Merry Mabon! Now we're in for darker times ...

Today, we celebrate the Autumn Equinox in the northern hemisphere, the time when night and day are in perfect balance. We're heading toward winter now, meaning nights will be longer than days, but there is no need to fear the dark. There is a need to be slightly concerned about it, if you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - or "winter depression" as it's also known. (I got mine off mum, because the bleedin' thing is hereditary. Cheers, mum!)

Take some vitamin D and use a light box for half an hour (or even 10 minutes) in the morning. The morning bit is really important: you're trying to stop the production of sleep hormone and get the body clock to realise it's daytime - using it at night won't work! Using it at all will really help, and also going out for a bit during the day time. Ain't no lightbulb like the good ol' sun, after all!

As the days are growing shorter and the cold starts to creep in, I don't just get tired, I also eat more. Which isn't a great thing when you're already overweight obese and trying to slim down. Just need to keep on top of it and not let it get out of hand, which is a lot easier said than done, which I'm sure pretty much everyone can attest to.

When it comes to the Pagan symbolism of Mabon, it's that the harvest is finishing up and the God is preparing himself to leave his physical body and journey into eternity. Both he and the Goddess know that he's still alive, growing inside her, and is set to be reborn in a few months. In the world itself, apples are harvested, the last of the grain crops are taken in and the trees really start shifting colours.

Of all the Holidays in the Pagan calendar, Mabon has got to be my favourite. Even though it marks the point where it starts to really get colder, darker and altogether the awful part of autumn (November, not a favourite), I still love autumn. Right about now, it's not too hot, nor too cold, and there are few things quite as magnificent as nature in all its blazing autumnal glory.

If you add a bit of mist rising over fields as well, it's truly magical and always fills me up with bucketloads of inspiration.

While the many colours the trees put on now are technically a swan song, there's no question the bright display is a sight for sore eyes. It'll put us in a great mood, to give us the strength to carry us through the dark and dreary days of November. But then again, there's always NaNoWriMo to keep your chin up there, I suppose! :)

Have a wonderful day, wherever you are. Even though I'm spending the day in an office, I'm still feeling connected with nature. Maybe I'll go out and hug one of the London plane trees in the courtyard during my lunch break.