A Mabon Rite – Copyright © 2011 – Christopher P.

Todd (Indigo) - 1

A Mabon Rite
Mabon Sabbat celebrates the second of the three harvests (apples and fruit).
It is also a celebration of the autumnal equinox. After this day, the dark half
of the year begins in earnest. In the Wiccan spiritual metaphor, the God is
dead – harvested at Lughnassadh and continues on as the Lord of Shadow
and the god of the dead (don’t worry, he is reborn each year at Yule!) The
Mother Goddess is rapidly aging into her Crone aspect as the life force in the ecology rapidly retreats
beneath the ground to slumber during the winter months. The corn and grains have been harvested
already, and now the apples and other fruit are gathered. Like Yule, Litha, and Ostara, Mabon is
considered to be a “lesser” Sabbat.

Practitioners new to Wicca may be initially disconcerted by references to the Wiccan God as a “god of
death” or a “lord of shadow” – especially for believers who were once adherents of Abrahamic faiths
like Christianity and Judaism. Death and shadow are concepts that need not be feared, as they are every
bit as necessary for the continuation of life as birth and light. It is also worth noting that “light” and
“shadow” are not synonyms for “good” and “evil”. For part of the year, the Wiccan God is a god of light
and for part of the year he is a god of shadow. That does not mean that the God turns “evil” in autumn.
Instead, light and shadow represent a metaphor for the necessary balance in the endless cycle of life
and death.

Preparing Sacred Space

For an outdoor ritual, the Celebrant shall stake out four torches into the ground, oriented at the
appropriate compass direction to form a circle nine to eighteen feet in radius (this can be expanded for
larger gatherings). The poles should be adorned with streamers or pennants of appropriate color
(yellow/east, red/south, blue/west, and green/north). The Celebrant shall cleanse the area with sage
smoke and sweep away miscellaneous debris and litter as needed. A small rod of incense should be lit
near each of the four poles. The altar cloth should have autumnal patterns of red, orange, yellow, and
brown. Likewise, the altar cloth could display representations of apples and pears.

For an indoor ritual, the sacred space can be delineated by four large pillar candles of appropriate color.
The floor/carpet should be clean. For added effect, the Celebrant could core out the middle of four
apples and set appropriately colored votive candles as quarter candles. The Celebrant may ritually
sweep the floor with a broom. Covenors are encouraged to wear festive autumnal colors.

Special Materials Required

Magical working: Each participant will receive an apple.

 A Mabon Rite – Copyright © 2011 – Christopher P. Todd (Indigo) - 2

Casting the Circle

The Celebrant walks the perimeter of the circle three times, clockwise, starting in the east. In the first
pass, the Celebrant uses a rod of incense. In the second pass, the Celebrant uses a small bowl of water
and sea salt. With the third pass, the Celebrant employs his/her Athame.

While walking the third circle, the Celebrant says: “I cast the circle with power and love / Earth below to
Sky above / With shining Sun and glittering Sea / God and Goddess blessed be.”

Celebrant: “The Circle is cast!”

Covenors: “So mote it be!”

Calling the Quarters

The elemental spirits and deities are called in sequence, starting from the east. Each relevant altar
candle is lit after each call.

Air/East
Guardian of the East, Spirit of Air
In love and thanks we invite you here

Autumn arrives with a cooling breeze

It flutters about the red and gold trees
The skies grow dark and night draws near
Rustling leaves is what we hear

Guardian of the East, we give thanks to thee

Spirit of Air, blessed be
Hail and welcome!

Fire/South
Guardian of the South, Spirit of Fire
In love and thanks we invite you here

The sun is fading from our sight

But the merry bonfire makes things bright
The cookfires flame and smoke with power
And roasts the food that we devour

Guardian of the South, we give thanks to thee

Spirit of Fire, blessed be
Hail and welcome!
 A Mabon Rite – Copyright © 2011 – Christopher P. Todd (Indigo) - 3

Water/West
Guardian of the West, Spirit of Water
In love and thanks we invite you here

From slate-grey sky the cool mists fall

Upon the trees and house and hall
You replenish the lakes and streams and seas
Until the time of winter’s freeze

Guardian of the West, we give thanks to thee

Spirit of Water, blessed be
Hail and welcome!

Earth/North
Guardian of the North, Spirit of Earth
In love and thanks we invite you here

Leaves turn shades of red and gold

As days grow short and nights grow cold
The trees are heavy with apple and pear
Soon to be harvested with love and care

Guardian of the North, we give thanks to thee

Spirit of Earth, blessed be
Hail and welcome!

God
God of the Harvests, Lord of Shadow
In love and thanks we invite you here

Your sacrifice for us was brave and good

You blessed us with the gifts of food
Shadow’s power grows this time of year
With you guidance, we’ll have no fear

God of the Harvests, we give thanks to thee

Lord of the Shadow, blessed be
Hail and welcome!

Goddess
Beloved Crone, Giver of Insight
In love and thanks we invite you here.

The flower of youth has faced now

You regard us with a wizened brow
 A Mabon Rite – Copyright © 2011 – Christopher P. Todd (Indigo) - 4

Though you change with every Turn of the Wheel

Your love for us we always feel.

Beloved Crone, we give thanks to thee

Giver of Insight, blessed be
Hail and welcome!

