Administrator September, 2011

MAY-bon, MAY-bun, MAY-bone, MAH-boon or MAH-bawn, – Lesser Sabbat – Fall/Autumn Equinox, September 21-23

Michaelmas (September 25th, Christian), Second Harvest Festival, Witches’ Thanksgiving, Harvest Home (Anglo-Celtic), Feast of Avalon, Wine Harvest, Festival of Dionysus, Cornucopia, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), Chung Chiu (China), Night of the Hunter, Alban Elfed “The Light of the Water”(Caledonii/ Druidic-celebrates Lord of the Mysteries), Winter Finding (Teutonic, from Equinox ’til Winter Night or Nordic New Year, Oct 15th.)

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!

Purpose:
Second harvest festival, new wine pressing/making preparation for winter and Samhain, rest after labor, Pagan day of Thanksgiving, honoring the spirit world, celebration of wine.

Dynamics/Meaning:
death of the God, assumption of the Crone, balance of light and dark; increase of darkness, grape harvest, completion of the harvest.

Essence:
Beauty, joy; fullness of life, harvest of the year’s desires, strength; laughter; power; prosperity, equality, balance, appreciation, harvest, protection, wealth,
security, self-confidence, reincarnation.

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.

Tools, Symbols & Decorations:
Indian corn, red fruits, autumn flowers, red poppies, hazelnuts, garlands, grains especially wheat stalks, and colorful, fallen leaves, acorns, pine & cypress cones, oak sprigs, pomegranate, statue/or figure to represent the Mother Goddess, mabon wreath, vine, grapes, gourd, cornucopia/horns of plenty, burial cairns, apples, marigolds, harvested crops, burial cairns, rattles, the Mysteries, sun wheel, all harvest symbols.

Herbs & Plants of Maybon:
Acorn, aster, benzoin, cedar, ferns, grains, hazel, honeysuckle, hops, ivy, marigold, milkweed, mums, myrrh, oak leaf, passionflower, pine, rose, sage, solomon’s seal, tobacco, thistle, and vegetables.

Foods of Mabon:
Breads, nuts, apples, pomegranates, cornbread, wheat products, grains, berries, grapes, acorns, seeds, dried fruits, corn, beans, squash, roots (ie onions, carrots, potatoes, etc), hops, sasssafras, roast goose or mutton, wine, ale, & cider.

Incense & Oils of Mabon:
Pine, sweetgrass, apple blossom, benzoin, myrrh, frankincense, jasmine, sage wood aloes, black pepper, patchouly, cinnamon, clove, oak moss, & sage.

Colors/Candles of Mabon:
Red, orange, russet, maroon, brown, gold, deep gold, green, orange, scarlet, all autumn colors, purple, blue, violet, & indigo.

Stones of Mabon:
Sapphire, lapis lazuli, yellow agates, carnelian, yellow topaz, & amethyst.

Customs:
Offerings to land, preparing for cold weather, bringing in harvest, cutting willow wands (Druidic), eating seasonal fruit, leaving apples upon burial cairns & graves as a token of honor, walk wild places & forests, gather seed pods & dried plants, fermenting grapes to make wine,picking ripe produce, stalk bundling; fishing,. on the closest full moon (Harvest Moon) harvesting corps by moonlight.

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 and Rituals of Mabon:
Protection, security, and self-confidence. Also those of harmony and balance. Celtic Festival of the Vine, prosperity rituals, introspection, rituals which enact the elderly aspects of both Goddess & God, past life recall.

Animals/Mythical beings:
Dogs, wolves, stag, blackbird, owl, eagle, birds of prey, salmon & goat, Gnomes, Sphinx, Minotaur, Cyclops, Andamans and Gulons.

Goddesses:
Modron (Welsh), Bona Dea, Land Mother, Aging & Harvest Dieties: the Triple Goddess-Mother aspect, Persephone, Demeter/Ceres, Morgan (Welsh- Cornish), Snake Woman (aboriginal), Epona (Celtic-Gaulish), Pamona (roman), the Muses (greek)

Gods:
Mabon ap Modron (Welsh), Sky Father, The Green Man, Wine Gods, Aging Gods, John Barley Corn , the Wicker-Man, the Corn Man, Thoth (Egyptian), Hermes, Hotei (Japanese), Thor, Dionysus (Roman), Bacchus (Greek) & all wine Deities

Element/Gender:
Water

Threshold:
Evening

Tags: autum, equinox, fall, holiday, mabon, sabbat

• Correspondences

Mina September, 2011

Welcoming Mabon – The Autumn Equinox

Subtle whispers of the approaching season are everywhere: The night air is cooling, plants are producing seed heads, birds are beginning their migration, animals are storing food and building shelters and leaves are beginning to transform from deep green to richer shades of the autumn harvest. With all this splendor, we welcome in Mabon, the Autumn Equinox, on September 23, 2011, also known as The Witches Thanksgiving.

