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Guardians of the watchtower of the south, we do summon, stir,
and call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come forth from the cook fires
and smokehouses where food is being made ready for the coming cold months.
Kindle within us the flame of spiritual awakening. So mote it be!
Responsorial: So mote it be!
The High Priest now approaches…..
The Quarter Invocations Will Now Be Preformed
The High Priest Facing East:
Guardians of the watchtower of the east, we do summon, stir, and
call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come to us now on the cool breath of
Autumn’s sigh which heralds the advent of Winter and the close of harvest
time. Breathe into us the spirit of the pure joy of life. So mote it be!
Responsorial: So mote it be!
The High Priestess uses the grain to walk behind each of us and cast the sacred circle, while chanting….
The High Priestess:
Birds circle hungrily overhead
As through harvested fields we tread.
The smokehouse fires and burning leaves
Their scents do spiral and interweave.
Ripples circle in our wake
As rice we harvest from a lake.
The dusty Earth now shorn of locks
Swirls as pass our fattened flocks.
Much bounty may our harvest see
As we cast, so mote it be!
Wishing You A Very Blessed & Prosperous Mabon Dear Friends & Family!
Hail and Merry Meet to all those who have gathered here today, In the name of our most Divine and Holy Mother, The Goddess. And To Celebrate the Harvest of Mabon!
There is chaos all around us. But we just take time from the world’s problems and now focus on ourselves. It is our time to rejoice and give thanks to our great Mother for the harvest and bounty She has bestowed upon us. We are to sing Our Mother’s Praises to the top of the roof. For She is our all with out our Holy Mother, we are nothing.
Today in honor of our Great Goddess and our love for you. Mystie and myself will be casting an online ritual for you. There is nothing you need to do except if the Spirit moves you to add a “So Mote It Be” when needed. We would also ask that you have patience with us. WordPress does not let both of us in this account at the same time. So we might have to log in and log out. If that happens, please we ask that you quietly pray for us as we try to perform this feat for you.
Quiet, please….
The Ritual is about to begin,
Now enters the High Priestess carrying her basket of grain……
Fall Is Here, It's Harvest time!
Mabon Ritual
Mabon Ritual
(circa September 21)
Decorate the altar with acorns, oak sprigs, pine and cypress cones, ears of
corn, wheat stalks and other fruits and nuts. Also place there a small rustic
basket filled with dried leaves of various colors and kinds.
Arrange the altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant.
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Stand before the altar, holding aloft the basket of leaves, and slowly scatter
them so that they cascade to the ground within the circle. Say such words as
these:
Leaves fall,
the days grow cold.
The Goddess pulls Her mantle of the Earth around Her as You,
O Great Sun God,
sail toward the West to the lands of
Eternal Enchantment.,
wrapped in the coolness of night.
Fruits ripen,
seeds drop,
the hours of day and night are balanced.
Chill winds blow in from the North wailing laments.
In this seeming extinction of nature’s power,
O Blessed Goddess,
I know that life continues.
For spring is impossible without the second harvest,
as surely as life is impossible without death.
Blessings upon You,
O Fallen God,
as You journey into the lands of winter
and into the Goddess’ loving arms.
Place the basket down and say:
O Gracious Goddess of all fertility,
I have sown and reaped the fruits of my actions, good and bane.
Grant me the courage to plant seeds of joy and love in the coming year,
banishing misery and hate.
Teach me the secrets of wise existence upon this planet,
O Luminous One of the Night!
Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.
Mabon Thoughts
MABON – THE AUTUMNAL EQUINOX
This is the Harvest Home and falls in a busy season. Agricultural work all
through the harvest season, from Lughnassadh to Samhain, should be done
communally and with simple rites, keeping the presence of the Gods in mind, and accompanied by games and amusements where they can be fitted in. The Harvest Queen with her chosen Lord preside at all these occasions, leading the work, the dances and the feasting. Wagons coming in from the fields at Mabon form a parade. There are garlands around the necks of the draft animals, and the
Harvest Queen rides in rustic splendor on the last wagon.
