The nights are cooler.....
The leaves start their colorful changing Autumn show. We rush to gather the final gifts from our gardens before frosts set in. Evening fires in fireplaces and woodstoves take off the chill, and we watch birds begin their migrations south to warmer climates. Mabon, (pronounced May-bon) the second harvest festival is approaching. It is the Autumn Equinox, when day and night are once again in balance. Once more the sun crosses the celestial equator and light and darkness are equal to one another. The actual date varies from year-to-year as it does with all astrologically-based holidays, but Mabon usually falls on September 21st or 22nd.
The festival was named after the Welsh God Mabon. It is primarily one of harvest and thanksgiving when we rejoice in the bounty of the season. Mother Earth has given birth to all the wonderful fruit of her labor and She prepares to take her well deserved rest and slumber as Winter approaches. It is the time to attend to last minute details of preparation for Winter. We now see to canning, freezing and drying of fruits and vegetables, stocking of shelves, chopping of wood, taking heavier quilts, blankets and coats out of storage, and the modern attending to winterization of our automobiles and homes.
Often refferred to as "The Witches' Thanksgiving", Mabon is considered the second harvest and the harvest of fruits. The fruits of the harvest are celebrated as the evidence of The God and Goddess's love both for each other and for the creatures of earth. We celebrate the conclusion to the growing season and all the hard work that has gone before. Now is time for rest and relaxation, of good food, and quiet times as we give thanks for all the blessings and abundance in our lives.
Blessed Be. |
