Beneath the Shade of the Maple: Mabon or Méan Fómhair RitualNoswaith dda, cyfarchion!It is with the

Beneath the Shade of the Maple: Mabon or Méan Fómhair RitualNoswaith dda, cyfarchion!It is with the delight of autumn in my heart that I write to you on this, the Equinox–the time when the dark and the light are again in balance.  For some of you it is Mabon, and for some of you Méan Fómhair–and there are, I am sure, a thousand other names for this day upon which we feel so poignantly the shifting of the Wheel as the year progresses inexorably to the end of yet another turning.This is a time of plenty–a time when our gardens are bursting with the full ripeness of a summer come and gone, and for some of us the summer has remained!  Where I am it is still almost 90 degrees, and that is very unusual indeed!Soon enough, though, all will feel the change in the air; that indefinable shift from season to season that tells us it is time to celebrate and give thanks for our plenty, and prepare our little stewardships of earth for the long sleep of winter.This holiday is one of abundance and joy–a celebration of the Horned God for those of you who ascribe to that theology, or the Green Man as others put it, or merely a time to stop and give thanks for the abundance of this beautiful Earth upon which we all live.I have, therefore, a two-part offering for you today.  One is a ritual which may be done at any time, day or night, during this holy day. The other is an incense which can be burned to honour the passing of the summer, and to purify hearts and give us wisdom for the coming of the long winter fast.                           Supplies:-Wine or cider. If you are underage or prefer not to purchase alcohol, have no fear! Non-alcoholic versions of the same will do just as well. If it is wine or juice from your own vines, or juice or cider from your own apples, all the better!-The tree or patch of ground around which your Grove meets. I realise that many of you aren’t Druids, and so there may not be a certain piece of Earth that is sacred to you. Do your best–I am sure there is a tree that would appreciate the attention on this, of all days.1) Take a small measure of wine out to your chosen tree.2) Pour the wine onto the ground at the root of the tree (this is called a libation!).  Not ON the roots–but near them!3) Speak as you pour:In the bounty of this EarthThanks we give for all of worthThrough the winter be no blightSleep now through the gentle night4) I am in the habit of putting my hand to the bark of my friend–the old maple in my back garden–and I thank him for his long patience, and for the goodness of his heart. This, however, is optional. Mabon or Méan Fómhair Incense:-1 part benzoin-1 part sage-2 parts sandalwoodSprinkle this incense over a smouldering charcoal.  The smoke is believed to be purifying, and the sage will grant wisdom.  Benzion and sage are both herbs associated with the sun, and sandalwood is associated with the moon–and so your incense is balanced between dark and light, sun and moon. -- source link

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