THEMES
Many fruits and nuts full-ripe. Leaves turning. Harvest in full swing. Bird
migrations begin. Chill of winter anticipated. Farewell to Summer. Friendship
and family ties remembered.
Thesmophoria, the Eleusianian Mysteries and the Cerelia, all in honor of Demeter or the Roman Ceres. Feast of Cernunnos and of Bacchus.
The myth of Dionysos: the young god is sacrificed or abducted as Winter begins.
Hy is restored to his mother in the spring. Dionysos (vegetable life) if the
offspring of Persephone (the seed corn) and Hades (the underworld, beneath the
surface of the earth).
PURPOSE OF THE RITES
Thanksgiving to the gods for the harvest. Magic for good weather and protection
of the winter food supply. Blessing the harvest fruits.
FOLK CUSTOMS
Gala processions to bring home the harvest. One or two fruits left on each tree,
no doubt originally meant as an offering to the spirit of the trees. Harvest
customs are too numerous to list here. Refer to The Golden Bough. They include
relics of purification rites and sacrifice of the God-King.
SYMBOLIC DECORATIONS
Colors: gold and sky-blue
Autumn leaves and berries
Fruits of harvest
Nuts
Acorns
Pine cones
Autumn flowers
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Husing bees
Harvest parade
Barn dances
Harvest ball
Country fair
Canning and preserving parties
THE RITE
Takes place late afternoon of Mabon Day, in a field or garden, not in wild
woods. The Circle may be marked out with autumn braches. Altar in the west. A
sky-blue altar cloth makes a beautiful background for harvest-gold candles and
decorations of autumn foliage.
Make an image of the Goddess from a sheaf of grain, so that the ripe ears form a
crown. Place this image, decorated with seasonal flowers (chrysanthemums are
sacred to Her, being really marigolds) above the altar. It is a barbaric-looking
figure – no Praxiteles goddess. Have a jug of cider and a supply of cups or
glasses near the altar.
Build the central fire in the cauldron and wreathe the cauldron with autumn
branches.
Coveners may wear work clothes or white robes, or dress in ordinary clothing in
autumn colors. HPS and HP should wear crowns of autumn leaves and berries.
Everyone walks in a procession to the Circle, each carrying a sheaf of grain or
a basket or tray of apples, squashes, melons, nuts, etc. as they continue to walk deosil within the Circle, HP and HPS take their burdens from them and stack them around the altar.
Banish the Circle with sat water. In the prayer of intention, refer to absent
friends and relatives who are present in spirit and to the harvest offering. Bid
Summer farewell.
HP kindles the fire. HPS invokes the Goddess and charges the fire. Communion
materials are cider and Sabbat cakes.
The Ritual of Harvesting:
Have a fruit-bearing potted plant at the North. Reap the fruit and carry it
slowly, elevated at about eye-level on the Pentacle, on a tour of the Circle.
The fruit represents the benefits and results of our efforts during the year.
The elevation, with all eyes fixed on the fruit, represents our assessment and
evaluation of our results. The coveners’ individual messages, burned in the
fire, briefly detail these. The fruit itself is divided with the knife and eaten
by the coveners as a token that they accept the consequences of their actions.
Have a platter prepared for the Goddess, bearing some of each kind of food
provided for the feast. Using the knife, HPS buries this food before the altar,
inviting the Goddess to share in and bless the feast. HP pours a libation. Then
he pours cider all around and proposes a toast to the harvest.
HPS gives thanks to all the gods for the harvest. HPS asks the blessing. The
usual divinations and similar business follow, then feasting, dancing and games
and the rite ends as usual.
What is Mabon?
What is Mabon?
Between September 19-22, Wiccans and other pagan religions celebrate the lesser sabbat of Mabon, the Autumnal Equinox. Other names for Mabon are the Autumnal Equinox, Foghar, Alban Elfed, Harvest Home, Fruit Harvest and Wine Harvest. The celebration of Mabon highlights the point where both day and night hold equal power across the land. Mabon is a period during the year. To honor those who have crossed the veil to spirit, to remember lost friends and family members with love and acceptance in the full knowledge that you will meet once again when your time comes.
