Autumn Equinox, Mabon.

Hello everyone.

After some time away and a busy lammas, I am back and hoping to bring you more blogs over the coming weeks. I have had a wonderful holiday with my family from a pagan camp in Yorkshire  to the mountains of the lake district.

And the wheel of the year turns once more as we have reached the Autumn Equinox. Many Pagans call this time of year Mabon also. It is the time for the second harvest, of fruits and the last of the crops grown over summer. A time to make beer, cider, wine and mead. Fruit Preserves and foraging as the trees turn from green to brown before their inevitable slumber over the winter months.

Equinox is a time for balance as the days and night become equal for three days and the focus here is on balance. Not to take too much so the animals have food also and to save and reserve foods for the winter months.

The Norse Celebrated this time of year with a festival known as the Haustblot, a time when the sun goddess Sol begins to weaken and herbs are gathered for herbal magic and placed on the altar. Balancing the animal sacrifices and the fruits and mushrooms harvested as so not to upset the balance. they would recite these words also.

Light and dark are equal,

As the days become shorter,

Spiralling downwards,

Towards the coming night.

In far northern Scandinavia it also marks the dark months as the sun sets for its final time and 6 months of darkness sets in for the winter.

In English tradition this was the time of the feast of St Michealmas, a time for farmers to hire new people, for women to extend servitude contracts for another year, In Scotland memories of every sacrificial pact were remembered and a Micheals cake was eaten made from every crop grown that year.

The Harvesters would work until harvests end where the last sheaf of corn known as the 'hag' or 'Auld Wife' was collected. In some areas it was known as the bride or corn maiden corresponding to the Goddess Brighid. In other places it was known as the Kern Baby and is the spirit of corn created from the great rite between the God and Goddess at Beltane. In southern England the term 'Crying the neck' was used where farmer would throw their sickles and tools at the last sheaf of corn as it was feared for the man that dare cut the last of the corn would be identified and known, if this happened then he would be shamed throughout the village in in some cases even killed.

There are many different traditions at this time of year for many different Pagans. Some have large rituals to give thanks and welcome the balance of the Equinox and some do personal rituals to acknowledge this time of year. Whatever you have done I hope you all have had a wonderful Autumn Equinox, Mabon, Haustblot or whatever you may call  this wonderful transition.

Next Blog will focus on Samhain and the many traditions associated within it.

Sigrid Skadi