Lady Victoria Eclectic Pagan's blog: "Mabon"

Mabon is known as are second harvest. Earth begins to pull her fertility from the land.

Wild animals and humans alike scramble to gather as much food as possible before the hard winter that lies ahead. Grains and corn are appropriate for Mabon.

Corn has played a major role in North and Central America for hundreds of years. American Indians ate corn and use it in their religious beliefs and rituals.

The Corn Mother was used as a symbol of life, eternity, fertility and resurrection.

Corn was a scared gift of the Mother Goddess for magical uses.

Corn

           Planet –Sun

           Element –Fire

           Energies –Protection and Spirituality

 

Yellow Corn is used for the North

White Corn is used for the East

Red Corn is used for the South

Blue Corn is used in the west

 

Corns Magical Uses

Place a ear of blue corn on your altar or simply hang the blue corn somewhere in your home to induce spirituality.

Use corn meal and scatter it around your outdoor ritual area for blessings and heightened spiritual rituals.

Place a red ear of corn in baskets on the floor to protect your home.

 

Equinox - September 21st

 

Preparation 

The Altar should have a dish containing a single ear of wheat

covered by a cloth.

The circle and altar should be decorated with pine-cones

Grains acorns red poppies (the symbol of the Corn Goddess Demeter)

And autumnal flowers leaves and fruit. 

 Ritual

 

After the Witches Rune the group arrange themselves round the perimeter of the circle facing inwards. The Maiden gets the covered dish from the altar and places it in the center of the circle (leaving it covered) and returns to her place.

 

The High Priestess says:

Now is the time of balance, when day and night face each other as equals. Yet at this season the night is waxing and the day is waning for nothing ever remains the same.  (Do not close the ring)

Gradually the High Priestess leads inwards in a spiral until the group is close to the center. When she is ready the High Priestess halts and asks everyone to sit in a tight ring around the covered dish facing inwards.

 

The High Priestess says:

    Behold the mystery in silence is the seed of wisdom gained; she then uncovers the dish revealing the ear of grain.

    The high Priestess rises and goes to the East Candle .The High Priest rises and goes to the West candle and they face each other across the seated group.

 

The High Priestess says:

    Farewell O Sun ever-returning Light

    The hidden God who ever remains

    He now departs to the Land of Youth

    Through the Gates of Death

    To dwell enthroned the judge of the Gods and Men

    The horned leader of the host of air

    Yet as he stands unseen without the Circle

    So dwelleth he within the secret seed-

    The seed of new-reaped grain the seed of flesh

    Hidden in the earth the marvelous seed of the stars

    In him is Life and Life is the Light of man

    That which was never born and never dies

    Therefore the Wise Ones weep not but rejoice

The High Priestess raises both hands high in blessing to the High Priest Who responds with the same gesture.

The High Priestess and High Priest rejoin the group (the group now stands) And leads the group in a slow dance deosil gradually spiraling outwards towards the perimeter of the circle. When she judges that the spiral movement has been sufficiently emphasized, the High Priestess closes the ring by taking the hand of the last one in the chain and speeds up the pace until the group is circling fast and joyously.

After a few minute she cries out Down and everyone sits.

The Maiden replaces the dish with the grain on the altar, and covers it with the cloth.

The Great Rite is now enacted, followed by the wine and cakes.

Recipes:

 

Blue popcorn balls and blue corn bread are two of my favorite recipes for this celebration.

 

Quick and Easy Corn Bread

Before I place the corn bread into cook I carve a pentacle into the top of the loaf with a knife.

      6 cups all-purpose flour

6 cups cornmeal

1 cup sugar

7 tablespoons baking powder

6 eggs

6 cups milk

      1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Grease 2 (12 by 18 by 1-inch) baking pans and warm in the oven while preparing the ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and milk together. Then mix the egg/milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Add the vegetable oil and mix. Pour mixture into the hot baking pans and bake for 20 minutes.

  

Popcorn Balls

 2 cups sugar

 1 1/3 cups water

1/2 cup light corn syrup1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

18 cups popped blue corn

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, syrup, vinegar, and salt. Cook over high heat until mixture reaches 255 degrees F (hard-ball stage) on a candy thermometer. Stir in vanilla. Pour over popped corn, tossing gently to coat. When mixture is cool enough to handle, press popcorn into 3-inch balls with lightly greased hands. Cool completely on waxed paper.

Blue Corn Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup blue cornmeal

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 large eggs

1 1/2 to 2 cups milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup fresh blueberries, plus more for garnish

2 to 3 bananas, peeled and sliced

Directions

Preheat a nonstick griddle. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat the eggs and 1 1/2 cups of the milk in a medium bowl until combined, then stir in the melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries. If the batter seems too thick, add some of the remaining milk.

Ladle approximately 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until the bottom is light golden brown, flip, and continue cooking for about 30 seconds. Remove to an ovenproof plate and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. Serve 3 pancakes per person with a dollop of orange-honey butter, cinnamon maple syrup, and bananas. Garnish with blueberries dust with confectioners' sugar.

 

Orange-Honey Butter Syrup

3 cups fresh squeezed orange juice

2 sticks butter, slightly softened

2 tablespoons honey

Pinch salt

Directions

Place orange juice in a small non-reactive saucepan over high heat and reduce to 3 tablespoons. Place butter in a bowl and add the orange syrup, honey, and salt; mix until combined. Scoop into a large ramekin, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Cinnamon Maple Syrup

2 cups pure maple syrup

2 to 3 cinnamon sticks

Heat syrup and cinnamon sticks over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove and let steep for 1 hour. Remove sticks and pour into a small pitcher

 

I know this was long, but hope at least some of you enjoy reading and learning.

 

Have a Blessed Day!