We have so much before us
on for this we are thankful.
We have so many blessings,
and for this we are thankful.
There are others not so fortunate,
and by this we are humbled.
We shall make an offering in their name
to the gods who watch over us,
that those in need are someday
as blessed as we are this day.
Equal hours of light and darkness
we celebrate the balance of Mabon,
and ask the gods 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.
Hail! Hail! Hail!
The grapes have been gathered!
The wine has been pressed!
The casks have been opened!
Dionysus and Bacchus,
watch over our celebration
and bless us with merrymaking!
Hail! Hail! Hail!
Day turns to night,
and life turns to death,
and the Dark Mother teaches us to dance.
Hecate, Demeter, Kali,
Nemesis, Morrighan, Tiamet,
bringers of destruction, you who embody the Crone,
I honor you as the earth goes dark,
and as the world slowly dies.
Mabon Balance Meditation
Mabon is one of those times of year that affect people in different ways. For some, it’s a season to honor the darker aspects of the goddess, calling upon that which is devoid of light. For others, it’s a time of thankfulness, of gratitude for the abundance we have at the season of harvest. No matter how you see it, Mabon is traditionally a time of balance. After all, it’s one of the two times each year that has equal amounts of darkness and daytime.
Because this is, for many people, a time of high energy, there is sometimes a feeling of restlessness in the air, a sense that something is just a bit “off”. If you’re feeling a bit spiritually lopsided, with this simple meditation you can restore a little balance into your life.
Setting the Mood
Now that fall is here, why not do an autumn version of Spring Cleaning? Get rid of any emotional baggage you’re dragging around with you. Accept that there are darker aspects to life, and embrace them, but don’t let them rule you. Understand that a healthy life finds balance in all things.
You can perform this ritual anywhere, but the best place to do it is outside, in the evening as the sun goes down. Decorate your altar (or if you’re outside, use a flat stone or tree stump) with colorful autumn leaves, acorns, small pumpkins, and other symbols of the season. You’ll need a black candle and a white one of any size, although tealights probably work best. Make sure you have something safe to put them in, either a candle holder or a bowl of sand.
Light both candles, and say the following:
A balance of night and day, a balance of light and dark
Tonight I seek balance in my life
as it is found in the Universe.
A black candle for darkness and pain
and things I can eliminate from my life.
A white candle for the light, and for joy
and all the abundance I wish to bring forth.
At Mabon, the time of the equinox,
there is harmony and balance in the Universe,
and so there shall be in my life.
Meditate on the things you wish to change. Focus on eliminating the bad, and strengthening the good around you. Put toxic relationships into the past, where they belong, and welcome new positive relationships into your life. Let your baggage go, and take heart in knowing that for every dark night of the soul, there will be a sunrise the next morning.
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Mabon Apple Harvest Rite
Mabon, the Autumn Equinox, is celebrated in many ways around the world. It is a day of balance, with equal amounts of darkness and light, but soon, winter will arrive. In some Wiccan traditions, it marks the time when the Sun King descends into the underworld, from which he will be reborn at Yule.
In many pantheons, the apple is a symbol of the Divine. Apple trees are representative of wisdom and guidance. This apple ritual will allow you time to thank the gods for their bounty and blessings, and to enjoy the magic of the earth before the winds of winter blow through.
Setting the Mood
Decorate your altar with symbols of the season: a basket of gourds or small pumpkins, colorful fall leaves, acorns,vines, grapes or blackberries. You’ll also need a pair of orange candles to symbolize the harvest, a cup of cider or wine, and an apple.
If your tradition requires you to cast a circle, do so now.
Light your harvest candles. Face the altar and hold the apple in both hands. If you can do this rite outside, raise the apple up to the sky, and feel the wisdom and energy of the gods coming to you. Say:
The apple is sacred, a symbol of the gods,
and holds the knowledge of the ancients inside.
Tonight I ask the gods to bless me with their wisdom.
Say:
Five points in a star, hidden inside.
One for earth, one for air, one for fire,
one for water, and the last for spirit.
Next, turn to the south and say:
I call upon the wise ones, the ancient gods,
as the sun moves away and fire fades,
to be replaced with the chill of the night.
Finally, face west, and say:
I will reflect on the guidance of the gods,
and let the cool autumn rains wash over me,
cleansing my heart and soul.
Raise the cup of wine or cider to the sky, and toast the gods. Say:
The wild god returns this night to the belly of the Mother.
The mother goddess tonight becomes the Crone.
As the Wheel of the Year turns, the earth dies a bit each day.
I willingly follow the old gods into the darkness,
where they will watch over me, protect me, and keep me safe.
Sip from the cup, and as you drink your wine or cider, think about the power and energy of the Divine, in whatever aspect you choose to honor.
Extinguish one of the candles, and say:
The wild god has gone to rest in the Underworld.
I look to the darkness for renewal and rebirth.
Tips:
- Leave the apples on your altar overnight, and the next morning, put them in your garden as an offering to the earth.
- Feel free to replace the wild god and mother goddess with the names of deities from your own tradition.
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- Recipes:
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Mabon Wine Moon Cider
Ingredients:- 4 cups apple cider;
- ½ tsp. whole cloves;
- 4 cups grape juice;
- 1 tsp. allspice;
- 2 cinnamon sticks, for cups.
