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As we work our way into Fall, Mabon is more of a Second Harvest gathering than anything else. The Fall Equinox usually has a snap of coolness in the air, the colors will shortly be showing in much of the Northeast, and the supermarket shelves and the fields all show they are about ready for the big harvests or they are already underway.
While this holiday originally celebrated the Welsh God Mabon and a solar cycle of the Autumn Equinox, I believe the concept of the harvesting of the fruits and vegetables from the Mother is a concept we can easily see and connect with. I suggest this is a holiday to celebrate the bountifulness of the Mother and the long summer work of the Sun God. I prefer a balance of Deity, and this ritual brings both into play - Mother Earth and Father Sun. Feel free to address Deity in your own manner, with your own Gods and Goddess'. The references here are generic to allow for this individual choice.
This ritual celebrates the seasonal change, giving a wave to the end of summer as the Sun rises and a welcome to our next season. While it is a ritual of Dawn, it can be carried throughout the day as a whole celebration. It reflects on the honor to the Mother for her gifts on our plates and the season that has passed. It gives us time to remember why we are pagans and to reinforce our chosen responsibility for the care and nurturing of the earth.
We reflect on the celebration of life. Many groups will hold their Pagan Pride events at this time of year to celebrate our chosen path. We remember why we are pagans with this ritual. |
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If you are in the city, the produce departments and vegetable stands are full of freshly harvested produce. In the country, the trees are heavy with their final product, the fields are being harvested and your home garden is just about spent with all the veggies you have been enjoying all summer and the canning season is underway in your kitchen.
This ritual is a celebration of life. Growth has progressed all summer, your projects have been moving along (hopefully) and it is time to celebrate the change of seasons.
For this small ritual, a table or a blanket on the ground, some fresh fruits from the market or the garden and maybe vegetables prepared in a nice dish. Zucchini bread and apple pie is a nice combination for the ritual. No circle is necessary as this ritual honors Mother Earth and Father Sun. Ideally you want to be as close to her as possible and allow as much of his energy into your ritual as possible. A slice of cake and a piece of pie would be all that's needed. A green candle for Mother Earth would also be a nice addition if available, and lighting it calls to the rising sun.
Dawn would be the time to perform this ritual; the time of day when the sun kisses the earth with his warmth to wake her up. A hot cup of coffee, tea or coco, some cake and pie and a candle lit just before the dawn and extinguished at the first light of the sun.
A chant honoring the Mother or calling the Sun God would be appropriate here. I do like poetry or commentary for contemplation myself. Marcus Aurelius provides me the one line I feel says it all:
When you arise in
the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive
This is a lovely piece to contemplate. But choose your own, there is so much for you to choose from, or make your own. Maybe an event recently that gives you pause to think how fortunate you are to be alive at this moment.
Contemplate the shadows as they unveil themselves in the morning light. Be it a park, your backyard, or a window at home; watch as the light changes the landscape. City streets or country roads, trees in the park or reflections on the water; all are part of the Mother Earth and illuminated by the Father Sun. Listen to the sounds - birds singing to the new day, the song of traffic on the streets announcing a new day, the sounds of boats in a harbor or cows across the fields. All these are part of the Mother Earth and moved by the Father Sun. Listen - the crying of a baby, children waking up, laughter of the little ones or the soft voices of lovers awake all night in each other's arms, couples saying their good mornings. All these things are part of the Mother Earth and children of the Father Sun. Smell the change in the day, the dampness of dawn, or the things that are familiar to you in your own space.
Your coffee/tea catches your sense of smell, and the cakes catch your attention. It's time to nibble on the fruits of the Mother and the Father while you watch the world come alive. Remember that while the Mother nurtures the food we eat, it is given energy by the Sun and without them both, we would not have them to fill our needs.
The sun is up now, the entire world is now visible and it is also time to blow out the candle. As we do, we welcome the Mother and the Father, and we give thanks for all the little things that make life worth living, worth the efforts we make as pagans to keep Her safe, clean, comfortable and a treasure for future generations to enjoy as we just have.
Remember that should there be rain, this is a gift of the Mother and Father. Rain is essential to the growth of the foods we eat and part of the earth cycles. Enjoy the rain as well and watch as the world still lights up, maybe a bit differently but the deep shadows are chased away by the light of the day.
This is the end of the ritual, but keep in mind the thought of the day. Find the Mother and Father in all things you do. Look for the reasons for life in all things you encounter throughout the day. Look for Their signs as you move through the day. Go to the market, get some fresh veggies and fruits and continue that theme throughout the day. Go to the park for lunch if you can, or visit a local garden after work. Watch the sunset, say goodbye to the Father Sun and thank Him for a good day and bring the day to closure. Admire the changing of the light and the shadows as they come into play to give you night again.
And
finally, look up. Admire the night sky, remember this is the time of
rest, contemplate the Moon if there is one and give thanks to the
Mother for another fine day. |
