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Mabon
Autumn Equinox

What a time of the year. Summer is over now, and it's time for us to prepare for fall.

Equinox literally means "equal night", day and night are equal in length. Everyday from this point it'll be darker eariler. Darker means colder for me in Chicago. Time to break out my jean jacket. :)

This is the time of equality between the God and Goddess, the God represented by the Sun, the Goddess by the Moon, each representing half of one whole that is fulfilled by their joining as one.

It must have been hard times for our ancestors. Some of this harvest had to be stored away for the upcoming winter. Those times are so different from today.

Some of us with fireplaces are probably thinking about the firewood that would be needed over the fall and winter... but for the most part we don't need to store all the food they did.

Much celebration was done, after all this hard work was finished. Mabon is a time to give thanks for the harvest and hope for the blessings of the gods for the harsh winters.

We celebrate by watching the new fall lineup on TV. :)

Any spells or rituals centered around balance and harmony
are appropriate.

Blessed Be!
Halls

MABON/AUTUMN EQUINOX RITUAL
by Alannah

If anyone has any questions about this ritual, or if you need more information (i.e. circle casting, quarters, etc.), please feel free to PM Alannah at Halls of Avalon.

Enjoy!

Begin by covering the altar with a brown, maroon or some other “autumn-y” color cloth. If colored cloth is not available to you, you can just use white.
If possible, decorate the altar and ritual area with pine cones, grains, acorns, etc. If not, some dried autumn leaves in a dish or basket on the altar will do just fine.
Light the incense and the altar candles, then cast the circle. Invoke the God and the Goddess. Pick up the container of leaves and hold it in both hands. Spill the leaves slowly within the circle as you say these words:
"As the days grow colder, and the leaves fall, the Lord of the sun rides the winds westward, and the cool, misty night descends. Fruits ripen, and the seeds drop. This is a time of balance, when night equals day, and though all seems dead or dying, life continues. Life is not possible without death, and the coming of winter is yet another spoke in the great wheel of the year."
Put the basket down, and say:
"Oh great Goddess of the waning moon, keeper of the cauldron, of secret magick and forgotten lore, teach me to be wise and peaceful in thought and deed. Grant me your wisdom, and do not fear that it may be used unwisely, or for purposes other than those which encourage peace and prosperity."
Now is the time where works of magic may be performed. Mabon is a good time to cast spells for protection, prosperity, self-confidence, harmony and balance.
Enjoy the cakes and ale. Cornbread and cider are traditional for this sabbat, although you can always use wine/juice and crescent cakes instead. I (personally) always save some of each to take outside as an offering to the Goddess and the God.
Release the Quarters and circle.
Blessed Be!!!

As the days grow short and the nights grow cold
the leaves and acorns fall three fold

The seeds we've sown, we're prepared to reap
as they wake tonight from their summer's sleep

With a chill in the air and a crackling fire
we thank the Goddess for filling our desire

Branches snapping beneath our feet
we stand united, all odds we beat

Showered by leaves of orange and red
we're blessed to be standing upon nature's bed

© Copyright 2005 Moonstone

On October 1st, 2005, Mars goes retrograde in the sign of Taurus until December 10th. Mars does not return to direct motion until February 4th, 2006, and the results of the retrograde are likely to be felt until then.

The term ‘retrograde’ refers to the illusion of a planet travelling ‘backwards’ in its orbit through the sky. They never actually do, but aside from the Sun and Moon, all of the astrological planets have retrograde periods. Mars retrograde occurs every two years and two months, and is strongly influenced by the sign it occurs under.

Mars is the planet of physical activity and ‘masculine’ energy. Mars retrograde is a time of heightened thought, introspection, and either, overall, a decline in action, or a misdirection of action. During this retrograde, Taureans especially will find themselves having deep thoughts about their lives, and are likely to change direction.

