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Category: Fall Equinox/Mabon
A Happy and Blessed Ostara or Mabon
Well, I just learned something new about the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere and the fall equinox in the southern hemisphere. Ostara the spring equinox is on Thursday, March 19, 2020 at 10:49 PM PM CT while Mabon the fall equinox is on Friday, March 20, 2020 at 2:49 PM AEDT in the southern hemisphere. Which means we are experiencing the equinoxes at the exact same time just in different time zones and because of the international date line on a different date.
When I read this I felt it covered more than just a blessing for Ostara and Mabon. I felt it was a blessing to carry with us all through the year.
Northern Brothers and Sisters: May what you sow this spring come to a bountiful harvest in the fall.
Southern Brothers and Sisters: May what you sowed in the spring be bring you a bountiful harvest this fall.
Remember we can sow different things for our own reasons they do not have to be something we plant in the ground and watch grow, they can be something we change in our lifestyle or in our spiritual or magickal path. Then when we harvest them they become part of us and who we are.
Sabbat: NH Ostara Sunday, March 22nd, SH Mabon Monday, March 23rd
All Witches and Pagans are invited to join the Heart’s Spirit Coven as we celebrate Ostara in the Northern Hemisphere and Mabon in the Southern Hemisphere
WHEN:
Sunday, March 22nd, 2020 NH
Monday, March 23rd, 2020 SH
At 6:00 PM CDT NH/ 10.00 AM AEDT SH
Circle starts at 7:00 PM CDT NH/ 11.00 AM AEDT SH- SHARP.
45 minutes will be allocated for a chance to talk to our Brothers and Sisters. Please do not enter the chat room once the circle has started. Thank you!
WHERE:
Beginning the Sabbat with a Universal Prayer
Just before we begin our Sabbat, I would like to acknowledge all that has happened and is happening in 2020, before and beyond. It is a significant time of much change and challenges for both humanity and the Great Earth Mother and all within her. Let us take a minute to pray for the universal healing in this time of need.
“May the Great Mother and Great Father give us strength and refuge in our time of need. Help us to remain calm and strong in the face of uncertainty, help us find compassion without the overwhelming feeling of empathy. Great Mother and Father teach me humility, acceptance and to remember my kindness”
So mote it be……..
Ostara in the NH
You will need (aside from your altar usual set up)
See how to set up basic elemental altar below:
https://covenlife.co/2017/07/06/simple-basic-altar-set-up/
Green Candle
White candle
Yin/Yang Symbol- cut out the wholes specified once printed, or you can draw or paint the symbol.
2 eggs colored one darker one lighter
Mabon in the SH
You will need (aside from your altar usual set up)
See how to set up basic elemental altar below:
https://covenlife.co/2017/07/06/simple-basic-altar-set-up/
A wicker basket
Red Apple
Fallen Branch
Seasonal fruit and vegetables
Incense of your choice
Knife to cut apple
Picture of a large pentacle (I use a pentacle disk or you can draw or print one on a piece of paper)
A candle-(the larger the better, one to re-light, whenever you wish to contemplate during the winter months over your magickal and mystical path. If your candle runs low transfer the light to another large candle with love and intent of the energy of the first. Contemplations are done for short periods of time so candle needs to burn for only a couple of minutes at a time, longer if you wish it is purely up to you. Note; DO NOT BLOW OUT CANDLE, SNUFF THE CANDLE INSTEAD)
See how to snuffing candle
Set up for Ritual:
Mabon SH
Sweep your circle with a broom clockwise (use whatever you have on hand, it’s about physically cleaning your space)
Place the wicker basket with seasonal fruit and vegetables in the center of alter
Tree branch to the right of the wicker basket
Ostara NH
Sweep your circle with a broom clockwise (use whatever you have on hand, it’s about physically cleaning your space)
Have your Yin/Yang symbol prepared, holes cut out as indicated on diagram provided ready for ritual
Hard boil your eggs, colour one darker than the other ready to place on symbol
Purify the self and the Environment NH & SH:
Take a shower or bath with your favorite oils
Play your favorite music
Burn your favorite incense
Meditate and ground yourself
Ostara is the beginning of spring, the season for new beginnings and the renewal of life through planting. This is the time we can now plant seeds and nurture them throughout the coming months to bare their fruit. What is it that you would like to plant in your life? What are you willing to nurture throughout the growing season? For this ritual as this season is also a time for re-birth, new life and fertility we will be concentrating on the symbology of the egg. Think of the dark and light as the feminine and the masculine. The Goddess and the God resorting your outer and inner balance.
