Wheel of the Year ~ Mabon

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1 Wheel of the Year ~ Mabon The Wheel of the year describes the traditional Pagan festivals of the seasons. Articles will focus around these festivals of the seasons, giving you information and guidance on these ancient festivals and how to enhance your lives in today s world. These will also relate to our spiritual progression and how we can work on ourselves to be in sync with the harmonies of the natural cycle of the year. There are eight annual festivals or Sabbats that mark a time to pause and reflect upon what had happened before and to prepare us for the time ahead. The wheel of the year represents the continuing cycle of birth, death and rebirth. This life cycle is represented throughout the year divided into four Greater and four Lesser festivals which alternate approximately every six weeks. The four Greater festivals are fixed dates and can also be referred to as the Cross-Quarters known as Fire-festivals (also pre Christian festivals). The Lesser festivals are based on the position of the sun as they celebrate the two Equinoxes (day of equal sunlight and darkness) and the two Solstices (when the sun is either at its most northern or southern point; longest and shortest day). The Lesser festivals celebrate the turning points in seasons. They look back to what just happened as well as looking forward to what is to come. The festivals begin at sunset until sunset of the next day.

2 Mabon 22 nd September 2017 Mabon is the autumn equinox celebrating the equal length of day and night. For nature, this day is perfect balance. The balance of the day and night also links to the balance of feminine and masculine, internal and external, light and dark. Mabon is named after the God of Welsh mythology of the same name. Mabon is the son of the Earth Mother Goddess and is known as the Child of Light. Mabon is the middle of harvest too so it is a time of giving thanks for the harvest and it marks a time to reap what you have sown. It is a time for celebration and balance. From this point onwards, the dark begins to conquer the light; days become shorter and colder. It is also a reminder that the year is coming ever closer to its completion. We will begin to see the disappearance of the beauty of summer to the majestic signs of autumn. Mabon celebrates the second harvest of fruit and vegetables which are in abundance during this time. Giving thanks to the sun for its produce is at the heart of this celebration with a Great Feast of Thanksgiving. Whilst we see the gifts from the Earth it is also a time to search inwards to reap rewards of our hard work within ourselves. In terms of the God and the Goddess, the Goddess is the Harvest Queen oozing her fullness and beauty. The God finally dies at the cutting of the last grain giving his pure love as a gift.

3 As well as a joyous celebration of thanksgiving, Mabon is also a time for rest. The crops have given in plenty and the land begins to look bare as this harvest is collected. It is also a time for us to look within and reflect upon what we planted at the beginning of the year and how they have blossomed in to new opportunities, new growth and our new gifts. It is a time for completing the projects we began during the first part of the year. Whilst we celebrate these, we also can think ahead to the new hopes and dreams for the next spring (they will be nourished whilst lying hidden in the darkness). To prepare for the decline in the light, take this time to reflect and find peace within by letting go of anything that does not serve any longer. Symbols of Mabon include the Horn of Plenty (the cornucopia). It symbolises the abundance of fruits and vegetables from Mabon as well as symbolising the balance of the male and female. The symbol of the fruit harvest is the apple and it can link to many sacred traditions. The apple symbolises many things such as life, healing, regeneration, wholeness and beauty. When an apple is cut, a pentagram can be revealed containing the seeds the pagans consider this the apples secret. The pentagram being an important symbol for Pagan tradition as it symbolises the elements and the directions (Earth/North, Air/East, Fire/South, Water/West and Spirit). Colours which represent Mabon are red, yellow, gold and orange as they link to autumnal colours in nature we will begin to start seeing. Corn, dried fruits, root vegetables, apples, grapes (and wine), breads and acorns are all symbolic foods of Mabon and are used in traditional dishes during this celebration.

4 Setting up a Mabon Altar Create your own Mabon altar to celebrate this time. Use a cloth which is deep red, orange, yellow, gold or brown Candles should be red, orange, gold or yellow Decorate your altar with fruits, berries, acorns (take a walk in nature and collect the beauty found at this time) Use symbols to represent the day and night as they are at equal lengths on this day e.g. a black and white candles, a sun and a moon or represent the feminine and masculine. Use incense symbolic of Mabon such as rose, sage and Myrrh. A Mabon altar can also be set out in your back garden by taking small cuttings from your flowers, berries and fruits which may have grown over the season. Use your altar as a focal point for concentrating on your gifts from your personal journey as well as for giving thanks for the gifts we see in nature. Mabon Activities There are numerous activities to try during this time. They can include: A walk through your local woods / fields to appreciate the beauty of nature at this time. Bake bread in the shape of the sun. Use the fruit from the season and bake in delicious cakes. Roast seasonal vegetables and share with loved ones. Host a thanksgiving meal for friends and family. Create a special bird feed using the seeds. Remember people who are less fortunate by sending them prayers or sending the homeless food.

5 As part of the Magdalene Centre Newsletter for September 2017