​Yesterday  my oldest daughter reminded me I used to say  "the only one who likes change is  a wet baby." That was before I started 'collecting firsts', opening my heart and mind to new experiences and actively seeking change. I love  it! Variety is truly the spice of life!
The end of summer is marked by the Autumnal Equinox and Mabon, which begins on September 21 , 2020. Summer is delightful, but I don't want it  to  go  on forever. I'd find it difficult  to live in a place with no change in seasons. I guess if I had never experienced them, I might not think about it. But having enjoyed their unique  beauty and variety, I look forward to each one. 
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The colors of Mabon include many of  my favorites - shades of orange, gold, red, burgundy and browns. As the leaves  change here in the north eastern part of the United States, we will watch the colors gradually unfold until they crescendo. Even after they pass their peak, they are still breathtaking, with more muted and metallic tones. I once heard leaves are the only  thing that gets  more beautiful right before death. 
Decorate your home and wear colors in these glorious shades. If you're an artist, create a painting with the warm, vibrant shades of Mabon. Or pick a favorite color and look for it as you go  about  your day. 
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Herbs, defined by herbalists  as "any plant that is useful", are abundant during Mabon. Some most traditionally associated with the season are acorns, apples, barley, carrots, chamomile, corn, marigolds, onions, pomegranates, rosemary, sage, walnuts and wheat. Harvest some of the herbs from your garden or look for them at farmer's markets or garden centers. Combine them to make a still life, bouquet, wreath or swag, to celebrate this second harvest. 
The sun moved from Virgo to Libra on September 22, and I will be adding at least one of Libra's zodiac herbs, so stayed tuned!
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In addition to the colors and herbs, there are also stones for those of you familiar with  the power of  gemstones. And if you aren't familiar, you may want to spend time around them and see which ones catch your attention! There's a reason! 
Amber, in  shades  of orange, golds, yellows and browns, will warm and delight! Yellow agate, cat's eye, hematite, jasper and topaz are also associated with this  time of  year. 
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In addition to the ideas mentioned about you might also want to

• Make a gratitude list.
• Compare this year and the same time last year with columns labeled Same and Different. Then consider what is valuable and what isn't working. Make changes as needed. Last year I did an ABCs of Autumn list. This year, it is very different. 
• Light candles or have a bonfire to create an atmosphere to enhance meditation.
• Take a walk in a park, garden, forest, etc., to celebrate nature.
• Pay attention to the blessings and beauty of the season. Take a deep breath and be mindful of the moment.

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There was a time in my life - around the time I was turning 40 - when everything seemed redundant.  Every day was the same as the day before. I woke up every morning in the same house, took the same route to work, went to the same job with the same people, ate the same foods, did the same volunteer activities . . . my life was full and productive, but I was weary of the repetition.

I remember journaling one morning, stating I had probably already done about everything I was going to do!   Then I realized, if there were any limitations in my life, they were from my lack of imagination!  Things were about to change!

Later that day, I gathered the girls and we went grocery shopping, but this time I set some guidelines.  "Today we will be collecting firsts.  We will shop for enough food for one week, but we can't buy anything that we've ever purchased before.  It has to be a new kind of fruit or vegetable, or a brand that we've never tried."

We laughed so hard I thought they would kick us out of the store! That week we found we liked some products better than the old standbys - and others were truly disappointing - but at least they added variety!  One example was guava paste instead of cranberry sauce. This still brings a smile when it shows up at Thanksgiving dinner!

For weeks I actively collected firsts - I would leave earlier and take a new way to work. Or open the phone book to the local restaurant section, close my eyes and point to one for out next evening out.. Randomly choosing books and magazines on unfamiliar topics opened up new worlds!

Small steps helped me build courage! Eventually I traveled to India - alone - and participated in pujas, took an untethered hot air balloon ride, illustrated a children's book, became the managing editor of a  magazine . .  .   Heavens!  I even experienced my first flood, lost my home and moved to Baltimore where I am blissfully continuing to expand my collection!

This is my first pandemic  and  hopefully my last. I’m teaching courses on Zoom for the first  time, watching my favorite sports teams play in empty stadiums, and training to run a virtual marathon in October. Who knows how many more I’ll collect before 2020 ends? Shifting my experiences to collecting firsts makes them less unsettling.What firsts have you  been collecting?
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Barely the day started and... it's already six in the evening.
Barely arrived on Monday and it's already Friday.
... and the month is already over.
... and the year is almost over.
... and already 40, 50 or 60 years of our lives have passed.
... and we realize that we lost our parents, friends.
and we realize it's too late to go back...
So... Let's try, despite everything, to enjoy the remaining time...
Let's keep looking for activities that we like...
Let's put some color in our grey...
Let's smile at the little things in life that put balm in our hearts.
And despite everything, we must continue to enjoy with serenity this time we have left.
Let's try to eliminate the afters...
I'm doing it after...
I'll say after...
I'll think about it after...
We leave everything for later like ′′ after ′′ is ours.
Because what we don't understand is that:
Afterwards, the coffee gets cold...
afterwards, priorities change...
Afterwards, the charm is broken...
afterwards, health passes...
Afterwards, the kids grow up...
Afterwards parents get old...
Afterwards, promises are forgotten...
afterwards, the day becomes the night...
afterwards life ends...
And then it's often too late....
So... Let's leave nothing for later...
Because still waiting to see you later, we can lose the best moments,
the best experiences,
best friends,
the best family...
The day is today...
​The moment is now...

The chamomile from the Rosemary House arrived! Their packages are always  a delight!

I added the  chamomile, then decided it needed more mint so gathered and dried more from the garden.Isn’t the fabric perfect? It reminds me of a starry night!  The mini-pillows are filled and ready to help ensure a more peaceful night’s sleep!  

​Advise from Maria Sabina, Mexican curandera (medicine woman) and poet.

“Cure yourself, with the light of the sun and the rays of the moon.
With the sound of the river and the waterfall.
With the swaying of the sea and the fluttering of birds.
Heal yourself, with the mint and mint leaves,
with neem and eucalyptus.
Sweeten yourself with lavender, rosemary, and chamomile.
Hug yourself with the cocoa bean and a touch of cinnamon.
Put love in tea instead of sugar
And take it looking at the stars
Heal yourself , with the kisses that the wind gives you
and the hugs of the rain.
Get strong with bare feet on the ground
and with everything that is born from it.
Get smarter every day by listening to your intuition,
looking at the world with the eye of your forehead.
Jump, dance, sing, so that you live happier.
Heal yourself, with beautiful love, and always remember ...
you are the medicine.

My kitchen smells divine! I've been gathering herbs and heating them in a slow oven to make sweet dreams pillows for a couple of friends who are having trouble sleeping. Lavender, peppermint, catnip, rosemary and old-fashioned (fragrant) roses have been drying in batches in a 200 F oven for days. Wish I had fields of all of them but I'm fortunate to have enough for a few pillows. My chamomile didn't do well this year, so it is ordered from the Rosemary House in Mechanicsburg, PA, my go to source. Once it arrives, I'll add it to the mixture and complete the pillows.  
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My first sweet dreams pillow was a gift from Joyce, one of my very favorite participants, from my Enhancing Your Life with Herbs course in the autumn of 2015. With a few gentle squeezes, the pillow is as fragrant now as it was when she first surprised me with it! See my October 23, 2015 post for more information!