The Golden Festival

Today is Chelanya! The Golden Festival is the first of the Mysteries of Life cycle of festivals running through late summer and autumn (the Mother-half of the year).

These celebrations are mirror-images of the Eastre cycle, the Divine Drama which runs for three days: Kala, Hiatus, and Eastre itself. Chelanya is a mirror of the final day -- the resurrection of the Daughter.

As written on the Mother God website:
"The Daughter's death and rebirth is the Archetype of all death and rebirth. So the Golden Festival is the reflection of that highest Archetype in human life and in nature. It is the festival of first fruits – of the corn both as the harvested End and as the corn to be planted in order that the cycle may continue. In the life of maid it is the festival of our constant rebirth on the Wheel of Werde, and also of our spiritual regeneration as children of our Mother, redeemed by the Daughter."

The ECE describes Chelanya (pages 253-255):
"Dea watches over us and preserves us. Her eyes are ever upon us, for if they closed on us for one instant, we would cease to exist. Dea as Giver of resurgent life is celebrated as the Mother of our rebirth, together with Her Daughter as Our Lady of the Dark Gates, the Guardian of all souls in transition from one life to the next."

While the festivals in the Mysteries of Life cycle can be quite intimidating, marking as they do such weighty ideas that deal unflinchingly with death, it is important to remember these do not have to be sombre events. These festivals are highly needed right now, and may help us work through the devastation illness has wrought on our world in the past months -- it certainly wouldn't be amiss to remember our dead and pray for them during this festival cycle -- but we can also celebrate these holidays as simply a chance to let go of our troubles for a moment or two. Celebrate the harvest, our Mother, remember Her love for you, for us all, and be joyous for a time, if that is what you need right now.

Further reading:
Chelanya -- http://www.mother-god.com/golden-festival.html
The Golden Time, a good read for this festival -- http://www.mother-god.com/filianic-scriptures-golden-time...

The ECE refers to the Eastminster Critical Edition of our Scriptures, currently in its fourth edition, available HERE.