The Sabbat of Mabon

Mabon

Autumnal Equinox, Sept 22, dependent on actual astronomical occurrence

Lesser Sabbat

God and Goddess:

We celebrate the aging Goddess as she passes from Mother to Crone, and her consort the God as he prepares for death and re-birth.

General:
Mabon, (pronounced MAY-bun, MAY-bone, MAH-boon, or MAH-bawn) is the Autumn Equinox. It divides the day and night equally, and we all take a moment to pay our respects the the impending dark. We also give thanks to the waning sunlight, as we store our harvest of this year’s crops.
The Autumnal Equinox, the second of the Harvest Festivals, is the Pagan rite of Thanksgiving, also known as "Harvest Home." It's a Sabbat of celebration for the abundance of the harvest; a time meant for us to give thanks through song, dance, and feasts.
In History: 
Mabon (May-bawn) is also known as the Feast of Avalon and the festival of the Wine and Apple Harvest. To the Celts, Avalon is the mysterious place for the land of the dead. and literally means the "land of apples". Thus this is a holiday for celebrating the bounty of the harvest and the desire for the living to be reunited with their deceased loved ones.
But the holiday is also named for the Welsh God Mabon. Mabon means the "great son". He was the son of Modred, kidnapped at the age of 3 and later rescued by King Arthur. His life represents the innocence of youth, the strength of survival and the growing wisdom of the elderly. Perhaps it is this view of the cycle of life that brings Mabon to his most popular role, the King of the Otherworld and the God of Darkness.
His myths overlap with other Gods such as the Welsh God Gwyn Ap Nuad, which means "white son of darkness". He is seen as the God of war and death, the patron God of fallen warriors. Once again this is a representation or connection to the Land of Avalon.

Traditions

Feast:
There are many ways to give honor during this 2nd harvest festival. One old traditional way is to visit the burial sites of your loved ones, placing an apple on their marker. This represents the promise of the Great Spirits for renewed life (a new incarnation).
This is a Celtic festival of thanksgiving, so what a better way to give thanks than to prepare a meal with the harvest of your garden. Those that indulge in wine can brew a new batch of this homemade nectar of the Gods. Those that do not indulge, can brew preserves and jellies from grapes, raspberries and blackberries. Don't forget an apple pie for dessert.
A main course can consist of meats, most often red meats. But this is just a suggestion. In this day and age of healthy eating, you should prepare a meal that fits your personal lifestyle. However, your side dishes should consist of late summer and early fall vegetables.
During your meal, share tales and happy stories about those you lost during the year. Or share your experiences and review the lessons you feel you have learned during this past season. Reflect on your deeds and actions and give thanks for the gifts you were given.
After your meal, share the chore of cleaning up. This is a way of showing honor and respect to your host and hostess. Think of it as a physical action to show that you understand the interconnection of all life and the desire to respect what you have been given and thanks for receiving those gifts.

Celebration
Autumn is a great time for crafts. A simple activity that is great for kids is doing a leaf rub. Go out with the kids and pick some leaves that have fallen from the trees. Flat ones work best. Inside, on a table, place a piece of paper over the top and use a crayon on it’s side to rub over the leaf. The kids can then color, paint or decorate their leaf imprint however they want.

A recent craft I have seen is making roses out of leaves:
http://secretary-fall-secretary.blogspot.com/2009/11/roses-from-leaves.html

Decoupage with autumn leaves:
http://www.crafts-for-all-seasons.com/decoupage-leaves.html

http://indulgy.com/post/nyD6ktEOI1/decoupage-pumpkins-with-leaves


Ritual Ideas:
What you need:
A candle and something to light it with - candles in oranges, browns, rusty reds or gold are nice, but a white candle always works in a pinch. A fall scented candle would work as well: cinnamon, pumpkin spice - whatever makes you feel the season!
A drink and a snack: Again, fall inspired things are nice if you have them on hand: leaf shaped cookies, fresh bread, a pumpkin or apple muffin - or just a nice fresh apple! Drinks can be anything from apple cider, herbal tea to a cold glass of water (it'll be almost 90 today here, so that sounds good to me!)
Optional: paper and pen, your cauldron or another heat proof dish
What to do:
Sit with your ritual items when you find a quiet moment. Center yourself and take a few deep, cleansing breaths. Think about the season passing and the one to come. Think of the abundance that you've received and worked hard to obtain. Light the candle and say the following (or words of your own creation):
I light this candle to honor the season and to give thanks for the abundance in my life. I strive to remember these blessings and give thanks for them throughout the entire year. I strive to remember to share those blessings with others not as fortunate as I am, even when I have little to share. I express my gratitude to the Lord and Lady for all my blessings this Mabon, and give thanks for all those blessings that will come to me this glorious fall season. So Mote it be!
If you have the time or desire, write down your blessings and a few words of thanks on the paper. When it's just the way you want it, fold it into a small square, light it on fire on your lit candle and place it in your cauldron, to send off your thanks into the universe. (Never leave fire unattended and keep away from children and pets!). Have your drink and snack, leaving a bit to put outside as an offering if you choose to do so. Snuff out your candle and have a blessed Mabon season!
Get the kids involved: Purchase a large piece of poster board and on it draw or paint a tree with many stretching branches. Using fall colored construction paper, cut out leaf shapes (about 40 per child) or purchase some from your local craft store. On the day of the Fall Equinox, start them off telling something that they were grateful for that day. Have them write (or write for them) it on a leaf and glue or tape it to the tree. Repeat each day until Samhain.

