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The Sabbats

Sabbats in History and Mythology /  Samhain (October 31st)  /  Yule (December 21st)  /  Imbolc (February 2nd)  /  Ostara (March 21st)  /  Beltane (April 30th)  /  Litha (June 21st)  /  Lughnasadh (August 1st)  /  Mabon (September 21st)

Written and compiled by George Knowles

Mabon

The Autumn Equinox 

Mabon is upon us, sweet Autumn Equinox

A time of hope and balance, and of harvesting our crops

When day and night are equal, as on Ostara day

We share our food, our hope, our love, our God and Goddess' way. 

Anonymous??? 

Mabon the Autumn Equinox is one of the lesser Sabbats of the Witches calendar.  In the Northern Hemisphere it normally falls between the 21^st-23^rd September, and this year 2008 it lands on the 22^nd (in the Southern Hemisphere the equivalent Sabbat is Ostara the Spring Equinox).  At Lammas (1st August), we celebrated the first of three autumnal harvests, and now as days and nights become equal and darkness overtakes light, we celebrate the conclusion of the second harvest. 

Mabon can be pronounced in various ways:  May-bun, May-bone, Mah-boon or Mah-bawn), and is commonly known by a variety of names:  The Second Harvest, Harvest of First Fruits, Wine Harvest, Feast of Avalon, Festival of Dionysus, Michaelmas, Harvest Home and Cornucopia.  The druids of old celebrated the Autumn Equinox as “Mea’n Fo’mhair” in which they honoured the Green Man as the God of the Forest by offering libations to trees.  According to the Celtic tree calendar Mabon is represented by the Vine (2^nd Sept – 29^th Sept), and the season (23^rd Sept-22^nd Dec) by the White Popular (Aspen). 

Green Man mask

While the waning sun still hovers in the sky and crops continuing to be gathered, it’s a rush against time to reap in the crops before the cold winter winds overtakes us.  After completing the corn harvest started at Lammas; the farmer turns his attention to grapes from vines, apples from orchards, nuts, berries and other essential fruits and vegetables.  As the days become shorter his efforts to complete the harvest are aided by the light of the full moon.  For this reason the full moon closest to Mabon is known as the “Harvest Moon”. 

Another name for this moon is the “Wine Moon”, for when apples and grapes are harvested, the grapes are pressed into wine and apples made into cider, both being favoured drinks of the season.  The grapevine in particular was considered sacred by early Pagans and reached a height in popularity during the eighth century BCE.  The followers of Dionysus/Bacchus, the gods of wine and inspiration, honoured the grape vine as a symbol of rebirth and transformation. 

In addition to harvesting the crops, many other things need to be accomplished for our continued survival.  Like seeds of renewal for the following years plantings need to be separated and stored ready for re-use.  Contained within them is the mystery of Life in Death, the spirit of nature in the guise of the “Corn King”.  He was sacrificed at Lammas and now sleeps awaiting his re-birth and return in the spring.  As summer draws to an end and winter approaches, nature withdraws its bounty and begins its period of rest.  Leaves fall from trees, flowers wither and die, and birds begin their migration to warmer climes.  Mabon is also the start of the hunting season, and time to check livestock’s (herd animals and poultry) ready for the winter slaughter. 

“The reaping is over and the harvest is in,
Summer is finished, another cycle begins” 

A harvest supper known as Harvest Home is traditional at this time, when friends and family all gather together to rest and appreciate the fruits of their labour.  The home is decorated with autumn coloured leaves, wheat sheaths, corn stalks and cornucopias filled with seasonal fruits and nuts.  The table is set and filled with such delights as hot stews, roast meat, poultry, pork pies, hams, bread, potato cakes and vegetables, followed by custards pies, cakes, fresh fruit and tarts.  Typical fruits of this time are apples, grapes, hazelnuts, pears and peaches, all washed down with copious helpings of wine, ale and cider. 

Mythologies 

In the mythology of the sabbats, at Mabon the “Lord of the Harvest” dies in a willing act of sacrifice.  He descends into the earth to the Underworld there to await his return by rebirth of the Goddess.  Nature declines and draws back its bounty in readiness for the winter and it’s time of rest.  The Goddess looks at the weakening sun and a fire burns in her womb as she feels the presence of the God, and so prepares for her own journey into the Underworld in search for him again. 

