Blessing to All on Autumn Equinox 2008 Greetings from the Woods of NE Michigan. This news letter will celebrate the second Harvest also know as Fall Equinox or Mabon.
For many of you school has already started.. Summer is coming to an end . Do not let that stop you from enjoying the beauty of the out doors as fall arrives with its warm days and cool night and burst of colors so magnificent as to take the breath away.
If you do not want to receive further mailings from Ravenhawks' unsubscribe now scrolling to the bottom of this email and clicking on the unsubscribe link.
|
Autumn Equinox, Mea'n Fo'mhair, Mabon History
Mabon (pronounced MAY-bun, MAY-bone, MAH-boon or MAH-bawn) is also called Alban Elfed, Harvest Home, 2nd Harvest, Fruit Harvest, Wine Harvest, Feast of Avalon, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), Cornucopia, Mean Foghamar or Autumn Eauinox this holiday is a ritual of thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth and a recognition of the need to share them to secure the blessings of the Goddess and God during the winter months.
Mabon is very much like Thanksgiving. Most of the crops have been reaped and abundance is more noticeable than ever! Mabon is the time when we reap the fruits of our labor and lessons, both crops and experiences. It is a time of joy, to celebrate that which is passing (for why should we mourn the beauty of the year or dwindling sunlight?), looking joyously at the experience the year has shared with us. And it is a time to gaze into the bright future. We are reminded once again of the cyclic universe; endings are merely new beginnings.
More history of Mabon may be found in the archives:Mabon 2007
|
|
Autumn Equinox, Mea'n Fo'mhair, Mabon Customs and Practices This was a time to celebrate the harvest and to rest after all there was only six weeks before the end of the Celtic year. The Celtic New Year also signaled the beginning of winter. The theme of this celebration was sacrifice. Not human sacrifice as has been erroneously depicted by Thomas Tryon's novel, Harvest Home.
The sacrifice is that of the spirit of vegetation, John Barleycorn. Often this corn spirit was believed to reside most especially in the last sheaf or shock harvested, which was dressed in fine clothes, or woven into a wicker-like man-shaped form. This effigy was then cut and carried from the field, and usually burned, amidst much rejoicing. And yet, anyone who knows the old ballad of John Barleycorn knows that we have not heard the last of him.
Offerings to land, preparing for cold weather, bringing in harvest, cutting willow wands (Druidic), eating seasonal fruit, leaving apples upon burial cairns & graves as a token of honor, walk wild places & forests, gather seed pods & dried plants, fermenting grapes to make wine, picking ripe produce, stalk bundling; fishing,. on the closest full moon (Harvest Moon) harvesting corps by moonlight.
|
|
Correspondence of Autumn Equinox, Mea'n Fo'mhair, Mabon  The plants & herbs associated with Autumn Equinox, Mea'n Fo'mhair, Mabon are:
Myrrh, thistle, tobacco, oak leaf, hazel, mums, hops, acorns, marigold, rose, sage, milkweed, solomon's seal, aster, fern, honeysuckle, benzoin, myrrh, passionflower, pine & cedar, ivy, hazel, hops, cedar
Colors associated with Autumn Equinox, Mea'n Fo'mhair, Mabon are: Brown, green, orange, red, deep gold, scarlet, yellow, russet, maroon, all autumn colors, purple, blue violet & indigo.
Stones associated with Autumn Equinox, Mea'n Fo'mhair, Mabon: Yellow agate, carnelian, yellow topaz, sapphire, lapis lazuli & amethyst.
Incense and oils you can use any of the following scents, either blended together or alone: Pine, sweetgrass, apple blossom, benzoin, myrrh, frankincense, jasmine, sage wood aloes, black pepper, patchouly, cinnamon, clove, oak moss
Animals and mythical beasts: Dogs, wolves, stag, blackbird, owl, eagle, birds of prey, salmon & goat, Gnomes, Sphinx, Minotaur, Cyclops, Andamans and Gulons
Gods and Goddess Associated with Autumn Equinox, Mea'n Fo'mhair, Mabon:
include all Wine Deities - particularly Dionysus and Bacchus, and Aging Deities. Emphasis might also be placed on the Goddess in Her aspect of the Mother (Demeter is a good example), Persephone (Queen of the Underworld and daughter of Demeter), and Thor (Lord of Thunder in Norse mythology). Some other Autumn Equinox Goddesses include Modron, Morgan, Snake Woman, Epona, Pamona, and the Muses. Some appropriate Gods besides those already mentioned are Mabon, Thoth, Hermes, and Hotei.
