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!

Mabon Ritual of the Second Harvest Tools for the Ritual: · Russet and yellow altar cloths · Golden God candle · Silver Goddess candle · White altar candle · Quarter candles and corresponding stones · Matches, taper and snuffer · Simple feast - homemade bread and hot chocolate · A small fallen tree branch - and other materials (see below) · Cauldron or fire-proof bowl · Sprigs of Ivy in a small vase · An autumn incense, for example prinknash basilica blend Tools for the Earth Healing and Peace Spell: · Blue candle in a candle holder · Lavender oil Preparation: Before the day of ritual take a small branch from the garden, or a fallen one found locally. Place it in a vase. Find items that represent things that you have begun, completed, or plan to begin soon. These items can be physical things or words written on strips of paper. You will also need some strips of paper that have been left blank. The blank strips represent things that you will begin this winter but have not yet planned. They are ripening possibilities. Also find some yarn or thread in autumn colors and cut it into enough 6" long pieces to fasten all the items to the branch. Think of things that you have left undone. Decide why this should be so. Choose things that are no longer creative parts of your life. Write these on small strips of paper. These are to be cast aside during the ritual. At the beginning of the ritual mentally cleanse and sweep the area moving in deosil fashion. Set up the quarter candles and stones symbolizing the elements of the quarters. Decorate the altar with its cloths, and then the candles. Place the branch in the middle of the altar, the golden God candle to the right back of it, the silver Goddess candle to the left back of it. The cauldron goes in front of the Goddess candle. The white altar candle goes at the center back of the altar between the Goddess and God candles. Place the items for the simple feast to one side and the ivy in front of the God candle. Take a shower or splash your face with water for purification. Sit quietly and meditate for a while, then ground and center. The Ritual: The ritual is begun. Cast the circle, calling the quarters and spirit center. Invoke the Goddess and God. Bid them all Hail and Welcome. I come before you, my Goddess and God as the wheel of the year turns to the time of the autumn equinox once more. Green Lady, the earth has been weighed down with the bountifulness of your great harvest. My God, your creativity has brought forth the burgeoning fruits of nature that I have seen all around me. Two that are one, your joining has produced life that dances in the light, may the harvest nourish and sustain all living creatures through the coming time of darkness and winter. Many things have happened in the past summer, and many more will come in the autumn and winter. I stand in this place as the year balances between the dark and light times. I look back and remember, look forward and plan, and I balance the dark and light in my life. Hold your hands lightly over the branch in its vase and say: You were grown in the time that is now past. You lived through the events that happened in that time. You have been cast aside as dead in the present time but your continuing natural beauty and form live and work in this ritual. You will go back to and re-nourish the earth in the time that is coming. In the future you will live again in the ever-turning cycle of life, death and rebirth. While looking at you in the coming weeks may I remember the past, present and future which are represented in all living things as they continue on the cycle of the ever-turning wheel. I look back as the past blazes in my mind. I see the things begun, the things completed and the things left undone. I give thanks for the things that are begun and I hope for their continuing. Take the items that represent the begun things and decorate the branch with them, tying them on one by one, using the autumn colored yarn or thread. I give thanks for the things that are completed and I offer them up as a harvest of my own creativity. Take the items that represent the completed things and decorate the branch with them, tying them on one by one, using the autumn colored yarn or thread. I think on the things that have been left undone. I cast them aside now in the hope that their loss will create space for the new things that will be. Take the strips of paper with the unfinished things written on them and, using the altar candle, set light to them one by one and drop them in the cauldron. Watch them burn. The ashes are to be scattered on the garden after the ritual. I look forward as the future beckons with the coming time of introspection and continued inner growth. I see the things planned and look for the things not yet planned. I give thanks for the things that are planned and look forward to beginning their creative cycle. Take the items that represent the planned things and decorate the branch with them, tying them on one by one, using the autumn colored yarn or thread. I think on the things that are not yet planned. I hold myself open to new possibilities in the knowledge that I have made space for their existence. Take the items that represent the unplanned things and decorate the branch with them, tying them on one by one, using the autumn colored yarn or thread. Arrange everything on the branch in a pleasing manner. When you have finished place the branch and vase back in their original position on the altar. The warm time is passing, when the green earths creatures basked in the golden light of the sun. I remember times of bustling activity spent in the outer world of sunlight, and times of quiet exploration spent in the inner world of mind-light. The cold time is coming, when the warm burrows of bed and fire-side beckon. I look forward to times of pensive and joyous reflection in the warmth of flickering candlelight, and busy activity in the safety and shelter of home. Self Re-dedication My life is consecrated to the Green Lady my Goddess and her consort the horned God. I offer myself once more to your service, Green Lady. Crouch on the ground in a fetus position. Place one hand on the crown of your head and the other under you feet. Everything that is between my hands is yours. I give it freely and with full knowledge and forethought. May everything that I am always be used honestly, truthfully, wisely and courageously in your service, Green Lady. Uncurl yourself and continue May I listen for and hear you, May I look for and see you, May I reach for and touch you, May I wait for and find you. Teach me what I need to know, and what I am now ready to know. Your blessings are abundant, bless me abundantly. Earth Healing and Peace Spell Place the blue candle in its holder and anoint it with lavender oil moving from the top of the candle to the middle, then from the bottom to the middle, so that the whole candle has been anointed, but no part of it has been anointed in both upward and downward directions. Excess oil may be used to anoint your breastbone with the triple moon. Raise energy by visualizing that you are a tree. Extend your roots into the earth and feel the rich abundance of energy the earth gives to her children. Draw energy up through your roots, through your trunk and into your branches. Allow it to cascade in silver fountains back down to the earth. Visualize the world as a place of freedom, peace, equality and plenty. Opinion and belief may be expressed by all people in an atmosphere of safety, tolerance and understanding. Nationality, wealth, ethnic and social background are all irrelevant in this place. Respect for all is the code by which we live. Everyone's voice is equally heard and relevant. There is no need for desperate action here because the deep belief in the heart of each individual is that everyone is equal. There are infinite numbers of different types of people who naturally band with others who are similar to themselves, but each one is of equal worth to the larger group called humanity. Difference is valued for its role in the survival of the species - a sure antidote for stagnation and stubborn sameness. Explore this world, explore the feelings of it and create it in your mind. When you have finished exploring, direct your silver fountains of earth energy into the blue candle through your hands. Light the candle. Bind the spell, visualizing a cord tying around the candle. Address the earth - I bind this spell by power of the three, may it harm none and bring good to thee. Proceed with the simple feast to ground yourself. The end of the Ritual Thank the spirits of the quarters and center, and also the Goddess and God. Ask them to go if they must but stay if they will. Bid them all Hail and Farewell. Open the circle. The circle is open but never broken. Allow the spell candle to burn down without extinguishing. The ritual is ended.

