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Mabon
Autumn Equinox, 2nd Harvest, September 22nd
Mabon, (pronounced MAY-bun, MAY-bone, MAH-boon, or MAH-bawn) is the Autumn Equinox. The Autumn Equinox divides the day and night equally, and we all take a moment to pay our respects to the impending dark. We also give thanks to the waning sunlight, as we store our harvest of this year's crops. The Druids call this celebration, Mea'n Fo'mhair, and honor the The Green Man, the God of the Forest, by offering libations to trees. Offerings of ciders, wines, herbs and fertilizer are appropriate at this time. Wiccans celebrate the aging Goddess as she passes from Mother to Crone, and her consort the God as he prepares for death and re-birth.
Various other names for this Lesser Wiccan Sabbat are The Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest, Feast of Avalon, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), Alben Elfed (Caledonii), or Cornucopia. The Teutonic name, Winter Finding, spans a period of time from the Sabbat to Oct. 15th, Winter's Night, which is the Norse New Year.
At this festival it is appropriate to wear all of your finery and dine and celebrate in a lavish setting. It is the drawing to and of family as we prepare for the winding down of the year at Samhain. It is a time to finish old business as we ready for a period of rest, relaxation, and reflection.
Symbolism of Mabon:
Second Harvest, the Mysteries, Equality and Balance.
Symbols of Mabon:
wine, gourds, pine cones, acorns, grains, corn, apples, pomegranates, vines such as ivy, dried seeds, and horns of plenty.
Herbs of Mabon:
Acorn, benzoin, ferns, grains, honeysuckle, marigold, milkweed, myrrh, passionflower, rose, sage, solomon's seal, tobacco, thistle, and vegetables.
Foods of Mabon:
Breads, nuts, apples, pomegranates, and vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and onions.
Incense of Mabon:
Autumn Blend-benzoin, myrrh, and sage.
Colors of Mabon:
Red, orange, russet, maroon, brown, and gold.
Stones of Mabon:
Sapphire, lapis lazuli, and yellow agates.
Activities of Mabon:
Making wine, gathering dried herbs, plants, seeds and seed pods, walking in the woods, scattering offerings in harvested fields, offering libations to trees, adorning burial sites with leaves, acorns, and pine cones to honor those who have passed over.
Spellworkings of Mabon:
Protection, prosperity, security, and self-confidence. Also those of harmony and balance.
Deities of Mabon:
Goddesses-Modron, Morgan, Epona, Persephone, Pamona and the Muses. Gods-Mabon, Thoth, Thor, Hermes, and The Green Man.
Mabon is considered a time of the Mysteries. It is a time to honor Aging Deities and the Spirit World. Considered a time of balance, it is when we stop and relax and enjoy the fruits of our personal harvests, whether they be from toiling in our gardens, working at our jobs, raising our families, or just coping with the hussle-bussle of everyday life. May your Mabon be memorable, and your hearts and spirits be filled to overflowing!
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| Autumn Equinox, 2nd Harvest, September 21st or 22nd Mabon, (pronounced MAY-bun, MAY-bone, MAH-boon, or MAH-bawn) is the AutumnEquinox. The Autumn Equinox divides the day and night equally, and we all take a moment to pay our respects to the impending dark. We also give thanks to the waning sunlight, as we store our harvest of this year's crops. The Druids call this celebration, Mea'n Fo'mhair, and honor the The Green Man,
the God of the Forest, by offering libations to trees. Offerings of ciders, wines, herbs and fertilizer are appropriate at this time. Wiccans celebrate the aging Goddess as she passes from Mother to Crone, and her consort the God as he prepares for death and re-birth.
Various other names for this Lesser Wiccan Sabbat are The Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest, Feast of Avalon, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), Alben Elfed (Caledonii), or Cornucopia. The Teutonic name, Winter Finding, spans a period of time from the Sabbat to Oct. 15th, Winter's Night, which is the Norse New Year.
At this festival it is appropriate to wear all of your finery and dine and celebrate in a lavish setting. It is the drawing to and of family as we prepare for the winding down of the year at Samhain. It is a time to finish old business as we ready for a period of rest, relaxation, and reflection.
Symbolism of Mabon:
Second Harvest, the Mysteries, Equality and Balance. Symbols of Mabon:
wine, gourds, pine cones, acorns, grains, corn, apples, pomegranates, vines
such as ivy, dried seeds, and horns of plenty. Herbs of Mabon:
Acorn, benzoin, ferns, grains, honeysuckle, marigold, milkweed, myrrh, passionflower, rose, sage, solomon's seal, tobacco, thistle, and vegetables. Foods of Mabon:
Breads, nuts, apples, pomegranates, and vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and onions. Incense of Mabon:
Autumn Blend-benzoin, myrrh, and sage. Colors of Mabon:
Red, orange, russet, maroon, brown, and gold. Stones of Mabon:
Sapphire, lapis lazuli, and yellow agates. Activities of Mabon:
Making wine, gathering dried herbs, plants, seeds and seed pods, walking inthe woods, scattering offerings in harvested fields, offering libations to trees, adorning burial sites with leaves, acorns, and pine cones to honor those who have passed over.
