Mabon Blessings

“Leaves fall,
the days grow cold.
The Goddess pulls her mantle of Earth around Her
as You, O Great Sun God, sail toward the West
to the land of eternal enchantment,
wrapped in the coolness of night.
Fruits ripen,
seeds drip,
the hours of day and night are balanced.”

Mabon marks a time to harvest fruits, nuts, vegetables, and herbs for the coming winter, along with the completion of the grain harvest begun during Lammas. As such, it is often known as the Pagan Thanksgiving. Although many view the harvest season as a celebration of life, it is also a celebration of death. The bounty gathered from the garden provides nourishment for family and friends, but also results in the death of those plants and vegetables harvested. Thus, Mabon is a celebration of the cycle of life. Traditional practice is to walk through wild places and forests, gathering seed pods and dried plants to use in decorating the home and for future herbal magick.