Invocation of Blue Corn Girl for Autumn Equinox (If there is more than one person present for this invocation, others can whisper "listen, she is coming" or "Blue Corn Girl is coming" at various points in the chant, as indicated by parentheses.) Listen, She is coming, Blue Corn Girl is coming, She is coming in the winds, (Listen, she is coming) She is coming in the sunlight, (Blue Corn Girl is coming) She is coming in the fallen leaves, She is coming in the dying meadows. Listen, She is coming, Blue Corn Girl is coming, (Blue Corn Girl is coming) She is coming To see the harvest (Listen, she is coming) Of the fruits of the soil And the fruits of the soul Listen, She is coming, Blue Corn Girl is coming, Listen, She is coming. Blue Corn Girl is here. Welcome.

Mabon The Time of Change is upon us again - the Equinox comes, the Wheel turns... The Goddess and the God prepare for Their journey to the Otherworld, as the Earth and all of Her children prepare for the Time of Quiet and Reflection that lies ahead... May we use this Autumnal period to seek for the strength and power within to assist us on our own quests for vision, feeling, and peace... May we see and feel the presence of the Goddess and the God within, though without, the Earth begins Her slumber... Keep us in Your light...

Lady Autumn Lady Autumn, Queen of the Harvest, I have seen You in the setting Sun with Your long auburn tresses blowing in the cool air that surrounds You. Your crown of golden leaves is jeweled with amber, amethyst, and rubies. Your long, flowing purple robe stretches across the horizon. In Your hands You hold the ripened fruits. At Your feet the squirrels gather acorns. Black crows perch on Your outstretched arms. All around You the leaves are falling. You sit upon Your throne and watch the dying fires of the setting Sun shine forth its final colors in the sky. The purple and orange lingers and glows like burning embers. Then all colors fade into the twilight. Lady Autumn, You are here at last. We thank You for Your rewards. We have worked hard for these gifts. Lady Autumn, now grant us peace and rest.