Mabon is the second of 3 harvest festivals celebrating the equinox and the harvest of apples. On the day of the equinox, day and night is of equal length. For the next 6 months the nights will be longer than the days. This is such a great time of abundance. All the hard work that it takes to collect the harvest, it is now a time to rest, reap what you have sown and take the time to look at you hopes and aspirations and reflect how they have manifested. Most importantly spend it with the people you love. This is a time of giving, sharing and loving.
Cast the Circle:
Hypatia Casting the circle-
To the Guardians of the North:
I call you into our Watchtowers to protect us.
To the Guardians of the East:
I call you into our Watchtowers to protect us.
To the Guardians of the South:
I call you into our Watchtowers to protect us.
To the Guardians of the West:
I call you into our Watchtowers to protect us.
I cast this circle three times three with the assistance of the Great Mother and the Great God.
I call Upon the Guardians of spirit to protect us from above and below. As is above so is below, as is below so is above. May the power of The Great God and The great Goddess join us within this circle now, to protect us and to work with us and allow us to see beyond the veil.
Protect us Great Mother and Great Father for all gathered here and those afar who are unable to be with us. Allow no negative energy to touch us, to harm us and that nothing we call upon will harm us and others. We come together in perfect love and perfect trust.
Greeting:
Hypatia – Merry meet brothers and sisters and honored guests.
Everyone – Respond Merry Greet. Please tell us your first name and state or country you are from.
Ceremony:
Please ALL light your main altar candles (not the Mabon or Ostara candles as yet)
Ritual begins:
Ostara
Mabon
Your wand in right hand, facing your alter, arms stretched out above head……….
“Autumn Queen and Harvest God I honor Thee. As the change of seasons begins the Wheel has turned once more. A time to reflect, a time to come together in the here and now in this sacred space where all time becomes one. The second harvest has been reaped, now take the time to rest and feel the change as the season passes from one to the next.
My Mother, go now and slumber
My Father go now and dream of re-birth”
Arms outstretched, lower your head and close your eyes, sit in contemplation for 30 seconds.
When ready open your eyes and lower your arms
Pick up the apple and place it on the pentacle
Cut the apple crosswise to reveal the pentagram bringing the elements into your life
Lift the half apple up as in offering and say….
“The year gives way to the next as the season passes and the Great Wheel turns. Ancestors, Guardians and Wise ones guide me. Every begging has an ending and every ending a new beginning”.
Light your Mabon candle now
Take a bite of the apple, put aside to share with nature later
Take the tree branch and shake in each direction, starting with the North, then West, South, East and say…….
“Allow me to remember the summer past as the days grow longer and the days shorter. Memories will warm my soul as the sunlight fades and hearth becomes inviting through this divine light of the candle dedicated to the Mother and Father.
Great Mother calls me forward to rest and lull myself to sleep with her songs as I cling myself to her bosom”.
Face the altar and branch held out in front of you and say……
“May I never forget the summer memories and continue to strive during the colder months. May I take this time to go within and reflect on the Mysteries that lead me to a better understanding of myself, of others and all that is in life and death”.
Put the tree branch back on the altar, take 30 seconds to contemplate about :
The symbols that you have mentally attached to this ritual,
The various projects that you will put in action over the winter months, no matter how small or insignificant they may feel.
After the ceremony please feel free to share the consecrated fruit and vegetables in a beautiful meal with family and friends. Make a beautiful dinner for all to enjoy and be thankful for what is.
CLOSING
Dismiss the circle:
- To the Guardians of the North:
I dismiss and thank you from our Watchtowers and give Gratitude for protect us.
- To the Guardians of the West:
I dismiss and thank you from our Watchtowers and give Gratitude for protect us.
- To the Guardians of the South:
I dismiss and thank you from our Watchtowers and give Gratitude for protect us.
- To the Guardians of the East:
I dismiss and thank you from our Watchtowers and give Gratitude for protect us.
As you leave here tonight may the Lady and Lord bless you with all that you need.
I bid you Blessings and great Joy Brothers and sisters of the Craft
Thank you and farewell
Mabon/Autumn Equinox Blessing
From all of us at Coven Life we wish you and yours a blessed and pleasant fall.
Mabon/Ostara Online Gathering Monday, September 23rd
Coven Life’s Coven invites all witches, pagans, or anyone else to come celebrate with us if you would like to. All the information you need is in this post.
