Mark Green's Atheopaganism Blog

So it’s Harvestide, the season of the autumnal equinox. The time of gathering in, looking back over the year, celebrating what has come.

It’s been a remarkable year for me, after a couple of very, very lean ones. This year, I took over as Interim Executive Director at my job at the new year; my third book, Round We Dance: Creating Meaning through Seasonal Rituals was released in April.

In June I was tapped for the permanent ED position, so now I lead a dynamic, effective conservation organization working to protect natural areas and advance through partnerships the traditional land stewardship practices of indigenous Tribes.

It’s an absolute dream job for me.

Over August 30 through September 2, I had the deep pleasure of spending a long weekend in company with members of this remarkable community at a beautiful forest retreat center in Colorado. Suntree Retreat 2024 was everything I could have hoped for. Every two years is too long!

And there have been gatherings with friends, delicious meals, beautiful sunsets, sunrises and moonrises, skies alive with clouds and stars, trees dancing in wind. All the good things.

I look back at this year, and I feel incredibly grateful. Not that I didn’t do a lot of work to make these things happen—I most certainly did!—but they worked out. They happened, and there were many other possible outcomes.

So: gratitude.

I include gratitude in nearly every ritual I do. I find that appreciation for all the many good things in life is a way to keep my eyes open for more such pleasures.

And this is the season to really bring it forward. The great Harvest of all we enjoy, all we benefit from, all that gives us pleasure. All that creates happiness.

The dark time is coming. Soon, the season of grief and recognition of the awe-ful truth of mortality.

But now? Now we eat, and drink, and dance.

Happy Harvest, everyone.