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Articles and BullitensALL About Mabon: History, Recipes, Correspondences, Activities and Much More! (PART 2) (A Diverse Collection of Mabon Information) Posted and edited to fit MySpace's format by MAGICKAL WINDS (If viewing this post is difficult, please refer to magickalwinds.com or Magickal Wind's MySpace Blogs). Mabon, (May-bon) is known as the Autumn Equinox, Harvest Home, Second Harvest, the Witches Thanksgiving and Siring Fate. (Mabon in Welsh means son.) This reference usually refers to the son of the Welsh goddess Madron, Mother and Son. The Mother and son aspect is the most common among the neo-pagans, and fits well with in the Wiccan perspective of the Holly King mythology. It should also be noted that McCoy (page 185) claims that the Celts did not call Mabon by this name but rather it was originally a Norse festival. Though adopting other cultures, festivals and Gods fits in with the Celtic adaptability and mentality. Autumn Equinox refers to a time of the year when day and night are equally balanced. The sun is in the process of crossing the equator and in astrological terms is entering the sign of Libra. The sun is the focal point of energy (along with the moon) and such; its life force pushes us to discover more about ourselves. This movement into the Libra puts a congenial, cooperative outlook on that time of year, just what was needed by the communities, as they all worked together to complete the harvest. Harvest Home is an Anglo-Celtic version of the original Mabon, and fell in-between the First (Lugnasadh) and the Third (Samhain) Harvests. Harvests festivals were a very important part of the pre- industrialized culture. It was a time of relief and of rest. Relief that the crops were in and rest to catch their breath before the work of preparing for winter began. This was a time to give thanks. The Witches Thanksgiving, according to McCoy is one of the oldest holidays known to a Norse holiday, then contradicts herself with the above statement. Actually I believe she is trying to draw comparisons between the Witches Thanksgiving and the American Thanksgiving. There are similarities, though the reason she states about the time differences are not the same. The American Thanksgiving is celebrated at the time of year it is, not because the Puritans choose that date to distance themselves from the Pagan Mabon, but rather because they had a late harvest and an early winter. Thus celebrating it when they could, survival being more important then distancing themselves from European witches Thanksgiving. (McCoy page 185- 189) Autumn is over the long leaves that love us, And over the mice in the barley sheaves; Yellow the leaves of the rowan above us, And yellow the wet wild-strawberry leaves. The hour of the waning of love has beset us; And weary and worn are our sad souls now; Let us part, ere the season of passion forget us, With a kiss and a tear and dropping brow. - W.B. Yeats (page 14-15) Siring Fate according to King, are claims that this is the true name of Mabon. Using Greek Mythology, the story of Persephone and Madron and Mabon. Claiming that the name Mabon is the son's name, not the Sabbats. He bases his claim on the fact that, Mabon, mates with his mother Madron, thus siring the new season. He uses the story of Persephone to back up his assertion, stating that when Persephone leaves her mother to be with Hades, the new season begins. While there may be similarities to these myths, King is making the common mistake of associating cultures based on similarities rather than the uniqueness of each myth, or culture. He Claims, as did Caesar and others, that the Celts, Gods, heroes, Legends and Myths, were in actuality Greco-Roman. Mabon is a celebration of life and death, and giving of life again, the cycle of the seasons. Mabon is a time to enjoy the fruits of a hard year's labor, to stock up for the long winter. No matter how you celebrate Mabon, or how it came about, or whatever it's true name may be, it is important to know that Mabon a time for giving thanks.
