Mabon

[Derek Moore]

Going by many different names and wrongfully accepted as being called Mabon, the First of Autumn holiday is celebrated many different ways by pagan across the world. Would love to know how others see the holiday and celebrate it.

[Morell Sunweaver]

I guess that you won't get much of such information here, but it woud be nice if you presented such holidays here and told us what you can about them.

[Derek Moore]

Well for me, the holiday many call Mabon, in Moon/Night elven is called Kybara. For me, the holiday is the season of the 4th harvest. But more importantly it is a religious holiday: The Epiphany of the Autumn Goddess Vr'ran, as she comes to earth and starts for trek across the northern hemisphere, cooling down the air, changing the colors of the foliage and bringing to all the food bearing plants and trees to full growth. At the same time it is the last days of the summer goddess Nyra. In the first rays of light on Kybara, I blow on an old bull horn to welcome the glory and coming on Vr'ran. I greet her with my first offering of milk libation. At the same time I also send departing prayers and offerings to Nyra. Thanks for the warmth of the summer and all its glory. Symbolically I will face southward and cast birdseeds or oats in reverence to Nyra and I bid her goodbye.

Needless to say I take the day off for religious observation from both school and work. I decorate my altar well in advance of the holiday, usually on the first of September. And I will do a cleaning and cleansing of the house days before the holiday. The main part of the holiday I hold around late noon. I light a very special autumn candle that I relight each day all season long, Around that I place 3 others small candles, one for each month of the season. While I do not have a garden, I do a special shopping trip at our local farmers market where I know the goods are grown in love and care. These I divide into two piles, Offerings and Feast. This also gives me a chance to get out and enjoy the day in full.

Night time is when the Holiday comes in full bloom for me. I play tons of elven and pagan type music as I meditate and pray to the gods and reflect on the holiday itself. Libation and offerings of food and tons of incense are given. After that I have friends over for an Autumn Party. While they know I do it in reverence to the gods, they do not partake in the religious aspect as I do. For them its "Hey, free food at Derek's house!" And I am cool with that. While many leave early, for me the revelry lasts way past midnight, into sunrise the next day.     

[Derek Moore]

Done.

Morell Sunweaver said:

I guess that you won't get much of such information here, but it woud be nice if you presented such holidays here and told us what you can about them.

[BlueTiger]

I celebrate Mabon in the OtherWorld, With friends and family there. My Tuatha De Danann and Sidhe friends and family have a very large feast and dancing. As well as some other things. I also some times have a small celebration while here before I head to OtherWorld, But dont always get to do that. 

When there after the celebration I usually leave earlier than most my love and I return to our home there and how out own celebration and time. We try to before I get to tired and fall asleep. Cause most of the time I dont get the chance to wake In the OtherWorld. For I am needed here. Though there are times i get to wake up there and spend little time before i need to wake here. I go there threw meditation. There are few times i also gotten to meet another who is Sidhe spirited human. (who also reincarnated here) We some times meet in otherworld where both our families celebrate. how ever this year we will not do to she will be celebration with her own family and i will mine. 

[Morell Sunweaver]

You're very ritual kind of person, Derek. It is really interesting to read, although I must admit that rituals are not much for me, I do only very small ones I began to do by intuition. Nothing like this.

[Derek Moore]

I am sort of a "Go big" kind of Moon Elf." :) I see no reason why not to make pagan holidays as elaborate as Abrahamic Holidays. I guess it also depends if you celebrate alone or not.

 
Morell Sunweaver said:

You're very ritual kind of person, Derek. It is really interesting to read, although I must admit that rituals are not much for me, I do only very small ones I began to do by intuition. Nothing like this.

[Morell Sunweaver]

True, it is very different, when there are more people, especialy, when there are too many people.

[Tara]

I very much wish that these wonderful traditions were still practiced in our culture 

Sadly, the indigenous culture (pagan) was wiped out by the Catholic Church killings all across Europe.

This is why I wrote ElvenWorld and made this site, to pass along the stories of our indigenous people, to make new stories in the culture, to provide a cultural framework that is beautiful and resonates in our hearts.

Im not sure it will ever be accepted in the term “pagan” because of the horrors that were done make people afraid. 

but hopefully we can find ways to pass down these traditions of love of Nature, the elementals and the harmony of all life that was lost during the attacks.

thank you for everything you do that makes this dream a reality. It’s not just my dream but that of many who are here whether they visit often or not.

on that note I hope you will tell us more about the holidays, the meanings behind them and help us celebrate them making a connection to earth which I am sure is the original purpose. 

love, tara