Mabon! :D

[raynelae]

Mabon is soon approaching and I'm looking for some crafts for Mabon..anything to have a really magickal Mabon celebration. Mabon marks a year since I've been on the path of the Goddess and I really want to make this special. Thanks!

Blessings

[Firebird]

Ray...I have some great ideas,...
we have done a balance beam...where you walk from the light half of the year into the dark half...reflecting on inner balance as you cross...(the beam you could really customize, use a 4x4, you can carve symbols on it and/or paint it)..
And a smaller version of the Burning Man, as the effegy who would carry our offerings of thanks to the heavens for this bounty-full harvest. We decorate a man made of reeds, with flowers and other natural items, and then set him ablaze, we have also stuffed messages between the reeds, and one time we (tried) to bake a loaf of bread whithin the belly of the effigy (that didn't really work), BUT then we did it one year with a loaf that was already baked and that worked great. (it was wrapped in foil)
You could spend the afternoon harvesting foods in your local area, or volunteer to help pick fruit at an orchard, then leaving offerings for these gifts of bounty from the Goddess and her God.
one time we did a little skit. It was the Dying God and the Goddess who would morn him, and the sort of struggle between him trying to hang on for a few more weeks and she who will have to ultimately morn his waning energy.
one time a variation of this skit...the guy who played the God had a sack of fruits and vegetables under his costume, and the Goddess pulled the harvest from his dying carcass, that was pretty cool, then we ate the harvest.
Hope this sparks some ideas, and congratulations on your year and a day! Bright Blessings, Firebird

[raynelae]

Thank you I might make the balance beam that sounds like a very good idea.

[Lady Cael]

This is going to be my first time celebrating Mabon, and I'm not sure exactly what I should do for it. I still live with the parents (They're Catholic but not religious, and my going to church all the time bothered them. It's fine to say your religious, but to act on it and try to do the customs is considered 'abnormal and extreme' and raises eyebrows. Yeah I know, I don't get them either. ) so I don't want to be to extravagant about it. Especially because this is a 'heathen' celebration. -eye roll-
Any suggestions on how to quietly celebrate Mabon?

[raynelae]

So do your parents know that you're practicing Paganism? Anyways..I suggest doing a ritual. That shouldn't be too extravagant as you don't even have to speak the words aloud, for they can be spoken within.

Here's the ritual I'm doing for Mabon; I got it from paganwiccan.about.com

This ritual welcomes the Dark Mother, and celebrates that aspect of the Goddess which we may not always find comforting or appealing, but which we must always be willing to acknowledge. Decorate your altar with symbols of Demeter and her daughter -- flowers in red and yellow for Demeter, purple or black for Persephone, stalks of wheat, Indian corn, sickles, baskets. Have a candle on hand to represent each of them -- harvest colors for Demeter, black for Persephone. You'll also need a chalice of wine, or grape juice if you prefer, and a pomegranate.

If you normally cast a circle, or call the quarters, do so now. Turn to the altar, and light the Persephone candle. Say:

The land is beginning to die, and the soil grows cold.
The fertile womb of the earth has gone barren.
As Persephone descended into the Underworld,
So the earth continues its descent into night.
As Demeter mourns the loss of her daughter,
So we mourn the days drawing shorter.
The winter will soon be here.
Light the Demeter candle, and say:

In her anger and sorrow, Demeter roamed the earth,
And the crops died, and life withered and the soil went dormant.
In grief, she traveled looking for her lost child,
Leaving darkness behind in her wake.
We feel the mother's pain, and our hearts break for her,
As she searches for the child she gave birth to.
We welcome the darkness, in her honor.
Break open the pomegranate (it's a good idea to have a bowl to catch the drippings), and take out six seeds. Place them on the altar. Say:

Six months of light, and six months of dark.
The earth goes to sleep, and later wakes again.
O dark mother, we honor you this night,
And dance in your shadows.
We embrace that which is the darkness,
And celebrate the life of the Crone.
Take a sip of the wine, and savor the taste upon your lips. If you are doing this rite with a group, pass it to each person in the circle. As each person drinks, they should say:

Blessings to the dark goddess on this night, and every other.
As the wine is replaced upon the altar, hold your arms out in the Goddess position, and take a moment to reflect on the darker aspects of the human experience. Think of all the goddesses who evoke the night, and call out:

Demeter, Inanna, Kali, Tiamet, Hecate, Nemesis, Morrighan.
Bringers of destruction and darkness,
I embrace you tonight.
Without rage, we cannot feel love,
Without pain, we cannot feel happiness,
Without the night, there is no day,
Without death, there is no life.
Great goddesses of the night, I thank you.
Take a few moments to meditate on the darker aspects of your own soul. Is there a pain you've been longing to get rid of? Is there anger and frustration that you've been unable to move past? Is there someone who's hurt you, but you haven't told them how you feel? Now is the time to take this energy and turn it to your own purposes. Take any pain inside you, and reverse it so that it becomes a positive experience. If you're not suffering from anything hurtful, count your blessings, and reflect on a time in your life when you weren't so fortunate.

