We adorn our altar with food from the harvest, such as squashes, carrots, pomegranates, apples, nuts, bread, and cider. Frankincense and harvest scented candles.  

*Purify space and each other with sage* 

Sprinkling the basket of autumn grape leaves to create our circle.

Is There Peace in our Circle? 

Attunement

We join hands and begin to focus by following our breath. Inhale and exhale slowly and deeply several times. Breathing in all positive thoughts and feelings. Breathing out anything negative we’ve been holding. Inhale…..  Exhale….. Allow the mind to become clear, focused and centered.

Feel the arms of the great mother embracing and rocking you as you move away from the energy of the outer world to the peace and stillness of your inner world. Press your tailbone down through floor and into the belly of Gaia, Mother Earth. As your awareness taps into the earth, you are filled with a sense of stability and groundedness. Feel your head lift up towards the starry heavens. Peace abounds. 

Greeting

We Anoint with a combination of frankincense, cinnamon, & meditation  oil to center our focus and inspire our insight. 

“I greet the God/Goddess in you.”

Cast Circle and Call Quarters

Air of the east, fall colored leaves blowing in the wind. Warm autumn air caressing our cheeks and filling our minds with thoughts of inspiration. Blow into our sacred circle. Welcome East. (Light East Candle)

Fire of the south, cauldron flames of transformation. Powers of the Sun, Light the way for us, so that we may be confident in what the future holds and ignite our ritual with intention. Welcome South. (Light South Candle)

Water of the west, cleansing tides of salty seas. Wash away our pain and anxiety and connect us to our intuition, emotions and dream nature. Welcome West. (Light West Candle)

Earth of the north, bounty of the harvest. Make our way steady. Fill us with green healing energy. Welcome North. (Light North Candle)

Center, source of inner wisdom and eternal peace. Still us so that we may feel our connection to this and the other world. Welcome Center. (Light Center Candle)

Visualize being encircled by a mist of energy that is above, around and below us moving us into a sacred place outside of time.

Invoking Deity

(Light Goddess Candle) 

Great goddess Demeter, before you cover your face at the departure of your daughter, Persephone,  Be with us now in our sacred rite as we honor Mabon. Bless us with your wisdom, nurturance and compassion.  We light a candle in honor of you.  You are Maiden and Mother throughout the year and tonight we honor you as Crone..  Welcome Goddesses.

(Light God Candle) 

Great god, Mabon, son of Modron, hidden from the world of light.  You are the spirit of grain, the bridge between the living and dead, freedom, protector of all that is wild and free, we light a candle in honor of you.  Give us the strength to overcome difficulties this night as we rest in your loving embrace. Welcome God.

(Each take a piece of bread, saying):  

“May the Blessings of the Goddess be upon you”

Standing before the altar, holding aloft the basket of remaining 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! 

By the earth that is her body and the air that is her sweet breath. By the fire of her bright spirit and the waters of her living womb. By all that is above and by all that is below. We are between the worlds and what we do between the worlds, blesses and changes the world. The circle is cast. Blessed Be.

Statement of Purpose 

The Autumnal Equinox begins the first day of Autumn approximately on this date. This is the day of the second festival of the harvest.  During this time the energy on the planet changes, this energy is called life-force energy or Universal energy.

Mabon or Autumn Equinox is the second harvest festival.  Like Spring Equinox, Autumn Equinox is a balance of night and day and light and dark, but now we are moving from light into darkness, from warmth into cold.

We gather in the harvest of summer, and prepare for winter. Everything in nature is constantly giving to and receiving from everything else.  When we receive gifts we give thanks, and try to give something back. It is a part of keeping the balance. As we are gathering in all the gifts of the Goddess, fruits, nuts, grains, and blessings, we also try to give something back, to make an offering, to express our

thanks by doing a good deed, leaving fruit and honey out for the fae folk, or cleaning our yard.

This is also a time to look back at all the things and people we have to be thankful for. It is also a time to take stock of ourselves, and see how much we have grown and changed throughout the year.

At Mabon the Mother of the Harvest becomes the Old One, the wise grandmother who teaches us to rest after our labors. We also honor the Goddess Demeter, who is Goddess of all growing things, and Her daughter Persephone, who becomes Queen of the Under World at Mabon. As Persephone descends into the Under World, Demeter covers her face, and all living and growing things die until Persephone returns at Ostara.

At this time the God is Mabon, son of Modron, which means Son of the Mother. He is hidden from the world of light. He is the spirit of the grain being taken to the store house. Like Persephone, he is a bridge between this world and the Otherworld. He is a link between the living and dead. He is freedom. He protects all that is wild and free.

Cakes and Ale

Much like communion, we partake of food and drink in our circles. The food and drink represents the gifts of the air, fire, water & earth. As we partake, we give honor to the elements, and also to those whose labor enables us to eat. We will make offerings of the food and drink to the Deities we welcomed to circle before we partake ourselves.

Partake of the seasonal food and drink on the altar. Enjoy the bounty of the season. Breath into a feeling of gratitude for having the time and space to practice ritual.

Farewells and Opening the Circle

Great god, Mabon, Protector, you have given us the strength to move past our difficulties and embrace what our future holds. For this we are ever grateful. Stay if you will, go if you must, hail and farewell gods.

Great goddesses, Demeter & Persephone. You have nurtured us and filled us with love and compassion and the great understanding of the cycles of life this rite. We are truly blessed for this experience. Stay if you will, go if you must, hail and farewell goddess.

Center, place of stillness in the center of our souls, we thank you for keeping us balanced and still enough to be with our loved ones. Stay if you will, go if you must, hail and farewell center.

Earth of the North, you have made our way steady and have grounded our energy. Stay if you will, go if you must, hail and farewell earth.

Waters of the West, our emotions have surfaced this night. We know that you will wash away our tears and cradle us in your healing tides. Stay if you will, go if you must, hail and farewell water.

Fire of the South, you have lit the way for us, and brought confidence in what the future holds. We are transformed this night by the power of your burning light. Stay if you will, go if you must, hail and farewell fire.

Air of the East, you have inspired us to trust in the process of your ever-changing ways. Stay if you will, go if you must, hail and farewell air.

Imagine the mist around our sacred circle slowly beginning to lift and dissolve. Tonight we have gathered and created sacred space, where we have stood together in peace and harmony. Four people from decidedly different places in life, in unity for this brief moment in time. As we leave this place, may we take with us a sense of purpose for the coming year, and path to peace that we may share with others by our example.

As is becoming our tradition, we close with this. I lift my left hand, enclosed around the right hand of the next person, to my heart. “From my heart, through these hands, to your heart, ” I move our joined hands to their heart, “take all the love that you need and pass the rest on.” (each person repeats)

May the circle be open but unbroken. May the love of the goddess be ever in our hearts. Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again. Blessed be.