This week, I am researching the upcoming High Day, the Autumnal Equinox. It is most commonly called Mabon, named after the Welsh God and in reference to a myth where he is taken from his mother, Modron. The Norse ritual I found calls it Gleichentag, but I find it easier to pronounce Mabon. As one of the equinoxes, the day marks a balance between light and dark and is regarded as a time when the veil between worlds is thin. In both the Celtic and Norse hearth cultures, it is a time of Thanksgiving not unlike the American Holiday. Taking place between Lughnasadh and Samhain, it is considered the mid-harvest festival. Whereas the first fruits are taken at Lughnasadh, much of the final reaping is done now (with the very last to be done by Samhain), and a feast for friends and family is a must. Across multiple books, I found suggestions of fresh baked loaves of bread and apple dishes for the meal.
This time of celebration is also used to make amends with those we've wronged as we take stock of our literal and metaphorical houses. In times of old, this more frequently meant taking actual stock of the food harvested. In modern times, even though we aren't so agrarian, the upcoming winter is still a time for which to prepare, if only financially. There are heating bills, loss of work for many, and treacherous weather conditions to consider.
Like any festive day, there are traditional events and activities to celebrate Mabon. Long ago, the last sheaf of the harvest was thought to contain the corn spirit and was ritualistically bound. It would be reaped by children or as part of a contest in which people would throw sickles at it.
The winner would take it home, believing it to bring luck and fertility. This gave way to the modern craft of making corn dollies. Autumn leaves are also used to make various decorations such as wall hangings, leaf masks, or even dolls much like the corn dollies. Apples can also be turned into festive candleholders by cutting off the bottom and spooning out an inch from the top.
If my daughter shows an interest in it, I would love to make a family tradition of crafting corn dollies, making apple candleholders, and doing leaf art. She already likes baking with us, so I'd enjoy making a family tradition of cooking relevant dishes for all the High Days. When she gets older, I may emphasize making amends on this day.
There are a couple of myths I'm aware of that are associated with this High Day. The most obvious is one involving the day's namesake, Mabon, being stolen from his mother at just 3 days old. He grows up imprisoned until one day being freed by Arthur and his knights. Him being taken from his mother and later freed has been connected to the story of Demeter and Persephone as one justification for naming the High Day after him. Another myth that is associated is the Norse myth of the war between the Vanir and the Aesir. Freya is captured after repeatedly tricking the Aesir. After Freya offends the Aesir too much and war is declared, the battles raged over the world do much damage and upset Nerthus so much that a truce is called. Hostages are exchanged and a peace allows the plants and animals to thrive once more. There is a common theme of capture and release correlating to the Earth's vegetation.
To me, this time of year is about preparing for and enjoying the change of seasons. I try to take advantage of afternoon light while I still have it and find a last few days to wear shorts. As the days go from hot to cool, I note the fleeting warm that comes between as a manifestation of balance. It's also the time that I start budgeting for wintertime bills and Christmas gifts for the extended family. I've always looked forward to the coming of fall, and specifically look forward to the High Day this year. While I'm not sure that I would yet say that anything about this High Day is religious or spiritual to me, I believe it will become so in the next few years as it is already a special time.
The closest thing to Mabon that I was even aware of growing up was Thanksgiving. While not my favorite holiday, there were certainly some relevant aspects of it that I remember fondly such as the act of giving thanks and airing grievances, not to mention the food. I never cared for turkey, but the magnificent feast is a holiday staple that warms my heart when I think of it.
As the equinox approaches and the weather begins to turn, I can smell how the air electrifies. I need a calendar to tell me when the specific day arrives, but spend a lot of time outside and get a kind of feeling when the seasons change.
I am a solitary druid in an agnostic household and this is my first year celebrating Mabon. Because of this, I don't have any personal traditions to follow, only cultural ones. Since it's my first one, I'm going to adapt a solitary ritual for the High Day, though I haven't decided which hearth culture yet.
End of entry.