Symbols for Autumn Equinox, Mea'n Fo'mhair, Mabon are: Indian corn, red fruits, autumn flowers, red poppies, hazelnuts, garlands, grains especially wheat stalks, and colorful, fallen leaves, acorns, pine & cypress cones, oak sprigs, pomegranate, statue/or figure to represent the Mother.
Foods of Autumn Equinox, Mea'n Fo'mhair, Mabon Cornbread, wheat products, bread, grains, berries, nuts, grapes, acorns, seeds, dried fruits, corn, beans, squash, roots (ie onions, carrots, potatoes, etc), hops, sasssafras, apples, pomegranates, carrots, onions, potatoes, roast goose or mutton, wine, ale, & cider
Activities of Autumn Equinox, Mea'n Fo'mhair, Mabon:
Dip colorful leaves in melted paraffin wax for altar decorations that may be enjoyed even after the celebration or attach to a wreath for your head..Gather dried leaves, herbs, plants, seeds and seed pods
Scatter offerings in harvested fields, offer libations to trees. Make rattles out of empty gourds and sunflower seeds or seeds collected from nature walks. Use the rattles to make music or scare away bad dreams.
Spell Work: prosperity rituals, introspection, rituals which enact the elderly aspects of both Goddess & God, past life recall
Ravenhawks Academy |
 |
|
Notions, Potions and Spells Mabon Incense
Recipe by Scott Cunningham
2 parts Frankincense
1 part Sandalwood
1 part Cypress
1 part Juniper
1 part Pine
1/2 part Oakmoss (or a few drops Oakmoss bouquet)
1 pinch pulverized Oak leaf
Prosperity Incense
2 parts Frankincense
1 part Cinnamon
1 part Nutmeg
1 part Allspice
Wealth Incense
2 parts Pine
1 part Cinnamon
1/2 part Clove
1/2 part Ginger
1/2 part Mace
Gold Budda Bath Salts for prosperity
1 cup of sea salt
8 drops lotus oil
2 drops cinnamon oil
8 drops sandalwood oil
3 drops myrrh oil
2 drops allspice oil
Shake well.
Prosperity Spell
You will need :
Sage and Cedar smudge bundle
a silver coin
a green doormat
Light your smudge stick pass your coin and your doormat through the smoke to clear it of unwanted energy. Now place the door mat in fron of the main entrance to your home or business.
Next hold the coin in your hand and say:
North, East, South and West
I am Divinely blessed
Bring great riches to my doorstep
from the North, East, South and West
This now manifest in my life physically.
As I will it so shall it be
Prosperity Potion
You will need: 1/8 tsp. cinnamon; 1 tsp ground bay leaf; ½ tsp. basil; ½ tsp. marjoram; a wooden spoon; 1½ cup spring
water; a small cloth; a jar w/ lid; a rubber band
What to do: Mix the ingredients together and boil in the spring water for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the
potion and pour it into the jar. Cover the jar with the cloth and fasten it with the rubber band. Leave the potion in a dark, cool place for three days and three nights, then cap the jar with it's original lid. The potion only last for fourteen nights, then you will have to pour it on the Earth, thanking it for's powers and energies.
Created by: Sir Summer ShiningStar |
 |
Crafts for Mabon / Autumn Equinox
Harvest Centerpiece
SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
• Glass apothecary jar or container
• 8 to10 Decorative pomegranates
• 4 to 6 Small decorative grape clusters
• Small grapevine wreath
• Pheasant feathers
• Super Glue gel
• Wire
• Wire cutters
DIRECTIONS:
1. Clip grapevine wreath then gently pull it apart. Insert small section of grapevine into apothecary container.
2. Layer pomegranates & grapes inside container until satisfied with design. Fill so fruit extends up the inside of
lid. Place lid on container.