There are numerous ways to celebrate Mabon, but essentially the controlling focus points either to the Second Harvest, or the equal balance between light and dark during mid September. Spend some time contemplating all of the positive aspects of your existence, both spiritual and material. Allow a feeling of gratitude to overtake you as you examine all of the good around you, light a candle and stare into the flickering flame and thank the gods for your continuing good fortune.
This is also a time to pay homage to the Ancient Deities that have frequented the world since the dawning of creation and continue to do so as the eternal seasons wax and wane in synchrony with the Moon. Some of the Gods originally linked with the Autumnal Equinox are Thor, Thoth, Hermes, The Green Man, Demeter and Persephone. During Harvest Home, the Corn Moon is celebrated in the month of September, the following Harvest Moon is celebrated in October, and Blood Moon on November thereafter.
The first full moon closest to the Mabon celebration is generally known as an Harvest Moon. The term Harvest Moon was taken from the fact that farmers would reap their crops during the night using the illumination of the full moon giving them greater visibility whilst working. European Wiccan/pagan groups do not believe that Mabon is an authentic sabbat therefore give it little credence, though it is widely celebrated in the United States.
Mabon highlights the end of the second of three Harvest Festivals, and is a time when the majority of crops have been gathered and the crop fields become bare in preparation for the upcoming Winter. Mabon sets the marker to the end of the Harvesting Season as the Pagan calendar rotates towards the darkening winter.
Paul Fitzpatrick
Writer of all things Wiccan and Magical.
May There Be Peace This Mabon Season
Daily Feng Shui News for Sept. 20 – 'National Punch Day'
It’s ‘National Punch Day’ and since almost every punch recipe uses ginger ale as a main ingredient, today let’s look at how invaluable ginger can be when added to your daily diet. From a physical perspective, ginger is said to quell nausea and motion sickness while aiding digestion. It is also considered a most potent all natural anti-inflammatory medicine, especially useful when treating arthritis or rheumatic complaints. From a metaphysical perspective, ginger is considered a money attractant as well as an effective conduit for communicating with the invisible realms. So whether it’s dispelling debt or creating better digestion, ginger delivers a knockout, one-two punch, even when using just a pinch.
By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com
Your Animal Spirit for Sept. 20th is The Butterfly
Your Animal Spirit for Today
September 20, 2013
Butterfly
Beautiful butterfly has fluttered into your reading to remind you of the powerful transformational energies at work in your life. If something important seems to be stagnating, know that transformation is at work just below the surface—and just like the caterpillar, the “cocooned” situation you’re fretting about is about to be freed.
Your Ancient Symbol Card for Sept. 20th is Mars
Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today
Mars
Mars represents those qualities we commonly associate with the male/yang persona. Mars traits include raw energy, ambition, aggression, confidence, passion, and a sense of adventure. The occurrence of Mars denotes the dominating presence or need of the qualities listed above. Martian influence may have a negative impact unless it is balanced with an influence that can blunt the brashness and impulsiveness of Mars.
As a daily card, Mars suggests you would be well served by allowing your more aggressive side take control for at least for a short while. Now is a time for you to act with confidence and decisiveness. However, keep in mind that the qualities associated with Mars can do more damage than good if allowed to run free for too long.
Your Rune For September 20th is Naudhiz
Your Rune For Today
Naudhiz
Naudhiz may foretell needs unmet and friction in relationships. You may be in a time where you should be very careful in whatever endeavor you take on. Also it may be that you are about to learn some of life’s hard lessons and come out the other side of this period a stronger being.
Today's Tarot Card for Sept. 20th is The High Priestess
The High Priestess
Friday, Sep 20th, 2013
Traditionally called the High Priestess, this major arcana, or trump, card represents human wisdom. She can be viewed as a kind of female Pope, the ancient Egyptian Priestess of Isis, the even older snake and bird Goddesses, the Greek Goddess Persephone, or the Eve of Genesis before the Fall.
