SAMHAIN Samhain (Hallowe'en, Hallomas, Sauin, Samhuinn, Nos Galan Gaoef, Nos Kentan'r Bloaz) is the traditional Celtic New Year's Eve. It is the beginning of the dark period of the year which will gradually give birth to a new sun and new life. It is the beginning of the gestation period for the coming year and of the future. As such, the Horned God must leave the seed of life with the Great Mother for the New Year. This is the last opportunity He will have to perform this greatest of all magicks before He must depart the physical world and so sojourn in the land of spirits and waiting souls. His departure at Samhain is very dramatic and powerful as it opens the gates of the entire netherworld for a brief period thus rendering Samhain a period of awe for all who have the senses to feel it.
Samhain begins the rule of the Lord of Death - the God of change, transformation andthe growth of the soul. He is also the God of rest and sleep.
This is a time to let old habits die and to meditate on who we wish to become. The Winter months are months to muse inward, seeking one's Self. Spend this time in your studies, calm meditations and gentle reverie so that, come spring, you may rise renewed, rejuvenated, fresh and whole.
It is said that on this date, the Celtic God, Saman, judges the souls of those who have left their bodies and decides if they may return to their loved ones for this last evening before making their journey to the Otherworld. Bonfires and solar symbols of all kinds are appropriate for this Sabbat. The carved Jack'o'Lantern pumpkin with its lit candle inside is strongly associated with this season as a solar symbol. The cauldron used as a scrying tool and as a symbol of the regeneration of souls as well as the broom which sweeps away the past are also both appropriate symbols. Pomegranates, nuts, apples and root vegetables are all symbolic of this Sabbat.
Samhain is a time to remember, honor and commune with our ancestors. Their wisdom and lore enriches our lives and gives us clear pathways to follow and emulate. The Dumb Supper is one such tradition which honors them and allows us a brief time to part the veil between worlds to receive information and comfort from those who have made the transition and gone before us. Set a festive table with the favorite foods of those relatives and friends who are no longer in-body. Along with the place settings for the living who will participate in this Dumb Supper, also place plates, silverware and cups for those deceased family members and friends that you are inviting. Name each one and fill their plates with food, their cups with drink. Enjoy a lively conversation full of memories and stories about those people. End by drinking a toast to them and then have a few minutes of silence to receive any information or messages from the other side. At midnight, take their dishes outside under the light of the moon to receive her blessing and scatter the remains of the food the next morning to share with our animal friends.
Divinations are traditional at Samhain to foretell the coming year's energy tides, challenges and gifts. At this time omens and oracles are believed to be the most accurate, as the veil between worlds is so thin. Divining by fire is popular and you can use either a candle flame or a fireplace. If you use a candle, the color purple is a good choice. Light the candle and begin gazing at the flame, quieting your breath and centering your energies and body. Begin playing with the flame mentally, establishing your connection. Make the flame grow taller then flattening it; cause it to wave wildly then quiet it. Once you have your connection, unfocus your eyes slightly, and ask a yes or no question. If the flame grows taller, your answer is yes, if it flattens the answer is no. Using your fireplace allows you to see pictures in the dancing flames that answer you questions. Again quiet your breathing and center yourself. Gaxe into the flames and slightly unfocus your eyes. .Ask your question and watch the flames play with each other as they form pictures and as the embers glow and wink out forms and numbers to give you your answer.
Traditional PUMPKIN BREAD: Mix 1 cup of corn oil, 3 beaten eggs; ¾ cup of water and 2 cups pumpkin (either fresh or canned) until smooth. Add to this liquid 3¾ cups sifted flour; 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons baking soda; 2½ cups sugar and 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and powdered cloves. Fold in 1 cup of chopped walnuts. Bake at 350° in 2 greased and floured loaf pans for 45 minutes to an hour depending on your oven. This keeps very well, but is most delicious fresh out of the oven! YULEDecember 21st Many Christmas customs and much of our Christmas music of any antiquity originated in the Western European Pagan celebrations of Yule. Customs attached to the Yuletide constellation of Saints' Days: Stephen, Basil, Nicholas, Lucia, Barbara, Sylvester and the Epiphany derive almost entirely from Yule. There is a richness of customs concerning food, fires, plants, animals, wild birds, stars, mummers, music, magic, clothing, angels, social roles, gifts, lights, auguries and so on, endlessly. Imagine the figure of baby Dionysos, newborn of Demeter or Persephone (depending on which myths you read), lying swaddled on a bed of straw in a harvest basket on the threshing floor, his head surrounded by a gold nimbus (halo) looking exactly like the Christ-child in the crèche and evoking the same feelings of love and mystery as does the image of the Baby Jesus born in the stables.