Being the second of three harvest festivals, Mabon is largely centered around celebrating the unending generosity the earth provides along with the bounty with which you have been blessed.  It is for joining with family and friends to share the wealth of fall crops, tales of the past, plans for the coming months and to remember there are those who struggle and to pass along what you can do without.

The other side of this celebration is balance, being that light and dark are equal on this day.  Balance teaches us that where there is life there is also death. Though we are celebrating our bounty, we are aware that the fields are drying out, the soil losing its nutrients and the crops are going dormant. The wheel of the year turns once again through the seasons. With each coming day, as in the ancient Greek myths of Demeter and Persephone, the sun’s strength will diminish as darkness claims its rightful place within the universe. So continues the harmony of the dance of life.

A traditional Autumn Equinox feast would include fall fruits, grains, nut breads, lots of vegetables and wine or apple cider. Apple cider is magical in itself as apple rules the heart and cider is a self-love potion. Add a stick of cinnamon ruled by the sun, and symbolically you are taking in sunlight.

May your Autumn Equinox be filled with an overflowing bounty as you prepare for the coming winter.

Tags: autumn, equinox, fall, holiday, mabon, sabbat

• Articles

Boudicca Andarta September, 2009

Balance Through the Sacred Apple

One of the fruits most associated with the Autumnal Equinox is the apple.  You can use it as an altar decoration or as part of your Sabbat feast.  This versatile yet average-every-day-fruit has some very ancient magickal roots.

The Apple Tree is associated with the goddess, most specifically Ishtar, Aphrodite (Venus), Hera, Athena, Freya, Cerridwen, Pamona and Idunna.  The Greek Pamona and the Norse Idunna are perhaps the best known for their sacred, magickal apples.  Pamona was considered both a Hamadryad (a wood nymph) as well as a goddess while Idunna was a maiden goddess of the earth.  Pamona as the goddess of the apple tree tended a sacred grove of them while Idunna was in charge of the Golden Apples that maintained the immortality of the Norse pantheon.  Due to its magickal correspondences, the apple is also associated with Venus (Aphrodite) as it is a fruit of the element of water and when sliced cross-wise, it reveals to you the pentagram or the Star of Knowledge, the same shape that the planet Venus makes as it travels through the skies.

The pentagram that resides within the apple is called the Star of Knowledge is because according to Druidic lore, the apple tree is the keeper of all knowledge, and since ancient times, the apple has been a symbol of love, fertility, magick and wisdom.  These markings also represent the womb of the Mother Earth Goddess, from whom we come from and to whom we must return.

It is also a Faery Tree, so make sure to plant one in your yard as an invitation to them.  When picking apples for the Autumnal Harvest, make sure to leave a few hanging on the tree to show respect to the Faeries, the spirit of the tree as well as the Mother Earth Goddess.

THE SPELL

This is a very simple spell; you only need an apple (Golden is preferred, but not required) and a knife to cut it.  Make sure to wash your apple before using it magickally!

Either create sacred space or cast a magick circle in the tradition or style of your choice.

Standing at your altar, hold the apple up to the Gods and say:

“Fruit of the Faery Tree;

Keeper of the sacred pentagram.”

Cut the apple cross-ways to expose the Star of Knowledge and then say:

“Fruit of the Tree of the Goddess;

Containing wisdom ancient and old.”

Take a bite of the apple slice, making sure to notice its watery goodness and taking in the sustenance.  Say:

“I take Your wisdom within me,

I am balanced in every way.”

Close your eyes and meditate as to how to be bettered balanced in all aspects of your life. Contemplate as to how to give equal time to the different hats that you wear In both your mundane and spiritual life.  Ask Pamnona, Idunna and Venus to share Their wisdom with you.  When done, say:

“My thanks to the apple Goddess,

So say I, so shall it be done.”

Place the remaining apples outside as an offering to the Faeries!

