September Mandala: Green Man of the Autumn Equinox

Today, for the Autumn Equinox, here is a Green Man created from leaves, seeds nuts and berries from my garden and trees near where I live.

Every month this year I have been making a seasonal mandala, mostly from natural items found in my garden. This spring equinox I created one showing the Goddess of Life and Death, so I thought I would balance that with a male image at this time of year, when the days and night are again of equal length.

The leaves on the trees are just starting to turn golden and the season of growth is turning towards the season when the greenery is dying. Samhain, the festival when we honour the dead is the next in the cycle of the Wheel of the Year, and we look towards it as well as looking back at the long, hot days of summer past.

This time of year has a personal reminder of death to me, as it was two years ago almost to this day that my cat Jerry passed to the Summerlands. I built a cairn for him over his grave in my garden and on the anniversary of his death I spent some time by it, remembering him. As I did that, my new kittens – Tommy and Tuppence – came out into the garden to join me. They played around the cairn and Tommy even climbed it and sat on top. It reminded me that there is a time for everything and life goes on. It is important to remember our loved ones who are no longer with us, but it is also important to take joy in the moment and appreciate those who are here.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/07/hunting-green-men-of-salisbury-cathedral.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/03/mandala-for-march-goddess-of-life-death.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/09/jerry-cat-safe-journey-to-summerlands.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/06/witches-cats-here-are-my-two-new-kittens.html

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