Wheel of the Year\Mabon

Mabon

Alternative Name: Alban Elfed, Herfest, Autumn Equinox.

The harvest festival is celebrated on the autumnal equinox and, in Britain and Ireland, makes the collection of most products of the earth.
Light and darkness are balanced, with equal hours of the night and day, but the dark is gaining ground.
This is symbolized by the battle between the elves known as the Mother of the sea and Teran, who represent, respectively, summer and winter.
The elves are very interested in collecting the grain and be determined to participate in profits.
Previously farmers make special efforts to appease the malevolent or pucks in order to protect their crops.
The harvest season was fraught with tensions, there was always the possibility that the time ruin the task, the work was hard and complicated the harvest of wheat, it should be handled carefully to get the guarantee of an excellent result.
The introduction of the harvest at home was a moment of great relief and cause for celebration.
He had a party in which all laborers enjoy food and drink in abundance and this banquet was probably the best known in the whole year.
Doors and entrances to the farm were adorned with branches, tassels, flowers and ribbons, and the arches of the house garlands hang from sickles and scythes.
It was a doll to the last sheaf, which embodied the spirit of corn, and remain stored until the following year, when the plow to bury him return to Earth on enima vegetation.
During the autumn equinox, day and night are the same, but this date marks the descent of the Sun to another world and the coming of darkness and cold of winter.
The Autumn equinox signals the end of the chase of Lugh, who hides in the last harvest of wheat until the latter is also reaped.
But his spirit is still alive, hidden in the seed.
On this date Wiccans give thanks for everything received during the year, both by the abundance of the harvest as personal achievements, and make preparations to cross the days of darkness.

Symbolism of Mabon: moment of equality between day and night. Time to give respect to the approaching darkness.

Grasses, trees and flowers of Mabon: pink and sage.

Incense of Mabon: pink and sage.

Colors and candles that can be used: red, orange, brown and gold.

Mabon foods: apples, nuts, and bread.

Okay, here are the Moon commented that this festival is in its phase of New Moon or Luna Negra llendo to the first quarter and will be in the sign of Scorpio, we see the features of the Moon for the festivities.

New moon:

When the moon is in total darkness phase states that the Moon is in its waning phase or.
Some Wiccans use this lunar phase as a period of rest.
They find it very beneficial for regeneration, relaxation and accumulation of energy to the stage that follows it is the creative phase of the moon or crescent.
Other practitioners prefer to use this stage for meditation, to increase psychic power, or to delve into past memories to help them better understand their current difficulties.
The energy of this moon is also suitable for divination.

Moon transiting Scorpio:

Under the zodiac sign of Scorpio spells are related to sex, death, initiation, transformation, regeneration and renewal.
It's a good moon to consecrate the athame (knife) or any other magical tool that invokes power, exorcise, form a group identity, keep secrets, to investigate and discover hidden things, develop the psyche, strengthening the will and personal power and overall , for any matter magical.
Under the Moon in Scorpio is effective divination and contact with the dead.
They are even related to moral spells, purge and purification through suffering, hypnosis, energy work and issues related to people struggling warriors, although this sign is when the moon is further weakened.
Scorpio governs the union between people, the emotional truths, hidden talents, ritual magic, taboos and transformative experiences.
Also governs the death and rebirth, intensity, solitude, individual jobs and those conducting two people.
Scorpio can govern the most noble motives but also the manipulative tactics.
It is a sign of extreme crisis, integrity and expertise.

