Mabon Blessings

 

Tomorrow is the Autumn Equinox and it is time to get ready. As most of us work Monday thru Friday, we have to take the time off or start preparing early. As family problems came up and I am running out of my vacation time so I will have to prepare everything early. I am also 4 days short from payday and we are short on funds. The other problem that we have is, no oven. We have a broken oven and our kitchen has a drop in stove that is smaller than most stoves. We have looked for a new one but we can't find one small enough. So it is times like this that we need to be creative.

We have a beef pot roast in the freezer that I can whip up. We can also get some corn and apples from the store. A nice green salad would go lovely, chop up the apples and I could see if we have enough money to get some nuts. Toss in some croutons and we got a salad. Now my mother really likes poppy seed dressing and I rather enjoy greek or ranch and we have all of those in the fridge.

Now you can't have a pot roast without mashed potatoes. I remember an episode of Rachael Ray's 30 min meals, she made some smashed potatoes. She made them from real potatoes with milk, cream cheese and green onions. Now personally we have added sour cream to ours before and it has turned out great.

Next we need bread for us to break. Once again without an oven it is harder and sadder because I love homemade bread, but alas life is not that easy at times. We do have a toaster oven that we can use. I have some herb biscuits in the freezer or I have regular biscuits in the fridge. I think I will go with the herbs biscuits

So now that we have a plan on the meal, next is the blessing. I have found several different ones. Decisions, decisions, I really hate to make decisions. I have include my top 3 that I like. I will probably wait until the last minute to decide which one we will use.  I hope these will inspire you for your Mabon Blessings and that it will be an easier decision for you then it will be for me.

Pray for Abundance:

We have so much before us
on for this we are thankful.
We have so many blessings,
and for this we are thankful.
There are others not so fortunate,
and by this we are humbled.
We shall make an offering in their name
to the gods who watch over us,
that those in need are someday
as blessed as we are this day.

Mabon Balance Prayer

Equal hours of light and darkness
we celebrate the balance of Mabon,
and ask the gods to bless us.
For all that is bad, there is good.
For that which is despair, there is hope.
For the moments of pain, there are moments of love.
For all that falls, there is the chance to rise again.
May we find balance in our lives
as we find it in our hearts.

Simple Mabon Prayer

Lord and Lady, watch over us,
and bless us as we eat.
Bless this food, this bounty of earth,
we thank you, so mote it be.






We hope you have a great Mabon from our Cauldron to yours. Take the time not only to be thankful, but to tell others how thankful you are for them being in your life.

May the God and Goddess shine on you and your family.

Coriander Bats 2014

Mabon 2014

Welcome to all and a blessed Mabon. Last year I posted lots of food and craft ideas. I also posted several poems. This year has been a rough year and I have been busy but as Mabon is approaching I need to take a time out. Mabon is the time to look at our blessings and be thankful for what we have. My family is growing again. Aubrie is pregnant again and I will be expecting my 2nd grandchild. I wont know what it is for couple more weeks but it wont matter as it will still be my little one. It will be hard financial but I know we will work it out. We may be behind on all of the bills but we still have a roof over our head and food on the table. Our pantry is thinned but it is not bare. We are all have our own health problems but we are still in good health.

On Addie's last doctors appointment, they said that she is healthy and is right on track. They tested her cognitive responses and she is a head for her age group. She is a little dare devil and is starting her terrible twos a little early but she is still a cutie.


Aubrie and the baby are doing good. Kody got a promotion at work and is doing good. Mom still hurts but is still moving along. Destry and Moo are still as spoiled as ever.

I am hanging in there. It is hard sometimes as I am now the responsible one that has to worry about the bills getting paid and making sure everyone is taken care of. It is not easy as I have to take care Aubrie and Kody's bi-polar problems. It also does not help that I also am bi-polar. We really are a house full of nuts.

