Mabon
Autumn Equinox, 2nd Harvest, September 21st
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 Sabbath 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 Maybon:
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.
MABON CANDY
Ingredients:
•1 16-oz jar of creamy peanut butter
•1 pound bag of confectioners sugar
•1 C stick butter, softened
•1 tsp vanilla
•1 12-oz bag of chocolate chips for dipping
Preparation:
Combine peanut butter, butter, and vanilla together and cream until smooth. Add the confectioners sugar a little bit at a time until you've gotten it all mixed in. It should produce a really heavy, thick dough. Roll this into small balls (one inch diameter or less) and place them on wax paper. Chill in refrigerator until firm.
Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler over low heat. Use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to dip each peanut butter ball into the chocolate -- be sure to leave a bit of the peanut butter showing at the top. Return the balls to the wax paper and allow to cool. Keep in an airtight container until ready to serve.
The great thing about these candies is that because they are associated with prosperity and abundance, you can use this for magical purposes. As you mix and blend the ingredients, focus your intent on abundance, so that you can share it with your friends and family at Mabon or other Sabbath celebrations.
WORDS FOR CELEBRATING
Equal hours of light and darkness
we celebrate the balance of Mabon,
and ask the goddess to bless us.
For all that is bad, there is good.
For that which is despair, there is hope.
For the moments of pain, there are moments of love.
For all that falls, there is the chance to rise again.
May we find balance in our lives
as we find it in our hearts.
Celebrate the bounty of Mabon, the Second Harvest.
harvest is ending,
the earth is dying.
The cattle have come in from their fields.
We have the earth's bounty
on the table before us
and for this we give thanks to the goddess
This is also a great time to get your Mead brewing for the cold cold winter!
How to make Mead
It's a type of....Well not a wine, more like a hard liquor made from honey. It's so easy to do, and makes a yummy fall drink.
First you get a jug, or glass container. A nice large one with a cork or screw cap.
1. Wash the jug with hot soapy water and drain till dry.
2. Then you add from 1 pint to a full pound of honey. How much you want to add is up to you, the more honey the sweeter it is.
3. Place the honey in the jug, and add hot water to fill the jug.
4. Mix the honey with the water till it is liquid
5. Place the jug in your sink....Believe me you will have to do this, for at least the first few hours since it will bubble up and make a mess if you don't. (after it stops bubbling over the top, you can place it on the cabinet to do the rest)
6. Add one packet of dry yeast
and sit back and watch. LOL
After it stops foaming over the top of the bottle. Wipe down the bottle, and place a straw in the bottle, not touching the liquid, but above it, and tape the lid of the jug closed around a small straw.
This allows bubbles and gas to escape, but prevents air from getting in and turning it all into vinegar.
It will bubble furiously for a few days, when the bubbling has seemed to calm down a lot, cork it, or close the top, and let it sit for 2 weeks. Then it's ready to drink
Add a shot to your tea, or drink it straight up. You can also add some apple cider to it, for extra Yummy, tastes like fall!!!!
Some people also add spice's to the blend, anything fallish like cinnamon, allspice, pumpkin pie spice, orange zest, and lemon zest too... these go in the bottle before you cork it.
