The Wheel of the Year: Mabon
September 21st is the cross-quarter day of the Vernal Equinox, and the holiday celebrated is Mabon. This is when the wine is made from the ripened grapes of summer and prime time for apple and gourd season. Mabon is the Pagan Thanksgiving and the second of three harvest festivals. Farmers start preparing their fields for the winter months ahead, as does Mother Earth.
At Mabon, the Goddess has entered her crone stage with her God, the Sage. Autumn has officially begun, whether there are patches of color on the foliage or not. This time of the year marks a time to reflect and give thanks to the universe for all it has provided throughout the year, as the Witch’s New Year falls the next month afterward. We see our God withering away, surrendering His life to sustain the crops until the harvest season, as well as the Promised Child the Goddess carries.
Once the final harvest is completed, the Sage will completely wither and returns to the Goddess’ womb for respite to be reborn as the Promised Child. A time of personal reflection begins as the nights grow longer and the days become shorter. Our Goddess is now a Crone, and our God is the Sage. Together, they enjoy the twilight days remaining until they are once again separated, only to be reunited again at the Winter Solstice. The Goddess withdraws into her own quiet contemplation, and as she does, she pulls life back from the Earth as she waits for the final moments of life to be given to her consort.
Many Wiccans and Pagans gather for festivals and dinners to celebrate the Last Supper of the God before his departure at Samhain into the primordial womb of Sheol. They feast with apple wassail and moon cakes seasoned with the seasonal fragrance of cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Thanks are given to the God for his sacrifice, and the ancestors are honored and given blessings as well. It is a time of reverence and reflection; much of the holiday is spent celebrating, eating, drinking, and crafting. In some traditions, a Wicker Man/Straw Man effigy is made to symbolize the King of the Harvest and lit on fire as a ritualistic sacrifice of the God of the Year. This was to replace the sacrificial human or animal of the ancient traditions it was modeled after.
Ritual Correspondences
Altar cloths: orange, gold, violet, maroon or brown
Candles: maroon, orange, gold
Herbs: marigold, sunflowers, hibiscus, myrrh, rye wheat
Oils: bergamot, gardenia
Stones: amber, jet, tiger’s eye, peridot, yellow topaz
Food: apples, apple pie
Drink: apple wassail
Observances: celebratory feast
Decorations: grapes, vine garlands, Indian corn, cornucopia
Sabbat Mythos: Goddess becomes a Crone as God’s essence showers the bountiful feast.
Sun position: Sun is at 0 degrees Libra
