Harvest Thanksgiving at Fall Equinox

by Selena Fox

Fall Equinox, which marks the beginning of Autumn, is traditionally a time of harvest and thanksgiving. I guide a thanksgiving for life blessings as part of the Circle Sanctuary Community's Fall Equinox ritual.

We each bring a seasonal offering to the ritual. This offering may be a vegetable, fruit, nuts, grain, or herbs and usually is harvested from a home garden or obtained at a market.

A transcript of the Harvest Thanksgiving meditation and chants that I created and guide follows. This meditation can be done as a ritual itself or incorporated into a longer ritual. It also can be adapted for use as a personal Fall Equinox rite.

Leader: "As we hold our harvest offering in our hands, let us give thanks for the harvest of blessings in our lives over the past year."

All face North. Leader: "As we face the North, we connect with the powers of the Element Earth and call to mind blessings of the Physical realm in our lives in the past year. Reflect on blessings you have received pertaining to your physical health your home finances and material possessions." Pause for a short meditation. Leader: "For Blessings of Earth, We Give Thanks!"

All: "We Give Thanks!"

All face East. Leader: "As we face the East, we connect with the powers of the Element Air and call to mind blessings of the Mental realm in our lives in the past year. Reflect on blessings you have received pertaining to learnings classes and studies books and articles you have read and other ways you have grown in knowledge and wisdom." Pause for a short meditation. Leader: "For Blessings of Air, We Give Thanks!"

All: "We Give Thanks!"

All face South. Leader: "As we face the South, we connect with the powers of the Element Fire and call to mind blessings of the Behavioral realm in our lives in the past year. Reflect on blessings you have received pertaining to your work and hobbies accomplishments travels and creations." Pause for a short meditation. Leader: "For Blessings of Fire, We Give Thanks!"

All: "We Give Thanks!"

All face West. Leader: "As we face the West, we connect with the powers of the Element Water and call to mind blessings of the Emotional realm in our lives in the past year. Reflect on blessings you have received pertaining to your relational life . friendships emotional healing and support and ways you have grown socially and emotionally." Pause for a short meditation. Leader: "For Blessings of Water, We Give Thanks!"

All: "We Give Thanks!"

All face Center. Leader: "As we face the Center, we connect with the powers of Spirit, that which connects us with each other, with the Sacred Directions and Elements, and with the Divine in many forms and that is the Unity of All That Is. Let us call to mind blessings of the spiritual realm in our lives in the past year. Reflect on sacred connections with Divine forms on spiritual guidance and insights on experiences with spiritual Community on visits to sacred sites on transformative dreams and visions and on other forms of spiritual growth." Pause for a short meditation. Leader: "For Blessings of Spirit, We Give Thanks!"

All: "We Give Thanks!"

Leader: "As we softly and repeatedly chant our thanksgivings to the Divine Ones, let us call out sacred names of the Goddesses, Gods, and other Divine forms that have blessed us in the past year." All chant: "Divine Ones, Thanks" and call out one or more sacred names over the chant. When all have finished speaking sacred names, the leader peaks the chant. All fall silent for a few moments.

Leader: "Now, as we sing the Harvest thanksgiving chant, let us bring forth our harvest offerings and place them as symbols of our appreciation in the cornucopia on the altar."

All chant:

We give Thanks for the Harvest;
We give Thanks for Abundance;
We give Thanks for the Blessings
in our Lives through the Year.

After all have placed their offerings on the altar, the leader peaks the chant, concluding the Harvest Thanksgiving.

Selena Fox
Circle Sanctuary

Selena Fox has been creating and guiding group seasonal celebrations for more than thirty years. She will be guiding a form of this Harvest Thanksgiving meditation on Saturday, September 20, 2003 as part of the Fall Equinox ritual at the Welcome Fall Festival at Circle Sanctuary land in Wisconsin. More details about the Festival are on-line: www.circlesanctuary.org/welcomefall