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Welcome to Autumn in Avalon’s Garden ,
So Glad you decided to stop by for a visit ~
Come and take a look around ~
In the Front Garden;
Run mouse for Captions ~
Autumn is known for its Beautiful Sunsets ~
I hope you enjoyed the Autumn Magick and will stop back to see more,
Autumn is a most interesting time of year 
Autumnal Blessings ~
Angel
The Guardians of the Fields ~
In the fields of ancient Greece, wooden statues were placed in the fields, carved to represent Priapus. Although he was the son of Aphrodite, Priapus was also hideously ugly, and his most prominent feature was his constant (and huge) erection. Birds tended to avoid fields where Priapus resided, so as Greek influence spread into Roman territory, Roman farmers soon adopted the practice.
Pre-feudal Japan used different kinds of scarecrows in their rice fields, but the most popular one was the kakashi. Old dirty rags and noisemakers like bells and sticks were mounted on a pole in the field and then lit on fire. The flames (and presumably, the smell) kept birds and other animals away from the rice fields. The word kakashi meant "something stinky." Eventually, Japanese farmers began making scarecrows that looked like people in raincoats and hats. Sometimes they were equipped with weaponry to make them look even more frightening.
(Note: There is one school of thought that states that rotten meat was hung on these as well; however, with crows and other such carrion eaters, it seems more logical that they would come TO the scarecrows, rather than staying away. )
During the Middle Ages in Britain and Europe, small children worked as crow-scarers. Their job was to run around in the fields, clapping blocks of wood together, to frighten away birds that might eat the grain. As the medieval period wound down and populations decreased due to plague, farmers discovered there was a shortage of spare children to scamper around shooing birds away. Instead, they stuffed old clothes with straw, placed a turnip or gourd up on top, and mounted the figure in the fields. They soon found that these lifelike guardians did a pretty good job of keeping crows away.
Scarecrows are also found in Native American cultures. In some parts of what is now Virginia and the Carolinas, before the white man arrived, adult men sat on raised platforms and shouted at birds or ground animals that came near the props. Some native tribes discovered that soaking corn seeds in a poisonous herb mixture deterred birds as well, although one has to wonder how the corn would taste to people. In the Southwest, some Native American children had contests to see who could make the most frightening scarecrow, and the Zuni tribe used lines of cedar poles strung with cords and animal skins to keep the birds away.
Scarecrows also came to North America as waves of emigrants left Europe. German settlers in Pennsylvania brought with them the bootzamon, or bogeyman, which stood guard over the fields. Sometimes a female counterpart was added to the opposite end of the field or orchard.
During the heyday of America's agricultural period, scarecrows became popular, but following World War II, farmers realized they could accomplish a lot more by spraying their crops with pesticides like DDT. This went on until the 1960s, when it was discovered that pesticides are actually bad for you. Nowadays, although you don't see a lot of scarecrows guarding fields, they're extremely popular as a fall decoration.
In more rural countries, scarecrows are still in use.
Come on ,,,,, time to have some Fun, get those Scarecrows out and start decorating …..
Autumnal Blessings ~
Angel
According to Greek mythology, the earth once enjoyed an unending season of temperate weather, perfect for the growth of all plant life. Because trees were always green and flowers always bloomed, the world was filled with life and beauty. Human beings lived amidst plenty, for crops always grew in abundance, and the gods were pleased to have so many worshipers.
The goddess responsible for the earth's bounty was Demeter, the goddess of the grain and the harvest.
Her sweet and lovely daughter Persephone, the Maiden of Spring, gladdened Demeter's heart, and Demeter's love and happiness kept the earth in bloom.
Demeter and Persephone were seldom far from each other, but occasionally Persephone would wander out of her mother's sight while picking flowers.
One day as Hades, lord of the Underworld, watched the lovely maiden collecting blossoms, Eros, the mischievous god of love, shot an arrow from his bow straight into Hades' heart.
Hades immediately fell in love with Persephone and determined that she must marry him and become queen of the Underworld. As the maiden bent to gather more flowers, the ground beside her opened wide. Out from the gaping hole in the ground came Hades, in a chariot drawn by a team of mighty black horses.
Hades seized the terrified girl and dragged her into his chariot. Then he turned his horses' heads and raced back down into the shadows with his prize.
Persephone cried out to her mother, but it was too late. The earth closed above her, shutting out the sunlight and the beautiful meadow. At the end of the dark journey, Persephone found herself in the kingdom of the dead, where Hades ruled, and where he intended that she should rule beside him.
Meanwhile Demeter, having heard her daughter's cry, rushed to find her, but Persephone had disappeared.
Overcome by grief, Demeter searched for her daughter. Finally she asked Apollo, the sun-god, who could have taken Persephone away from her. Apollo replied that Persephone now ruled over the kingdom of the dead with Hades, who had taken her for his bride. The thought of her precious, lively daughter trapped in the shadowy wasteland of Hades broke Demeter's heart.
She left her home on Mt. Olympus and wandered the earth dressed as an old woman. No one recognized her in her mourning.
For an entire year Demeter refused to allow the earth to bloom.
She did not bless the crops or look with favor on the harvest. Every growing thing withered and died; the once green earth turned brown and barren. All over the world people starved.
Concerned that the mortals would all die out, leaving no one to worship them, the other gods begged Zeus to talk to Demeter and recall her to her duties. But his efforts were unavailing. Until her daughter was returned to her, she vowed, the earth would never bloom.
Finally Zeus sent Hermes, the messenger god, to demand that Hades return Persephone to her mother.
But through much cajoling during the past year, Hades had managed to persuade the miserable girl to eat a seed from a pomegranate--the food of the dead.
He obeyed Zeus's order and allowed Hermes to take Persephone away, but he knew his bride would have to return to him, for anyone who has tasted even the smallest morsel of the food of the dead while in the underworld is doomed to return there.
When Persephone and Demeter were reunited, they wept tears of joy.
Persephone told her mother how Hades had abducted her from the sunny meadow and carried her down into the dark Underworld to make her his queen. She described how she pined for the sight of the sun and the beauty of the earth and the sky. She had been so unhappy, she said, that she ate nothing the entire year, despite Hades constant attempts to get her to eat, until finally, so that he would leave her alone, she had eaten one, just one, pomegranate seed.
Hearing this, Demeter recoiled in horror, for she knew this meant her daughter was lost after all.
But Zeus took pity on the mother and daughter. Since Persephone had eaten only one seed, and had done so unwillingly, he decreed that she would not have to stay in the Underworld for the entire year. Instead, she would stay there for only half of each year, and then in the other half of the year she would be allowed to return to her mother.
Each year, during the months when Persephone returns to her, Demeter makes the earth green and blesses the harvest.
But during the months when Persephone has to stay in the Underworld, Demeter mourns, and in her grief and loneliness she makes the earth turn barren and cold.
Nothing is allowed to grow during these seasons of grief. The world waits with Demeter for Persephone's return each spring, when the earth will turn green and warm once more.
In some interpretations of the story, Persephone is not held in the underworld against her will. Instead, she chooses to stay there for six months each year so that she can bring a little bit of brightness and light to the souls doomed to spend eternity with Hades.
Please note; These are NOT my photos, They were found in Public Domain. All Copyrights belong to their respective Artists~
Autumnal Blessings ~
Angel