When you are ready, end the ritual.
**You may wish to tie this rite into a celebration of the Harvest Moon.

[Lady Cael]

I like this. <3

My parents don't know, and I don't care to tell them. Religion has become a private part of my life, and I'm going to move out of the house in the coming months anyways, so... it doesn't seem worthwhile to open that can of worms. And honestly, I'm sure they wouldn't care. But I do know they'll treat it like a silly girlish phase, and I don't care for dealing with that at all.

Now I just have to figure out what type of ritual I'm going to do.

[Truthseeker]

Hey, Lady Cael- this has absolutely Nothing to do with this post - All your PMs are being deleted before I can get them and read them. Look me up on paganspace and see if we can touch base.
~Blessings~

[Lady Cael]

The last one I sent you was just a smile face too. ...I don't know why it keeps getting blocked. I'll look you up there though.

[Tornadofire-Sylva]

I am going to decorate my room fall-style, and use picturesof the setting sun to symbolize the weakening god, and a picture of the moon with a sad-yet-happy face to represent the goddess. My parents may know, but I know enough about Wicca to explain it in detail.

[Firebird]

The balance beam is one of my favorite, ...this year we will rise with the Sun, and greet him, with a smudging ceremony, at Noon we recognize the shift from the light side to the dark side, (maybe walk the beam)Then FEAST, since this is a harvest festival, then in the p.m we'll play music, and near midnight, a past life regression meditation (that Rocks!)
Merry Maybon to ALL Firebird

[raynelae]

Awesome! Love the idea of having an all day Sabbat celebration,,,they are wonderful tornadofire, i'm sure your room will look very magickal

[whisperingMaiden]

This is my first Mabon and I'm very excited,I will be harvesting and cooking stuff.Maybe do some spell work and draw some stuff representing Mabon.Super excited! May do the balance beam activity.

[raynelae]

My first sabbat was Mabon! It's a beautiful Time of year spells for this time of the year include anything dealing with business and prosperity.

[raynelae]

Mabon Prosperity Candles from paganwiccan.about.com


Mabon is a time to be thankful for all the things we have -- a garden full of crops to pick, full apple trees in the orchards, and the bread we've been baking with the grain already harvested. Although this is a time of balance, it's also a time to look at what you have and be grateful for it. Celebrate the abundance of the harvest season by inviting prosperity into your life. These simple candles can be given as gifts, burned on your altar, or placed around the house to bring abundance your way.

You'll need the following items on your workspace before you begin:
An unscented candle in a harvest color -- yellow, orange, brown
Your choice of Money Oil or essential oil of cinnamon, orange, or ginger
Something to inscribe the candle with -- a pencil, stylus, etc.
A pinch of dried basil, sage or dill
If you normally cast a circle or invoke Deity before a working, do so now. Using the stylus or pencil, inscribe your intent upon the candle. For example, if you need money to pay the bills, carve that on there. If you just want extra fun money, write that on the candle too. If you're not sure how much you need, you can use symbols of money such as the $ dollar sign or a runic symbol. In traditional runes, Fehu is the sign of prosperity.

Once you've completed your inscription, anoint the candle with the Money Oil. If you don't have Money Oil, use another essential oil that brings prosperity -- cinnamon, orange or ginger are all good to use. Focus your intent into the candle, drawing abundance to you. Rub a small amount of the dried basil, sage or dill -- all herbs connected with money -- into the oil. As you do, clearly visualize how you will be using the money that comes your way. Will you use it to pay off debt? Buy a new car? Take a class for personal growth?

Light the candle, and meditate on the flame. Continue focusing on your intent, and imagine it building, first as a small spark, and then growing into a large ball of light. Maintain this image as long as you can, and then release it into the candle flame. Make sure the candle is in a safe place so as not to be a fire hazard (a bowl of sand is perfect for this) and allow the candle to burn out on its own.

[Lady Cael]

-shrieks happily - I LOVE WORKING WITH CANDLES! -coughs and looks around sheepishly- I mean...uh. cool post Raynelae.

And I defiantly agree that, inviting prosperity into our homes is a great way to celabrate the harvest season.