Harvest Moon in Pisces

by with No Comment The Moon

The Full Moon in September is often called the Harvest Moon.
In agricultural communities, the extra light of the few days around the Full Moon was used to bring in the crops. If the weather is mild, this is a good time for an outdoor Full Moon ritual.
If you can, organize a Harvest Moon picnic with a few friends. Most of the food should be either from your gardens, or locally grown, bought at a farmer’s market or roadside stand. Traditional foods might be corn, apples, tomatoes, squash, and various greens. Bake your own bread, or try to find a bakery that makes artisan breads. Buy locally made wine or beer.
Find a pleasant place to set up your picnic, a local park or nature preserve, or even a large backyard. Cover a picnic table with a large table cloth or a sheet. Arrange the food on the cloth, with ornamental squash, ears of corn, and pumpkins as decorations.
Start the feast by thanking the gods for the bounty of the harvest. After you eat, you can sing, a time-honored way to celebrate. Harvest songs are part of traditional folk music. End with a song of thanks. — Magenta Griffith

Courtesy of LLewellyn Worldwide

The Second Harvest Festival

by with No Comment Celebrate The Season

Merry Mabon Everyone!!

As the season of autumn rolls in, keep a watchful eye on nature as she begins her big show of the year with all the blazing autumn colors. The faeries of the fall are busy now, adding color to the landscape, coaxing the last of the flowers to bloom, and painting dewdrops on the morning grass. Leave out a small saucer of milk on a fine autumn evening in gratitude for all the nature spirit’s hard a work as the harvest is gathered.

In agrarian times, the solar event known as Mabon was regarded as a harvest festival to prepare the second of crops for the looming winter months – a time to complete the harvest that began at Lammas.
In terms of the cycle of day and night, Mabon represents sunset, as the Sun retreats and night begins to dominate. Accordingly, contemporary Witches decorate their altars with autumn leaves, pine cones and acorns along with nuts and dried fruits as offerings to Goddess. As a time of balance, make time for introspection. Reflect on your deeds
and celebrate your achievements as the proverbial “fruits of your labor”. Think about initiating closure on issues or tasks that are taking a long time to complete, or removing things that no longer serve a purpose.
Traditionally, Mabon is a time to ease the transition from warmth and abundance to the harshness of winter. Whilst the weather is still mild, wash and air your warmer bedding to prepare for ultimate comfort in the weeks ahead. Do the same for your favorite coats and sweaters. You will feel totally organized and ready for the cooler, yet cozy part of the year! –by Emely Flak

Courtesy of Llewellyn Worldwide

~ ~ ~
Mabon is a time of harvest and of celebration. For more about this magickal holiday, recipes for food and incense, activities and more Click Here
For a Harvest and Mabon Ritual Click Here

Mabon Wine Recipe

Blackberry Wine
Recipe by Edain McCoy

What you need:
– 2 & 1/2 pounds fresh Blackberries
– 3 cups Sugar
– 2 cups Hot Water

What to do:
– Let the berries set out in a large bowl for about four weeks, stirring them occasionally. The berries will get a rank smell and may begin to mold.
– With mortar and pestle, crush the berries into as smooth a pulp as possible. Stir in the sugar and then the water.
– Pour the wine into casks to ferment for eight to ten months. The longer it is kept the better it will be. The wine will have to be aired every few days to allow building gases to escape.
This wine has a gentle port-like flavor when finished.

Source: This ‘Blackberry Wine’ recipe is from “Witta: An Irish Pagan Tradition” by Edain McCoy, Llewellyn Publications, 1994