Mabon--The Second Harvest Festival
By
Theresa Chaze
Mabon or Autumn Equinox is one of the eight solar holidays and is celebrated on approximately September 21. Also called Harvest Home, Feast of Ingathering, and Harvest Gift, it is not an official ancient festival in name or date. Mabon is one of the newer holidays and is considered the second harvest festival, which celebrates the bringing of the fruits, nuts and berries that would grow wild. Although the spirit of the holiday is agricultural related, spiritually it is also the harvesting of the sweeter rewards and receiving of unearned blessings. As the Divine has provide the wild harvest, so does she/he/it bestow miracles on those whose words and deeds have been blessings in others lives. It is a time when unexpected gifts are given to the loved ones in your life and the receiving of unpetitioned blessings from the Divine.
With the day and night having equal power, so are the feminine and masculine energies evenly balanced. Both female and male deities are honored equally. Although the Sabbath is named for Mabon, the Welsh God who symbolized the male fertilizing principle, Persephone is also honored as she makes her return visit to the underworld, signally the upcoming close to the yearly harvest. On this day, rituals of thanksgiving for blessings already received and prayers for protection during the up coming winter months are performed. As the cycle of the year continues so hours of daylight shrink as will the influence of the masculine energy until Yule or Winter Solstice when the Sun God is again reborn.
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