Mabon 2024

Happy Fall Equinox to my friends in the Northern Hemisphere!

The fall and spring equinoxes are the two days of the year in which daylight hours and nighttime are equal. Here in the Midwest it signals the "offical" end of summer and a time of apples, cider pressing and wine making, pumpkins, and the leaves of many trees changing from green to gold, red, orange, and brown.

Mabon (Maybone or Mah-boon) is named for the Welsh god, a symbol of fertility. The ancient Celts observed two harvests until Norse conquerors introduced them to a third, Mabon, at the autumnal equinox. Because of the Celts affinity for the Triple Goddess, the three harvest festivals, Lughnasadh, Mabon, and Samhain, evolved to represent Maiden, Mother, and Crone. This equinox is also a time when Goddess and God share equal power.

This sabbat, often referred to as "Witches Thanksgiving" includes recipes using grapes, gourds, squashes, apples, nuts, grains, and berries. Personally, zucchini bread and apple cider are must-haves. Generational quilt patterns, cross stitch samplers of sacred symbols, and handmade grapevine wreaths feature prominently in pagan homes at this time. It is traditional to offer a gift that helps feed others, such as putting out nuts and birdseed for wild birds and squirrels, and volunteering or donating to a local food pantry or soup kitchen.

It is believed that many of the world's harvest celebrations at this time of year have origins not just with the harvest of crops, but with the equinox, such as Harvest Home (Celtic), Tết Trung Thu (Vietnam), Oktoberfest (German), Festival of Dionysus (Roman), Chung Ch'iu (China), Succoth (Judaism), Ladakh harvest festival (India), and Onam (India), just to name a few.

Although Mabon is connected to the divine energy of Mother, womb, and fertility, it also signals the coming energy of the Crone, harbinger of death. That may seem morbid at first, but it is not. We understand that the harvest bounty and the beauty of the dying leaves represent the death and rebirth cycle. The vegetables from our garden appear near the end of the plant's life, and give us sustenance for a healthy life. The colorful leaves eventually drop to the ground to decompose and fertilize the roots of the tree to sustain it for another season. It is equal parts radiant beauty and efficient purpose.

When I was writing The Recollection of Trees, a willow tree figured prominently in Iona's story because I had a favorite willow that was destroyed by lightning when I was a young girl. It was where I often hid, pretended to have magical experiences, and used small branches as "wands." Imagine my delight when I learned that my ancestors used to select a small branch from a willow around Mabon, for the sacred purpose of wand making (my grandma thought it was a much older tradition, perhaps from the druids). They chose the willow because it was connected to the Crone.

My grandmother told me that "the women paid respects" on this day. Her mother, aunt, and their cousins used to visit the family cemetery at Mabon, where they'd have a picnic and take care of the flowers and shrubs near their deceased relatives, especially their foremothers. She said it was because there was an old Irish/Scottish belief that after death "souls return to the womb from whence they came," so only the women could caretake graves. "We're midwives for entry and exit," she mused. She also told me that this group of women, who were suffragettes, used to meet in the cemetery to strategize their fight for voting rights. This all may seem a bit macabre to some, but as a feminist who likes graveyard picnics, and I found it quite comforting and inspiring. 

It is poignant to acknowledge the historical and modern day deliberate efforts to control women and their bodies. It is, in my opinion, in part because we hold the power to birth generations. Ironically, many of those who wish to take away our autonomy, forget "from whence they came," and seek only to keep control while they are here. Perhaps this is why suffragettes and today's feminists understand that we must be involved--lead the way, run for office, run the company, and vote--if we are to control our own destiny.

I hope today brings all of us balance, calm, and deep appreciation for our blessings.

Do what lights you up,
Sadie

PS. My publisher, Dark Anthem Press, is about to release a second edition of The Recollection of Trees! Watch my social media for the announcement coming soon!