MABON

Autumn Equinox, 2nd Harvest, September 21st

Mabon, (pronounced MAY-bun) is the Autumn Equinox. 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.
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. 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. 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.

"Autumn is also our inward deepening time. Just as a bulb needs the winter dark and cold to grow in the springtime, so do we need the quiet and reflective time to look at ourselves. Take a bulb and plant it. Let it remind you of the growth you can gain during the winter months.Enjoy the riches of the harvest. Rejoice in the last warmth of summer. Welcome the first hint of winter in the air. This is a night of balance...

And the balance is this...The grain of autumn shall be the seed of spring."

CORRESPONDENCE

Symbolism:
Second Harvest, the Mysteries, Equality and Balance.

Symbols:
wine, gourds, pine cones, acorns, grains, corn, apples, pomegranates, vines
such as ivy, dried seeds, and horns of plenty.

Herbs:
Acorn, benzoin, ferns, grains, honeysuckle, marigold, milkweed, myrrh,
passionflower, rose, sage, solomon's seal, tobacco, thistle, and vegetables.

Foods:
Breads, nuts, apples, pomegranates, and vegetables such as potatoes,
carrots, and onions.

Incense:
Autumn Blend-benzoin, myrrh, and sage.

Oil:
Rosemary/Hyacinth/Bergamot/Patchouli.

Colors:
Red, orange, russet, maroon, brown, and gold.

Stones:
Sapphire, lapis lazuli, and yellow agates.

Activities:
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:
Protection, prosperity, security, and self-confidence.

Deities:
Goddesses-Modron, Morgan, Epona, and Danu.
Gods-Mabon and The Green Man.

Altar:
Dress with Reds, golds, browns, hunter green. Autumn leaves,
pumpkins, squash, corn, wheat....let the altar reflect the abundance
of the harvest. Place fruits and vegetables in a bowl or basket. Also
decorate the quarters with the harvest fruits.