SOURCE: Autumn Equinox: The Enchantment of Mabon by Ellen Dugan

Tags: apple, autumn, ellen dugan, equinox, mabon, Spell

• Spells & Rituals

Administrator September, 2009

MAY-bon, MAY-bun, MAY-bone, MAH-boon or MAH-bawn, – Lesser Sabbat – Fall/Autumn Equinox, September 21-23
Michaelmas (September 25th, Christian), Second Harvest Festival, Witches’ Thanksgiving, Harvest Home (Anglo-Celtic), Feast of Avalon, Wine Harvest, Festival of Dionysus, Cornucopia, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), Chung Chiu (China), Night of the Hunter, Alban Elfed “The Light of the Water”(Caledonii/ Druidic-celebrates Lord of the Mysteries), Winter Finding (Teutonic, from Equinox ’til Winter Night or Nordic New Year, Oct 15th.)

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!

Purpose:
Second harvest festival, new wine pressing/making preparation for winter and Samhain, rest after labor, Pagan day of Thanksgiving, honoring the spirit world, celebration of wine.

Dynamics/Meaning:
death of the God, assumption of the Crone, balance of light and dark; increase of darkness, grape harvest, completion of the harvest.

Essence:
Beauty, joy; fullness of life, harvest of the year’s desires, strength; laughter; power; prosperity, equality, balance, appreciation, harvest, protection, wealth,
security, self-confidence, reincarnation.

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.

Tools, Symbols & Decorations:
Indian corn, red fruits, autumn flowers, red poppies, hazelnuts, garlands, grains especially wheat stalks, and colorful, fallen leaves, acorns, pine & cypress cones, oak sprigs, pomegranate, statue/or figure to represent the Mother Goddess, mabon wreath, vine, grapes, gourd, cornucopia/horns of plenty, burial cairns, apples, marigolds, harvested crops, burial cairns, rattles, the Mysteries, sun wheel, all harvest symbols.

Herbs & Plants of Maybon:
Acorn, aster, benzoin, cedar, ferns, grains, hazel, honeysuckle, hops, ivy, marigold, milkweed, mums, myrrh, oak leaf, passionflower, pine, rose, sage, solomon’s seal, tobacco, thistle, and vegetables.

Foods of Mabon:
Breads, nuts, apples, pomegranates, cornbread, wheat products, grains, berries, grapes, acorns, seeds, dried fruits, corn, beans, squash, roots (ie onions, carrots, potatoes, etc), hops, sasssafras, roast goose or mutton, wine, ale, & cider.

Incense & Oils of Mabon:
Pine, sweetgrass, apple blossom, benzoin, myrrh, frankincense, jasmine, sage wood aloes, black pepper, patchouly, cinnamon, clove, oak moss, & sage.

Colors/Candles of Mabon:
Red, orange, russet, maroon, brown, gold, deep gold, green, orange, scarlet, all autumn colors, purple, blue, violet, & indigo.

Stones of Mabon:
Sapphire, lapis lazuli, yellow agates, carnelian, yellow topaz, & amethyst.

Customs:
Offerings to land, preparing for cold weather, bringing in harvest, cutting willow wands (Druidic), eating seasonal fruit, leaving apples upon burial cairns & graves as a token of honor, walk wild places & forests, gather seed pods & dried plants, fermenting grapes to make wine,picking ripe produce, stalk bundling; fishing,. on the closest full moon (Harvest Moon) harvesting corps by moonlight.

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 and Rituals of Mabon:
Protection, security, and self-confidence. Also those of harmony and balance. Celtic Festival of the Vine, prosperity rituals, introspection, rituals which enact the elderly aspects of both Goddess & God, past life recall.

Animals/Mythical beings:
Dogs, wolves, stag, blackbird, owl, eagle, birds of prey, salmon & goat, Gnomes, Sphinx, Minotaur, Cyclops, Andamans and Gulons.

Goddesses:
Modron (Welsh), Bona Dea, Land Mother, Aging & Harvest Dieties: the Triple Goddess-Mother aspect, Persephone, Demeter/Ceres, Morgan (Welsh- Cornish), Snake Woman (aboriginal), Epona (Celtic-Gaulish), Pamona (roman), the Muses (greek)

Gods:
Mabon ap Modron (Welsh), Sky Father, The Green Man, Wine Gods, Aging Gods, John Barley Corn , the Wicker-Man, the Corn Man, Thoth (Egyptian), Hermes, Hotei (Japanese), Thor, Dionysus (Roman), Bacchus (Greek) & all wine Deities

Element/Gender:
Water

Threshold:
Evening

Tags: autumn, equinox, holiday, mabon, sabbat

• Correspondences