The Wheel of the Year

Mabon

The autumn Equinox

or

The Witches Thanksgiving

September 22

So what is Mabon and how do you pronounce it. First lets try to pronounce it. There are several different ways Mabon is pronounced but here are two ways.

1. May-bone

2. Mah-boon

Now your waiting to find out wahat is Mabon, and what it has to do with a witches thanksgiving. Well keep your hat on. I am getting here. lol.

Mabon is the autumn or fall equinox. This is a day of balance between light and dark. This normally falls around Sept. 22.

I know I have not answered why it has something to do with the witches thanksgiving. So here it is.

Back in the old days before walmarts and grocery stores, Our ancestors had to plant veggies and fruit. Yes, they really did this. And they worked really hard too. So about the middle of September, it was time to harvest the last of the crops. The women stayed in the kitchen day in and day out canning and preserving the last of the harvest ,so that their family would not go hungry during the winter months.

When mabon arrives our ancestors would have gotten all the crops harvested and put away for the winter. They were tired, and they needed a break.

Most of our ancestors were pagans before the christian church came in and forced them to convert. So mabon goes back to the time of Anglo-Celtic festival of Harvest Home, a respite from the hard work of the harvest and a celebration of thanks.

Mabon is often referred to as the " Witches Thanksgiving" and is one of the oldest harvest celebrations in Europe.

I bet I know what your thinking .. What about the Canada and the United States Thanksgiving. Well they came along way after our Witches Thanksgiving. Some say it was the way the Christian church help convert some of the pagans in the olden days. But does it realy matter who started the sabbath. I don't think so. I think that what is important is that we celebrate the way our mother earth is working over time during the summer to produce the elements our farmers need to produce crops that end up at Wal-marts or Winn-Dixie. Either way if it was not for her, we would not be here.

So if your not a farmer, but you want to celebrate the coming of Fall. Check out the following article on some activities and ideas on Cooking up a Witches Thanksgiving yourself.

Brightest Blessings and Happy Witches Thanksgiving

Rachela Swift

What would be on a Witches Thanksgiving table?

Our ancestors perpared a great feast on all our sabbaths, So Mabon's feast would be just as great as the last Sabbath. What would the feast for Mabon consist of? Well, you would have jams,jellies, and perserves that were made from the berries and grapes that was gathered. Along with homemade wine from these same berries and grapes. Homemade breads of all sorts would be placed around a large table in yard. These bread would have been made from the grains that were harested.

Vegetables and fruits would line the table from everything to roasted corn cobs,peas and beans,to vegetable pies and stews. Dont forget the fruit pies and cakes.

They had meat too. This was the time when hunters were out searching for wild game. But they also had hogs,cattle, chicken goats,and sheep. This was also the time for slaughtering farm animals to be cured for the winter. So you can imagine the ray of meats that would line the table for the Mabon Sabbath.

So as you can tell this feast is much like the morden day Thanksgiving. Do pagans really celebrate this Sabbath? Well, I can't talk for all pagans, but I know one family that does, and has for many years. That pagan would be me and my family.

Get on your broom and fly over to the kitchen and see what types of recipes were cooking up for Mabon.

Brightest Blessings,

Rachela Swift

Feedback, submissions, ideas? Email scarlett_whitefire@yahoo.com

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