of the gardens where she did her Tai Chi, Aria placed baskets all around filled with various fruits (mostly apples and grapes) and treats, including fresh bread. She had made the bread from scratch herself. Having been a part of the baking club for the last few years had provided her with the fundamentals of baking, but she was in a group that learned during the Yule last year, so she had been confident in her ability to make it. Plus, she had the Prairie Elves to guide her if she got off track. After she celebrated, she planned on giving the baskets to certain people that had challenged her sense of self or supported her while at Sonora. They probably wouldn’t understand the gesture, but the whole point of this Sabbat was to give thanks and for self-reflection.
She made herself a pyramid as well. It was supposed to help one center themselves and the pieces of their lives that they wanted to maintain a balance with. Her pyramid, she would keep over her bed, but she would also take it with her whenever she meditated. It was important for her to maintain balance if she wanted to keep her strength through the year. Her three pieces of herself were her spirituality, her education, and her friendships.
The idea of friendship came back at her when she saw the Concert sign up and saw that James had signed up under Lucian. Logically, Aria understood why he had done that. He was showing support for the person he shared a room with, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit hurt by it. Jay was really the only person at Sonora that Aria didn’t feel like a zoo animal around. She had thought, out of everyone, she could count on him to work with her. So far, the only name under her own was Wendy. Aria hadn’t minded speaking to Wendy at the Welcoming Feast, so working with her she knew would be easy, but looking at the other names, it was clear that she didn’t really have friends and she would get a group once the staff assigned out the rest of the students. She would do the best she could to make them have fun while being forced into working with her and hope for a positive outcome.
Aria did her best to decorate the area in Autumn colors and items while setting up her cauldron and bluebell flame in the center. She decided to use her cauldron to hold the flame rather than something else because she could see and use the fire without worry of anything catching. She wore a white midriff top and a white peasant skirt that fell to her knees and moved easily with her while she danced. Her feet remained bare. Her white blonde curls where in their usual state of chaos, but braids were noticeable within them along with various flowers and ribbons. Her makeup, usually dark and bold giving her an edgy look, was softer and more Earthy for the celebration.
Although she wished she could celebrate with her friends and family back home, she would have to make do with this. While everyone was off at dinner and after her ritual meditation, Aria turned her wireless to a Pagan station that was currently playing songs for the Harvest. Aria began to dance and sing along with the songs. Closing her eyes, she opened her mind to the moment and thought of her family back home. She saw their faces, heard their laughter. Their warmth filled her and her feet became lighter as she danced. The days would grow darker and colder and Aria would have her bad days, but she felt that as long as she stayed true to herself, she would be alright.
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Aria Yale
Celebrating the Mabon.
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