‘Autumn Equinox at Casa ITZATNA’

Name: ‘Autumn Equinox at Casa ITZATNA’
Start: 2024-09-21T16:00:00+01:00
End: 2024-09-21T20:00:00+01:00
Location: 11 Oakland Road,Birmingham,B13 9DN,GB

Schedule

Sat Sep 21 2024 at 04:00 pm to 08:00 pm

UTC+01:00

Location

11 Oakland Road,Birmingham,B13 9DN,GB | Birmingham, EN

Join ITZATNA Arts for a communal celebration of the Autumn Equinox in our flourishing garden in Moseley, Birmingham.
Join ITZATNA Arts for a communal celebration of the Autumn Equinox, as we reap and sow our bountiful garden in Moseley, Birmingham.
Together we will cross-pollinate our shared and respected traditions of the Pagan Wiccan ‘ Mabon’ , the Mexican ‘Día Nacional del Maíz’ , and the Medieval English ‘Harvest-Home’ :
‘MABON’:
The name “Mabon” was introduced to the Wheel of the Year in the 1970s by Aidan Kelly, co-founder of the New Reformed Orthodox Order of the Golden Dawn, as part of a systematic approach to revive and balance the modern Pagan Wheel of the Year. This sabbat is celebrated with gatherings, feasts, and rituals that express gratitude for the earth’s plentiful harvest. It is a time to honour the efforts that have led to fruitful yields and to acknowledge the shifting balance towards the darker, cooler days ahead. Families and communities come together to share food and drink, celebrating the abundance provided by the earth and the labor of those who cultivate it. To celebrate Mabon, pagans pick apples, a common symbol of the second harvest. They may use the apples in a harvest ritual that thanks the gods for the bountiful harvest. Others might perform a ritual to restore balance and harmony to their lives, as this holiday celebrates a day with equal day and night.
‘DIA DEL MAIZ’:
In Mexico, the Senate of the Republic approved a ruling to declare September 29th of each year as ‘Día Nacional del Maíz’, National Corn Day, the commemoration is important because this plant represents the pillar of the Mexican diet and a cultural manifestation of ancestral origin. According to the tradition of the indigenous peoples of Mexico, human beings were created from corn, hence the reason that just as there are a variety of corn (red, blue, yellow, white), there are also a diversity of colours in the ethnic groups of the planet.
“The homeland is made of corn.
His breath comes from afar,
since Ixmucané – goddess passed away –
He ground the vital grain and shaped the
men (…)
That's why in the blood
of the people of today
corn turns into a flame.”
Otto-Raul Gonzalez,
(Guatemalan-Mexican poet and social activist)
‘HARVEST-HOME’
Harvest Home is a traditional English harvest festival, celebrated from antiquity and surviving to modern times in isolated regions. Participants celebrate the last day of harvest in late September by singing, shouting, and decorating the village with corn boughs. The ‘cailleac’, or last sheaf of corn (grain), which represents the spirit of the field, is made into a harvest doll and drenched with water as a rain charm. This sheaf is saved until spring planting.
Autumn Equinox activities will include:
� Feasting
� Bonfire Leaping
� Corn Doll Crafting
� Poetry Reading
� Music Merrymaking
� Apple Tree Blessing
�’Ofrenda’ Altar Laying
16:00 - 18:00 → £20** Mexican Harvest Feast
LIMITED SPACE (Pre-booking Essential)
Come hungry for a delicious homemade dinner cooked by our resident Mexican chef, Alfredo Hau.
**Pay What You Can donation price is also available - please get in touch to discuss: Email us on contact[at]itzatna[dot]org or message our socials @itzatna.arts
18:00 - 20:00 → FREE Open Garden & Raffle Bar (Drop-In Anytime)
All proceeds from the raffle will help support ITZATNA projects including the garden. Stay for a relaxed evening of Autumn Equinox inspired activities and festivities. Bring cash for the Raffle Bar!
**𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨!**
Can you spare some hours to help us create and set up the event? We’re looking for a few lovely volunteers who might be able to spare some time and energy between 10:00 to 16:00 to help clear, clean, and decorate the garden. In return, we will feed you and pay for your travel expenses. If you can help us, even for a couple of hours, please email us on contact[at]itzatna[dot]org or message us via our socials.