Whether you live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere we ask that you remain attentively in the circle from the time it is casted until it is open. The reason we ask felt you to here the whole time is to share in your brothers and sister Sabbat celebration. You are welcome to do both rituals if you feel you want to and they are both calling to do them. No witch in or out oven a coven practices exactly like any other witch. Yes when we are at a gathering such as this we all are doing and saying the same things and we feel the closeness of our xpiritualnfamily but, a lot of us do other spellwork and/or ritual when we are by ourselves. This is true in almost all of the face to face covens I have visited over the years. I encourage everyone in this coven when doing things on your own, after doing the lessons that deal with rituals for safety reason, to do it in whatever why feels right to them. I did this with my face to face covens as well. So as I have told many people when asked, “How does an Online Coven Work?” I say, “That we are solitary witches some of which are learning The Craft and some of us mentor them and we come together as a spiritual family to celebrate the Moon and our holidays.”
WHEN:
Monday, September 23, 2019
Socializing starts at 6:00 PM CT
Sacred Circle will be cast at 7:00 PM CT
Please do not enter the chatroom after 6:55 PM CT as this will cause the circle to be broken
WHERE:
If this is your first time joining us please read the Chatroom Guidelines on covenlife.co Homepage. Thank you
What You Will Need
Northern: 1 Apple Sharp Knife 1 Orange Chime Candle (4 inches 10.16 cm long)
Southern: 1 Hard Boiled Egg colored only Crayon or a piece of wax 1 Yellow Taper Candle (30.5 cm or 12 inch long) Long Nose Pliers, Oven Mitt
Rituals
Lady Beltane: I walk our circle three times while I call upon Fire, Air, and Water to be in constant motion around us, I call upon Earth to form the bottom half of the bubble from the ground to our waist, I call Spirit to form the top half of the bubble around us interlock with Earth. Our bubble of protection takes to a place that is outside of time and place. As above, so is below. As within, so is without.
EVERYONE: Please introduce yourself (FIRST NAME ONLY) and what state or country you live in.
MABON CELEBRATION – Northern Hemisphere
EVERYONE: Cut the apple in half horizontally, so one point of where the seeds are looks like a pentagram. Place the 2 halves side by side. Place the orange candle in the middle at the top part of the two halves. Notice that the center of the apple looks like a pentagram. One point of the seed pentagram should be facing up towards Hekate’s orange candle.
Light the orange candle while asking Hekate to enter your home to help bless it. Prayer to Hekate:
Great Mother Hekate the protector of Witches I invite you into my home and ask you to give the building and all living things dwelling in your protection and that you help guide us with your wisdom. Thank you Hekate!
Now starting at the top point of the apple pentagram going clockwise around the apples pentagram. Start at the top point ask Spirit to enter your home and bless it. Remember to touch each point of the pentagram with the index finger of your power/receiving hand as you invite each of the elements in. Next, you will ask Air to enter your home and bless it. Next comes Fire ask it to enter your home and bless it. Next, ask Water to enter your home and bless it. Finally, ask Earth to come into your home to bless it. When you are done calling in the elements wait 2 minutes thinking about your home being blessed with warmth, enough food, and warm clothes to get you through the coming colder months. Then thank the elements and Hekate for their blessing and tell them to return from where they came.
Let your candle burn all the way down.
After the circle has been opened take one half of the apple outside to share with the wildlife around your home and allow the other half to dry out in an open glass or ceramic bowl or dish and leave it out somewhere in your home to help the blessing continue.
OSTARA CELEBRATION – Southern Hemisphere
Light the yellow candle and set it about 12 inches away but in front of you. Call Ostara to the candle. Prayer for Ostara:
Ostara from where all life comes please help give me the strength and will power to achieve the goal that I am setting for myself today. Thank you Ostara
Take 2 minutes to write one goal on your egg that you would like to achieve before Samhain arrives. Try to use only 1 or 2 words to write your goal in any type of alphabet you want to use Runes, Ogham and other types of “magickal alphabets or symbols can be found by using the search box on either Coven Life.com, WitchesofTheCraft.com or doing a search on the internet. Type in “DONE” when you are through. Now carefully holding the yellow candle allow wax from it to drip on to the egg, turn the egg so the wax gets all over it while asking Ostara to help you reach your goal. Take 2 to 3 minutes to do this step. Be very careful the hot wax does not drip onto you (I use a pair of thin long nose pliers to hold my egg and wear an oven mitt when using this ritual.) Type in the word “DONE” when you are through.
