Spirituality Page: Essays and Articles

Author's Biography: Gordon Ireland is active in the Michigan Pagan community and runs several Pagan websites. For more information please visit his website http://www.earthspirits.theshoppe.com

To Autumn
O Autumn. Laden with fruit, and stained
With the blood of the grape, pass not, but sit
Beneath my shady roof, there thou may'st rest,
And tune thy jolly voice to my fresh pipe;
And all the daughters of the year shall dance!
Sing now the lusty song of fruits and flowers.
-William Blake-

Mabon, (May-bon) is known as the Autumn Equinox, Harvest Home, Second Harvest, the Witches Thanksgiving and Siring Fate. (Mabon in Welsh means son.) This reference usually refers to the son of the Welsh goddess Madron, Mother and Son. The Mother and son aspect is the most common among the neo-pagans, and fits well with in the Wiccan perspective of the Holly King mythology. It should also be noted that McCoy (page 185) claims that the Celts did not call Mabon by this name but rather it was originally a Norse festival. Though adopting other cultures festivals and Gods fits in with the Celtic adaptability and mentality.

Autumn Equinox refers to a time of the year when day and night are equally balanced. The sun is in the process of crossing the equator and in astrological terms is entering the sign of Libra. The sun is the focal point of energy (along with the moon) and such; its life force pushes us to discover more about ourselves. This movement into the Libra puts a congenial, cooperative outlook on that time of year, just what was needed by the communities, as they all worked together to complete the harvest.

Harvest Home is an Anglo-Celtic version of the original Mabon, and fell in-between the First (Lugnasadh) and the Third (Samhain) Harvests. Harvests festivals were a very important part of the pre- industrialized culture. It was a time of relief and of rest. Relief that the crops were in and rest to catch their breath before the work of preparing for winter began. This was a time to give thanks.

The Witches Thanksgiving, according to McCoy is one of the oldest holidays known to Europe. On this I will have to disagree, first the author mentions that Mabon is actually a Norse holiday, then contradicts herself with the above statement. Actually I believe she is trying to draw comparisons between the Witches Thanksgiving and the American Thanksgiving. There are similarities, though the reason she states about the time differences are not the same. The American Thanksgiving is celebrated at the time of year it is, not because the Puritans choose that date to distant themselves from the Pagan Mabon, but rather because they had a late harvest and an early winter. Thus celebrating it when they could, survival being more important then distancing themselves European witches Thanksgiving. (McCoy page 185- 189)

Autumn is over the long leaves that love us,
And over the mice in the barley sheaves;
Yellow the leaves of the rowan above us,
And yellow the wet wild-strawberry leaves.

The hour of the waning of love has beset us;
And weary and worn are our sad souls now;
Let us part, ere the season of passion forget us,
With a kiss and a tear and dropping brow.
- W.B. Yeats (page 14-15)

Siring Fate according to King, are claims that this is the true name of Mabon. Using Greek Mythology, the story of Persephone and Madron and Mabon. Claiming that the name Mabon is the son's name, not the Sabbats. He basis his claim on the fact that, Mabon, mates with his mother Madron, thus siring the new season. He using the story of Persephone to back up his assertion, stating that when Persephone leaves her mother to be with Hades, the new season begins. While there may be similarities to these myths, King is making the common mistake of associating cultures based on similarities rather than the uniqueness of each myth, or culture. Claiming as did Caesar and others that the Celts, Gods, heroes, Legends and Myths, were in actuality Greco-Roman.

Mabon is a celebration of life and death, and giving of life again, the cycle of the seasons. Mabon is a time to enjoy the fruits of a hard year's labor, to stock up for the long winter. No matter how you celebrate Mabon, or how it came about, or whatever it's true name may be, it is important to know that Mabon a time for giving thanks.

FOODS

Roast Mutton

• 1 Lam leg 7-8 pounds
• 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 clove of garlic

Set oven at 325 F, for 3 1/2 hours for well done. Sprinkle roast with seasonings, take knife and make several small insertions, place pieces of garlic in Roast. (Remove cloves before serving.) Place lamb, fat side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Roast till desired pink(ness). 7-9 lb.: rare: 15-20 minutes, Medium: 20-25 minutes, well: 25-30 minutes per pound.

New Small Potatoes

Wash potatoes lightly and leave whole. Heat 1 inch salted water to boiling. Add potatoes. Cover and heat to a boil; reduce heat. Boil to tender, 20-25 minutes; drain, and butter.

