Alban Elfed

Yesterday was the autumn equinox, or Alban Elfed, or Mabon, depending on the practice. The past few weeks have really had me reflecting on the cycles of life. My father wound up in the hospital with an infection, and ultimately, that led to him returning to the nursing home to enter hospice care. We are nearing the end of the years-long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. While there is no specific timeline, I know that my father's physical body will soon be done.

While reflecting on all that has happened in the past couple of weeks, I decided to channel some of my feelings into art last night. I will never claim to be a good painter, but I felt led to paint a representation of the wheel of the year and the changing of the seasons.

There is a changing leaf, a fallen antler, the flame of consuming fire, a squirrel working to put away nuts for the winter, a hare in the midst of color change for winter, and a crow, calling to those who will listen. A spiral forms around these images, moving from the cold blues of winter, into a greens of earth fertility, and then back into winter.

I also spent some time in nature. As if to correspond perfectly with the equinox, the weather finally cooled down. It is wonderful to feel the shift between seasons like that. It has been so incredibly hot this summer, so when I walked out onto the porch Monday night and could physically feel the shift in the atmosphere, it was much welcomed. Yesterday, I could feel the cooler temperatures, and I enjoyed listening to the sounds of the animals in the forest moving around. They seem to know what is coming and the squirrels especially were on the move.

In Awen,

Leah