Covenstead Bread Recipe by Gerina Dunwich 3/4 cup water 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup finely chopped citron 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons anise seeds 2-1/3 cups flour 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon allspice Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Add honey, citron, sugar, and anise seeds. Stir until the sugar completely dissolves and then remove from heat. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices, and fold into the hot honey mixture. Turn the batter into a well-greased 9 X 5 X 3-inch loaf pan and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for one hour. Turn out on a wire rack to cool. (This recipe yields one loaf of bread.) 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. (This "Covenstead Bread" recipe is from "The Wicca Spellbook: A Witch's Collection of Wiccan Spells, Potions and Recipes" by Gerina Dunwich, p. 169, a Citadel Press Book, Carol Publishing Group, 1994) Salem Witch Pudding Recipe by Gerina Dunwich 4 eggs, separated 1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree 1 cup light brown sugar 3/4 cup half-and-half 5 tablespoons rum 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt In an electric mixer or large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. In a different bowl, beat the egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Combine the yolks with the remaining eight ingredients; mix together well; and then fold in the egg whites. Pour the pumpkin mixture into a buttered 1-quart souffle dish. Place it in a pan of hot water and bake in a 350-degree preheated oven for about 45 minutes. (This recipe yields 6 servings.) (This "Salem Witch Pudding" recipe is from "The Wicca Spellbook: A Witch's Collection of Wiccan Spells, Potions and Recipes" by Gerina Dunwich, p. 173, a Citadel Press Book, Carol Publishing Group, 1994) Texas-Style Pecan Pie Recipe by Edain McCoy This recipe makes two pies. 2 deep-dish unbaked pie shells 6 beaten eggs 1/2 cup butter, melted (The real thing is best. If you use margarine, add 1/8 teaspoon salt to the recipe.) 2 cups brown sugar, packed 1-3/4 cups corn syrup 2-1/4 teaspoons vanilla 2-1/2 cups chopped pecans Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slowly and thoroughly mix together the eggs, butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla. Pour the mixture into the two pie shells. As this mixture will not "rise" like some pies, you can fill the shells higher than usual, but not so high that they boil over and leave a sticky, burned mess in your oven. Cover the pie with the pecans. Bake for about an hour. (This "Texas-Style Pecan Pie" recipe is from "The Sabbats: A New Approach to Living the Old Ways" by Edain McCoy, Llewellyn Publications, 1994) Blackberry Wine Recipe by Edain McCoy 2 & 1/2 pounds fresh Blackberries 3 cups Sugar 2 cups Hot Water Let the berries set out in a large bowl for about four weeks, stirring them occasionally. The berries will get a rank smell and may begin to mold. With mortar and pestle, crush the berries into as smooth a pulp as possible. Stir in the sugar and then the water. Pour the wine into casks to ferment for eight to ten months. The longer it is kept the better it will be. The wine will have to be aired every few days to allow building gases to escape. This wine has a gentle port-like flavor when finished. (This 'Blackberry Wine' recipe is from "Witta: An Irish Pagan Tradition" by Edain McCoy, Llewellyn Publications, 1994) Mabon Incense Recipe by Scott Cunningham 2 parts Frankincense 1 part Sandalwood 1 part Cypress 1 part Juniper 1 part Pine 1/2 part Oakmoss (or a few drops Oakmoss bouquet) 1 pinch pulverized Oak leaf Burn during Wiccan ceremonies on Mabon (the Autumnal Equinox, circa September 21st), or at that time to attune with the change of the seasons. (This 'Mabon Incense' recipe is from "The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews" by Scott Cunningham, Llewellyn Publications, 1989) Autumn Equinox Ritual Potpourri Recipe by Gerina Dunwich 45 drops Honeysuckle Oil 1 cup Oak Moss 6 small Acorns 2 cups dried Oak Leaves 2 cups dried Honeysuckle 1 cup dried Passionflower 1 cup dried Rosebuds and Petals 1/2 cup dried Pine Needles 1 tablespoon Sage Mix the honeysuckle oil with the oak moss and then add the remaining ingredients. Stir the potpourri well and store in a tightly covered ceramic or glass container. (This 'Autumn Equinox Ritual Potpourri' recipe is from "The Wicca Spellbook: A Witch's Collection of Wiccan Spells, Potions and Recipes" by Gerina Dunwich, a Citadel Press Book, Carol Publishing Group, 1994)

According to one Greek myth, Autumn begins when Persephone returns to the Underworld to live with her husband, Hades. This is the tale... Demeter's daughter, known as Kore at this time, was out picking flowers in a meadow when the Earth opened, and the god Hades dragged the girl into the Underworld Kingdom to be his wife. Kore's name changed to Persephone when she became the wife of Hades. For nine days Demeter looked everywhere for Kore, to no avail. In despair, she finally consulted the Sun god Helios, who told her that her brother Zeus had given the girl to Hades. Furious to hear the news, Demeter left Olympus and wandered the Earth disguised as an old woman. She finally settled in her temple at Eleusis. She cursed the Earth so it yielded no crops. Zeus became frantic and sent her a message as to why she had done this. She responded by stating to Zeus that there would be no renewing vegetation on Earth until her daughter, Kore, was returned to her. Zeus sent Hermes into the Underworld for the girl. Hades, not wanting to give up his wife permanently, enticed Persephone to eat pomegranate seeds before she returned to her mother. Upon learning of this trick, Demeter again despaired, until Zeus declared that Persephone-Kore would live with her husband during half of the year, and return to live with her mother during the other half. In gratitude, Demeter lifted her curse on the Earth, thus creating Spring at the time of her great joy of her daughter's return; and Fall at her time of great sorrow when her daughter returned to the Underworld to live with her husband, Hades.