Ritual for Harvest Celebration at the Autumn Equinox by Heather

We will be making an apple shrunken head, to represent the harvest and to act as a house protection ward through the winter.

You will need:

Candle – orange, brown, purple, red or white, candle holder, lighter 

Large apple – Granny Smith cooker is ideal

Knife and/or peeler

Herbs – use your intuition, some examples – anything you have grown, rose, rosemary, basil, bay, camellia, honeysuckle, birch, black pepper, caraway, cinnamon, coriander, dragon’s blood, elder, flax, geranium, ginger, fennel, hazel, juniper, lavender, marigold, mint, mugwort, mustard, nutmeg, plantain, sage, star anise, sunflower,

Crystals – the ones that resonate with you, examples are – pebble, clear quartz, tiger’s eye, citrine, garnet, malachite, carnelian, fire opal, tourmaline, lapis lazuli, moss agate, howlite

Take a few deep breaths in and slowly out, bringing your attention to the here and now…..

Connecting –

Together we will now connect to our sacred space, thereby linking all our energies both far and near; take three long deep breaths.

Standing or sitting, with both hands on your heart and say, "From my heart”, stretching both hands into the air, say "To the sky”.

Putting both hands on or facing down to the earth, as close to it as you can get, say "To the land”.

Putting both hands on your heart, say "To my heart”.

Leaving both hands on your heart, say "From my heart”, reaching out your right hand, "To all points on the compass".

Reach out your left hand and place your right hand on your heart and say, "To all directions”.  Putting both hands on your heart, say "To my heart”.

Deity

Freyja, Goddess of love, beauty, abundance and fertility, the leaves and the vibrant colours of autumn represent Your natural beauty and generosity.  We ask that You join us here today.

Freya, we welcome You! 

Lugh, God of the Sun and harvest, whose name means Bright, Shining One, God of many skills, we ask You to join us for our ritual today

Lugh, we welcome You!

Light your candle, hold your apple and let it know that you are going to be preparing it to protect you, your home and your loved ones.

Slowly peel the skin and then carefully scoop out the stalk and pips, making sure to not make a hole in the base.

Fill the centre of your apple with your chosen herbs, plants and crystals.  Then hold your apple again and say that it is charged with your intention for protection.

You will need to place the prepared apple on a radiator, or in an airing cupboard, to dry out.  As it does so the apple will shrink to enclose your items, whist transforming into a gruesome (and cute) face, to deter anything unwanted from you and your space, 

Once it is fully dried, you can place it on your altar, or on a shelf somewhere where everyone passes, so its energy surrounds you all.

Something to eat, drink and chat.

Closing -

Deity

Lugh, Bright, Shining One, keep us surrounded with Your protective luminous energy in the months ahead.

Lugh, farewell!

Freya, Goddess of abundance and fertility, let Your energy enable us to see beauty in our lives through the next months.

Freya, farewell!

Take three slow deep breaths.

Standing or sitting, with both hands on your heart and say, “From my heart", stretching both hands into the air, say “To the sky”.

Putting both hands on or facing down to the earth, as close as you can get, say “To the Land”.

Putting both hands on your heart, say “To my heart”.

Leaving both hands on your heart, say “From my heart”, reaching out your right hand, say “From all points of the compass”.

Reach out your left hand and place your right hand on your heart and say, “From all directions”.  Both hands on your heart, say “To my heart, thank you”.