Post by Joanna on Sept 22, 2016 0:49:00 GMT -5
The Autumnal Equinox or Mabon
The Autumnal Equinox is now called Mabon by Wiccans and neo-Pagans in honor of Mabon, the Welsh god, the child of light and son of the mother goddess. However, in truth, there is little evidence that Mabon was celebrated in Celtic countries and the term Mabon was applied as recently as the 1970s – all part of reconstructed Paganism ....
Here is another point of perfect balance on the journey through the Wheel of the Year: its counterpart being Ostara or the Spring Equinox. Night and day are again of equal length and in perfect equilibrium – dark and light, masculine and feminine, inner and outer in balance. But we are again on the cusp of transition and from this point, the year begins to wane and from this moment, darkness begins to defeat the light. The cycle of the natural world is moving toward completion, the sun's power is waning and from now until Yule, the nights grow longer and the days become shorter and cooler. The sap of trees returns to the roots deep in the earth, changing the green of summer to the fiery shades of autumn: flaming reds, oranges and golds. We are returning to the dark from whence we came.
But before we go, we're gonna party! This is the Second Harvest, the Fruit Harvest and the Great Feast of Thanksgiving. The goddess is radiant as Harvest Queen and the god finally dies with his gift of pure love with the cutting of the last grain. He will return. As the grain harvest is safely gathered before Lammas and reaches completion, we enjoy the abundance of fruit and vegetables. It is time to thank the waning sun for the wealth of gifts of the Earth bestowed upon us. It sometimes seems each festival requires celebrating and giving of thanks and it does for each turn of the wheel has its gifts and insights. Mabon is a celebration and also a time of rest after gathering the harvest. In terms of the life path, it is the time of reaping what you have sown, time to look at the hopes and aspirations of Imbolc and Ostara and reflect on how they have manifested. It is time to complete projects, to clear out and let go of that which is no longer wanted or needed as we prepare for descent, so that the winter can offer a time for reflection and peace. And it is time to plant seeds of new ideas and hopes which will lie dormant, but nourished in the dark, until spring – the eternal return.
Symbols of Mabon
The Cornucopia. The Cornucopia, or Horn of Plenty, is a traditional symbol for Mabon. It is a wonderful symbol for the wealth of the harvest and is a beautifuly balanced symbol which is both male (phallic) and female (hollow and receptive).
The Apple. The apple symbolizes the fruit harvest. It figures significantly in many sacred traditions, a symbol of life and immortality, for healing, renewal, regeneration and wholeness. It is associated with beauty, long life and restored youth. The Ogham name for apple is Quert and Quert is the epitome of health and vitality. The apple is at the heart of the Ogham grove and the source of life. For pagans, the apple contains a “secret.” Cut an apple width-wise and it reveals a pentagram, making it a much loved symbol of paganism. The five points represent the elements of earth, air, fire, water with spirit and thus, also the directions of east, south, west, north and within. The circle around the pentagram represents the eternal circle/cycle of life and nature and of wholeness. In ritual and ceremony, the pentacle corresponds to the element of earth. It has long been believed to be a protection against evil for both the person and home, worn as an amulet or hung above doors and windows to guard homes against evil. Today, it has a modern, threefold function: a mark or sign of that one is a pagan, as the element of earth in rituals, and as a powerful protector.
Colors of Mabon. From green to red, orange, yellow, brown, gold, burgundy and deep purple.
The Mabon Altar. The altar should be dressed in the very best produce you can find from field, forest and market, from garden and the wild. Apples, pears, figs, grapes, cherries, dried corn, rose hips, elderberries, hawthorn berries, nuts – the possibilities are endless. If you collect from the wild, be not greedy – always leave plenty of fruit and berries for the birds and wee creatures. This is a very good time to make an outdoor shrine for the nature spirits in thanks for the bounty they help provide. Leave one of each flower, fruit and vegetable you have as a gift.
Things to Do
Great Feast of Thanksgiving. Celebrate with a feast for friends and family using as many locally-grown fruits, vegetables and nuts as possible.
Walk. Go for a walk and collect nature's wild abundance, while respecting the need to leave enough for everyone else including the nature spirits. You will find wild blueberries, cherries, grapes, elderberries, nuts, hawthorn berries and more. Remember the fruit is the carrier of the precious seed.
Clear Out and Complete. We think of spring as the time to clear out, but now is the perfect time to complete unfinished projects and clear your home of unwanted things. Prepare to hibernate!
Plant Bulbs. This is an excellent time to plant tree seeds and shrubs because they have all of winter in the darkness to establish and germinate. Plant bulbs, which will hide in the darkness of the earth until early spring beckons. Make each one a hope, idea or aspiration for spring and wait until their little green noses show above ground – to remind you!
Blessed Mabon!
Source: The Goddess & the Green Man.
See also: “If a Druid Rings the Doorbell”: whatliesbeyond.boards.net/thread/442/druid-rings-doorbell
“Mabon: The Autumnal Equinox”: whatliesbeyond.boards.net/thread/2462/celebrating-mabon
“Welcoming and Celebrating the Autumnal Equinox”: whatliesbeyond.boards.net/thread/4346/welcoming-celebrating-autumnal-equinox