Mabon Correspondences

Element/Gender: 

Water 

Threshold: 

Evening 

Herbs: 

Myrrh, Thistle, Tobacco, Oak Leaf, Hazel, Mums, Hops, Acorns, Marigold, Rose, Sage, Milkweed, Solomon's Seal, Aster, Fern, Honeysuckle, Benzoin,  Passionflower,  Pine & Cedar, Ivy, 

Gemstones: 

Yellow Agate, Carnelian, Yellow Topaz, Sapphire, Lapis Lazuli & Amethyst 

Incense/Oil: 

Pine, Sweetgrass, Apple Blossom, Benzoin, Myrrh, Frankincense, Jasmine, Sage wood,
Black pepper, Patchouly, Cinnamon, Clove, Oak Moss 

Colors/Candles: 

Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Deep Gold, Scarlet, Yellow, Russet, Maroon,
 All Autumn Colours 

Animals/Mythical beings: 

dogs, wolves, stag, blackbird, owl, eagle, birds of prey, salmon & goat, Gnomes, Sphinx, Minotaur, Cyclops, Andamans and Gulons 

Tools/Symbols/Decorations: 

indian corn, red fruits, autumn flowers, red poppies, hazelnuts, garlands, grains especially wheat stalks, and colorful, fallen leaves, acorns, pine & cypress cones, oak sprigs, pomegranate, statue/or figure to represent the Mother Goddess, mabon wreath, vine, grapes, gourd, cornucopia/horns of plenty, burial cairns, apples, marigolds, harvested crops, burial cairns, rattles, the Mysteries, sun wheel, all harvest symbols 

Goddesses: 

Modron (Welsh), Bona Dea, Land Mother, Aging & Harvest Dieties: the Triple Goddess-Mother aspect, Persephone, Demeter/Ceres, Morgan (Welsh- Cornish), Snake Woman (aboriginal), Epona (Celtic-Gaulish), Pamona (roman), the Muses (greek) 

Gods: 

Mabon ap Modron (Welsh), Sky Father, Wine Gods, Aging Gods, John Barley Corn , the Wicker-Man, the Corn Man, Thoth (Egyptian), Hermes, Hotei (Japanese), Thor, Dionysus (Roman), Bacchus (Greek) & all wine Deities 

Essence: 

beauty, joy; fullness of life, harvest of the year's desires, strength; laughter; power; prosperity, equality, balance, appreciation, harvest, protection, wealth, 

security, self-confidence, reincarnation 

Dynamics/Meaning: 

death of the God, assumption of the Crone, balance of light and dark; increase of darkness, grape harvest, completion of the harvest 

Purpose: 

second harvest festival, new wine pressing/making preparation for winter and Samhain, rest after labor, Pagan day of Thanksgiving, honoring the spirit world, celebration of wine 

Rituals/Magicks: 

Celtic Festival of the Vine, prosperity rituals, introspection, rituals which enact the elderly aspects of both Goddess & God, past life recall 

Customs: 

offerings to land, preparing for cold weather, bringing in harvest, cutting willow wands (Druidic), eating seasonal fruit, leaving apples upon burial cairns & graves as a token of honor, walk wild places & forests, gather seed pods & dried plants, fermenting grapes to make wine,picking ripe produce, stalk bundling; fishing,. on the closest full moon (Harvest Moon) harvesting corps by moonlight. 

Foods: 

cornbread, wheat products, bread, grains, berries, nuts, grapes, acorns, seeds, dried fruits, corn, beans, squash, roots (ie onions, carrots, potatoes, etc), hops, 

sassafras, apples, pomegranates, carrots, onions, potatoes, roast goose or mutton, wine, ale, & cider 

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