9/23/2008 - Mabon

Mabon, sometimes also known as Harvest Home, Harvest Tide, or Second Harvest is the celebration of Autumn Equinox and is traditionally celebrated on September 21-23. Traditionally it marked the middle of the harvest. It is a time of giving thanks for the bounty you have reaped and can now enjoy. Incidentally Libra is the sign which starts this celebration. And the Scales of Balance have a direct link to the harvest, as this was the time of the year when farmers would bring in their goods to be weighed and sold. 

Mabon is a celebration for symbolic sacrifice, as it has a clear connection to the idea of death, but in the Pagan tradition death represents change. From this, new life will be allowed to spring forth. Mabon is the day when the god of light is defeated by his twin, the god of darkness In the Welsh myth of Blodeuwedd the Autumnal Equinox is the only day of the whole year when Llew (light) is vulnerable and it is possible to defeat him. Llew now stands on the balance (Libra/autumnal equinox), with one foot on the cauldron (Cancer/summer solstice) and his other foot on the goat (Capricorn/winter solstice). Thus he is betrayed by Blodeuwedd, the Virgin (Virgo) and transformed into an Eagle (Scorpio).

Having defeated Llew, Goronwy (darkness) now takes over Llew's functions, both as lover to Blodeuwedd, the Goddess, and as King of our own world. Although Goronwy, the Horned King, now sits on Llew's throne and begins his rule immediately, his formal coronation will not be for another six weeks, occurring at Samhain (Halloween) or the beginning of Winter, when he becomes the Winter Lord, the Dark King, Lord of Misrule. Goronwy's other function has more immediate results, however. He mates with the virgin goddess, and Blodeuwedd conceives, and will give birth -- nine months later (at the Summer Solstice) -- to Goronwy's son, who is really another incarnation of himself, the Dark Child.

Llew's sacrificial death at Harvest Home also identifies him with John Barleycorn, spirit of the fields. Thus, Llew represents not only the sun's power, but also the sun's life trapped and crystallized in the corn. Often this corn spirit was believed to reside most especially in the last sheaf or shock harvested, which was dressed in fine clothes, or woven into a wicker-like man-shaped form. This effigy was then cut and carried from the field, and usually burned, amidst much rejoicing. So one may see Blodeuwedd and Goronwy in a new guise, not as conspirators who murder their king, but as kindly farmers who harvest the crop which they had planted and so lovingly cared for. And yet, anyone who knows the old ballad of John Barleycorn knows that we have not heard the last of him.

They let him stand till midsummer's day,
Till he looked both pale and wan,
And little Sir John's grown a long, long beard
And so become a man...

Traditionally a large whicker figure, which was made to represent the spirit of vegetation which is sacrificed during this season is burned in celebration and in honor of the spirits. Some people suggest that it was from this tradition that the misconception of Druids committing human sacrifices was created (Though this is a topic for another day, I am inclined to believe that some people simply try to deny and distance themselves from the idea of sacrifice because of their own misconceptions of it, when it is known that near ever tradition and culture, historically practiced it) 

In the rhythm of the year, Harvest Home marks a time of rest after hard work. The crops are gathered in, and winter is still a month and a half away! Although the nights are getting cooler, the days are still warm, and there is something magical in the sunlight, for it seems silvery and indirect. As we pursue our gentle hobbies of making corn dollies (those tiny vegetation spirits) and wheat weaving, our attention is suddenly arrested by the sound of baying from the skies (the 'Hounds of Annwn' passing?), as lines of geese cut silhouettes across a harvest moon.