The Winter Solstice is the fire-festival of Yule with its Yule-log saved from the previous year's fire to kindle the flames for the new years's celebrations. To the ancient Egyptians it marked the birth of Osiris. To the ancient Persians it celebrated the birth of Mithras, the all-seeing Sun, god of friendship. The Romans knew it as Saturnalia with its feasting and exchanging of roles of masters and slaves. Whatever the name and outward appearance of its festivities, however, Yule's esoteric meaning stayed the same - it noted the shortest day of the year with emphasis on the fact that from this time until the Summer Solstice, the solar forces, both material and spiritual, would be gaining in strength.
The word Yule can be traced to the ancient Celtic word 'hioul' which means wheel. It is the celebration of the return or rebirth of the Sun god, the Lord of Life, the Child of Promise. The rites are solemn yet filled with joy for they solve the paradox of Death and Rebirth. This festival represents the redemption of the world from death and darkness and is a celebration of hope and joy amidst the barrenness of Winter.
Reverence for trees is a part of the Western European Pagan heritage. The decorating of a tree with lights and the burning of the Yule log have their birth in this reverence. At one time in our ancient history it was felt that the sacrifice of a great tree to insure than life would go on was necessary. The burning of the great Yule log would bring good luck and the returning of life force. The fire was lit from a piece of the previous year's Yule log that had been tended all year and saved for this purpose.
This is the time of the Winter Solstice when the sun reaches the southernmost point in its journey across the sky and appears to remain motionless before beginning to re-ascend northward bringing with it light and the promise of springtime, life and warmth. This is the time for the death of the old god of the year, followed by the Goddess giving birth to the new Sun God. Yule is the time to end the period of darkness that has prevailed during Winter and has brought us into the gloom of barren trees and shortened days. It is the time to cast aside those inner doubts which have bound us and to welcome the growing light which shows us the ways of new beginnings.
This is the time of hope born anew.
Make some wonderful smelling incense to burn during the holidays this year! Here's a traditional Yule Incense recipe that we're sure you'll enjoy making and burning:
Mix together 2 tablespoons dried Pine Needles 1 tablespoon Red Sandalwood Chips 1 tablespoon Cedar chips; add 20 drops Frankincense oil 10 drops Myrrh oil 5 drops Cinnamon oil 5 drops Allspice oil 5 drops Pine oil, stir together and finish off by mixing in 2 tablespoons Frankincense Resin. Let your incense mixture 'cure' for a day or two before you burn. IMBOLCFebruary 1st IMBOLC (also called Oimelc, Candlemas, Feast of Lights. Imbolg and Brigit's Day) is a time of purification and a celebration of the continued growth of Light. In our pastoral and agrarian past, it was the time that the ewes were giving birth to the new lambs and two of this festival's names show this connection. Imbolc or Imbolg means 'in the belly' and Oimelc means 'ewe's milk'. Candlemas is the combination of the words 'candle' and the Scottish 'maes' (feast), a time of celebration and feasting to mark and honor the growing strength of the Sun and the promise of spring to come. Each day since the Winter Solstice, the sun was lighting and warming the day for a few more minutes and to encourage this growth of Light, candles were lit at day's end with whispered thanks. Brigit or Brigantia, Goddess of Fire, is sacred to this Sabbat, bringing the warmth of the hearth, the light of the candle flame and the safe birth of lambs and other babies.