Directions:In a 4-quart saucepan, heat cider and grape juice. Add cinnamon, allspice and cloves.Bring just to boiling. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.Serve with ladle from a cauldron. Makes 8 cups._________________________________________________________________Autumn Beef Stew
This rich and hearty stew is loaded with veggies and potatoes, and it’ll make your home feel warm and inviting. Whether you prepare it on top of a stove or over a blazing fire, this stew is a great starter course for any Mabon gathering of friends and family.Ingredients:- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 ½ pounds stewing beef
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ½ cup sliced celery
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 carrots
- 2 medium potatoes
- ½ cup baby lima beans
- 1 cup apple juice
- ½ cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 jar (12 ounces) small white onions, drained, or about 1 dozen frozen, thawed
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Directions:In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, brown the beef in the vegetable oil; add onion and celery and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes longer. Add beef broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 3 to 4 hours. Add the carrots, potatoes, lima beans, and apple juice; simmer for about 30 to 40 minute longer, or until vegetables are tender. Add drained onions and corn; continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes.In a small bowl or cup, combine flour with cold water until smooth. Add the mixture to the simmering broth, a little at a time, until stew is thickened. Taste and add salt and pepper._________________________________________________________________Dark Mother Bread
At Mabon, we celebrate the goddess in her aspect as the crone, or the Dark Mother. She is Demeter, she is Hecate, she is the wise old woman wielding a scythe rather than a basket of blooming flowers. This honey wheat blend is a delicious way to celebrate the end of the harvest and say farewell to the fertile months of summer. Serve warm with herbed oils for dipping, or with a big scoop of Apple Butter.Ingredients:- 2 C. warm water
- 1 Tbs. active dry yeast
- 1/3 C. honey
- 3 C. whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ C. vegetable oil
- 2 Tbs. butter
- 4 C. all purpose baking flour
Directions:Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add honey and mix well.Stir in the whole wheat flour, salt, vegetable oil, and butter and mix until a stiff dough has formed. Gradually work the all-purpose flour into the mix, one cup at a time.Turn the dough onto a lightly floured countertop, and knead for about fifteen minutes. When it reaches the point where it’s sort of elastic, shape it into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl. Cover with a warm, damp cloth, and allow to sit and rise until it’s doubled in size — usually about 45 minutes.Punch the dough down and cut in half, so you can make two loaves of bread. Place each half in a greased loaf pan, and allow to rise. Once the dough has risen an inch or two above the top of the loaf pan, pop them in the oven. Bake at 375 for half an hour, or until golden brown at the top.When you remove the loaves from the oven, allow to cool for about fifteen minutes before removing from the pan. If you like, brush some melted butter over the top of the hot loaves, to add a pretty golden glaze to them.Note – If you’re doing this in a bread machine, remember, the recipes makes two loaves. Halve everything if you’re allowing the machine to do the mixing. If you hand mix it, you can still drop the single-loaf balls of dough into the machine to bake.Ps. I have added poppy seeds, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds to make it more crisp and tasty!___________________________________________________________Apple Butter
Apple butter is a delicious treat all year long, and if you make it in the fall with fresh apple sauce, you can preserve it to eat later on. Enjoy this tasty spread on warm bread, or just straight from the jar! You’ll need basic canning supplies like Mason jars with lids, a pair of tongs, and a big pot to get started. This recipe should yield you about ten pints of apple butter.Ingredients:
- 9 quarts of applesauce
- 2 C. apple cider
- 3 Tbs. ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbs, ground cloves
- 1 Tbs. nutmeg
- 3 C. sugar (more if you like really sweet apple butter)
Directions:
You can make this recipe with homemade or store-bought applesauce.Fill a crock pot with as much applesauce as it takes to bring you about an inch from the top – this will NOT hold all of the applesauce, unless you have a REALLY big crock pot, but that’s okay. It should take about half the applesauce if you use a 5-quart crock.Add 1 C. of the cider, half the cinnamon, half the cloves and nutmeg, and 1 ½ C. of the sugar. Set the crock pot on Low, and cover. Allow the applesauce to cook on low setting for about 8 - 12 hours.Around the 10-hour point, check the amount of applesauce in the pot. It should have reduced significantly by now, so add in the remaining quarts of applesauce, spices, cider and sugar. Mix thoroughly to blend with the applesauce that’s already in the pot, and allow to simmer for a few more hours, until the applesauce has reduced to a nice, thick brown apple butter.Optional - use a hand-held mixer to blend the apple butter into a creamy, smooth texture.Serve your apple butter with a loaf of warm, soft bread, or eat it straight from the jar!_________________________________________________________________Pomegranate Sorbet
The pomegranate symbolizes the fertility of the goddess and is representative of Persephone, daughter of Demeter. This delicious sorbet is easy to make, and can be prepared as part of ritual or in advance.You can either squeeze the fruit juices yourself, or buy them commercially prepared. While you prepare this sorbet, give thanks to the Dark Mother for the blessings of the harvest and the changing of the seasons.Ingredients:- 2 C. pomegranate juice
- 1/3 C. orange juice
- 1/3 C. cranberry juice
- ½ Tsp. lemon juice
- 1/3 C. sugar
- 1 orange
- Mint leaves
- Fresh pomegranate seeds
Directions:Blend all the juices and the sugar in an airtight container.Cover the container, and then freeze for four hours.When the mixture has frozen solid, use a spoon to break it up into small chunks (not smooth).Re-freeze for a few more hours.To serve, scoop the frozen sorbet into cups or glasses, and garnes with slices of orange, mint leaves, and the extra pomegranate seeds._________________________________________________________________Craft:Mabon Craft Ideas
Fall is just starting to show her pretty face here in Northern Italy… the leaves are starting to turn Autumn shades and there is an abundance of nature bits to be collected to craft with.So, I thought was a good idea to prepare a post, before the arrival of Mabon, with some craft ideas to decorate your altar or your houseI hope you enjoy these fantastic ideas for decorating and celebrating Mabon, the autumn equinox!!!Happy Mabon to everyone ! :)_________________________________________________________________Mabon Altar Ideas
