Harvesting The Golden Fruit

Every year at the time of the Autumn equinox people garnish their homes and altars with the best fruits of the harvest. In many countries it has become a habit to carve a face in a reddish-golden pumpkin and set it on the doorstep. Lit by a candle from the inside it has become a symbol for the Thanksgiving season and a token that we can trust in the merciful and bountiful nature of the Universe.

There is another tradition, called Samhain or "All Hallows Eve", in which an effigy, representing our "old self", is placed on a bon-fire (good fire) so that it may be consumed by the flames and thereby release its light.

This act manifests a process of transformation and resurrection to bless the community and the land. Contemplating the effigy's gradual changes and how it is consumed by the bonfire calls our attention to those things in our own lives which need purification. What is it that we don't want to see in ourselves, lest we project it on to others? What are the negative feelings, (like criticism, envy, fear, jealousy, pride or resentment) we still harbour, although we know that they stand in the way of our soul's development? It might surprise us much later to find out that these stumbling blocks have actually turned into stepping stones on the path of the mastery of the "Wheel of Life".

The Sun's annual cycle through each of the twelve zodiacal signs mirrors our own soul's journey on its evolutionary path. The astrological constellations represent twelve phases of the Universal Life energy. Each of them has its own particular effect on us and provides us with a challenge necessary to "straighten out" our character and prepare us for higher development.

The Greek myth of Hercules comes to mind. Twelve labours were given him by Eurystheus as a means of redemption from his sins before he could regain his status as Sun-Hero and immortal being. His eleventh task was to gather the "golden apples" from the Garden of the Hesperides. This was a realm of the power of the goddess and related particularly to Athena, the virgin-goddess of wisdom. After a long and perilious search Hercules finally succeeded in finding the garden. Using all his powers and wits he retrieved the golden apples. He took them to Eurystheus who granted him mercy and told him to keep the golden apples as a gift. However, Hercules decided not to keep the apples for himself but instead offered them to the goddess Athena. Finally, Athena carried them back to the Garden of the Hesperides where they originated.

What are these "golden apples" from the Garden of the Goddesses? It is said that the word 'Hesperides' means "in the far West". Here we have a garden with golden apples and the feminine principle in the West. On the other side we might remember the biblical garden that was planted by God himself in the Eastern side of Eden. One interpretation of that story tells that the eating of the apple from the "Tree of Good and Evil" brought about the fall into a lower plane of consciousness and the exit from Eden.

Obtaining the golden apples from the Garden of the Goddesses points to another tree, the Tree of Life, which is a symbol of Eternal Life. To lay hold of the fruit of this tree is the master-key on the path of return for the hero in the myth. It unlocks the door to higher understanding of the principles of the spiritual world and prepares the way for re-integration with the Divine Source. This return journey of the hero, of Hercules, is also our own soul's journey on which each one of us will one day embark in the search and harvest of the "golden fruit".

A great stumbling-block on everyone's spiritual path is the seedling of guilt and sin, which has taken root in the Western collective consciousness due to a mis-interpretation of the biblical story of the Fall. As these feelings are unconscious they are very difficult to access and release.

What all wisdom teachings reveal, and what is at the heart of all religions, is that the Truth of forgiveness, compassion and loving-kindness is the fulcrum upon which the entire Universe is balanced. Wherever mercy is practised, the beauty, the harmony, and the wisdom of the Universe shine forth.

As a little gift for you to remember this moment I would like to share with you a story from the Jewish wisdom teachings. It says in this story that in the service of God there are accusing and defending angels. If the defending angels did not do their job well, the world would not continue. Therefore God gives the defending angels a task to prepare them and deepen their understanding. God said: "Go find the most excellent quality of human experience, and return to tell me what it is".

The angel sent on the task searched and searched and came back with two examples of human goodness and bravery: willingness to sacrifice one's life for another; and the pain of a woman giving birth, i.e. bringing life into the world.

But God answered the angel: "These are indeed examples of excellent human behaviour, but neither is the most excellent one. Try one more time."

So the angel again returned to the world and searched very carefully; being an angel, it could view thousands of events at the same time. Suddenly something caught its attention — a man running through a wooded area, clearly in a violent mood. The angel quickly reviewed this man's life and found that he had just been released from jail, having served many years for another man's crime. Now, furious, he was out for revenge. The angel followed him through the woods and saw him approach a cabin in which lived the guilty one who should have served the prison term.

When the running man came close to the house, he saw a light shining through the window. Standing at the window, still bent on revenge, he looked inside and saw his intended victim. The man and his bride of one year had just returned from the hospital with their new daughter. They were as happy as people can be. As the angry man watched, his heart slowly broke into pieces. He began to weep, and turned away into the woods, never to return.

May we all be encouraged and inspired by this story. May we live the seasons of our lives confident in the promise that each one of us will participate in the harvest of the golden fruit of wisdom. Once we have found this wisdom we shall know what to do: we must offer it in service to the world and give it back to the source from whence it came.

Non nobis, non nobis, sed Nomine Tuo da gloriam — Not for us, Lord, not for us, but to Thy name be the glory. (Psalm 115, verse 1)