Traditional at this time are the tasks of 'spring cleaning', to ready our homes and lives for the new growth that spring will bring and to rid ourselves of the old so that we can move into the new season unencumbered with outworn things, ideas and ways. Cleansing and blessing our homes and the candles we will burn during the year is a time honored way to acknowledge the changing energies and seasons to come..
CLEANSING AND PURIFICATION RITUAL:
First, clean your home thoroughly. Throw away the things that no longer work and cannot be repaired; give away clothing, books and other items that you no longer use. Scrub the floors, wash the windows, shampoo the carpets all with the clear intention of beginning anew. After your home is completely clean, you will purify the space. For this you will need a bowl or chalice with spring water to represent the element WATER, about 2 tablespoons sea salt to represent the element EARTH, an incense burner with charcoal and a purifying incense such as Frankincense to represent the element AIR and a white candle to represent the element FIRE.
Set up a small altar with the above supplies. This can be a coffee table, end table, kitchen table - it doesn't matter. Take up a small pinch of the sea-salt and meditate briefly on the positive qualities of EARTH (stability, grounding). Place 4 pinches of the salt into the spring water and meditate on the positive qualities of WATER (calming, emotional clearing, psychic awareness). Light the charcoal and place it in your incense burner. It is recommended that you insulate your burner by filling it halfway with kitty litter or sand to place the lit charcoal upon as you will be handling the burner. Let the charcoal light all the way across and place a small amount of incense (frankincense is a good all-around incense/a mixture of frankincense and white sandalwood is very uplifting/a blend called Purification is also very good) on your charcoal. As the smoke curls up meditate on the positive qualities of AIR (mental clarity, alertness). Place your candle in a holder and light it. Gaze at the flame and meditate on the positive qualities of FIRE (purifying, transforming).
Over your altar say an invocation for purification and protection.
If you are cleansing an object such as a bundle of candles, sprinkle it lightly with the salted water, again meditating on the qualities of Earth and Water. Now hold it in the incense smoke, meditating on the qualities of Air. Hold it briefly over the heat of the candle flame (not the flame itself) and meditate on the qualities of Fire. End by saying a protective prayer or invocation.
If you are cleansing your home or office begin by opening all closets, cabinets and drawers. Then starting in the Northern most room of the house in the north quarter, going in a clockwise motion, sprinkle the salted water on the walls and floor as you walk around the room in a circle. End in the north and repeat with the incense and, last, the candle. Go to the next room to the east and continue the procedure until all the rooms have been cleansed and you are back where you started. Sprinkle the water, cense and hold the candle flame in each closet, cabinet and drawer as you cleanse each room as well. If you live in a 2 story house with a basement, begin on the top floor, complete it; go to the basement and complete it; ending on the ground level and shooing any unbalanced or negativity out the front door. After you have cleansed your space, you will want to Seal it.
SEALING THE HOUSE:
Starting in the Northern most room, make a sign of protection in the air at each window and outside door. This can be a pentagram, hexagram, cross or any sign which signifies protection to you. Make the sign with the hand you write with and visualize the sign blazing bright blue as you describe it in the air. Do this in each room. Don't forget fireplaces, mail slots if it opens to the outside, mirrors, sinks, bathtubs and toilets. Again, if you have a multistoried house, start at the top, go to the basement and end on the ground floor.
Finish by sitting in the center of the ground floor. Breathe quietly for a few minutes, centering yourself and then draw energy into yourself allowing it to glow outward from your solar plexus. Let it grow and extend until it penetrates the walls in all directions as well as above and below you. You can let it extend all the way to your property line if you wish. Let the light glow brightly as you recite a prayer or invocation of protection. See the edges of the light thicken into a shield then finish by saying 'so mote it be' or 'so it is'.
Remember that if you become angry, depressed or exhibit other modes of negative energy later in your home that you are shooting small holes in your protective shield. You will need to identify the location of the holes and seal them with light.
SPRINGMarch 21st OSTARA (SPRING EQUINOX)
Ostara (also known as Eostre, a Teutonic Earth Goddess) is the beginning of the agricultural year. It is time for the Earth to "spring" into action & for us to initiate & celebrate new beginnings. One of the most universal symbols of this festival is the planting of seeds & the sprouting of new life from the womb of the Earth Mother. The Vernal or Spring Equinox marks the beginning of the 'light' half of the year, when day gradually becomes longer than night. From now until Autumn, the power of the Goddess dominates our festivities bringing light, warmth & fertility to the earth. The courtship of the God & Goddess commences with this sabbat & this is an appropriate time to focus on the balance of male and female energies within ourselves.
