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

AKA:
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 Ch’iu (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.)

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

Gemstones:
yellow agate, carnelian, yellow topaz, sapphire, lapis lazuli & amethyst

Incense/Oil:
pine, sweetgrass, apple blossom, benzoin, myrrh, frankincense, jasmine, sage wood aloes, black pepper, patchouly, cinnamon, clove, oak moss

Colors/Candles:
brown, green, orange, red, deep gold, scarlet, yellow, russet, maroon, all autumn colors, purple, blue violet & indigo

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

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, Wine Gods, Aging Gods, John Barleycorn , the Wicker-Man, the Corn Man, Thoth (Egyptian), Hermes, Hotei (Japanese), Thor, Dionysus (Roman), Bacchus (Greek) & all wine Deities

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

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

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

Rituals/Magicks:
Celtic Festival of the Vine, prosperity rituals, introspection, rituals which enact the elderly aspects of both Goddess & God, past life recall

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.

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

Herbs:
myrrh, thistle, tobacco, oak leaf, hazel, mums, hops, acorns, marigold, rose, sage, milkweed, solomon's seal, aster, fern, honeysuckle, benzoin, myrrh, passionflower, pine & cedar, ivy, hazel, hops, cedar

Element/Gender: water
Threshold: evening

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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 Sabbat 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 Mabon:
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.
May your Mabon be memorable, and your
hearts and spirits be filled to overflowing!


SOURCE(S)
"Katydid"

"EmeraldHarley"
--Adapted by Akasha Ap Emrys to share with all her
friends and those of a like mind.--

Copyright © 1997-99 Akasha, Herne and The Celtic Connection
wicca.com. All rights reserved

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