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It's that time of year again; the leaves are turning gold, red, orange and yellow; it's starting to get colder every time you go and start your car for work in the morning; and the birds are all heading back to a warmer place (well, if you live up in Canada anyway:)

It's almost Mabon (or Harvest Home). It's a time to give thanks to the Horned One for the last great harvest of the year.

Here is an exerpt from my Sabbats page about mabon:

In many mythologies, this is the day the Sun God, the God of Light, is killed by his rival and dark twin, the God of Darkness -- who was born at Midsummer, reached puberty at Lammas, and lives a mirror-image life of the Sun God. From this mid-Autumn day forward, darkness will be greater than light, just as night becomes longer than day. So it is a festival of sacrifice, including that of the Sun God in his aspect of Spirit of the Fields, John Barleycorn -- for this is the final grain harvest. The Christian religion adopted it as 'Michaelmas', celebrated on the alternative date September 25, the old equinox date (Old Harvest Home). (The Welsh word 'Mabon', meaning 'son', is used by some Witches for the name of this holiday, although such usage is recent and not attested historically.)

Other Things About Mabon

Altar Decorations - Fall leaves, fall fruits, pine cones, seed pods, flowers and grain. Altar candles should be brown, orange, gold or red. Altar cloths can be made of a material with fall designs.

Mabon Lore: Witches bid farewell to the Maiden of Spring, and the Mother of Summer and bid hello to the Crone, the Goddess of the Dark Mysteries. The God is the Horned God of the Dead of not only humans, but animals as well.

Cornbread cakes and cider can be drank, and the last of the herbs that will be used should be gathered in preparation of the coming frost. Fall leaves can be dipped quickly into hot wax, then placed on wax paper to dry. Sigils of protection can be carved lightly on the leaves.

A Mabon Ritual

Prep: Have a lit candle in the south for Fire and an unlit candle in the north. If possible, have them be of opposite colors (white/black, red/black, red/green, yellow/black)

Quarter Calls

Say: I stand at the balance point, between light and dark,
Between Summer,

Walk around the circle deosil, with Fire's candle, then put it back in the south.

and Autumn.
On this day, when light and dark stand in the south and north
When the world is balanced between them,
I come to say farewell to the summer,
To the light and the Sun,
And welcome and prepare myself
For the cold and the darkness that is coming.
Summer is ended, and Autumn begins.

Say: I stand at the balance point, between light and dark,
Between the old and the new.
Here in this space between past and future
I cast off those things that hinder me
And reach for those things of future promise.

Call out something that has held you back, say it over and over, softer and softer until it loses it's power in your voice. Do this until you run out of things that have held you back.

say: And speak for those things of future promise.

Call out something that you hope will happen. It can be more than one thing. Keep calling it over and over, louder and louder, until you feel the power of your words.

Say: Here, with the sun set in the west,
I thank the powers that guide me for the summer's growth
For those things I have tended
And those I have gathered in from the cold,
I give thanks.
For the coming Autumn and Winter,
Under the night sky that will soon dominate my days,
In the cloak of the chill that will keep me indoors,
I hope that I will grow in my own ways,
And grow well.

Settle down for a (quick? slow? Depends on temparature!) meditation on the coming Autumn. When you are done with your meditations (which can be anything that you want) you should open your eyes.

When your eyes are open, think about if there's anything you want to do that hasn't been done yet. (Or better yet, have asked in advance. Do it here.)

If there's nothing left to be done, pick up the chalice and the bread/apples/food from their resting place.

I give thanks for (Something from either the past summer or coming autumn).

Take a sip of the water in the Chalice, take a piece of bread, and give an offering to the Lady,Lord and Lords of the Watchtowers.

Quarter dismissal and open circle.

More Things Mabon...

Mabon Recipe:

Convenstead Bread
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup finely chopped citron
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons anise seed
2 1/3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoom cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon allspice

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Add honey, citran, sugar, and anise seeds. Stir until the sugar completely dissolves and then remove from heat.
Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices, and fold into the hot honey mixture. Turn the batter into a well greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven for one hour. Turn out on a wire rack to cool.
Covenstead bread improves if allowed to stand for a day, and it is an ideal bread to serve during Lammas and Autumn Equinox Sabbats as well as at all coven meetings.

Well, I guess I shall close now, but will be back in October with a brand-new page for...you guessed it--Samhain. Hope your Harvest Home was great.

BB ~Fairwind