The word "Easter" is derived from the word "Eostre" & the symbols used to celebrate Easter have pre-Christian origins. The Easter bunny reminds us of the hare, the animal most sacred to the Goddess Diana & the eggs that the hare brings symbolize new beginnings, rebirth, continuity & growth. Have you ever wondered why Easter changes dates and months from year to year? Interestingly it is always the first Sunday following the first full moon after the Spring Equinox!
Some folk customs associated with Ostara are: spring cleaning (new beginnings); sunrise observances (to celebrate the growing light of the sun); sowing & planting done ceremonially; ashes from the Ostara eve bonfire mixed with the planting seed as a fertility charm; eating of cake & cider in the planting fields, burying a piece of the cake then pouring a cider libation to show the earth what it is expected to produce; moon cakes which are round cakes marked on top by a cross dividing it into quarters or 'farls' symbolizing the quarters of the moon & the four elements - they are the original hot cross buns; tree planting. Have fun with your traditions!
Eggs are probably the most popular symbol of this sacred time. Since eggs symbolize so well the ideas of newness, creation, potential & growth, why not make a Magick Egg to contain the energies of your hopes & wishes for the coming season? Take a fresh raw egg (do not boil it!) and dye it the appropriate color for your wishes: Green for growth, prosperity or healing; Red or Pink for love and marriage; Purple for spiritual growth & psychic development; Yellow for new beginnings and successful studies; Blue for peace and serenity; Orange for power and energy. With a straight pin, poke a hole in each end of the egg, place your lips over the hole at one end and blow the contents of the egg out over the sink or in the yard. This will take a few minutes. If your yolk is a bit tough, once you’ve gotten most of the white of the egg out, take your straight pin & penetrate the skin of the yolk then finish blowing the rest of the yolk out. Once your egg is empty, using your straight pin again, make small h
oles all the way around the middle of the egg, lightly mark one spot so that you’ll be able to fit the egg back together correctly, then take a thin blade & saw through so that you have two halves. Handling it carefully, rinse the inside of the egg & dry it. Now it is time to fill your egg with your wishes & energies for your goal. Three has always been a magickal number so you’ll use two herbs and one stone charged with your wishes to fill your egg. Your Green Egg will use chopped bay leaves, cinnamon chips and a citrine stone; your Red or Pink Egg will use rose petals, damiana and a rose quartz stone; your Purple Egg will use poppy seeds, white sandalwood and an amethyst stone; your Yellow Egg will use lavender, allspice and a clear quartz stone; your Blue Egg will use chamomile, hops and a blue topaz stone and your Orange Egg will use bloodroot, patchouli and a gold tiger’s eye stone. Fill one half of the egg at a time, concentrating on your goal and infusing the herbs & stone with your power.
Light !
a candle in the same color as your egg & begin to drip small bits of melted wax on the seam of the cut eggshell to fuse it back together. As you do this, continue to visualize your wishes and, if you like, repeat a short chant or power words as you go. If your wax drippings on the eggshell are lumpy, after you have fused the egg completely, hold the waxed area just above your candle flame to warm it & then smooth it with your finger. Keep your Magick Egg in a safe place and when you have achieved manifestation of your goal, bury it in your yard. BELTANEMay 1st The first day of May: flowers in bloom, budding trees, luxuriant green fields, the blue rush of streams. These are all images of the growing, fertile, life-filled Beltane season. Beltane begins the rule of the life-giving Goddess; personified by Mother Nature, Gaia, the powerful forces of regeneration and renewal. Her powers of growth, fertility and plenty bless us throughout the summer as we tend our gardens, eating just picked sun-warmed tomatoes as we work. Her energies are abundantly present until Her consort begins His rule at Samhain (Hallows Eve) when we become more introspective again, quieting down into Winter.
