Featured Mabon Gifts

Story of Mabon

In ancient Celtic history, Maponos or Maponus(“Great Son”) is a god of youth known mainly in Welsh, northern Britain and Gaul. In Roman Britain, he was equated with Apollo.

The Welsh mythological figure Mabon ap Modron is derived from Maponos, who was the son of the mother-goddess Dea Matrona. The Irish god Aengus, also known as the Mac Óg (“young son”), is probably related to Maponos, as are the Arthurian characters Mabuz and Mabonagrain.

King Arthur and his men learn that Mabon was stolen from his mother’s arms when he was three nights old. When Arthur discovers him in a castle, his men launch an assault on the front of the castle, while Cei and Bedwyr, who are two of King Arthur’s Knight’s of the Round Table, sneak in the back and rescue Mabon.

The holiday of the autumnal equinox, (Harvest, Home, Mabon, the Feast of the Ingathering, Meán Fómhair or Alban Elfed), is a ritual of thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth and a recognition of the need to share them to secure the blessings of the Goddess and the God during the coming winter months.

The name Mabon was in reference to Mabon ap Modron, a character from Welsh mythology. It is the second of the three harvest festivals, preceded by Lammas/Lughnasadh and followed by Samhain.

Our Sacred Path

 Is our path of realization. It is our own path. What is the path less taken? This is often referred to as the path to our dreams! There are more paths not taken than there are those who stumble down it. The sheer number of people who dare not to venture down the road of their desires, is much more than those who do. But why? Is it fear, insecurity, poor self-esteem?

Take the first step: Without this, you can go nowhere. You can pave that path with good intentions, but if you do not take that first step, you are no further along than sitting and dreaming about it. It is important not to get bogged down in the negative feed back from others, the family members that don’t want you to leave your day job or those who think you can’t do it. Focus on your path. Use your energy to follow your positive thought process and take one step forward.

Make Room for Change: Make it a nourishing, self respecting place for change to take place in your mind. In the same way, create a life affirming, positive path to reach your goal. Make no excuses. Procrastination is the bi-product of feeling unworthy. Self worth leads us in the right direction.

What you will realize by taking these steps, is that before you know it, you are actually looking back over your shoulder to see how far you have come, without even realizing it. Keep moving forward and I promise, your persistence and perseverance will give you your just reward!    Learn more about your path…

A Gratitude Stone

Gratitude stones are a reminder of all the good things we have in our life that we should be grateful for. We suggest you carry any small stone in your purse or pocket.

Remove the stone from your person in the evening and place it back in your pocket or purse at the beginning of the day. Whenever you touch the stone, tell the stone (and essentially the Universe), something you are grateful for.

This simple reminder is a powerful and effective way to bring gratitude, humility and positive thoughts into your life!

An expression of gratitude gives you a greater sense of purpose in life. Those who reflect a grateful attitude are less depressed, less stressed and realize all the good things that keep coming their way. This is the Law of Gratitude or the Law of Cause and Effect. Your thoughts are the Cause and reality the Effect.

If you want to change your reality, you must change your thoughts. The principle of thought creation is the expression of sheer gratitude. Gratitude attracts the same gesture of gratitude, which always comes back to you. It is truly up to you to pay attention. Make The Gratitude Project apart of your life.

Corn Dollies

From the Native Indian to the Celtic culture, the corn doll or dolly is associated with the “spirit of the harvest“. Corn dolls, poppets or corn dollies was often made at the end of harvest, Mabon or Autumn Equinox in order to “capture the spirit of the crops“.

They were brought in doors for the winter. These blessing dolls are often placed on your altar or sacred space, hung in the kitchen or over the inside of the front door. They are used to protect the “harvest spirit”. On farms they were taken back outside and plowed back into the ground at the start of the next season. The dollies were often made into the “old crone” representing the aspects of the Harvest Goddess

 Decorate her as the Crone for Autumn harvest, abundance and good fortune (Harvest Mother). Place your Harvest doll in your home for Lammas or Fall Equinox, near a place of love and prosperity, like your kitchen or hearth.

The Wreath of Relevance

DIY:

A Wreath of Relevance is an honorary tribute to the harvest and can be created and given to those who have shown you kindness or have played a significant part in your life.

Start by winding grapevines around a large bottle or pot. Remove the vine wreath from the bottom of the vessel and then start to decorate it. Tuck the ends of the vines into each other. Start filling the wreath with beautiful colored leaves, vines of berries and grapes, twigs with leaves on them and charms representing the season!

The circular shape or the wreath represents eternity, for it has no beginning and no end. From a christian religious perspective, it represents an unending circle of life. The evergreen, most frequently used in making wreathes, symbolizes growth and everlasting life.

Mabon Blessing   

“O harvest mother, bring us near,
a place of love when Fall is here.
To bless and honor hearth and home,
when chill comes round and changes so,
so much to bring abundance in,
and keep us well, till Spring begins.
Oh harvest dollie, blessing dear,
we thank thee for our season cheer.
So bring around a basket full,
for all to have and share by Yule.”

~ Andrew Pacholyk MS L.Ac