Today is the Autumnal Equinox. The Equinox is one of the two times a year that day and night are approximately equal (the other time being the Spring Equinox). From this point on the days will get shorter and we will notice that it gets dark much earlier every night. Soon we will be driving home from work in the dark!In Pagan traditions, this is the second of the three harvest festivals, halfway between Lughnasad and Samhain, and is called Mabon (mah-bon). It is also known as the Witches' Thanksgiving. The fields are nearly empty; the crops have been picked and stored for the coming winter months. At this time we can relax and enjoy the fruits of the harvest, whether it is the abundance provided by Mother Nature or our own personal harvests - working our daily jobs, raising our families, achieving personal goals, or just coping with life! Give thanks for all the good things in life.
One symbol of Mabon is the cornucopia or "horn of plenty". The horn represents the Horned God and stands for fertility and strength. The bounty of Mabon is the result of the "fruitful union" of the Goddess and the God in the Spring and we give thanks for this bounty.
At this time, Wiccans celebrate the Goddess as she changes from Mother to Crone, mourning the God whom she knows must leave her. The God becomes the Wise Sage, preparing for his journey into Death. He is the Stag who falls, and the grain that is reaped, so that the people may have what they need to survive the winter. Even as we feast and celebrate the harvest, we acknowledge the sacrifices necessary to make it through the dark time ahead. But at the same time, we do not mourn the dark time because we know that as the Wheel of the Year turns, all endings are merely new beginnings, and the light will return.