After the circle is opened take the egg outside and bury it while asking Mother Earth to help your goal to grow and be harvested on Mabon. Then work towards your goal daily until you reach it. Let the candle burn all the way down and bury the melted wax with the egg so it keeps feeding the egg energy.
EVERYONE NORTH and SOUTH: Lift your glass of juice/wine in a toast to the goddesses, and elements that helped us with all with our rituals this evening or this morning. Repeat Lady Beltane’s toast. Remember to save a little to pour on the ground as an offering to the gods and goddesses that helped us tonight.
LADY BELTANE TOAST: We raise our glasses or cups to honor Hekate, Ostara, Mother Earth, Spirit, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth for their power and help with protecting and blessing our homes and/or helping us reach our goal.
EVERYONE: Type in “So mote it be” when you are done saying the toast.
EVERYONE: Raise your arms above your head palms facing the floor bring them down slowly until you touch the floor. With your hands on the floor say, ” I give this extra energy to Mother Earth to use in whatever way she needs to!” Make a one quarter turn and repeat the same movements and prayer. Type So Mote It Be when you done grounding the excess energy in your part of our circle.
LADY BELTANE: I bring us back to the Earthly plane and real time. This sacred circle is open but our spiritual ties are never broken. Go in love and peace dear brothers and sisters. Blessed be until we merry meet again
Time to visit some more!!
Remember to bring your offerings to the goddesses. Northerners bring that Apple half out for the wildlife it is fine to cut it into smaller pieces for say squirrels and birds, and chipmunk. Southerners remember to bury the egg and left over candle.
March’s Coven Gathering – N.H. Ostara/ S.H. Mabon Sabbats and Full Moon Esbat
Because of the Sabbats falling so close to the full Moon this month I decided to have the rituals combined into one instead of having two gatherings within two days. -Lady Beltane
This Sabbat and Esbat ritual was written by two of Coven Life’s Coven Adepts. Their names are Country Moon and Druantia Earth-song. Druantia Earth-song will be leading the gathering. Please remember that both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres Sabbats are being celebrated and the full Moon you need to stay in the circle until all the rituals are fully done. You are welcome to do both Sabbat rituals if you want to.
WHEN:
Wednesday, March 20. 2019
Socialization 6:00 to 7:00 PM Central Time Zone
Circle Cast at 7:01 PM Central Time Zone
Please DO NOT enter the chat room after 6:59 PM Central Time so the sacred circle does not get broken and have to be recast. Thank you.
WHERE:
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
RITUAL
ADEPT DRUANTIA: We will now cast the circle and call in the Guardians of the Watchtowers
Three times three the power is bound. As without, so within, All bad be gone znd good come in. As below so above, A sacred place of light and love.”
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
Update Life in The Craft Newsletter
Well after many hours and hair pulling to figure out how to make this easy for you to read and print out the rituals and/or spells the sample issue of Life in The Craft Newsletter is just waiting for one thing to be ready to send to your inbox either tomorrow or Saturday.
If you would like to receive this free issue of Life in The Craft newsletter please send your email address in the body of an email to LifeinTheCraft@outlook.com
Blessings on Your 2nd Harvest on Mabon
Check Out Witches of The Craft Mabon Posts Too
For different ideas and information on Mabon you can always check out our sister website Witch of The Craft which was founded by Lady of the Abyss over a decade ago.
To make it easy for you to find the website just click on this link: WOTC
Thank you to Lady Abyss and the WOTC Staff for the great post about Mabon!
The Witch’s Guide to the Autumn Equinox (Mabon) SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 BY JASON MANKEY
What Is It?
This is easy, it’s the Autumn Equinox, a time of (about) equal day and night. Beginning at the Autumn Equinox until the first day of Spring, there will be more darkness than light in the sky, or more nighttime and less daytime. It usually occurs around September 22-23, but varies a bit from location to location. Mabon is a modern name for the holiday and was first used in the 1970’s.
Did Ancient Pagans Celebrate The Autumn Equinox?
There were several celebrations in pagan antiquity that took place in the month we now call September, though they weren’t necessarily about or on the equinox. Japan has a September celebration too that sounds similar to modern ideas about Mabon. But if you are asking if there were lots of Pagan running around yelling “Happy Mabon” on the Autumn Equinox in the year 200 the answer is no.
The holiday of Harvest Home was once very popular in England and may have possibly had ancient pagan roots. Harvest Home was celebrated in August/September, but didn’t have a set date. Harvest Home occurred when a village gathered the grain,…
To read the rest of this article please click on this link: Witch’s Guide to Mabon