Happy Mabon or Harvest Home. This equinox is also known as the first day of autumn. The equinox is on Sunday, September 22, 2024, at 08:44 A.M. EDT in the Northern Hemisphere
Today's quote:
Personal note: I had an interesting experience last week. From a position of getting out of breath when walking almost anywhere I needed to, I started telling friends that I wanted to start taking walks again. I even set a goal with my care coordinator, Rob (an official title for a Physician's Assistant who phone consults with me once a month regarding my medical issues [having more than 3 chronic diagnosis] from my general practitioner's office.) The goal wasn't set until after I'd had a nice coffee meeting with some friends, where we explored our experiences of our own pain threshold. I didn't know if mine was high or low exactly, but I seldom seem to have severe pains, just fatigue.
So I was talking later with Rob,, and out of the blue said I wanted to set this goal to walk around our local lake (a half mile) without stopping, in three months. These kinds of goals delight the medical professionals, I know, because they are measurable and can have incremental objectives set in the time frame. (I use to write the same thing as a mental health counselor for records of my clients.)
Anyway, at lunch, right after talking with Rob, my friend asked if I'd gotten my referral for pulmonary rehabilitation yet. I said no.
Then within an hour I had a call from Tanya, the pulmonary rehab. technician who I'd worked with several years ago. She had the referral from the pulmonologist. Apparently when I had emailed two weeks ago about my difficulties breathing, and asked if pulmonary rehab would be a good idea, it had trickled down to a referral after all.
But the timing was the miraculous (cosmic coincidence) part...set the goal, set a date, and then boom, here's a way to actually have allies to help me get there! Yes, the universe is supporting me going in this direction. Anyone else would phrase it differently, but that's the way I see it. And I felt so good about myself, I made brownies to take to the pot luck at the apartment complex the next day. Usually I have a lot of fatigue in the evening, and coughing, so can't accomplish much, but not that night! I was feeling so up about possibly getting to feel better, I actually felt better.
PS I might have some energies and positive attitude, but I still have a brain that isn't functioning correctly. The pot luck wasn't for another week! I hadn't looked at my calendar to check. So I shared brownies at the lunch program.
Although Harvest Home was originally a pagan festival it continued to be celebrated, though ignored by the church, up into the nineteenth century in England. Then the Rev Hawker of Morwenstow decided to take the old celebrations and instigate the church's Harvest Festival celebrations. Sadly much of the dancing, singing and feasting were lost. My grandmother remembered the last remnants of the old celebrations from when she was a young girl, around the early years of the twentieth century. At the end of harvest the last wagon was always decorated before it came into the farmyard. All the carts and machinery were left outside and the long cartshed was later used for the old "long-dances for as many as will" in other words everyone could join in along the length of the building, or outside if the weather was fine. The couples progressed during each dance to dance with a different couple at each repeat of the music. Afterwards beer and potatoes were the usual fare. The evening was known as "beer and tater night" or "Horkey". I often wonder if way back Paganism and Christianity co-existed like that. After all most Pagan festivals seem to revolve around the turning of the seasons, while Christianity, originating in a place where seasons are much less pronounced, has little to say on the matter.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for all the historic details. They were great to learn about. Yes, I agree that at some point it must have been a peaceful coexistance, but unfortunately many Christians seem to think their way means other's beliefs must be wrong, and they need converting!
DeleteJohn, you should pull this comment and the one you wrote on Marcia's blog into a post on your blog. So interesting.
DeleteThe Christian church, from my reading, deliberately wove the old celebrations into their "new" religion. The pagan ways disturbed the papists, so to bring them into the fold they set Christian feast days about the same time as the pagan rites. For example, Christmas at the time of winter solstice and the new year, All Saints and All Souls days at Halloween, etc. The priests used the superstitions and reverence for Holly to explain Christ's story, as in the carol The Holly Bears a Berry. Slowly, as the Church gained power, the old ways died. Such a shame.
I think that the old ways still carry on... partly without those in the Christian church realising.
DeleteHappy Autumn! Best wishes on you and your walking goal. I am glad you are feeling better.
ReplyDeleteTake care, have a great day and a wonderful week!
I hope you achieve your goal, but the effort is good to make regardless. On many an evening I stroll up the street, and after some physio, it is going a little better. It was dark and chilly last night,. I guess I should have gone earlier and worn something other than tees and shorts
ReplyDeleteOur evenings wouldn't be shorts weather usually, though yesterday afternoon was in the 80s. Good to hear you're able to walk without discomfort. I am plugging along, and figure breathing hard just getting where I'm going is alright.
Delete...take care and be well.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great wish, thank you.
DeleteGood to have an aim..
ReplyDeleteCosmic Chuckle indeed!
Blessings Be xx
Thanks. It's an interesting thing to look forward to, as many people can do so much more. But this old duck is happy to try getting a bit better while possible.
DeleteHere's to your new goal! I am impatient to get my knee and get healed up so I can walk distances again too.
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful to see things fall in place for you! All the best.
ReplyDelete