Even with being one day ahead of bill collectors I still keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. We may be struggling but we are surviving. I am thankful for the fact that we may be treading water but we are still afloat. It thank the God and Goddess for giving us the life preserver to help us keep going. I have a beautiful family and some outstanding friends and that I am thankful for. I have been truly blessed.

So take the time and think of your blessings. Things may be dark but there is a light of hope is still burning for us all. The God and Goddess is all round us and we only need to open our hearts to see the blessings. The fruit of the God and Goddess are ready to be harvested as Winter will soon be here. Take the time to stop and enjoy the what the world has to offer. Change is in the air and I am going to embrace change. I will admit that I don't like change but change part of the cycle of life. So I am going to light a candle and accept the changes that are coming. I know that the God and Goddess will give us the strength to endure. So accept your blessings  and be happy. I hope you all have a great Mabon this year.

Coriander Bats 2014

Mabon Poems

Autumnal Equinox
by Rhiannon Cotter

The Autumnal Equinox represents a turning point from Summer to Fall during which the themes of balance and equality are once again evident. The crops that have been ripening during the Summer now come to fruition. The Goddess as Mother generously offers us the fruits whose harvest She has overseen. Our energy is now directed inside so that we can reflect upon the harvest and integrate its components into our lives and personalities.

Lady Autumn
by Deirdre Akins

Lady Autumn, Queen of the Harvest,
I have seen You in the setting Sun
with Your long auburn tresses
blowing in the cool air that surrounds You.
Your crown of golden leaves is jeweled
with amber, amethyst, and rubies.
Your long, flowing purple robe stretches across the horizon.
In Your hands You hold the ripened fruits.
At Your feet the squirrels gather acorns.
Black crows perch on Your outstretched arms.
All around You the leaves are falling.
You sit upon Your throne and watch
the dying fires of the setting Sun
shine forth its final colors in the sky.
The purple and orange lingers
and glows like burning embers.
Then all colors fade into the twilight.
Lady Autumn, You are here at last.
We thank You for Your rewards.
We have worked hard for these gifts.
Lady Autumn, now grant us peace and rest.

 

 

 

Mabon
by Ezzy Violet

The Time of Change is upon us again -
the Equinox comes, the Wheel turns...

The Goddess and the God prepare for
Their journey to the Otherworld,
as the Earth and all of Her children
prepare for the Time of Quiet and
Reflection that lies ahead...

May we use this Autumnal period to seek for the strength and power within
to assist us on our own quests for
vision, feeling, and peace...

May we see and feel the presence of

the Goddess and the God within, though
without, the Earth begins Her slumber...

Keep us in Your light...

 

 

 

Invocation of Blue Corn Girl for Autumn Equinox
by Noel-Anne Brennan

(If there is more than one person present for this invocation, others can whisper "listen, she is coming" or "Blue Corn Girl is coming" at various points in the chant, as indicated by parentheses.)

Listen,
She is coming,
Blue Corn Girl is coming,
She is coming in the winds,
(Listen, she is coming)
She is coming in the sunlight,
(Blue Corn Girl is coming)
She is coming in the fallen leaves,
She is coming in the dying meadows.
Listen,
She is coming,
Blue Corn Girl is coming,
(Blue Corn Girl is coming)
She is coming
To see the harvest
(Listen, she is coming)
Of the fruits of the soil
And the fruits of the soul
Listen,
She is coming,
Blue Corn Girl is coming,
Listen,
She is coming.
Blue Corn Girl is here.
Welcome.

The night has a thousand eyes,
And the day but one;
Yet the light of the bright world dies
With the dying sun.

William Bourdillon

Mabon Receipes

This set is from Amethyst's Wicca -- but the web site is no longer active. http://www.angelfire.com/realm2/amethystbt/index1.html

Stuffed Acorn Squash

2 acorn squash, washed and cut in halves
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 cup of crushed Ritz crackers
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
Wash and cut acorn squash in half from stem to bottom
Scoop out the seeds and rub the inside and cut parts with butter
Put the acorn squash on a cookie sheet
Melt the butter, and mix in the walnuts, brown sugar, and crackers
Place in the holes of the squash and bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes or until done.