3. Arrange some grapevine around lid. Wire in place.
4. Glue small cluster of grapes with leaf to grapevine as a focal point.
5. Insert two pheasant feathers behind grapes and glue in place. {Refer to photo for placement :picture 1}
Fall Tablescaping
SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
• 1 Box Autumn Inspirations™ Floral Accessories
• 1 Gold leafing pen
• 1 pkg Gold brads
• Cardstock
• Decorative-edge scissors
• Small paper punch
• Tacky glue
• Wire cutters
DIRECTIONS:
1. Write guests’ names using the gold leafing pen on cardstock.
2. Cut out name cards with decorative-edge scissors.
3. Add one brad to cardstock and one brad to leaf as desired.
4. Glue name card to leaf and let dry. Cut and reshape leaf if needed to fit size of pumpkin.
5. Tie raffia to stem of pumpkin and fluff.
6. Glue berries around raffia.
7. Glue leaf to pumpkin.
Picture 2
Scrollwork Pumpkins
SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
• Fun-Kins® Carvable Pumpkins, various sizes
• Acrylic paint in colors of choice
• Paintbrushes – 1" detail, 1/2" flat
• Spray gloss varnish
• Dimensional paint, copper & iridescent brown
• Plate for paint
DIRECTIONS:
TIPS:
Paint Fun-Kins® Carvable Pumpkins in 2 stages – first with stem up, second with stem down. When painting the
bottom, stand it – stem down – in a container that supports it until it’s dry.
To get spray gloss varnish at the base, insert a disposable cup or other tall object inside the hole at the bottom to
lift it from the surface. After spraying the surface that faces you, rotate pumpkin to get the other surfaces. Spray
the stem from the top, as well.
1. Basecoat the entire pumpkin with acrylic paint. Let dry.
2. Shake the dimensional paint bottle to get a full load of paint at the nozzle. Beginning at the stem, create a
swirl. Continue around the stem, varying the swirls, and building upon the original ones. Continue about 1/4
to 1/3 of the way down the pumpkin.
3. Add dots to the design, if desired.
4. Return to the stem and decorate it.
5. Set pumpkin aside to dry.
[picture 3]
Pumpkin Floral Centerpiece
Materials: 1 medium pumpkin or you may purchase a terra cotta pumpkin to preserve the arrangement for years to come; 1 block of styrofoam or florist's clay or plain potting soil for a real pumpkin ; silk floral stems in fall colors such as mums, orange/red bittersweet and orange goldenrod (be sure to have some greens) Note: if using a real pumpkin, you will want real flowers, since the pumpkin will not last very long; (optional) a tall pillar candle may be used in the center of the arrangement if desired.
Instructions:
1. Cut a circle from top of (real) pumpkin and remove. Clean the inner contents of the (real) pumpkin out completely. (Optional) Cover the entire exterior of (real) pumpkin with a coat of spray or brush on varnish or polyurethane and allow to dry completely. If using a purchased terra cotta pumpkin skip step 1.
2. Trim away excess from styrofoam or florist's clay until the size fits inside the pumpkin, then place on bottom, inside center of pumpkin. A touch of glue should be used for terra cotta pumpkin to secure it to the inside bottom of planter. If using a real pumpkin, fill with potting soil to about 2 inches from top of pumpkin.
3. Arrange your silk floral stems or real flowers into an attractive arrangement. You may decorate with a fall bow if desired.
[picture 4]
|
 |
|
Recipes for Autumn Equinox, Mea'n Fo'mhair, Mabon Indian Pudding
Ingredients:
5 1/2 cups whole milk
2/3 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins (optional)
vanilla ice cream (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 300º F. Butter an 8 x 8 baking dish, preferably glass. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over low to medium heat. Whisk in the cornmeal and stir until the mix thickens--about ten minutes. Add the other ingredients and stir until heated through but not boiling. Pour it into the dish. Bake it for about three hours. Serve warm with ice cream!
8 servings Source: Susan Branch, Autumn
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients:
11/2 cups water
8 ounces raw pumpkin seeds hulled
1 teaspoon mild chili power
1 teaspoon salt
Several cloves of garlic finely chopped
Boil the water and pour over the seeds. Let them soak overnight at room temperature. Drain and spread evenly in a 10" or larger baking dish. Sprinkle on the chili powder, salt and garlic. Bake at 350 F for 25-35 minutes or until seeds are puffed up and dry. Stir ocasionally while cooling.
