Mabon, the Wheel of the Year, and Earth Alignment

As we approach the beginning of fall, it’s important to reflect on one of the most important but under-appreciated aspects of holistic health, that being earth alignment and observing the wheel of the year.

First, if you’ve never heard of the term, the Wheel of the Year is simply a way of referring to the phases that the Earth goes through during the course of its travels around the sun every year. During these phases, certain days mark the beginning and ends of certain seasons and conditions upon the planet that affect all animals and plants in various ways.

You might think that because you live in a city, far removed from nature, that the changes of the seasons have little affect on you from a meaningful standpoint, but you would be gravely mistaken.

There is much more going on around you as you travel the wheel of the year than mere temperature changes and clothing choices. We’re talking about differences in air pressure, distance from the sun’s electromagnetic field, fluctuations in the Earth’s own electromagnetic field, positions of other celestial bodies in relation to the Earth, density of the air and energy around you, and more.

Arguably, there is nothing more important for one’s personal development than aligning with and observing the wheel of the year. It is for this reason so much importance was placed on this practice in ancient times.

How do these changes really affect your life, you might be wondering. Let’s take a look at what is really going on here.

Energy and the Wheel of the Year

There are many forces at play when we talk about what occurs on planet Earth from one moment to the next. We take for granted massive forces of nature like electromagnetism and gravity, because we are seamlessly integrated into them.

We tend not to acknowledge these forces because they exert themselves on us at all times. In fact, we are technically one with these forces, as we are mere specs upon the Earth’s surface.

However, as the Earth travels around the sun, it does undergo changes in these forces, and they have very palpable effects on everything that happens on the planet at a very subtle level. What we refer to as the “changing of the seasons” often denotes simply temperature and weather changes, but there is a lot more going on behind the scenes than that.

To understand how the Wheel of the Year affects us personally, it’s important to first understand how we are connected to the Earth itself via electromagnetism.

The Earth itself has a massive electromagnetic field, generated from a combination of its swirling core, the speed at which it is moving through space, gravity, and its size. This electromagnetic field permeates space around the planet, creating a shield, or bubble that we exist in perpetually. Everything on Earth exists inside this electromagnetic bubble of energy. It is essentially an intrinsic part of life that is simply not spoken much about in school, the media, or mainstream science.

Lesser known is the fact that all living creatures have an electromagnetic field of their own. Yes, every living being creates at least some electromagnetic energy. This of course is obvious to anyone with knowledge of biological energy dynamics and the composition of our subatomic bodies, but it is still something that is not very common knowledge in the mainstream.

We are, after all, just energy. Our electromagnetic fields are just the denser levels of this energy able to be picked up on the electromagnetic spectrum. Everything else that is less dense falls into the realm of the subatomic.

The important thing to take away from all of this is that our electromagnetic fields are “inside of ” and a part of the greater electromagnetic field of Earth. They are a part of the same network of energy that envelopes the globe. You cannot talk about one without the other, because they are parts of each other.

In that respect, what affects the whole affects the individual. When the electromagnetic forces of the planet shift ever so slightly, it creates dynamic changes in us on an atomic and therefore cellular level. This is something animals are extremely attuned to, and something mystics have known since the dawn of history.

During the course of the year, the Earth’s position relative to other celestial bodies that also have massive electromagnetic fields, influences how the Earth’s energy behaves and therefore enacts subtle change in everything from weather patterns, animal migration, and our moods. Everything inside of the Earth’s electromagnetic bubble is something like an “energy soup,” and it is continuously being pulled and pushed by the giant forces that exist around us in space, the biggest two being the sun and the moon.

As our position relative to these bodies shifts, so too does the way the energy on Earth moves. We see with the changing of the seasons, more subtle changes in things like mood, health, awareness, mental clarity, rates of sleep, ease of meditation, energy correspondences, and more. To the ancients, observance of these subtle signs were all part of living aligned with the Wheel of the Year.

Keeping your energy aligned with the Wheel of the Year, is something most animals do naturally, because they are much more “in tune” with the way the Earth’s energies change over time. Because of our complex egos, staying aware of this energy and aligning with it easily and naturally is something of a task for us, but it is both achievable and beneficial.

Reaping The Benefits of Earth Alignment

Acknowledging the passing of the seasons has always been a practice deeply ingrained in the collective psyche of our species. From an outsider’s point of view, it might appear to simply be appreciation for a bountiful harvest or joy that the winter is finally becoming spring. These ideas, while somewhat accurate, don’t really do justice to what is going on.