Citrus Salad

• 1 1/2 cups of boiling water
• 1 package (6 ounces) lemon flavored gelatin
• 2 cups ginger ale, chilled
• 4 oranges
• 2 grapefruit

Pour boiling water on gelatin; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Stir in ginger ale. Refrigerate until slightly thickened.

Pare and section oranges and grapefruit. Cut sections into 1-inch pieces; stir into gelatin mixture. Pour into 8-cup mold. Refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours; unmold. Garnish with additional orange sections and salad greens if desired.

Rum Cracker Torte

• 6 eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon rum flavoring
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup fine graham crackers
• 1 cup of finely chopped nuts
• 1 square (1 ounce) unsweetened chocolate, grated

• Rum-flavored Whipped Cream

Heat oven to 350 F. line bottoms of 2 round pans, 8 or 9X1 1/2 inches with aluminum foil. Beat eggs whites in 21/2-quart bowl until foamy. Beat in 1/2 cup of sugar. 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beat until stiff and glossy. Beat egg yolks, oil and rum flavoring in 11/2 quart on low speed until blended. Add 1/2 cup of sugar. Flour baking powder, cinnamon and cloves; beat on medium speed 1 minute. Fold egg yolk mixture into egg whites. Fold in cracker crumbs, nuts and chocolate. Pour into pans.

Bake until top springs back when touched lightly, 30-35 minutes. Cool ten minutes. Loosen edge layers with knife; invert pan and hit sharply on table. (Cake will drop out) Remove foil; cool completely.

Split cake to make four layers. Fill layers and frost torte with Rum Flavored Whipped Cream. Refrigerate for at least 7 hours.

Rum-flavored Whipped Cream: Beat 2 cups of chilled whipping cream, 1.2 cup powered sugar and 2 teaspoons of rum flavoring in chilled bowl till stiff.

Ritual

As Mabon is a time of giving thanks there are several suggested rituals. The first involves those more fortunate helping out those less fortunate. This can involve helping out at a shelter, volunteering at a hospital or working for the Homes for Humanity project. There are many more ways to help; the point is to give to those who can't help themselves. It may also involve teaching them a skill (reading and writing) to helping them find a job. A more formal ritual involves candles, a meal and being surrounded by those who love you and those whom you love. It is actually a very simple ceremony, after opening up the circle around the table, the Leader starts by reciting the following and passing on the flame to light the candles stationed on each of the corners. Pass flame clockwise. As each person receives the flame to light their candle they also recite a section of the blessing, until the flame returns the flame, the leader then close the circle and all eat and enjoy the harvest as it is meant to be enjoyed. The recommend blessing is the Charge of the Goddess.

Leader:
Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess;
She in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven,
and whose body encircles the universe:
I who am the beauty of the green earth,
and the white moon among the stars,
and the mystery of the waters,
call unto they soul:
South:
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.
West:
Let My worship be within the heart that rejoices;
for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals.
And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion,
honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.
North:
And thou who thinkest to seek Me,
Know that thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not,
unless thou knowest the Mystery:
that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee,
thou wilt never find it without.
For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning;
And I am that which is attained at the end of desire.
Leader:
And so Mote it be!

Work Cited

Bord, Janet & Colin, Earth Rites, Fertility Practices in Pre- Industrial Britain, Granada, London, 1982.

Carr-Gomm, Philip The Elements of the Druid Tradition Element Books, Rockport, MA 1998.

Danaher, Kevin, The Year in Ireland, The Mercier Press, Cork, 1972.

Henes, Donna, Celestially Auspicious Occasions: Seasons, Cycles & Celebrations, A Pedigree Book. NY, NY 1996.

Hole, Christina, Witchcraft in England, Rowman & Littlefield, Totowa NJ, 1977.

Holleston, T.W., Celtic Mythology: History, Legends and Deities, NewCastle Publishing, Van Nuys, CA 1997.

MacCana, Proinsias, Celtic Mythology, The Hamlyn Publishing Group, Ltd., London, 1970.

MacCulloch, J.A. Religion of the Ancient Celts, Folcroft Library Editions, London, 1977.

Matthews, John, The Druid Source Book: Complied and Edited by John Matthews, A Blanford Book, London, England, 1997.

Matthews, John and Caitlin Matthews, The Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom, Element Books Rockport, MA 1994.

McCoy, Edain, The Sabbats: A New Approach to Living the Old Ways, Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, MN 1998.

Nichols, Ross, The Book of Druidry, Harper-Collins, London, England 1992.

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Williamson, John, The Oak King, The Holly King, and the Unicorn, Harper & Row, New York, 1986.

Wood-Martin, W.G., Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland, Kennikat Press, Port Washington, NY, 1902.