 Fresh Apple Pound Cake

2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3 cups firm apples, diced
3 cups plain flour
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon baking soda
Mix together sugar and oil.
Add eggs and beat well.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
Add to oil mixture.
Stir in vanilla, apples, nuts, and mix well.
Pour batter into a greased 9 inch tube pan
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until cake is done.

Icing:
1 stick margarine
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Heat margarine and sugar together over low heat. Add milk and let come to a full boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Drizzle over the cake.

Wild Rice with Apples and Walnuts

1 cup wild rice
2 cups water
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Cook rice and oil in water for 50 minutes.
1 cup walnuts
1 rib of celery, chopped
4 chopped scallions
1 cup raisins
1 red apple, peeled and chopped, set aside in lemon water
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
Combine nuts, celery, onions, raisins, drained apple and lemon rind and set aside.
3 T. lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t. salt
1/3 cup olive oil
pepper, to taste

Whisk together juice, salt and pepper, garlic and oil and add to cooked rice.
Add fruit mixture to the rice (to which has been added oil, spices and juice) and mix well. May be served cold or heated.

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and steamed until completely soft
3/4 cup orange juice
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tablespoons melted butter
2 T. sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg

Mix juice, eggs, sugar and spices and blend thoroughly with potatoes using an electric mixer. Spread into a greased 9"x13" pan.

1/2 cup flour
1/4 c plus 2 T. brown sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 c. chopped butter
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and nuts until crumbly, spread on top of sweet potatoes and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

 

Here are some more

 







Mabon Craft ideas

Mabon is coming and it is time to get out the glue gun and markers and get crafty. Remember that Mabon is our Thanksgiving  so many Thanksgiving and Harvest crafts and decorations will work. So lets see what ideas I have found.

Several years ago at a yard sale I bought some cd, I thought they were blank but I got lots of craft ideas and pics. I do not know the original sources. I hope you enjoy them and get inspired.

Hanging Pumpkin Ornament Leaves

Hanging Pumpkin Ornament Leaves





Hanging Pumpkin Ornament Leaves

Mabon

Well another harvest celebration is coming up. What are your plans for the Mabon this year?

Mabon is the second harvest of the season and it is also the Autumn Equinox. It is time to stop and think about what you are most thankful for. Lammas we honored the God and Goddess for the harvest and all they do. Mabon is time that we are thankful for all our blessings that we have. Winter will soon be approaching and we need to prepare for Winters long nap. The Winter is the hardest time of the year but at Mabon we renew our hopes as we prepare to survive the Winter and the next year. We have already started to can and bottle from our last harvest and we will continue in our preparations.

If you have your own farm, then it is time to weed out any animal that won’t survive the slumber of Winter. Soon the weather will be getting colder and we need to make sure your home is secured and weatherized. It is time to make sure all your winter blankets and clothes are found in preparation to be used when the time is at hand. It is still hot outside but it will soon be changing and you want to make sure that everything is in reach. It is time to clean up and prepare your yard for what is to come. Soon the leaves will be falling off the trees and beautiful as it may be it can cause problems with your gutters. So before the icy winds approach we need to check out our gutters and clean them out as they will soon be full again with Autumn’s colorful leaves. As we are cleaning remember that you may want to save some Autumn leaves to burn at Yule or use at Samhain. You can collect your empty vines and make laurels or wreaths.

Apples began to ripe at Lammas so by now they are ready to be canned and bottled. My mother has stomach problems and she eats applesauce every day to help it. So this year I am making plans to freeze or bottle apples to last us throughout the Winter. My co-worker brings in her squash to share with us. I will be chopping that up and freezing that to so we can have squash too.

