Tuesday 21 September 2010

MABON - The season of the Witch

This is my very favourite time of the year, I love the Autumn. The leaves start to change on the trees, you can feel the crisp air in the mornings. It most certainly is the season of the witch.

Mabon is the Autumn Equinox. The word equinox comes from the Latin word aequionoctium which means equal night. The name Mabon is taken from the Welsh god Mabon.

The story of Mabon and his mother, Modron, is as follows: Mabon was taken from his mother as she slept when he was only three nights old. Modron’s cries of anguish were so great that a search or quest commenced to find the missing child. At this point the story ties into the Arthurian legends as some of King Arthur’s knights, or the Kind himself, take up the quest to find Modron’s son. They eventually rely on the wisdom of the five wisest animals to help them: the blackbird, the stag, the owl, the eagle and the salmon.

Eventually the child was discovered to be quite safe. He had been sleeping in his mother’s womb or, depending on the version of the story, resting in the Underworld. In a plant analogy the child was resting just as a seed must rest beneath the earth before it can face the sunlight and brave the challenges of sprouting, growing and flourishing. Now that Mabon’s time had come, he was ready to face the world as God of Light and to be reborn as his mother’s champion.

Mabon is a celebration of the second harvest, all around us are signs in nature, hints of the shortening days and cooler nights to come. The leaves start to turn, the birds are beginning to migrate. Apples and squashes are ready to be harvested and grapes are ready to be turned into wine.

This festival can be used as a time to reap what good deeds you have sown. A time to feel the connection to the seasons as they change. It is a perfect time to consider balance and harmony and how these forces work in your life. Celebrate the earth’s bounty and gather in the fruits of your labour. Be thankful for all the blessings that you have.

Mabon Deities:
Abundantia, Bacchus, Ceres, Copia, Demeter, Fortuna, Persephone, Isis, Mabon, Modron, Morgan le Fay, Osirus, Elen of the Ways, Pomona, Priapus, Sohodo-no-Kami, Dionysus, The Green Man, Herne the Hunter

Mabon correspondences:
Asters, Chrysanthemum, Morning Glory, Pansy, Aspen, Birch, Poplar, Sycamore.
Apples, Grapes, Corn & Cornstalks, Pumpkins, Cornucopias, Wheat, Grain, Scarecrows, Cinnamon, Cloves, Ivy, Nutmeg, Oak leaves, Pine cones, Pomegranate, Sage.

Mabon colours:
Red, orange, yellow, gold, dark green, royal blue, brown, burgundy, dark purple, black, white.

Mabon crystals:
Agate, amethyst, carnelian, opal, peridot, sapphire, topaz

Animals of Mabon:
Dogs, Wolves, Birds of Prey, Goat, Blackbird, Stag, Owl, Eagle, and Salmon


A Harvest Witch Blessing:
This intriguing season brings joy and abundance true
Remember all of the magick that I have shown you
Look to the earth during the fall season of red and gold
Open your heart and rediscover this magick of old
May the simple enchantment of these bright autumn days
Bring you love and laughter in many bewitching ways

Tansy
X


Most of this information I have adapted from the book Autumn Equinox by Ellen Dugan.
The image I have used here is from a Mabon card, these can be purchased from one of my favourite shops in Glastonbury:

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