Mabon
The Autumnal Equinox 2010
We meet to celebrate the Second Harvest, Mabon, the Autumnal Equinox. The First harvest, Lammas, is of grain, bread is baked and shared. This is the Wine Harvest and the new made Wine, Beer and Mead are shared. The third is the Harvest of Meat and that is shared at Samhein.
Here and now, as is our custom, we form a circle to call the energy of the Goddess and God for our needs and desires.
HPS: From all the many lands the moon shines upon come the names of the Lady. Mother, Maiden and Crone is She. Lady of ten-thousand names is She. Her Faces and the Faces of all times, all places… all of our faces. We see Her images before us, we fill the shimmering light of this afternoon with the Glory of Her many names.
HP/HPS: We call Her as Athena, Anahita, Andraste, Avarra, Brigid, Cerridwen, Changing Woman, Demeter, Evanda, Freya, Hathor, Innanna, Ishtar, Isis, Juno, Kuan-Yin, Ma'at, Mari, Minerva, the Morrigan. Parashakti, Tiamat, Pele, Urania, Vesta, Zu-en…
HPS: We cast the Circle, we evoke from deep within each of us the Elemental Forces, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. May the Lady and Her Love, the Horned Hunter be with us.
EAST: Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East, Powers of Air, Power to learn, to think. Come. Bring the autumn leaves to dance with us. Morning lark, humming bird, bee, breath of the Goddess, song of the God, celebrate with us, be with us now!
SOUTH Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South, powers of Fire, Power to do, to change. Come, bring the Harvest Fires to warm our hearts. Lioness at noon, Fox and Wolf. Warmth of the Goddess, passion of the God, Celebrate with us, be with us now!
WEST: Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West, Power of the waters, power to care, to understand, to love… Dolphin dancing in the evening seas, Seabird calling in the waning light… Passion of the Goddess, Ecstasy of the God, Celebrate with us, be with us now!
NORTH: Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North, Powers of the Earth, the power to change the world around us. Come, bring the Harvest of wisdom to strengthen us. Huntercat and owl, great bear and wolf, breast of the Goddess, phallus of the God, Celebrate with us, be with us now!
HP/HPS: The Circle is cast, we are between the worlds!
HP: This night, we summon from deep within ourselves, the energy of creation, the energy of the Goddess and God, within.
Women: I am the Beauty of the White Moon
Men: I am the Fearsome Beast who runs in the Darkness
Women: I am the Dark Mother, Shadowed and Terrible
Men: I am the Summer Dancer Crowned in Light
Women: I am the Mother of All Living
Men: I am the Lover of the Shining One
Women: I am the Queen of Air and Darkness
Men: I am the Child of Wind and Shadow
Women: I am the Spirit of the Green Earth
Men: I am the Hunter and the Hunted
Women: My Voice is heard in the thunder, My touch is felt in the
wind
Men: I am born of the courts of Chaos, I am the hidden heart of the
Green Woods
Women: In My Eyes are all the Stars of the Heavens. In my arms are
the Dreams of love.
Men: I play the pipes for the Spiral Dance
Women: I am Goddess, beautiful and terrible
Men: I am God, Son and Lover
Women: I am Goddess, wonderful and frightening.
Men: I am God, Lover and Sacrifice
HPS: Listen to the wind in the trees. See the horned Hunter in the shadows. Listen to the beating of your heart. Air touches the Circle, East wind, South wind, West wind, North wind.. The Circle is the eye of the storm.
HP: Flame touches the Circle. Candles burn at the compass points to light our way. This is the Goddess' Hearth.
HPS: Mists touch the Circle with the power of Water, cleansing us of the cares of the day. This is the promise of the cauldron of rebirth, the Kiss of the Goddess.
HP: Remember the scent of the Earth beneath your feet. Remember the scent of growing things and be grateful for their gifts.
HPS: Breathe in… feel the air filling you, let it out slowly… Let the sound of your own breathing grow into the sound of the winds, call to them!
Let the warmth of your caring grow into the festival fires, call to them!
Feel the ebb and flow of the inner tides you share with the Waters of the Earth. Call to them!
Now the strength of the earth within your body, evoke it from deep within your body! Remember….
(sheets of paper will be handed to each person.) Note something that was special to you this harvest season. Fold the papers and place them in the cauldron. Add a pinch of incense.
HPS: Bring to the altar the joys, the things you have harvested. Here within the magic of the circle, in this place, outside of time, you are wrapped in the many colored leaves of Autumn. You join them in the Spiral dance.
(I suggest burning the papers outside the building. Depending on the number of people we have we'll move through the area into the spiral and then back into our working area.)
HP: Her Names can not be counted,
His Face reflects the Seasons
Their Promise is Eternal
They join and are Creation…
All: Life is, Change is… Change is, Life is…
HPS: Cycles of Becoming
Dreams become the Goal Stars
Courage Leads to Action
Love and Will, the torch-fires
ALL; Life is, Change is… Change is, Life is…
HP: Be the Lady's Daughter,
Strong and Valiant Woman
Be the Horned One's Other
Warm and Loving Human
All: Life is, Change is… Change is, Life is…
HPS: In the silver moonlight
Know the Gods Within you..
Bringing into Daylight
Insights born at Midnight…
ALL: Life is, Change is… Change is, Life is…
ALL: She charges everything she touches and
Everything She touches changes
He charges everything He touches and
Everything He touches changes…
Change is touch is… Touch is, Change is…
Touch us, change us… Touch us, change us…
Everything lost is found again,
In a new form, in a new way
Everything hurt is healed again
In a new life, in a new day!
HPS: From traditions hidden in the mists of time, from tales passed down in precious fragments, from the promptings of our own hearts, come our rituals. Our people have always shared food and wine, dancing and tears in the love of the Goddess and the knowledge that joys shared are multiplied; sorrows shared are halved.
So, now do we share the Cup of Healing and Rebirth. This is the Promise that all will be renewed, that cycles are unending.
HPS: We raise the Chalice to salute the Goddess!
We raise the Athame to Salute the God!
See the Lady, hear Her Voice.
HPS: "Mine the Cup, the Wine of Life, drink deeply and with joy!"
See the Horned One, Lover and Sacrifice, "Taste Abundance, born of love; share the promise of renewal."
In this joining is the energy of Creation!
(Pass the Chalice and plate of Cakes. )
HPS/HP: Let this sharing set the seal of the Goddess on our gathering.
Guardians of the East, Wind's Children
Guardians of the South, Flame Born
Guardians of the West, Sea spawned
Guardians of the North, Born of Earth
Lady, Queen of Times, Past, Present and Time to come…
Lord Consort, Lover of the Shining One…
We thank you for your presence and protection, as you return to your Ancient realms, remember us, our needs, our goals…
Let there be love and trust, peace and joy between us always.
From Time's Beginnings, to Eternity's Endings, as our will, so shall
it be!
Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!
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