Late this month [21st] we will be celebrating Mabon at our local henge, Thornborough. It's about 5500 years old and was said to be the spiritual centre of Britain in the Neolithic. Later, it became the centre of the Brigantes Celts - the largest Celtic Confederation in Britain. Now it is still used by the pagans of Northern England for festivals.
Mabon is the Autumn Equinox and the second harvest. It falls on September 21. Day and night are equal length, and this is time to look foreward to the coming dark of the year. The cycle of growth grows near its end and this is a time to give thanks to the sun, the God, for his light and warmth, and celebrate the aging Goddess as she passes from Mother to Crone. The Goddess steps aside and the God steps foreward and brings darkness. Also at this time, the God prepares for his death and re-birth.
Decorations- wines, pinecones, acorns, corn, apples, gourds, horns of plenty, and ivy vines
Foods- pomegranates, potatoes, carrots, breads, nuts, apples, onions, garlic
Herbs- myrrh, marigold, passion flower, rose, sage, thistle
Colors- orange, brown, gold, red, maroon
AUTUMN EQUINOX-MABON
Oh, my lover, you are gone once more,
To the deep, dark depths, ‘neath my lady’s core,
The underworld where the shadows grow,
The never-ending water of rivers flow,
I am the grim-reaper, I have cut you down,
When all is abundant, at the height of your crown,
Made of vine and ivy, your entity entwined,
Of spiralling trees, reincarnation to find,
After hard work and toil and tilling the earth,
The completion of harvest brings forth new birth,
Of fruit and flower and seed and grain,
We consecrate then scatter again.
Oh, my lover, you have gone to ground,
A heart-felt sacrifice I am bound,
In shrouds of green, blue, yellow and white,
I turn within to fading light,
To join you on an inner journey and quest,
So that we may seek wisdom and balance at their best,
And change, transformations must take place,
For future harmony, we embrace,
Through the darkness and coldness of months to come,
We are the state of equilibrium,
So we gently sink; submerge to a new energy phase,
When the nights grow longer, with shortening days.
Oh, my lover, you are not gone for good,
You begin your rest as the sun-god should,
I am your friend, not your traitor,
I helped guide you across your celestial equator,
You helped to grow the world’s great fare,
With help from friends; earth, water and air,
The work is done, gathered and stored,
Smiling faces at a winter’s hoard,
The fields and meadows soon bare and brown,
Things will now start a winding down,
One and all, they yield and transcend,
With sap in the trees, he doth descend.
Oh, my lover, we are whole, we are half,
We are creation, destruction, we are sad, we’er a laugh,
We are good, we are bad, we are dark and light,
In the depths of mother earth, we are blind but have sight,
It’s our second nature, our intuitive selves,
Put pollution and hatred back on the shelves,
We are clean, fresh air and love to the core,
We are peace, we are unrest, but we are not war,
We are loud, we are soft, we whisper, we shout,
But here we must give thanks to which sustains us throughout,
Oh, my lover, the life and unity we bring,
I’ll see you again, we will awaken in spring.
[Andrea Gibbons - afraid I don't know anything about this writer beyond her name]
Mabon is the Autumn Equinox and the second harvest. It falls on September 21. Day and night are equal length, and this is time to look foreward to the coming dark of the year. The cycle of growth grows near its end and this is a time to give thanks to the sun, the God, for his light and warmth, and celebrate the aging Goddess as she passes from Mother to Crone. The Goddess steps aside and the God steps foreward and brings darkness. Also at this time, the God prepares for his death and re-birth.
Decorations- wines, pinecones, acorns, corn, apples, gourds, horns of plenty, and ivy vines
Foods- pomegranates, potatoes, carrots, breads, nuts, apples, onions, garlic
Herbs- myrrh, marigold, passion flower, rose, sage, thistle
Colors- orange, brown, gold, red, maroon
AUTUMN EQUINOX-MABON
Oh, my lover, you are gone once more,
To the deep, dark depths, ‘neath my lady’s core,
The underworld where the shadows grow,
The never-ending water of rivers flow,
I am the grim-reaper, I have cut you down,
When all is abundant, at the height of your crown,
Made of vine and ivy, your entity entwined,
Of spiralling trees, reincarnation to find,
After hard work and toil and tilling the earth,
The completion of harvest brings forth new birth,
Of fruit and flower and seed and grain,
We consecrate then scatter again.
Oh, my lover, you have gone to ground,
A heart-felt sacrifice I am bound,
In shrouds of green, blue, yellow and white,
I turn within to fading light,
To join you on an inner journey and quest,
So that we may seek wisdom and balance at their best,
And change, transformations must take place,
For future harmony, we embrace,
Through the darkness and coldness of months to come,
We are the state of equilibrium,
So we gently sink; submerge to a new energy phase,
When the nights grow longer, with shortening days.
Oh, my lover, you are not gone for good,
You begin your rest as the sun-god should,
I am your friend, not your traitor,
I helped guide you across your celestial equator,
You helped to grow the world’s great fare,
With help from friends; earth, water and air,
The work is done, gathered and stored,
Smiling faces at a winter’s hoard,
The fields and meadows soon bare and brown,
Things will now start a winding down,
One and all, they yield and transcend,
With sap in the trees, he doth descend.
Oh, my lover, we are whole, we are half,
We are creation, destruction, we are sad, we’er a laugh,
We are good, we are bad, we are dark and light,
In the depths of mother earth, we are blind but have sight,
It’s our second nature, our intuitive selves,
Put pollution and hatred back on the shelves,
We are clean, fresh air and love to the core,
We are peace, we are unrest, but we are not war,
We are loud, we are soft, we whisper, we shout,
But here we must give thanks to which sustains us throughout,
Oh, my lover, the life and unity we bring,
I’ll see you again, we will awaken in spring.
[Andrea Gibbons - afraid I don't know anything about this writer beyond her name]
Shouts.....'here Boris,where are you Boris?'