Without getting too complicated, this retrograde appears to be rough for the world. Expect the political heat to increase, not lessen, at least until—at an estimate—early December, but probably peaking Oct 1st though 4th. Saturn retrogrades square to Mars in November, and this also indicates a maximized stress in the world forum, politics especially. Hopefully the hurricane season will actually have ended by October, because it looks to be a record-breaking year, and with all of these things happening in the stars during the last quarter of 2005, expect a record-breaking reaction.

Also be warned, this is a good time for wars to escalate, accidents of all kinds to occur, and depression to set in. Considering that we have two eclipses during this retrograde, which are typically harbingers of the less-than-pleasant, these risks are even more significant. I would go so far as to say they are likely, since both retrogrades and eclipses relate to things outside of the control of humanity—fate, if you will—and both imply change and at the very least a little turmoil. So send the troops your best wishes, keep the prozac handy, and don’t walk under any ladders.

Mabon Tarot Card
by Moonstone

The card that represents Mabon to me is the Seven of Pentacles. By this man sewing his seeds, he has prepared himself for what the future holds. You see him looking happily at the crop that he's been so carefully and patiently tending to. He has worked just like that busy ant, who in the end, was able to gather his means for the long, cold winter ahead. All of this started out from one tiny seed and with tender care, faith and energy, it has turned into a beautiful, full garden, finally complete and ready to be harvested.

Growing Herbs Indoors
by Anann

Herbs can be grown indoors on suitable window-sills. When growing indoor herbs be sure there is plenty of light. If you are using a south facing window, be sure that the herbs get a little shade during the middle of the day in the summer when the sun is shining. On other window-sills be sure you turn the pots for even lighting during the day.

Below are a list of herbs for beginners, the containers that are best to use and a very brief tip on how to care for them. There are, of course, many other herbs that can be grown indoors but this will get you started.

Basil; Grow in Provence pots) Requires the sunniest position and tolerates dry air. Prevent if from flowering to get long life from this herb.

Bay; Large pots or tubs; Prefers filtered sun and rich soil in a cool place

Chervil; Grow in Troughs; Enjoys some sun but not the hot midday sun. Be sure it has moist cool soil.

Chives; Pots; Keep well fed and watered. You can pot this up from divisions from your garden.

Lavender; (Large pots or tubs. Buy the dwarf varieties for indoors. Enjoys direct sun.

Lemon Verbena; Tubs; Likes filtered sun with rich soil in a cool spot.

Marjoram; Pots; Choose sweet marjoram if you are planning on keeping this herb in a warm room.

Mint; Pots; Enjoys some sun but not the hot midday sun. Pot in moist, cool soil

Parsley; Pots; Choose the compact variety. It does well in a room temperature about 60 degrees.

Tarragon; Pots; Takes full sun but will tolerate light shade

Thyme; Troughs or pots; Keep in full light and water sparingly

Rosemary; Large pots; Likes a bright situation so reflected light can be used. Be sure however, that the room is cool, about 60 degrees.

Sage; Troughs, Large pots; Select a variegated kind for indoor color. Sage likes direct sun!

Now that you have chosen which herbs you are going to grow indoors, here are some tips! The important think is knowing the temperature, watering feeding and lighting to give proper caring.

Temperature;
Most herbs prefer a warm temperature about 60-70 degrees. Herbs will tolerate the temperature range of 45-75 degrees, but they will not thrive for long.

Watering;
Make sure all your containers can adequately drain. Be sure not to over-water indoor herbs. Water in the mornings, so that the excess moisture evaporates during the day. Air is very important for potted herbs and over-watering can cause root-rot fungus to thrive. If necessary place a small fan beside your indoor herbs.

Feeding;
Herbs need feeding with a weak fertilizer every two weeks in the spring and summer, but in the winter you can reduce to a monthly feeding! Use half the recommended dosage of fertilizer at all times .

Lighting;
There are special grow lights, however, the regular 'shop' fluorescent lights work great. These will improve the growth of your indoor potted herbs if you don't have good window placement and lighting. Be sure the lights are about six to nine inches above smaller herb and twelve to sixteen inches above the larger herbs.

Happy Growing!