As Mabon approaches we need to make plans on how we want to celebrate it. For most Pagans, Mabon is considered to their version of Thanksgiving. It is time to be with family and friends. We sometimes really don’t take the time to say thank you for everything they do for us. So at this time I want to take the time to be thankful for those that have stood by me through the good and the bad times. In this economy today, I am thankful for my job. We still have a roof over our heads (knock on wood). We have food on the table, it is not much but we are not starving. There are times that I do feel that I am drowning but I am still treading water so I am glad of that. I am blessed with all my sisters and brothers at Eastern Star, their friendship and moral support has meant the world to me. I am also blessed with all my sisters and brothers at Sunstave and the Sacred Circle in Utah. They have invited me into their lives and home and it has been great. I am also very blessed to all my friends on Facebook. Now some people laugh at that but I really do mean that. I have lost my father, brother and several of my friends so I really do take my friendships seriously. Friends come and go in your life and some of them have not been around for a while but I still consider them to be my friends and I hold onto the good times that we had. In the end that is all we have of each other are the good times and I am very thankful for all those good memories. I have lost my faith many times and it is those memories that keep me going.

So I am very much thankful for all my friends and I am proud and honored to have known all of them. So at this time, take the time out to remember all those that have inspired you at one time or another in your life. I lost 6 friends in one crash, so life is short so don’t waste another year before telling your friends and family how you feel about them. So at this time remember all of them and ask for blessing for each of them.

So as I close today I want to say that I appreciate that you took the time to read this. I hope that you take the message of friendship and love from this. So I hope this Mabon you have great blessings and enjoy all that you have. Take time to say “I Love You,” as it will bring joy to your friend and family. Blessed be my friends.

Coriander Bats 2012 
 

Rosh Hashanah Crafts

Tzedakah Box

Oatmeal canister, cocoa box, coffee can -- emptied and cleaned out, with lid
Scissors
Colored paper
Double-sided tape
Markers, crayons, stickers, etc. for decorating

Have an adult cut a slit in the top of the plastic lid, large enough for quarters to fit through. Next cut a piece of paper that will fit around the canister. Decorate it with markers, crayons, stickers, etc. Using double-sided tape, attach the paper to the canister. Place the lid on top and start saving your pennies for tzedakah.

Honey Dish & Apple Plate

One plastic plate
One plastic cup
Permanent markers
White glue

Decorate the plate with pictures of apples and honey or right "Have a Sweet New Year" along the bottom band of the plate. Decorate the cup with pictures of honey-making bees or the word Honey (D'vash in Hebrew). Glue the cup to the center of the plate and let dry thoroughly.

Recycle Plastic Bottles & Make Super Cute Apple Shaped Boxes!
from Creative Jewish Mom
http://www.creativejewishmom.com/2010/08/recycle-plastic-bottles-make-super-cute-apple-shaped-boxes.html

plastic soda bottles with bottoms that look like apples, mine are seltzer bottles
pieces of real sticks
red fabric or red tissue paper
green felt in two shades of green
ribbon
a hole punch
a hot glue gun

1.Cut the bottoms off of two plastic bottles using a sharp knife to make the first cut and then scissors to trim bottles to desired height.
2.Cut a piece of stick to about 1 1/2", and using hot glue affix to top of apple
3.Using a heavy duty hold punch, punch corresponding holes in both top and bottom at the front and back of apple. The back set of holes will be used to make a hinge, while the front set of holes is tied with a bow for opening the apple. You can choose to make your closures with either four holes or two holes, both shown in the photo above.
4.Wrap your gift or treats in fabric or paper, and place inside, or alternatively, glue fabric loosely to the inside of your apple, and insert gift, which will result in a more re-usable container!
5.Tie apple closed with ribbon, and make leaves from felt and glue to stem with a hot glue gun.
6.Hide your bushel of apples in a secret place until it's time for the surprise!