The Month of September The month of September is named so because it was the seventh month on the old Roman calendar.  It is ruled by the Goddess, Pomona, the patroness of fruit and fruit-bearing trees.  In Irish, this month is Mean Fomhair; in Anglo-Saxon, it is Haligmonath.  These names signify sacred festivals. To the Franks, it was Witumanoth, or Wood Month, because it was time to start gathering wood for the forthcoming Winter.   This is also the Celtic tree-calendar month of Muin, which runs from 2 September to 29 September.  It is the vine month, sacred to the God Lugh. Lugh is representative of light, intellect and spiritual illumination.  The ivy month (Gort), sacred to the Goddess, Brighid begins on 30 September. On the Goddess calendar, it is the month of Hesperis.   For Native Americans, September is the month to harvest gourds and squash. Many gourds dry nicely and do not rot inside, thus they make excellent shakers for shamanistic rituals. Dipper gourds can be dried and used for serving magickal brews.  Notably, this is a time to gather seeds from these fruits to plant next year.  As you gather the seeds, repeat the words: "From this life, life to come."  The stone for September is the sapphire. A maiden born when rustling leaves Are blowing in the September breeze, A sapphire on her brow should bind, 'Twill cure diseases of the mind. Poem: Another September —by Thomas Kinsella 9 September — On this day, Asclepigenia, a priestess of the Greek Eleusinian Mysteries is celebrated. On this day, many Pagans also hold a traditional horn dance (participants wear horns whilst dancing).  This is representative of the Horned One, Cernunnos.   13 September — Lectisternia, a Roman festival held in honour of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. 13 September also marks the Runic half-month of Ken. The rune Ken represents the flaming torch within the royal hall, the time of the creative fire — the forge where natural materials are transmuted by the actions of the human will into a mystical third, an artefact that could not otherwise come into being. The positive aspects of sexuality immanent in the goddess Freya and the god Frey come in to play at this time. 14 September — Feast of Lights. This is an ancient Egyptian ceremony that involves offerings of lights burning all night before images of the gods and the tombs of the dead. 15 September — Harvest Moon.  Traditionally, the Harvest Moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the Autumnal (fall) Equinox (Mabon, Sept. 25).  Although the Harvest Moon usually occurs in September, every three or four years it occurs in early October.  Notably, the Harvest Moon occurs at what is usually considered the peak of the harvest. 29 September — This is the day to honour the Celtic Gwynn ap Nudd, Lord of the Underworld and the Faerie Kingdom.  An interesting ritual on this day was practiced in Norwich, Norfolk, England until around 1939: Biscuits made in the form of a man riding a goose, called Taffy on the Goose, were sold on this day. This is also the celebratory day of the Norse Heimdal, who was the Watcher of the Gods.  This day was later chosen by Christianity as St. Michael's Day, or Michaelmas. Michael was the chief of the angels.  The day is considered a "weather marker."   "Harvest comes as long before Michaelmas as dog roses bloom before Midsummer." 30 September — Offerings of fruit are made on this day to Medetrina. She is the Roman Goddess of Medicine. Sources: Capanelli, P. Wheel of the Year: Living the Magical Life. Llwellyn Publications: 1989. Pennick, N. The Pagan Book of Days. Destiny Books: 2001. Personal knowledge/traditions. Photo from Harvest Moon, Wikipedia.com Page last updated 5 Oct  2008 Ireland's OWN Logo & Background by Míchealín Daugherty Copyright © 2008 Ireland's OWN. All Rights Reserved.