The Sabbat of Mabon

Preparing the Sacred Space
The coven gathers, grounds and center and performs a group breath.

“We meet on this day to celebrate Mabon, the Autumnal Equinox. It is the ancient festival of Harvest, and a time of joy and thanksgiving for the abundance we have had this past year. It is a time of balance, of equal day and equal night. Yet unlike Ostara, when we poised ready to spring forth into action, new growth and increased light, now instead we stand at the brink of darkness

Wolfwings: Lights the Lamp of Art, and say, “The fire is lit. The ritual has begun.”

Guest1: Salt-water purification.
Take up the chalice of water and say, "Blessed be thou creature of water." Then, take up the bowl of salt and say, "Blessed be thou creature of Earth." Using your athame (or finger), mix the salt and water together in the chalice. Then, cleanse the circle by walking around it, sprinkling it with salt-water. Stop at each quarter and say: “With salt and water, I cleanse the North (East, South, West).”

Guest2: Charging with fire and air.
Take up the incense burner, sprinkling fresh incense on the charcoal, saying, "Blessed be thou creature of fire and air." Take in around the circle, starting in the north, saying, "With fire and air, I charge the north." Walk, swing the censer, to the east, then pause and say, "With fire and air, I charge the east." Continue for the south and west.

Wolfwings: Casting the circle.
Walking deosil around the circle, the circle is cast with these or similar words:
"I do hereby cast this sacred circle on the Sabbat of Mabon. We are now between the worlds, beyond the bounds of time, where night and day, birth and death, joy and sorrow, meet as one."

Invocation of the Elements

Blackwood-Invokes the North
"Hail, Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North,
Powers of Earth,
Hard-working gnomes,
Black bull of Midnight,
North Star,
Center of the whirling sky,
Stone, mountain, fertile field,
We invoke you and call you,
To join our ritual,
Hail and welcome!”

Wolfwings: Invokes the East
“Hail, Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East,
Powers of Air,
Free-flying sylphs,
Golden eagle of the dawn,
Star-seeker, whirlwind, rising sun,
We invoke you and call you,
To join our ritual,
Hail and Welcome!”

Foxglove: Invokes the South
“Hail, Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South,
Powers of Fire,
Flame-leaping salamanders,
Red lion of the noon heat,
Flaming one, summer’s warmth, spark of life,
We invoke you and call you,
To join our ritual,
Hail and Welcome!”

Blackwood: Invokes the West
“Hail, Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West,
Powers of Water,
Graceful undines,
Serpent of the watery abyss,
Rainmaker, gray-robed twilight, evening star,
We invoke you and call you,
To join our ritual,
Hail and Welcome!”

Wolfwings: Invokes the Center
“Hail, Guardians of the Watchtowers of the Center,\
Powers of Akasha,
Void,
Cauldron of Creation,
We invoke you and call you,
To join our ritual.
Hail and Welcome!”

Invocation of the Gods

Blackwood: Invokes the Goddess
“Hail Brigit, Maiden Bright,
Waxing Moon and growing light.
Hail Cerridwen, sacred Mother,
Under full moon meets her lover.
Hail Hecate, magick’s power,
Darkened Moon, Witches’ hour.
We now invoke the sacred Three,
As we will, so mote it be.

Foxglove: Invokes the God
“Hail Pan, son of Earth,
Light of heart and full of mirth.
Hail Kernunnos, Horned One,
Guards the night and greets the Sun,
Hail Oghma, bard divine,
Fate revealed in song and rhyme.
We now invoke the sacred Three,
As we will, so mote it be.”

Ritual of Mabon

Wolfwings: “Know and remember, that whatsoever sets must also rise. In token of which, let us dance the dance of going and returning.”

The coven walks slowly widdershins, hand in hand, going in an inward spiral, until they are all close to the center. While walking, they chant:
“Hoof and horn, hoof and horn,
All that dies will be reborn.
Corn and grain, corn and grain,
All that falls will rise again.
We all come from the Goddess,
And to Her we shall return,
Like a drop of rain,
Flowing to the ocean.”

Once in a tight circle at the center, they sit in a ring around a covered dish.
The dish is uncovered, and all take a kernel of corn.

Guest2: “Behold the seed that shall rest in the Earth and be born anew. Know that in the silence of darkness, new wisdom may be gained. The light shall wane, but the wise shall weep not, but rejoice. For what sets shall also rise again.”

Mabon meditation.

After the meditation, coveners write down something they are thankful for and throw it into the burning cauldron. As the papers burn, the coven walks in a deosil spiral outwards, chanting the “Hoof and horn” chant. When done, all grasp hands.

Cakes and Ale

Guest takes up the cup, and Blackwood takes her athame. Blackwood puts the blade into the cup of ale, and says:
“As the athame is to the male, so the cup is to the female; and conjoined, they bring blessings.”

Foxglove takes up the wand and Cassandra the cakes as Foxglove says: “Lady of the Green Earth and Lord, we thank You for Your abundance at this Harvest.”

The food and drink is then shared around the circle.

Farewells

Foxglove: Thanks the God, saying:
“Great Father God,
We offer You thanks,
Honor and Love.
Hail and farewell.”
The God candle is now extinguished.

Blackwood: Thanks the Goddess, saying:
“Gracious Mother Goddess,
We offer You thanks,
Honor and Love.
Hail and farewell.”
The Goddess candle is now extinguished.

Thank the Quarters.

Wolfwings: takes the sword and retraces the line of the circle. She uses words like:
“I draw back the energy of this circle, and return it to the earth. The space is once again mundane, once again of the world we know. May we take a piece of the sanctity of this place with us in our hearts.”

Wolfwings: Blows out the Lamp of Art
“The flame is extinguished.”
She blows out the flame.
“The ritual is done.”

All:
“Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!”