Mabon, better known as Autunmal Equinox falls tomorrow, but the warmth of golden sunlight filling the cool air, the persistent whirring of late September insects, and a call from deep within said… “Begin.” This is a time of healing, healing of the self, and healing of the planet.The gifts and promises of Summer Solstice and Lammas (August Eve) have been given and kept. Because of this, we will make it through the darkness, when there is a suspension of outward growth. This is the universal story of living on earth.
The goddess as the Yule baby has grown( there are other views convening this baby), through her seasons, and now reaches menopause. She accepts her aging, the wisdom learned, and the power bestowed. Inanna, the Sumerian Queen of Heaven approaches the last gate on her descent, all her jewels gone, but one, which remains until Hallows, when it too is taken.
The Eleusinian mysteries were celebrated for centuires, and were open to all people, no matter class, gender, or place in society. Persephone had gone below, and Demeter paused life until her return in the spring.This cycle of birth, death and rebirth, prominently found in the school of women’s mysteries, informed religious celebrations for two thousand years. In Greece, these ceremonies were secretive and known to be life altering. Yet, it is known that a single stalk of wheat was presented in silence to those that attended as a sacred symbol of Demeter and her daughter.
Among Native American tribes, this is also a time of gratitude and honoring the earth. In the Hopi tribes, women go in the kiva, as it is a time of female life force and ceremonial healing. For pagan and wiccan celebrants this is our Thanksgiving. Drink wine, eat bread and fruit to honor the abundance that has been, and feel gratitude that our lives have also been ripened by our experiences. Toast the good seasons that have gone, and those yet to come. Toast the beauty of all women, especially the Crone, the Wayshower for her guidance when The Wheel turns through the barren times of winter, not so very far away.
The balance of day and night are equal. Twice a year especially, we can reflect more deeply on the meaning of balance in our lives. We have an opportunity to consider, light and dark, life and death, giving and taking. Though the year wanes, we emphasize life more than death, as the message of rebirth lives within the harvested seeds. Honor the elements, as it took all of them to bring us to this day. I love this chant and especially like to drum while singing: “ Air moves us, fire transforms us, water shapes us, earth heals us, and the circle of the wheel goes round and round.” Now is a time to explore our creativity in new ways, informed by the old. Happy Mabon! Feel the power!