Pronounced may-bon, it is named after a Welsh fertility God, Mabon , and marks the Autumn Equinox. It falls around the 23rd of September in the Northern Hemisphere. The Welsh name Mabon means "great son" and refers to the Son of the Great Mother. The second of the Harvest festivals, associated with the reaping of corn, grains and other foods that can be harvested at this time. These foods can be used to decorate the ritual altar.
It is a time when night and day are equal in length again and when the harvest is nearing completion. The God nears his death and the Goddess prepares for his rebirth. The bounty of the harvest is celebrated in wine festivals, knowing that soon Winter will bring uncertainty.
There are many myths associated with this festival. One of the most famous is that of the Greek goddesses Demeter and Persphone. It is the abduction of Persphone by Hades, that in Greek mythology was said to be the cause of the dying of the Earth. In her grief at the abduction of her daughter, the earth goddess Demeter ignores her duties and the fertility of the earth wanes.
The majority of crops have been gathered, and so we honor the Aging Deities and the Spirit World. The principle key action of Mabon is giving thanks. Pagan activities may include the making of wine and the adorning of graves. A traditional practice is to walk wild places and forests, gathering seed pods and dried plants. Some of these can be used to decorate the home or altar, others saved for future herbal magick. It is considered taboo to pass burial sites and not honor the dead.
The Autumn Equinox is a wonderful time to stop and relax and be happy. While we may not have toiled the fields from sunrise to sunset every day since Lammas - as our ancestors did - most of us do work hard at what we do. At this time of year, we should stop and survey the harvest each of us has brought in over the season. For us, like our ancestors, this becomes a time of giving thanks for the success of what we have worked at.
Spellwork for protection, wealth and prosperity, security and spells to bring a feeling of self-confidence are appropriate for Mabon. Since this is a time for balance - you might include spells that will bring into balance and harmony the energies either in a room, home, or situation. Ritual actions might include the praising or honoring of fruit as proof of the love of the Goddess and God, and a ritual sprinkling of Autumn leaves.
Appropriate colors for
this Sabbat are:
red, orange, deep gold,
brown, russet, maroon and violet.
Candle colors might
be:
orange, dark red, yellow,
indigo, or brown.
Altar cloths can also
be made of material with Fall designs.
Stones to use during
Mabon:
are amethyst and yellow
topaz, carnelian, lapis lazuli, sapphire, and yellow agate. River and stream
stones gathered over the Summer can be empowered for various purposes.
Animals associated
are:
dogs, wolves and birds
of prey. Mythical creatures include gnomes, minotaurs, sphinx, cyclopes,
andamans and gulons.
Plants associated with
Mabon are:
vines, ivy, hazel,
cedar, hops and tobacco. Traditional herbs of the Mabon sabbat
include acorns, asters,
benzoin, ferns, honeysuckle, marigold, milkweed, mums, myrrh, oak leaves,
passionflower,pine, roses, sage, Solomon's seal, and thistles.
Incense for the Mabon
Ritual might include benzoin, myrrh, and sage.
The foods of Mabon consist of the gleanings of the Second Harvest, so grains, fruit and vegetables predominate, especially corn. Corn bread and cider are traditional fare, as are beans and baked squash. Others foods include wine, grapes, breads, pomegranates, roots (carrots, onions, potatoes, etc.), nuts and apples.
Herewith is a collection of information about this Harvest Sabbat.
Lore Crafts Recipes Myths Songs & Chants
copyright, Lady Ma'at, 2001