Energy flow is an important aspect of life for anyone who begins to meditate and grasp the “pulse” of what is happening around us. It’s called many things in various cultures, such as “the way,” or “Tao,” following the path, following the cycle, and more. What this refers to in part is “reading” the nature, or energy, of things around you and reacting in accordance with what is natural. This also includes the forces of the Earth and adapting naturally with these forces as the seasons change.

Everything is a series of energy-driven possibilities “collapsing” into physical reality based on the events or energy that came before them. This continual flow of natural energies is “the way,” and those who ignore it or fight it find themselves at odds with reality. If you know anyone who always seems to be down on their luck, given to multiple vices, lies habitually (creates narratives), seems obsessed with “low rung” phenomena, or just in general seems lost, confused, angry, morally apathetic, or violent, it is more than likely that they are not aligned with this flow of energy, and are actively fighting against it.

As spiritual adepts have known for centuries, aligning with the Earth puts everything into place. The fog of unsurety and apathy that seems to coat the world is lifted and everything seems more mystical, bright, glowing, and full of possibility.

Many ancient cultural and tribal practices evolved primarily to aid in the alignment of our energies with that of the Earth in order to maintain the mental and emotional health of the group, free them of base egoic vices, and help them cultivate intuition and other primal senses.

These practices continue today in many spiritual traditions, albeit in watered down forms at times. The true nature of Earth-based religious practices and observing the Wheel of the Year has been buried under years of pop culture, empty tradition, artificial “holiday” customs, and lack of astrological and astronomical knowledge in the general public.

Observing the Wheel of the Year, meditating on its meaning, and allowing yourself to be guided by its ebbs and flows puts you “in tune” with the vibration, or frequency, of the planet, thereby opening a channel to abundance and contentment. When not aligned, it is much more difficult to “direct” your energy, manifest change, meditate with a clear mind, and feel at peace. Of course, this is the state so many find themselves in, because Earth Alignment is not something taught in religion or schools. It’s hardly even spoken of in more spiritual circles.

It is a game changer however, once your eyes are opened to the simple fact that form follows thought and this process works by way of that which we call “flow.” This flow can be hindered or amplified, opened or blocked, depending on how aligned you are with the primary channels of this energy. Of course, that would be the natural flow of the Earth itself.

Our ancestors made stories and myths, teaching tales about natural phenomena and what happens on the Wheel of the Year both physically and subatomically (spiritually). As we head toward Mabon, the Fall Equinox, we enter the time of the year of harvests, thankfulness, and winding down. It is a time of reflection, slowing, retracting, wisdom, learning, and absorption.

Let’s take a look at the equinox and what is really going on behind the scenes.

Mabon: The Feast of Avalon

The Fall Equinox marks one of the important days on the Wheel of the Year.

It is what is known as a “natural holiday,” as opposed to artificial ones marking arbitrary societal events, such as Independence days, Thanksgiving, and the like. The latter have important cultural significance for certain groups of people, but are completely irrelevant to billions of others, and are not related to any kind of dramatic energy phenomena on the planet.

Natural holidays have deep significance and affect everything on the planet. This is because they actually represent and stand for something on a subatomic, atomic, electromagnetic, lunar, solar, mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual level. They can be likened to a point in the Earth’s “flow” of energy that changes or shifts in a distinct way.

In the case of Mabon, or the Fall Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere (which usually falls between the 20th and 23rd of September), this marks the period of time when the day and night are at equal length, and from here on out, nights will be longer. It marks the symbolic “weakening” of the sun, or victory of the night over the sun.

It also marks the success of the harvest, the winding down of the summer energies, the reaping of one’s work through the year, seeking and building of shelter for hibernation, energies of nurturing and learning.

The Fall Equinox was celebrated all over the planet by our ancestors in similar fashion. This naturalistic alignment seeks to ground oneself in the flow of Earth’s cycle and open oneself up to the intuition and bounty that comes with it.

It has traditionally always been a time of great thanks as well. The Mabon harvest festivals celebrate the bounty of the summer’s work, balance, the Earth’s (the Mother’s) blessings, relaxation, and familial bonds.