FOODS Roast Mutton 1 Lam leg 7-8 pounds 2 teaspoons dried dill weed 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves 1 teaspoon of salt 1/4 teaspoon of pepper 1 clove of garlic Set oven at 325 F, for 3 1/2 hours for well done. Sprinkle roast with seasonings, take knife and make several small insertions, place pieces of garlic in Roast. (Remove cloves before serving.) Place lamb, fat side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Roast till desired pink(ness). 7-9 lb.: rare: 15-20 minutes, Medium: 20-25 minutes, well: 25-30 minutes per pound. New Small Potatoes Wash potatoes lightly and leave whole. Heat 1 inch salted water to boiling. Add potatoes. Cover and heat to a boil; reduce heat. Boil to tender, 20-25 minutes; drain, and butter. Citrus Salad 1 1/2 cups of boiling water 1 package (6 ounces) lemon flavored gelatin 2 cups ginger ale, chilled 4 oranges 2 grapefruit Pour boiling water on gelatin; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Stir in ginger ale. Refrigerate until slightly thickened. Pare and section oranges and grapefruit. Cut sections into 1-inch pieces; stir into gelatin mixture. Pour into 8-cup mold. Refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours; unmold. Garnish with additional orange sections and salad greens if desired. Rum Cracker Torte 6 eggs, separated 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon rum flavoring 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup all purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup fine graham crackers 1 cup of finely chopped nuts 1 square (1 ounce) unsweetened chocolate, grated Rum-flavored Whipped Cream Heat oven to 350 F. line bottoms of 2 round pans, 8 or 9X1 1/2 inches with aluminum foil. Beat eggs whites in 21/2-quart bowl until foamy. Beat in 1/2 cup of sugar. 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beat until stiff and glossy. Beat egg yolks, oil and rum flavoring in 11/2 quart on low speed until blended. Add 1/2 cup of sugar. Flour baking powder, cinnamon and cloves; beat on medium speed 1 minute. Fold egg yolk mixture into egg whites. Fold in cracker crumbs, nuts and chocolate. Pour into pans. Bake until top springs back when touched lightly, 30-35 minutes. Cool ten minutes. Loosen edge layers with knife; invert pan and hit sharply on table. (Cake will drop out) Remove foil; cool completely. Split cake to make four layers. Fill layers and frost torte with Rum Flavored Whipped Cream. Refrigerate for at least 7 hours. Rum-flavored Whipped Cream Beat 2 cups of chilled whipping cream, 1.2 cup powered sugar and 2 teaspoons of rum flavoring in chilled bowl till stiff.
The above Article by Gordon
Mabon Incense Recipe
Mabon is the time of the autumnal equinox and coming up soon ( is a great incense recipe to celebrate this time of year:
Mabon Incense Recipe by Scott Cunningham 2 parts Frankincense 1 part Sandalwood 1 part 1 part Juniper 1 part Pine 1/2 part Oakmoss (or a few drops Oakmoss bouquet) 1 pinch pulverized Oak leaf Burn during Autumnal Equinox, the change of the seasons. (This 'Mabon Incense' recipe is from "The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews" by Scott Cunningham, Llewellyn Publications, 1989) Mabon Recipes Recipes on this page: Fall Sabbat Incense, Stuffed Acorn Squash, Mabon Incense, Fresh Apple Pound Cake, Wild Rice with Apples and Walnuts, and Sweet Potato Casserole. Fall Sabbat Incense ? 3 parts Frankincense ? 2 parts Myrrh ? 1 part Rosemary ? 1 part Cedar ? 1 part Juniper Burn during fall and winter Sabbat rituals. Stuffed Acorn Squash ? 2 acorn squash, washed and cut in halves ? 1/2 stick of butter ? 1/2 cup of crushed Ritz crackers ? 1/4 cup chopped walnuts ? 1/4 cup brown sugar 11. 12. Scoup out the seeds and rub the inside and cut parts with butter 13. Put the acorn squash on a cookie sheet 14. Melt the butter, and mix in the walnuts, brown sugar, and crackers 15. Place in the holes of the squash and bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes or until done. Mabon Incense ? 2 Parts Frankincense ? 1 Part Sandalwood ? 1 Part ? 1 Part Juniper ? 1 Part Pine ? 1/2 Part Oakmoss (or few drops of Oakmoss Bouquet) ? 1 Pinch Pulverized oak leaf Burn during Mabon rituals. Fresh Apple Pound Cake ? 2 cups sugar ? 1 teaspoon salt ? 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil ? 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract ? 3 large eggs ? 3 cups firm apples, diced ? 3 cups plain flour ? 1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped ? 1 teaspoon baking soda 32. Mix together sugar and oil. 33. Add eggs and beat well. 34. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. 35. Add to oil mixture. 36. Stir in vanilla, apples, nuts, and mix well. 37. Pour batter into a greased 9 inch tube pan 38. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until cake is done. Icing: ? 1 stick margarine ? 1/4 cup evaporated milk ? 1 cup light brown sugar ? 1 teaspoon vanilla Heat margarine and sugar together over low heat. Add milk and let come to a full boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Drizzle over the cake. Wild Rice with Apples and Walnuts ? 1 cup wild rice ? 2 cups water ? 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil Cook rice and oil in water for 50 minutes. ? 