Mabon far from being a term from antiquity when the Autumn Equinox was referred to simply as that “the Autumn Equinox”, it was not until recent times that neo-pagans began referring to it as Mabon.  Ronald Hutton, a noted pagan scholar and historian, claims the term was first used by the American author Aidan Kelly during the early 1970’s, when as a co-founder of the “New Reformed Orthodox Order of the Golden Dawn” he was drafting copies for his much later book “Crafting the Art of Magic” published in 1991.  Kelly has admitted that he coined the modern term Mabon (and other festival names) from literary sources, in this case Welsh mythology, in his efforts to conceptualise modern pagan rituals. 

In Welsh mythology Mabon is the “divine son” of Modron, the Great Goddess of the Earth and the Otherworld.  As the story goes Mabon disappears or is kidnapped three days after his birth (and the light of the sun diminishes), and is held prisoner in the Otherworld (Modron’s womb).  Where he is held nobody knows, not even Modron, who seeks the help of friends to find him.  Eventually aided by King Arthur (from the Arthurian legends) and guided by 5 anciently revered animals (the Raven, Stag, Owl, Eagle and Salmon) they find Mabon at Yule, and release him from his prison as the new source of Light. 

In this story of Mabon it is easy to see parallels matching the mythology of the sabbats, but perhaps more fitting to natural events are the Eleusinian mysteries associated with Demeter and Persephone from Greek mythology.  In brief, Demeter is the Goddess of Corn, Grain and the Harvest.  One bright sunny day her daughter Persephone was out picking flowers in a meadow, when the earth suddenly opened up and the God Hades dragged her down into the Underworld, there to become his wife. 

Hades abducts Persephone  -  (Sculpture by Schiaffino) 

Demeter was naturally devastated and for the next nine days looked everywhere for her, but to no avail.  In her distress Demeter consulted with the Sun god Apollo, who revealed that her brother Zeus had pledged her daughter to Hades in a secret agreement.  Furiously Demeter left Olympus and wandered the Earth to search for her disguised as an old woman.  Unable to find her she retired to her temple at Eleusis and cursed the earth so no crops would grow.  Zeus became concerned at the resulting famine and sent her a message asking why she was doing this.  She responded stating there would be no renewal of the earth’s bounty until her daughter was returned. 

Zeus sent Hermes into the Underworld to seek the release of Persephone, but Hades was not willing to give up his wife completely.  He knew he must obey Zeus however, so he enticed Persephone to eat a pomegranate seed before she returned with Hermes, and by doing so she became eternally bound to Hades and the Underworld.  When Demeter learning of this trick she appealed to Zeus who declared that Persephone would henceforth live two thirds of the year with her mother, but the remaining third of the year must be spent with her husband Hades.

So delighted was Demeter to have Persephone back, if only for part of each year, she lifted the curse she had placed on the earth and revealed the Mysteries of nature.  She created the Spring Equinox in celebration of her daughter’s return, and the Autumn Equinox to reflect the great sorrow she felt when once again her daughter would journey back into the Underworld and be with her husband Hades. 

Frieze of Demeter and Persephone Consecrating Triptolemus 

After revealing Mysteries of nature, Demeter taught the people of Eleusis the principles of agriculture, and these they observed annually.  Later these observances were adopted by Athens as official festivals, but under the influence of the Eleusinian priesthood.  The most important part of the festival was the initiation of new Priests and Priestesses, which for centuries took place every year in the Telesterion Temple at Eleusis.  While the Mysteries were reserved only for the priesthood, the festival was eventually opened to all Greek citizens. 

End.

Sources

Microsoft® Encarta® 2006. © 1993-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. 

Cunningham's Encyclopedia Of Magical Herbs - By Scott Cunningham 

A Witches Bible  -  by Stewart and Janet Farrar 

Plus to many websites to mention 

 Written and compiled on the 12^th September 2008  ©  George Knowles 

Best wishes and Blessed Be