Cuivanya 3340

Today is Cuivanya! Also known as the Feast of Divine Life, we remember our Mother in her most unknowable form as sustainer of all life.

Second of the Mysteries of Life festivals, the Mother festivals in the ritual year which focus on rebirth, this is yet another festival reminding us of life after death, of light beyond dark. There are many, many symbols for this holiday, but the primary two are the sickle and the apple. Though the apple has a mundane reason as it is in season during this festival, it also has another dimension. As written on the Mother God website "[e]very apple represents the golden apples of Avala", "the western paradise" that is for many Filyanis heaven (for those who believe in reincarnation, this is a 'first stop'). These are apples that give the gift of Eternal Life to those who eat them.

The chapter of our Scriptures known as Thoughts of the Mind or Teachings of the Daughter is a common chapter for reflection during this festival, especially those verses we've been seeing for the past week here on this page. We bring what seasonal foods we have and celebrate the turning of the year as the weather changes and we head more and more toward winter, and remember our Mother as the center and the ground of all being.

I hope everyone has a good holiday!

Further reading:
Cuivanya: http://www.mother-god.com/autumnal-equinox.html
Avala: http://www.mother-god.com/sacred-mountain.html
Mother & Daughter halves of the year: http://www.mother-god.com/wheel-of-the-year.html

The 4th edition of the Eastminster Critical Edition of our Scriptures has sections on all our festivals at the end of the volume (see pgs 263-266 for Cuivanya).