The symbols of Beltane are those of life in celebration. The May basket filled with the gorgeous flowers of Spring; woven garlands of flowers and vines to adorn the house or made into a wreath for the head; the Maypole decorated with colorful ribbons, erected to dance around in a festival of homage to the Goddess who brings us life!
Create a May basket as part of your celebration! Begin by weaving brightly colored ribbons through the wood of the basket then enjoy the trilling of the songbirds in the leaf-filled trees as you wander the woods gathering flowers, leaves and green vines to fill your basket, remembering to thank the Earth for her beauty and bounty as you pick. Rise at dawn, greeting the vital rays of the Sun, then wash your face in the morning dew, insuring beauty and health for the rest of the season.
Beltane means 'bright fire'. Perhaps you'd like to gather the 9 sacred woods (Birch, Rowan, Alder, Willow, Hazel, Oak, Elder, Fir and Poplar) to create a bonfire in which to bless yourself and special objects for growth and abundance. Or cut and bless a branch of a flowering Rowan tree to hang over your front door to protect your home and bring you health and plenty during the coming season. Thank and attract the fairies and spirits of nature to your home or garden by decorating a living tree or bush with small bells and ribbons to delight them. Blend an intoxicating Beltane incense from the herbs of vervain, spearmint, orris root powder, frankincense resin and the oils of rose and carnation.
Although all of the words in the traditional Charge of the Goddess are beautiful and inspiring, the following stanza captures the true spirit of Beltane:
From the Charge of the Goddess: "I Who am the beauty of the green Earth and the white moon amongst the Stars and the mystery of the waters and the desire of the heart of man, call unto thy Soul. Arise and come unto Me! For I am the soul of Nature, who gives life to the universe. From Me all things proceed and unto Me all things must return; and before My face, beloved of Gods and of men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals." MIDSUMMERJune 21st. SUMMER SOLSTICE (Midsummer, Litha) is the longest day of the year. It is a time to celebrate vitality, creativity, vigor, health and abundance. All over the world, people gather to honor and acknowledge this time of Light & Energy and to connect with this Solar tide of abundance, health and the beginnings of the fruits of their labors.
One of the customs associated with the Summer Solstice is the blessing of animals: pets, familiars, work animals and livestock which will be slaughtered in the Fall for Winter food. The blessing focuses on the animals’ health, growth, vitality and fertility. You may want to bless and charge with energy your pets or familiar to strengthen your bond with them at the Summer Solstice.
Now is also the time when the herbs, both wild and cultivated, are reaching their greatest potency. You will want to gather them before they begin to seed, so that you may dry them to use in your rituals and in the medicines that you begin to make in late summer and early Fall. Collect herbs for which you will use flowers & leaves as the Moon waxes (gets larger); roots are gathered during the Waning Moon. As you gather them, thank each one and cut it cleanly a few inches above the ground for the herbs with which you will use the flowers and leaves. For the roots that you gather, pull gently from the earth, collecting only about a third of the plants so that they will grow abundantly again next spring. Wash the herb or root thoroughly, gently shake it dry, then hang the entire plant upside down so that the important oils and minerals will gather in the leaves and flowers as they dry. Hang the roots root side down for the same reason and let them swing freely so that they dry uniformly and do not molder. After they are completely dried (about 7 days for leaves and flowers; 3 weeks for roots) you can store them in paper bags on which you have written the name of the herb or root, when it was collected and what your intended use is.
Roses are particularly associated with the Summer Solstice and Midsummer’s Eve is especially potent for love magicks. You may want to make a rose petal infusion to add to wine (see infusion recipes below), or strew your bed with rose petals before retiring to help you dream of your soul-mate.
Standing stones and stone circles are also symbolic of the Summer Solstice. The dolmen, or standing stone, reminds us of the virility of male energy and of the Sun which in magick and psychology is representative of the male. Stone circles symbolize the ever rolling Wheel of the Year and cycles of the Sun, the natural laws of the universe and the womb of the Earth. If you can find one naturally occurring, perform your Solstice celebrations within it, or leave food and herb offerings within it for our wild-land sisters and brothers. You can also create your own stone circle by placing 8 larger stones at each of the spokes of the Wheel of the Year, equidistance apart, and filling in the spaces between with smaller stones for a circle you can use year round.
