Your Path to Self-Discovery!
Mabon - Fall Equinox
Mabon, or the Fall Equinox is our harvest celebration. It is a day when the
dark and the light are in balance. But we are moving from the light part of the
year into the dark part of the year as the days grow shorter and colder. It is
a time when we gather in the harvest and prepare for winter.
Everything in nature is giving and receiving from everything else... The oxygen
we breathe in is exhaled by the trees and they take in the carbon dioxide we
breathe out. Bees sip the nectar from flowers and in return carry their pollen
to other blossoms so that the plants can make seeds. Nothing exists separately
from the whole.
When we receive a gift, we give thanks. Sooner or later we try to give
something back to the person who gave it to us - or perhaps pass a gift to
someone else. That is part of keeping the balance.
The Fall Equinox is our Thanksgiving.
The Fall Altar is simple. We make an arrangement of some of the things we have
harvested that will keep for a few weeks: winter squash, dried corn, herbs, and
pumpkins. If you havent harvested anything yourself, this is a good time to go
to the farmers market or a pick-your-own farm and chose what you want on your
altar. You might add autumn leaves, a bouquet of late blooming flowers or
pictures of animals.
*******************************************************************
On this holiday, we honor the Goddess for her blessing of the Harvest. However,
since children have such a strong caring for and identification of animals that
they love and entire ritual can be devoted to them.
Prepare the circle with the altar laden with animal symbols... including such
edibles as animal crackers. Call in the powers of the directions by invoking the
animals we associate with each direction and making their sounds.
Example:
For East and Air: birds with the mastery of air
For South and Fire: spirited animals especially lions with their sun gold color,
courage, and sun heated habitats; other large cats and small quick animals that
hunt and fight for survival.
For West and Water: the water animals, whales, dolphins, and seals. Fish with
their incredible variety of shapes, colors, and sizes.
For North and Earth: the large animals, bears, elephants, and grazing animals of
elk and moose, the animals that live in the great northern cold, wolves and
foxes. Those that live underground, rabbits, gophers, and ferrets.
Gather any pets you have at home to join your circle. Young children may want
to bring beloved stuffed animals, or may ask for the spirits of animals you love
and which live with other people to join you. Sprinkle the animals that you have
with you with blessed water on the altar and say 'We thank you for sharing your
lives with us, and ask the Goddess and God to bless you with health and safety.
You give up your wildness to remind us of ours. You teach us to talk with out
words, to sing with out tunes. You show us love with out questions. From you
we learn how love grows from kindness alone.' Share a treat with your animal
friend.
*******************************************************************
Family Thanksgiving Feast
Since you dont have to replicate the secular Thanksgiving, you can create a
unique family tradition. For example, let each family member chose a favorite
dish and sit down at the table with only those dishes.
Take the time to go around and say what you are grateful for. It isnt a time to
ask for more, but to be grateful for what you have.
If your children are old enough, you can sit down with each person having their
own candle and candle stick above their plate or in an area where it wont get
knocked over. As each person goes around and says what they are grateful for,
they can light the candle and have it remain lit through out the meal. Be
creative with your family, and inventing your own Mabon tradition!!
Blessed Be!
dark and the light are in balance. But we are moving from the light part of the
year into the dark part of the year as the days grow shorter and colder. It is
a time when we gather in the harvest and prepare for winter.
Everything in nature is giving and receiving from everything else... The oxygen
we breathe in is exhaled by the trees and they take in the carbon dioxide we
breathe out. Bees sip the nectar from flowers and in return carry their pollen
to other blossoms so that the plants can make seeds. Nothing exists separately
from the whole.
When we receive a gift, we give thanks. Sooner or later we try to give
something back to the person who gave it to us - or perhaps pass a gift to
someone else. That is part of keeping the balance.
The Fall Equinox is our Thanksgiving.
The Fall Altar is simple. We make an arrangement of some of the things we have
harvested that will keep for a few weeks: winter squash, dried corn, herbs, and
pumpkins. If you havent harvested anything yourself, this is a good time to go
to the farmers market or a pick-your-own farm and chose what you want on your
altar. You might add autumn leaves, a bouquet of late blooming flowers or
pictures of animals.
*******************************************************************
On this holiday, we honor the Goddess for her blessing of the Harvest. However,
since children have such a strong caring for and identification of animals that
they love and entire ritual can be devoted to them.
Prepare the circle with the altar laden with animal symbols... including such
edibles as animal crackers. Call in the powers of the directions by invoking the
animals we associate with each direction and making their sounds.
Example:
For East and Air: birds with the mastery of air
For South and Fire: spirited animals especially lions with their sun gold color,
courage, and sun heated habitats; other large cats and small quick animals that
hunt and fight for survival.
For West and Water: the water animals, whales, dolphins, and seals. Fish with
their incredible variety of shapes, colors, and sizes.
For North and Earth: the large animals, bears, elephants, and grazing animals of
elk and moose, the animals that live in the great northern cold, wolves and
foxes. Those that live underground, rabbits, gophers, and ferrets.
Gather any pets you have at home to join your circle. Young children may want
to bring beloved stuffed animals, or may ask for the spirits of animals you love
and which live with other people to join you. Sprinkle the animals that you have
with you with blessed water on the altar and say 'We thank you for sharing your
lives with us, and ask the Goddess and God to bless you with health and safety.
You give up your wildness to remind us of ours. You teach us to talk with out
words, to sing with out tunes. You show us love with out questions. From you
we learn how love grows from kindness alone.' Share a treat with your animal
friend.
*******************************************************************
Family Thanksgiving Feast
Since you dont have to replicate the secular Thanksgiving, you can create a
unique family tradition. For example, let each family member chose a favorite
dish and sit down at the table with only those dishes.
Take the time to go around and say what you are grateful for. It isnt a time to
ask for more, but to be grateful for what you have.
If your children are old enough, you can sit down with each person having their
own candle and candle stick above their plate or in an area where it wont get
knocked over. As each person goes around and says what they are grateful for,
they can light the candle and have it remain lit through out the meal. Be
creative with your family, and inventing your own Mabon tradition!!
Blessed Be!
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