Spellworkings of Mabon:
Protection, prosperity, security, and self-confidence. Also those of harmony and balance.
Deities of Mabon:
Goddesses- Modron, Morgan, Epona, Persephone, Pamona and the Muses.
Gods-
Mabon, Thoth, Thor, Hermes, and The Green Man. Mabon is considered a time of the Mysteries. It is a time to honor Aging Deities and the Spirit World. Considered a time of balance, it is when we stop and relax and enjoy the fruits of our personal harvests, whether they be from toiling in our gardens, working at our jobs, raising our families, or just coping with the hussle-bussle of everyday life. May your Mabon be memorable, and your hearts and spirits be filled to overflowing! We are approaching Mabon, and I believe this is an eventful time to observe the turning of the wheel toward the time of darkness. Below are some things to consider at this time if you are at a loss for what to do. "Autumn is also our inward deepening time. Just as a bulb needs the winter dark and cold to grow in the springtime, so do we need the quiet and reflective time to look at ourselves. Take a bulb and plant it. Let it remind you of the growth you can gain during the winter months.Enjoy the riches of the harvest. Rejoice in the last warmth of summer. Welcome the first hint of winter in the air. This is a night of balance...And the balance is this...........The grain of
autumn shall be the seed of spring." Altar: Dress with Reds, golds, browns, hunter green. Autumn leaves, pumpkins, squash, corn, wheat....let the altar reflect the abundance of the harvest. Place fruits and vegetables in a bowl or basket. Also decorate the quarters with the harvest fruits. Scales will also be on the Altar to signify balance. Incense: Put corn, wheat and/or oats into a heavy floral base. The mood is the last blast of summer and the fullest time of the harvest. Oil: Rosemary/Hyacinth/Bergamot/Patchouli--a heavy, heady floral
Some ideas for a fun Mabon activity:
Arrange baskets of fresh fruit for friends or family
Fill a bowl with fruits and leave it as an offering to the gods
Fill a basket with pine cones, colorful dried leaves, wheat, acorns, and fallen pine branches and leave it by your altar or door
Cook up a Mabon soup with carrots, onions, potatoes, radishes, and/orcorn.
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Mabon Associations
a.k.a. Autumn Equinox
-0º Leo or circa September 21st
(This year - Monday, September 22nd)
Grape harvest and wine making take place at this time of year, and therefore, many Italian practitioners of the "old religion" see it as a time dedicated to Bacchus.
Colors: purples, wines and greens (basically, grape colors)
Candles: Goddess-green, for the fertile earth God-purple, for Bacchus
Altar Cloth: generally, purple, but if you feel creative, hit your nearest fabric shop. You will be surprised at the various grape/harvest-patterned fabrics available, especially in the shops that cater to the "arts and crafts" crowd. I would still use a smaller purple "table topper" (Martha Stewart style thing�?)--A busy pattern makes it hard to "find stuff" on a candle lit altar.
Herbs: Grapes, of course, are sacred to Bacchus, but so are ivy, fig, orchid, balsam fir, and beech. Walnut, pine, apple, fennel are associated with His Greek counterpart, Dionysus. For incense, you may want to create a blend that is somewhat "fruity", or use autumn like scents such as cypress, juniper berries, apple, and pine.
Stones: Amethyst—legend tells us that one day, in anger, Bacchus declared that the first mortal to cross His path would be devoured by tigers. On her way to visit the shrine of the Goddess Diana, the maiden Amethyst did just that. Diana however, rescued her from such a fate by turning the young woman into a stone. Bacchus, upon seeing what had occurred, was penitent, and poured out wine upon the stone as an offering of atonement, turning it a lovely purple. The stone was also believed to guard against drunkenness, as the Greek word amethusto meant "not drunk".
Foods: Obviously, anything with grapes or raisins—like date-nut bread with raisins. Other harvest fare may be appropriate, and might depend upon the area in which you live.
Ritual Drink: wine, grape juice
Music: "Carry On, Wayward Son" by Kansas, "Red, Red
Wine" by Neil Diamond or UB40, "All Good Gifts" from the Godspell soundtrack, "Turn, Turn, Turn" by the Byrds, "Spill the Wine"
Other Ideas: Use a piece of grapevine for an asperger when cleansing the circle. Line your circle with grapevines. Be sure grapes adorn the altar and are floating in the ritual cup.
(Source: various sites all over the net) |
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