Another custom at the Summer Solstice is the practice of tossing wishes and offerings into wells and springs. For a wish or offering of thanks, hold a special stone, feather or sprig of herb in your hands as you focus and meditate on your desire. Pour the desire or gratitude into the stone, feather or sprig and when you have filled it, toss it with power and intention into the well or spring.
The Summer Solstice is the time of the marriage of the Sun and the Moon, which is one of the reasons that the month of June has become the traditional month of marriage and union. One of the symbols for the power of the Sun is fire; for the Moon is water. To enact their union you may choose to create a Sun Wheel out of weavings of thin, dried branches or braided, dried herbs. You may then (CAREFULLY) ignite your Sun Wheel and roll it a short distance into running water or drop it carefully into a pool of water to unite the energies. LUGHNASADHAugust 21st LAMMAS is one of the Cross-Quarter days in the Wheel of the Year along with Samhain, Candlemas and Beltane. The Cross-quarter Days occur in between the solstices and equinoxes. Some traditions celebrate LAMMAS on August 1st while others will celebrate on August 7th when the Sun is 15 degrees in the fixed sign of Leo. The name LAMMAS comes from the Anglo-Saxon Hlaf-maesse meaning ‘bread-mass’. Another name for this Sabbat is Lughanssadh, meaning the Feast or Games of Lugh. Lammas is the time of the first harvest of the grain, a time of thanksgiving for the first harvesting of the fruits of summer. Traditional at this time is the celebration and sharing of the products of the first grains: bread and ale. In ancient Celtic, Gaelic and Pagan tradition, the grains of the Earth are seen as the body of the God, sacrificed at the Harvest, baked into bread and then consumed to keep the tides of life flowing. Many times the first loaf will be made into the shape of a man to represent the God or long loaves to symbolize his regenerative powers. The first summer fairs begin, often continuing through the Autumn Equinox, as the months of August and September together comprise the time of thanksgiving and rejoicing in the abundance of grain, fruits, produce and the health of our herds – all of which will provide food to see us through the barren winter. At the fairs, we still show off and have contests for the best vegetables, the most vigorous of animals just as we have for hundreds of years.
The themes of Lammas are those of Celebration, Thanksgiving and Sacrifice. The Sun was at its height of its power at the Summer Solstice and since that time nights have become longer and cooler – we know that Winter in coming even as we are surrounded by plenty. We celebrate the abundance, we give thanks for the food which ensures our survival and we must sacrifice the fruits of the harvest in order to continue living. At Beltane the God and Goddess made love, at the Summer Solstice this union of male/female; light/dark; sun/moon; fire/water is celebrated and we know that the Goddess is fertile with the God’s seed. At Lammas, we give thanks and sacrifice the body of the fertilizing, life-giving God by harvesting the grain, releasing Him to care for the souls of our ancestors in the Otherworld, knowing that at the Winter Solstice the new Sun-god will be born and the cycle will begin anew.
One of the names of the Sun-god who gives life is Lugh, who is the son of Arianhod, Goddess of Death. This shows us the paradoxical Pagan world view: opposites are components of one another – life comes from death, light from darkness, dawn from night. Everything is interconnected and dependent on that connection. When the grain is cut to make bread, this is a sacrifice of life, but so that life may continue. On August 1, the games or festival of Lugh, celebrating the life-giving powers of the Sun are celebrated. Picnics, sharing of the harvest and outdoor games of physical prowess and strength are played.