Apple Potato Cake
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
6-8 ounces flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups freshly mashed potatoes, made with milk
2 large cooking apples
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Sugar to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons butter
For Potato Cakes: Cut butter into flour until crumbly. Add salt and baking powder; mix well. Mix in potatoes. Knead for a few minutes. Divide dough into 2 balls. Roll each ball into a circle 1/2 inch thick. Peel and core apples and slice thinly. Layer apple sloces one one of the circles of dough. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and ground cloves; dot with butter. Cover withother circle and pinch edges to seal. On a greased griddle or frying pan,cook slowly over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once. Serve with cream, custards, or lemon curd and hot tea.
Pan-Fried Steak with Irish Whiskey
1 8 to 12 ounce sirlon steak, room temperature
Black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup Irish Whiskey
1 cup heavy cream
Salt to taste
Season steak with pepper. Add butter and oil to a hot pan. When butter is foaming add steak so the fat maintains the heat and seals the meat quickly. Reduce heat and cook to taste turning steak only once. Remove steak to warm plate. Pour of fat from pan; discard. Add whiskey and cream to pan, stir until thickened. Season to taste and pour over steak.
Apple Cinnamon Harvest Quiche
Serves 6
2 apples, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsps butter
8 oz grated cheddar cheese
1 unbaked 10-inch pastry shell
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
Sauté apples in butter for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over apples.
Layer apples in pastry shell.
Sprinkle cheese over apple mixture. In medium size bowl, lightly
whisk together the eggs and whipping cream.
Pour over the apple/cheese mixture.
Bake in a preheated 375 oven for 35 minutes or until set.
|  |
|
Children's World Apple Pictures
Slice an apple in half vertically. Take some tempra paint in a paper plate, and lay out some brown paper. Have the children press the apple, sliced-side down, into the paint, and use it to stamp apple images on the brown paper. This can be used as wrapping paper, or decorated and hung as an autumn picture.
Make Fall Candles
These beautiful candles will look great adorning your harvest table. To make them, you will need some acorn squash, a sharp knife, a sturdy mellon ball scooper, a block of paraffin wax, some candle dye in autumn colors, and a roll of candle wick.
Take the squash and cut off the top part. Have the children scoop out the seeds and flesh of the inside until it is 1" thick. Use a mellon ball scooper to scrape along the inside following the natural scallops of the vegetable.
Grate your paraffin wax and place it in an old coffee can or pot. Place that into a larger pot, 1/4 filled with boiling water. Stir with a wooden spoon until the wax is melted. Add the dyes (deep greens, browns, golden yellows and oranges look fabulous) and stir.
Take a piece of wick that is longer than the squash is tall. Stand your squash up on end, or lean it against something to help it stand. Take a pencil and poke a little hole (do not go through the skin) in the center bottom of the squash. Put the end of the wick into the hole, and tie the other end around a pencil. Lay the pencil across the top of the squash so that it holds the wick straight.
Carefully pour the melted wax into the squash. Leave it until it is completely set and hardened. Remove the pencil. You will have to break open the squash to get the candle out, but when you do you will have a candles that is shaped like the squash in beautiful fall colors. If the candle won’t stand, heat an old pot or frying pan on the stove and rub the bottom of the candle firmly on it until you smooth and flatten the bottom enough for it to stand. Put it on a heat-proof plate before lighting. Parents you may want to supervise this project
Edible Autumn Leaves
Materials:
1 bag each of semisweet chocolate and white chocolate morsels (chips), broad leafed herbs such as mint, basil, celery, etc.
Select your sprigs of leaves in the produce section of your grocery store or from your garden. Wash leaves thoroughly and pat dry. Melt chocolate with 2 tsp. of butter, stirring until smooth. Pour chocolate into small bowls and give each child a clean small paintbrush. Paint the underside of the leaves with the chocolate and place on a wax paper covered cookie sheet. Refrigerate until firm. Slowly pull real leaves away from chocolate leaves. (Explain to children how art is a reflection of the true beauty of Nature.)