1 cup walnuts ? 1 rib of celery, chopped ? 4 chopped scallions ? 1 cup raisins ? 1 red apple, peeled and chopped, set aside in lemon water ? 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind Combine nuts, celery, onions, raisins, drained apple and lemon rind and set aside. ? 3 T. lemon juice ? 2 garlic cloves, minced ? 1/2 t. salt ? 1/3 cup olive oil ? pepper, to taste Whisk together juice, salt and pepper, garlic and oil and add to cooked rice. Add fruit mixture to the rice (to which has been added oil, spices and juice) and mix well. May be served cold or heated. Sweet Potato Casserole ? 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and steamed until completely soft ? 3/4 cup orange juice ? 2 eggs, beaten ? 2 Tablespoons melted butter ? 2 T. sugar ? 1 1/2 Teaspoons cinnamon ? 1/2 t. nutmeg Mix juice, eggs, sugar and spices and blend thoroughly with potatoes using an electric mixer. Spread into a greased 9"x13" pan. ? 1/2 cup flour ? 1/4 c plus 2 T. brown sugar ? 1/2 t. cinnamon ? 1/4 c. chopped butter ? 1/2 c. chopped pecans Mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and nuts until crumbly, spread on top of sweet potatoes and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. by Stella Maris Bountiful Fall Bouquets author unknown
Autumn gardens are filled with the makings for bouquets and arrangements that can be placed outside or, when it turns cooler and the holidays approach, brought inside for a centerpiece. Try an arrangement with the following late-blooming flowers, vegetables, berries, fruits, and leaves:
Flowers: Sunflowers asters dahlias zinnias hydrangeas September flower sage autumn bugbane
Vegetables and herbs: Pumpkins winter squash gourds peppers winter wheat dill sage
Berries and fruits: Cranberries beautyberries nandina baneberries porcelain berries crabapples blue cohosh berries apples pomegranates mandarin oranges
Leaves - Colorful leaves from trees such as: maple oak magnolia
Leaves - Colorful leaves from bushes like: viburnum burning bush vines such as: grape leaves porcelain vine
Hollow out the pumpkins, gourds, apples, peppers, or squash to create a natural vase for the other items, or cradle the goods in a basket or bowl. You can create a more formal arrangement by using only one type of flower, or combine different flowers, berries, and leaves to create a mixed bouquet in the spirit of the bountiful fall season.
Vegetables Sacred To Mabon author unknown
Because there are so many varieties of veggies, only a very few of the more interesting ones...so in alphabetical order you have:
CARROT Latin name: Daucus carota
Part Used: Whole herb.
Herbal uses: An infusion of tea made from whole herb is considered an active and valuable remedy in the treatment of dropsy, chronic kidney diseases and affections of the bladder. A strong decoction is good for treating flatulence. Carrot seeds are carminative and a stimulant.
Associations: Carrot is associated with the planets Mercury and Mars, and with the element of the earth. As a vegetable it is one of the sacred Druidic herbs of Mean Fomhair (also called Mabon).
Magickal uses: The Carrot is used for sex magic
CELERY (Wild) Latin name: Apium graveolens
Common names: Smallage, Wild Celery.
Parts Used: Ripe seeds, herb and root.
Herbal uses: celery is useful in treating hysteria, and promoting restfulness and sleep. It is said to be very good for rheumatism, and for treating swollen glands.
Associaions: Celery is a plant of the planet Mercury and the element of fire. As a vegetable it is one of the sacred Druidic herbs of Mean Fomhair (also called Mabon).
Magickal uses: Celery is good to use in spells done for weight lose. Celery seeds can be used in divination and Celery is also used in sex magic.
Cucumber Latin name: Cucumis sativa
Common names: cuke, Cowcumber
Herbal uses: Cucumber seeds are distinctly diuretic. It is also said that cucumber peel if bound around the head will cure a headache.
Associations: Cucumber is associated with the moon and the element of water. As a vegetable it is one of the sacred Druidic herbs of Mean Fomhair (also called Mabon).
Magickal uses: Cucumber is used in healing and fertility magick. For a fertility spell: keep a cucumber in your bedroom, and replace it every seven days.
Lettuce Latin name: Lactuca virosa
Parts used: leaves
Herbal uses: Lettuce juice is useful for promoting sleep and relaxation - the juice can be ingested or can be rubbed on the e forehead. It also can be used as a lotion to treat acne.
Magickal associations: Lettuce is associated with the Moon and with the element of water.Lettuce is also associated with Adonis (he met his fate in a bed of lettuce).... and Lettuce also seems to have a lot of associations with death and sterility in the minds of the Greeks. The Greeks considered lettuce a "wet" plant, and this wet nature suggested to them bogs and decaying corpses. In fact, in one of his comedies, Euboulos wrote, "Lettuce is a food for corpses." As a vegetable it is one of the sacred Druidic herbs of Mean Fomhair (also called Mabon).
Magickal uses: Lettuce is useful in tranquility, protective and money magick.. It is protective when grown in a garden. Lettuce can also be eaten in spells done to cool down lust.
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