The Corn Dolly is a traditional Harvest altar decoration for Lammas which is fun and easy to make. Remove the green husk leaves from an ear of corn. Line up the straight ends and tie tightly together with string. Holding the tied ends up, drape the green leaves down around the tied ends, arranging evenly on all sides. Tie in the center with a stray piece of corn husk. You have created the torso and skirt of the Corn Dolly. Fluff out the skirt then create arms and the head by poking about 5 or 6 long corn leaf husks horizontally through the top of the torso under the ‘shoulders’ so that they extend out on either side. Take the bottom 2 husk ends on each side and twist to make arms. Cut the ends to even them out. Take the remaining husk leaves and bring them up over the top of the shoulders. Twist tightly together, then bend them in the center over toward the body. Tie to create the neck and tuck any loose ends into the shoulders. Fluff the head out slightly to round it. You can bless your Corn Dolly on your Lammas Altar to bring you plenty and luck throughout the rest of the year, then save it to grace your mantle during the winter months. At Candlemas, the Corn Dolly can be burned during your purification rites to release any negativity experienced by your family thus leading to new growth in the Spring.
A very appropriate chant for Lammas is known as Hoof and Horn. The words are as follows (and can be sung to the same tune as “We All Come From the Goddess”):
Hoof and Horn, Hoof and Horn
All that dies shall be Reborn
Vine and Grain, Vine and Grain
All that falls shall rise again.
Words to “We All Come from the Goddess” (in case you don’t know them)
We all come from the Goddess
And to Her we shall return
Like a drop of Rain
Flowing to the Ocean AUTUMNSeptember 21st Also known as Harvest Home, this Sabbat is named for Mabon , the Divine Youth of antiquity who was hidden yet ever remains as the Sun. His name literally means 'son'. Mabon (Harvest Home, Autumn Equinox) is a celebration of Thanksgiving for the blessings and abundance of the year, for the food, clothing and shelter which sustains us now and will continue to sustain us through the quiet, dark months of Winter. We celebrate the manifestation of the fruits of our labors and look forward to rest and repose after the harvesting. It is the time of the last preparations before the coming of darkness in Winter. As such, it is also the time to prepare the spirit for an interval of introspection and inner growth.
Mabon is the time of equilibrium, when light and dark, day and night are equal. On this day, we have 12 hours of sunlight, 12 hours of moonlight. The forces of light and dark meet this day, however, after this day, the night gains in strength and meditations and inner workings become more and more intense. For a moment, Time pauses and then begins his journey from the powers of light and activity into the powers of darkness and introspection. We bid farewell to the Sun who has fully matured, passed his prime and is turning old. We begin to welcome the coming of winter.
The celebrations of this Sabbat are serious yet joyous. They traditionally include hayrides, canning parties, winemaking, fairs which show off our harvests, meditations and preparation for study and inner work. One tradition is the making and burying of the corn dolly. Create your corn dolly from the husks of ears of corn, then charge it with the qualities and goals you are working on, finally bury it as a seed. When spring comes, if you have truly made your preparations, those qualities and goals will become a part of you and your life.
Mabon falls during the astrological sign of Libra, the sign of the Scales of Balance. Thus the energies of this time are those of balance, consideration and fruitful partnerships. Mabon is particularly sacred to Cerridwen, water oriented Goddess of Autumn, to whom was entrusted the guardianship of the Seeds of the future and the arts of Prophesy. She is able to look into the mysteries of the dark of winter and of the Otherworld. Her symbol is the Cauldron and her sacred fruit is the Apple. All nuts and seeds are sacred to her. Cernunnos in His role as Lord of Darkness and protector of all things wild and free was given to him the gifts of life by Cailleache, the crone aspect of Cerridwen, at this time of year.
This year, Mabon falls at a time of great turmoil, confusion and imbalance due to the horrific events on September 11th. Please focus your Mabon meditations and celebrations on helping to strengthen Balance and Clarity throughout the world. Send your thoughts and energy to facilitate the wisdom of Cerridwen so that the Seeds of the Future are positive for all of us, that we may come through this time of darkness wiser and clearer and that all of us, throughout the world, may live in balance. So mote it be.
HARVEST HOME CAKE
Mix 1 cup dark brown sugar, 1cup raisins, 1 cup water and 1 cup lard. Bring to a simmering boil for 3 minutes. Set aside to cool. After cooling completely, beat in 1 egg. Add 3 cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and one teaspoon each of powdered cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Beat into mixture for 2 minutes and pour into greased cake pan. Top with 1 cup of chopped nuts of your choice and bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes, Serve with butter or cream. Happy Harvest!