For the accused heretics who were burnt at the stake for revering her in the 14th and 15th century, she symbolized the prophecy of the return of the Holy Spirit, which was perceived as the female aspect of the Holy Trinity.
In the sequence of cards in the major arcana, the High Priestess appears as soon as the Fool decides he wants to develop his innate powers, making a move toward becoming a Magus. The High Priestess is his first teacher, representing the Inner Life and the method for contacting it, as well as the contemplative study of Nature and the Holy Mysteries.
Full Moon in Pisces Horoscopes
Full Moon in Pisces Horoscopes
Sensitivity and service are highlighted by September’s Full Moon
Jeff Jawer on the topics of pisces, moon, horoscopes, full moon, astrologyIt’s time to embrace compassion! The Full Moon in Pisces on September 19, 2013, operates on faith, while the opposing Virgo Sun prefers facts. Yet what these signs have in common is a sense of service.
This Full Moon reminds us that we don’t have to be precise to be helpful and that sometimes making an error with a loving attitude is more beneficial than perfect behavior done with a scowl.
When Pisces compassion combines with Virgo skills, we have the best of both worlds.
Aries (March 21 – April 19)
Spiritual awakening and creative inspiration are potential gifts of this Pisces Full Moon. But it lands in your 12th House of Escapes, which means that you could benefit from taking more breaks from your daily duties and concerns. Seek quiet places in the world to find tranquility in yourself. But this is not peace that puts you to sleep; it’s an ocean of imagination that can take you to more exciting places.
Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
The compassionate Pisces Full Moon occurs in your 11th House of Friends and Groups, making you a more sensitive and caring ally. Allowing yourself to be supported by others doesn’t make you weak if it helps you do your job and assist your community. But if you’re already sacrificing personal interests to benefit others, make sure that you save some of that love, time and energy for yourself.
Gemini (May 21 – June 20)
Your sharp mind and quick wit are major professional assets, but this sensitive Pisces Full Moon in your 10th House of Vocation shows that how you feel about your work is as important as what you think. Finding inspiration in your job is possible if you unclutter your head with facts and tune in to emotions — that will help you tap into imagination and faith that take you further in your career.
Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
Dreams of faraway places are awakened by this magical Pisces Full Moon in your 9th House of Travel and Higher Mind. Studying a subject that touches your soul will take your further than mere academic exercises. Broaden your horizons by planning a trip, connecting with people in distant locations or reading about exotic locales that bring more imagination and beauty into your life.
Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22)
The forgiving Pisces Full Moon lights up your 8th House of Deep Sharing, providing insights into your relationships. Personal and professional partnerships flourish when you are caring, compassionate and working with people who also have these qualities. Use your intuition, because reason alone will not supply the answers you seek to questions about love, intimacy and business alliances.
Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22)
The imaginative Pisces Full Moon opposes the Sun in your precise sign, challenging you to overlook details to feel a bigger picture than cannot be seen by intellect alone. It occurs in your 7th House of Partners, where it can trigger crises in existing alliances but also open doors to people and possibilities with others. Compassion and big dreams are key to making connections that will satisfy your soul.
Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22)
Work can be exhausting if you can’t find meaning in what you do. That’s because this revelatory Pisces Full Moon is in your 6th House of Employment, where it stirs up strong feelings about your job. Getting more rest is one way to keep your competence and confidence high. Yet getting inspiration from a hobby or taking on tasks where you can use your imagination will recharge your batteries.
Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21)
You could be flooded with romantic feelings with this dreamy Pisces Full Moon in your 5th House of Love. Expressing yourself in poetic, imaginative and creative ways are other means for riding these inspirational waves of energy. You’re ready to show more tenderness and expose some of your vulnerability because these are effective ways to appear more attractive and bring others into your life.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21)
This tender Pisces Full Moon lands in your domestic 4th House of Home and Family, where it signals a need to pay more attention to your personal life. Spending more time at home and relaxing in peaceful places will bring insights into your past that will make you more excited about the future. But there’s less need to push yourself ahead now because quiet times and contemplation reveal fresh sources of inspiration.
Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19)
Looking at the world around you with less critical eyes will reveal much more than logic now. This intuitive Pisces Full Moon occupies your 3rd House of Perception and Communication, making you more sensitive to what you see, say and hear. Tender conversations and the freedom to fantasize are not distractions but are sources of inspiration and faith that give your life more meaning.
Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18)
Insights into income opportunities come with this sensitive Pisces Full Moon in your 2nd House of Money. This lunation could awaken old dreams about work that touch your heart. The path to a better cash flow comes from creativity and imagination now, so make sure you don’t set aside fantasies that might not appear to be practical but which can lead you to greater prosperity.
Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20)
The Pisces Full Moon touches your 1st House of Outward Appearance. It could inspire you to be more creative in your look and in the ways to you connect with people. But it can also increase uncertainty about where you stand with others. Be gentle with yourself, nourish your dreams and forgive any mistakes you’ve made. Others’ criticism counts less than attending your own needs now.
Weekend Love Horoscopes for Sept. 20 – 22nd: Comfy Love
Weekend Love Horoscopes
September 20-22: Comfy Love
Maria DeSimone on the topics of love, horoscopes, astrologyThe weekend starts out with plenty of sparks in the romance department, thanks to Friday’s feisty Moon in Aries. The Moon will connect beautifully with Mars, adding to your ability to chase the object of your affection with little trepidation. In fact, there’s bound to be plenty of loud, theatrical activity in the bedroom Friday night, thanks to this alignment.
Emotional drama? Yes, but thankfully a happy ending for all.
Saturday and Sunday, love turns cozy thanks to a tasty Taurus Moon. The simple pleasures are to be enjoyed with your lover now. A long walk along the beach, candlelit dinner or attending a concert together are all ways to arouse the spirit, the heart and the body.
The Sun’s entry into relationship-oriented Libra on Sunday will only add to your ability to relate.
* Your Weekend Love Horoscope is now written by counseling Astrologer Maria DeSimone, who knows love, dating and relationships better than anyone. Maria tracks the planets so you can make the right romantic moves every weekend!
Daily Cosmic Calendar for September 20th
Stop, look and listen! Yesterday’s Full Moon and Mercury-Jupiter square-off may be behind you, but they still carry a psychic punch today. The 48 hours after a Full Moon are a time-period for distribution of the illuminating solar-lunar vibrations just received. What may put you into a temporary blissful state of mind and heart is a comforting, 60-degree rapport from Venus to Ceres (1:03AM). However, excitement and intensity reign supreme due to the monthly Moon-Uranus union in Aries (5:21AM), Venus forming a flowing trine to Chiron in water signs (5:58AM), and — above all — Pluto leaving retrograde motion behind at 9 degrees of Capricorn as it stations to turn forward (8:30AM). [Pluto will remain in direct motion until April 14, 2014 when it will once again reverse itself in the zodiac at 14 degrees of Capricorn.] Throughout this entire 24-hour time-period, stay alert to the following Pluto themes — death-and-rebirth; mysteries and secrets; regeneration; metamorphosis; spiritual willpower and mental concentration; catharsis; hypnosis; reincarnation; repressed emotions; extremes of any kind; the underworld; corruption; manipulation and controlling behavior patterns; hidden agendas; phobias. Adding to the strange twists and turns of fate are Ceres in opposition to synchronicity-ruling Chiron (12:46PM), Venus forming an off-kilter, 150-degree link to shock-master Uranus (1:54PM), and Mercury making an abrasive, 135-degree tie with hazy Neptune (5:08PM). If that isn’t enough cosmic tomfoolery for you, make space for a long void lunar cycle starting at 6:26PM and lasting until 3:34PM tomorrow as well as a 60-degree and yet weighty liaison from Saturn in Scorpio to Pluto in Capricorn (10:46PM). If you are not careful, this could become one of those days when the unknown is completely running the show and you are a mere pawn on the chessboard of life. Note to readers: All times are calculated for Pacific Daylight Time. Be sure to adjust all times according to your own local time so the alignments noted above will be exact for your location.
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