A Harvest Meditation
Please make yourselves comfortable. Make sure your spine is straight and your feet are in contact with
the ground. Close your eyes. Take three cleansing breaths. Breathe in… breathe out… Breathe in…
Breathe out… Breathe in… Breathe out…

We are leaving this place. We are travelling somewhere else. You open your eyes and are greeted with a
landscape of rolling hills covered with trees in vibrant fall colors. Leaves of crimson, orange, and gold
hang proudly from the branches in a celebration of autumn’s power. The sky above is blue and streaked
with white, wispy clouds. The sun no longer climbs to the top of the sky, but instead shines down at an
angle. You feel its warming rays on your face, but it no longer makes you sweat. The air is crisp, dry, and
cool. The pleasant scent of bonfires wafts through the air. And you stand on a well-worn path that winds
its way through the bright, cheerful forest.

You walk down the earthen path. The ground is dry and even. You hear the scampering of squirrels and
other rodents amongst the dry, brown leaves that have fallen to the ground. The relentless, buzzing
sounds of insects that you remember from the height of summer has diminished to an occasional chirp.
Geese fly overhead in wedge formations. Empty stalks along the trail mark where the flowers of summer
have come and gone. You sense a collective preparation in the forest – that soon it will be time for the
trees to sleep. All is as it should be. You feel at peace here.

The path takes you to an orchard where apple trees stand. The branches are heavy with fruit ready for
picking. It is the time of harvest. You walk through the copse of trees and you understand that they offer
a blessing to help sustain you through the winter months ahead. Each tree offers something different.
Though the trees do not speak in words, you sense their slow, deep thoughts. You align your spirit to
theirs. And for this brief moment, you understand what it means to have the peace that comes from
being directly connected to the Earth and Sky and the joy of measuring time in seasons instead of
minutes.

Silence for a time.

You ask the tree for its blessing to you, and you feel its quiet, slow response. Knowing you have
permission, you take an apple from a low-hanging branch. You feel the power of the tree’s blessing
transfer to you. You acknowledge the tree’s gift with gratitude.

You turn away and walk back to the earthen path. We are ready to leave this place. Close your eyes.
Breathe in… breathe out… breathe in… breathe out… breathe in… breathe out…
 A Mabon Rite – Copyright © 2011 – Christopher P. Todd (Indigo) - 5

When you are ready, open your eyes.

Magical Working
The magical working shall involve each Covener inscribing a rune into an apple and giving it to another
Covener as blessing for the autumn season. For rune meanings, consult the chapter on Basic Wicca at
the end this book. Once all the apples have been inscribed and subsequently given to each recipient, the
Celebrant seals the spell.

Celebrant: “Let that with is positive, helpful, and loving be what increases during the dark half of the
year. So mote it be.”

Covenors: “So mote it be!”

Cakes and Ale

If there are two Celebrants (Priest and Priestess), the Priest shall distribute the bread/cakes and the
Priestess shall distribute the cup of wine/ale/juice.

Priest or Priestess: “The celebration of bread and wine is not unique to Wicca. Many religions in many
cultures have venerated the bounty of grain and vine. Bread and wine sustain the body and bring us
together as a community. In the Wiccan tradition, these gifts also bring us in communion with the God
and Goddess. And so we bring you these gifts so that we may be united with one another in spirit.”

Priestess: “With the cup, we are one.”

Covenor: “Blessed be”
Priest: “We are one people, we share one bread.”
Covenor: “Blessed be.”

Releasing the Quarters

The elements and deities will be released in the opposite order in which they were invoked. The
appropriate candle is snuffed after each dismissal.

Goddess
Beloved Crone, Giver of Insight
We give you thanks for coming here

We thank you for your guiding power

As the Wheel turns toward the darker hour
You give us wisdom, you give us peace
It shall sustain through winter’s increase

Beloved Crone, we give thanks to thee

 A Mabon Rite – Copyright © 2011 – Christopher P. Todd (Indigo) - 6

Giver of Insight, blessed be

Hail and farewell!

God
God of the Harvests, Lord of Shadow
We give you thanks for coming here
Thank you for the harvest fair
Apples and fruit are picked with care
Into the looming night you ride
Your gifts to us we receive with pride
God of the Harvests, we give thanks to thee
Lord of Shadow, blessed be
Hail and farewell!

Earth/North
Guardian of the North, Spirit of Earth
We give you thanks for coming here

Return to the hills of red and gold

Autumnal colors so bright and bold
Though the harvested fields stand bleak and bare
Your power remains, we’ll not despair

Guardian of the North, we give thanks to thee

Spirit of Earth, blessed be
Hail and farewell!

Water/West
Guardian of the West, Spirit of Water
We give you thanks for coming here

Return to the lakes so deep and clear

The time of frost and ice draws near
In quiet streams and oceans deep
The power of life you safely keep

Guardian of the West, we give thanks to thee

Spirit of Water, blessed be
Hail and farewell!

Fire/South
Guardian of the South, Spirit of Fire
We give you thanks for coming here
Return to the bonfire so brave and bright
 A Mabon Rite – Copyright © 2011 – Christopher P. Todd (Indigo) - 7

Its amber glow beats back the night

With flaming braziers and candles tall
Your bring light to house and hall
Guardian of the South, we give thanks to thee
Spirit of Fire, blessed be
Hail and farewell!

Air/East
Guardian of the East, Spirit of Air
We give you thanks for coming here
Return to swirling, darkened sky
The churning clouds impress the eye
The winds blow a cool and mournful sound
And tosses discarded leaves around
Guardian of the East, we give thanks to thee
Spirit of Air, blessed be
Hail and farewell!

Releasing the Circle

The Celebrant traces the path of the circle in a counterclockwise (widdershins) direction, using a wand or
Athame.

Celebrant: The Circle, though open, remains unbroken.

Celebrant and Coven: Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.
Celebrant: Blessed be!