Book Review
Pendragon Book One: The Merchant of Death and Book Two: The Lost City of Faar (Journal of an Adventure Through Time and Space, Volume 1 and 2) (Hardcover)
by D. J. MacHale (Author)
age group 9-14
Books One and Two of the Series of Pendragon Bobby Pendragon is a seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy. But there is something special about Bobby: He is going to save the world. In this very special edition, join Bobby on his first two adventures to the alternate dimension of Denduron and the underwater territory of Cloral. His mission: to save the world from ultimate evil. Given what the consequences would be, failure is not an option. This is brief review of the first two books in the Pendragon series.. |
 |
|
Poetry Corner
"The breezes taste
Of apple peel.
The air is full
Of smells to feel-
Ripe fruit, old footballs,
Burning brush,
New books, erasers,
Chalk, and such.
The bee, his hive,
Well-honeyed hum,
And Mother cuts
Chrysanthemums.
Like plates washed clean
With suds, the days
Are polished with
A morning haze."
- John Updike, September
"Equal dark, equal light
Flow in Circle, deep insight
Blessed Be, Blessed Be
The transformation of energy!
So it flows, out it goes
Three-fold back it shall be
Blessed Be, Blessed Be
The transformation of energy!"
- Night An'Fey, Transformation of Energy
"Leaves fall,
the days grow cold.
The Goddess pulls her mantle of Earth around Her
as You, O Great Sun God, sail toward the West
to the land of eternal enchantment,
wrapped in the coolness of night.
Fruits ripen,
seeds drip,
the hours of day and night are balanced."
- Mabon Sabbat and Lore
As Summer into Autumn slips
And yet we sooner say
"The Summer" than "the Autumn," lest
We turn the sun away,
And almost count it an Affront
The presence to concede
Of one however lovely, not
The one that we have loved --
So we evade the charge of Years
On one attempting shy
The Circumvention of the Shaft
Of Life's Declivity."
- Emily Dickinson, As Summer Into Autumn Slips
|
 |
click here
Relationships
How is your relatiionship working? Are you uncertain of where your relationship is going? Who do you use to check the intergrity of your relationship? Do you look at your friends and family and compare your relationship to theirs? What if you have a twin flame relationship? Can you compare it to that of your friends and family? Probably not if you have a twin flame relationship then believe it or not your relationship is fairly unique. Are you trying to force it to fit the mold of every relationship around you? You may find that try as you will you can not force your relationship to fit into a traditional mold. What do you do to make it work as it should? Any of these questions familiar? Send your questions in and have them answered here or in a private e-mail.
Ask Lady Dyanna |
|
Health, Energy and Your Environment What does Energy and Your environment have to do with your health? If your energy is low and your environment is stressful you have a formula for health issues. How do you correct these things in your life? You may use aromatherapy, Herbal and crystal remedies or you may use Holistic life coaching or EFT to help you change your environment totally. In order to maintain optimum health both physically, spiritually and mentally your energy needs to flow unimpeded through your chakras and your body. Also learning to "control" your environment will give you the additional boost for a healthy body, mind and spirit. Feeling depressed, anxious or just feeling as if you are not in control? Have questions ask here. Learn how to change your energy and control your environment. Questions may be answered here or in a private e-mail.
click here |
|
Ravenhawks Academy of Magick and Mysticism  News
School is opening on September 15th. If you are already a student of Ravenhawks' then continue working on your lessons. Those who wish to become new students we are taking applications until October 31, 2008. If your interest is in learning the history of magick and how it works in your world everyday or how to tap into your own potential then check out the Academy and it's 5 year program. We offer a unique approach where the student learns that the spiritual and the magickal combine to create a very powerful whole. Learn to pull your spiritual power up from your inner being and combine it with your magickal energy. This is the education that Ravenhawks' offers its students. Learn where your magickal practices really began. Look at different traditons and pantheons make informed decison on which magical practices are right for you. Choose based on what you have learned and what resonate with you and your inner being. Magick and spirituality is a personal choice or is it? What do you think?
Ravenhawks' Academy of Magick and Mysticism |
|
