What's On My Altar
Our group's altar included a cornucopia full of squash, apples and Indian corn to honor the bounty of the season. The Buckeyes symbolize abundance and good fortune, and everyone who participated took one for luck. The small cauldron contains a Harvest Incense blend, and the large candle is to honor the gods of the fields and orchards. Finally, the basket of white candles was passed out for a healing ceremony at the end of the ritual.
How I Celebrated Mabon
Our group held our first public ceremony, and began with a drum circle and then a Totem Animal Dance. Following these, we did a Mabon ritual with three aspects -- the Harvest, the Hunt, and Healing. For the Harvest part of the rite, we called upon gods of the harvest season, and acknowledged the life and death aspects of this time of year. For the Hunt portion of the rite, we invoked Cernunnos in his role as both the hunter and the stag. Finally, for the Healing ritual, everyone in the circle lit a white candle so that we could build a circle of energy -- and of course it was so windy that we could barely keep them lit!
Tips and Tricks
- When you're planning a public event, make sure you've got someone who's not participating in the ritual to just sort of keep an eye on things. I noticed some interested onlookers off in the distance, and one of our guests chatted with them to explain what we were doing, and then they went on about their business.