It was known in the Celtic world as the Feast of Avalon, which holds several symbolic meanings, and some literal ones as well, for “Avalon” referencing apples of course. Mabon could quite literally be considered the apple feast, for this is the time of the year when the apple harvests are most utilized.

This partaking of the Earth’s natural ebbs and flows might seem unnecessary or even trite from the outside, but it is something our inner-selves crave deeply. We long to be connected to the Earth. Our natural state is one of intuition, primal senses, contentment and abundance. Not confusion, apathy, feeling lost, having to rely on second-hand and third-hand opinions for knowledge. We desire the openness, truthfulness, and abundance that the natural world has to offer.

Following the Wheel of the Year

So you now know there’s more to the Fall Equinox than the start of the school year and cooler weather. But how do you make the decision to start aligning with the Earth and walking the paths of our ancestors?

It’s as easy as starting with an affirmation. Make the choice inside your head to give up trying to control, contort, manipulate, and fight against the natural flows of energy in life. Take a deep breath and consciously decide to flow with the planet’s cycles.

This is important not just for going with the flow of life, but living a more content, holistic life overall. An unimaginable amount of drama and stress is added to one’s life when you are constantly pitting yourself against the natural flows of energy.

You may not even  know you are doing this consciously. Here are some of the tell-tale signs you are “trying to move against the tide”:

• Constantly disgruntled
• Seems like no one “listens to you” or “meets your expectations”
• General “bad luck”
• Constantly inconveniencing others as you go about your day (even if you think your actions are non-invasive)
• Routinely experience short bursts of anger during any given day
• Inflexible, change scares you, never able to adapt
• Judgmental, always comparing yourself to other people, concepts, or things
• Feeling empty, lost, like “no one understands you” or life is passing you by
• Unbalanced, out of sorts, confused, lacking focus or the ability to manifest what you want or need
• No intuition, never able to predict or plan the flow of a day, “life throwing you curve balls,” lack of empathy

There are certainly other indicators, but these are the big ones.

A person who isn’t “in tune” with the planet almost always displays the same behavior patterns. The world is against them, they are arrogantly wrong all of the time, fret about even the smallest of perceived problems, never seem content or at peace, seem to go out of their way to bother or nag other people in order to suit their agenda, see every task of an ordinary day as a struggle, fight with everyone and themselves to accomplish even the smallest of things, generally discontent or even malcontent, and are quick to anger.

The key is first admitting that you are fighting against the tide. Give it up. It’s one of the biggest steps you can take to have a happier, more fulfilling life. You’d be amazed at what you can do when you’re not weighed down by the manufactured problems that come about by fighting against the tides of life.

Once you acknowledge that you want to be aligned, living in the moment is the next step. Meditate, take things slowly, become more minimalist by tossing junk you no longer need, eat healthier, start a morning workout routine. Learn to appreciate what comes into your life, and read the patterns of things. Pay close attention to the changes in trees near your house, the sounds animals make, weather patterns. These things are not necessarily important in and of themselves, but they can be used as a tool to help you focus on the now.

Part of the reason why we become disjointed from the flow of the planet is because we are too caught up in our own heads, letting the ego call the shots. Quiet the mind and rely on the senses. Observe quietly, let things be, don’t try to make something out of nothing or fight with life or the people around you. Take the time to “stop and smell the roses.” Being in the present is directly related to your capacity for happiness and contentment.

The more “present” you are, the more balanced you will be. This is because you are not dwelling on the past and future, or creating negative energy states that have nothing to do with reality.

How many times have you made yourself depressed thinking about the past? How many times have you given yourself anxiety by worrying about the future? Give up those habits and focus on the now.

Your energy and mindset will be much closer to the vibration of the planet and therefore, you will think more clearly and be more open to what the planet has to offer you. This is quite literally the case: make no mistake, the more open and clear your energy is, the better you will be at manifesting abundance.

You can improve your natural ability to be in the present with meditation. It is also no coincidence that those who are attuned to the Earth and follow the Wheel of the Year are much more likely to meditate. The two practices go hand-in-hand.

Mabon isn’t the only special day of the year that marks the turning of the wheel. Once you learn to flow with the Earth’s energies, you will discover the other important holidays that are a cause for reflection, indulgence, and celebration.

Your eyes will be opened to a new world once you stop burning all your energy trying to fight against the flow and instead learn to ride the waves. Might be one of the biggest tips I could give to anyone looking to better their life and gain a newfound appreciation for the world around them.