Mabon Witch's Broom
By Laurie Cabot from her book, Celebrate the Earth.
Tie dried corn husks around a strong, relatively straight
branch of your choice. Oak, maple, birch, or hickory work
well. Using ribbon or string, decorate the broom with
cat-o'-nine- tails or sprigs of bittersweet. Smaller brooms
are ideal for hanging on a door or porch, while larger, more
functional brooms can stand as an instrument of protection in
a corner by an entrance. Witches usually leave their brooms near
their doorways and always pointed up for protection, We believe
that any negative energy that may darken a door will be
neutralized by entering one end of the broomstick and traveling
down, back up, and out.
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Mabon Wash
about.com
This herbal infusion can be used as a skin wash or a cleanser for your ritual space. By infusing the herbs in water, you can take advantage of the medicinal properties as well as the magical ones. A quart-sized jar, like the type used in food canning, is ideal for this because it allows for a tight seal, and they hardly ever break.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Varied
Here's How:

To make this cleansing wash, we'll be using herbs that are in full bloom in the weeks before Mabon.
You'll need a handful of each of the following:
Spearmint or peppermint
Sage
Honeysuckle
Goldenseal
Marigold
Place the herbs in the glass jar. Pour boiling water over them until the jar is filled. Screw the lid on loosely, and allow to steep for four to six hours. Strain out all the plant material. Cap the jar, and store in a cool place. Use as a skin wash or to asperge your home or sacred space.
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Activities- restore balance in your local community (i.e. walk around your
neighborhood and attend to what needs tending like talking to someone you
haven't talk to, pick up trash, or fix something that is broken, help
restore the beauty of a natural area or park, help at a local charity, and
ect.), collect milkweed pods to decorate at Yule and to attract fairies, and
make a broom with dried herbs.

How to make applesauce:

Need- 5 apples, I prefer Fuji and Baerburn apples

½ to 1 cup of apple juice, cider, or water

½ to 1 cup sugar

Core and roughly chop apples. Place in saucepan with half the liquid. Bring
to boil. Simmer until apples are soften, stirring often and adding more
liquid as needed. When apples are soft mash them. Add sugar adjusting to
amount of your taste. Simmer until mixture thickens.

Variations- replace sugar with honey or maple syrup. 1c of sugar = ½ cup of
honey reduce liquid by1/4 cup 1c of sugar = ½ to 1/3 cup of maple syrup
reduce liquid by 1/4 cup

Peel apples before cooking

Run sauce through blender or food processor for smoother texture

Add cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, or other spices to taste.

How to make a broom/besom:

Need: strong straight branch length of your choice (possible woods are ash,
oak, hazel, orrowan.

Bristles of birch, thyme, or heather

Garden/Kitchen scissors

Cotton or Hemp twine

Water and salt for soaking

Soak the herb, that you have chosen to become the bristle, and twine
overnight in warm, slightly salted water, to make them pliable. Allow them
to dry a little before using. They should be damp and pliable when binding
the broom. If they get too dry soak them some more.

Line bristles alongside limb, about inch to three inches from bottom. The
bottom of the bristles should point toward the top of the broom. Begin
binding these around the broomstick with pre-soaked binding. Tie them very
securely. Add as many layers of bristle as you want; the fuller you want the
broom the more bristles you add.

Bend the top of the bristles over the twine. When they are gently pulled
over, tie the bristles again just below fold. Leave broom overnight to dry.

Decorate broomstick if you like. Consecrate the finished broom as you would
any ritual object.
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Mabon Incense
2 parts frankincense
1 part sandalwood
1 part cypress
1 part juniper
1 part pine
1 or 3 oak leaves

Kate West
The Real Witch's Kitchen
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MABON OIL
You may purchase mabon oil from a witch supply shop,
but to make your
own, combine equal parts of hazlenut oil and almond oil.
If you do not
want to use both,
you may use either one or the other.
add
a pinch of marigold leaves,
walnut shells, usually crushed or in pieces
pinch of oak leaves
1 acorn
1 stone ruled by the sun
(yellow topaz, citrine, cats eye or amber)
mix all ingredients in an enamel pan.
Slowly warm the oil.
Turn it off
and let it cool. Place it into a bottle, bowl or saucer
that will only
be used to charge oils in your magick circle.
To charge
the oil itself
bring it into your magick circle at Mabon time or during
your Mabon
ritual. Some witches raise there ritual blade or small
wand and ask the
Goddess and God to strike the blade or wand with light
and power to
charge this magickal oil. When you have completed this,
release your
circle.
Laurie Cabot recipe