Mabon Magick

The energies aligned as the Harvest Moon rose
shining full and a golden yellow

closer and brighter than I had seen.

I welcomed her, Harvest Moon,
Moon in Aries; gifting us with the ambition and life force
of the Ram, The Emperor
Harvest Moon,

Full moon that falls closest to Mabon,

Autumnal Equinox

the balancing act of Night and Day

as Summer gives way to Fall.

Full Moon reflecting the light of the Libra Sun
Shining a direct light upon the mysteries of night.
Moon, meet Sun; Mother, meet Father
Aries, meet Libra; Emperor, meet Justice

and mingle together here with me

on this Blessed, Perfect night.

Incense lit and moonlight enough to read by,
I draw my cards.
One for the Equinox
One for the Sun
One for The Moon

Truth abounds and the answers flow to me
without words, I nod and smile,
I laugh at myself

for seeing what I already knew.
That's the trick of a full moon's light;

it illuminates the dark, shows us not something new,

but what was already there

shrouded.

My altar is ready

and I am prepared,
as earlier I had bathed and prayed
and cleansed myself in meditation.

Quarters called,
watchtowers and Elements honored and invoked
my Circle is cast.

Candles are lit
amidst the burning incense
Bell, Salt, Water, Stones
Corn and Apple
The Lord and Lady are called

and They Listen.

Joined etherically by my Sisters, and
Magickal shapeshifting familiars appear in smoke.

I pray for balance
with a Black candle and a White
Balance and Harmony
I visualize.
Balance and Love
I feel.

And I am suddenly joined in my circle of Love and Trust
by Elementals

Fey and Devas
Salamanders and Angels

Dancing in the moonlight
Praying and Chanting
I am swept away

enraptured

and I know and feel
that I am blessed
as the Blessings and Magick
of Mabon and the Harvest Moon
fall upon me.

Autumnal Equinox - Justice, The Emperor, and the Page of Cups

The Autumnal Equinox is approaching and the earth prepares to shift from Summer to Fall. On Mabon the day and night will be equal, and after that the days will begin to grow shorter and the nights longer. The weather will begin to cool as the Second Harvest is celebrated and we reflect upon what we have learned and how we have grown and expanded over the past cycle. This year Mabon also coincides with The Harvest Moon - the September esbat. Mabon and the Harvest moon are a good time to manifest balance, protection, prosperity, and harmony in your life. My friend Autumn wrote a wonderful blog about Mabon - an Autumn Festival.. check it out!

Some astronomical facts; The sun moves into Libra at 11:09 pm (EST) on September 22, followed by the moon entering Aries at 4:47 am (EST) on Thursday, Sept. 23; the day of the Equinox. The Harvest Moon will reach it's fullest at 5:17 am (EST) on the 23rd, and the actual point of Equinox will occur at 11:09 pm (EST) with the Full Moon brightly shining in the sky. This year there is also a beautifully visible Jupiter, in conjunction with the Harvest Moon.... it will be clearly visible and bright just to the left of the moon. (More....)

I was thinking about what type of meditation and self-discovery or journaling I could do for this coming Equinox, and of course with me; all roads lead to Tarot! So I have designed this very special Tarot mediation and Tarot Spread for your enjoyment and introspection. Using my beloved deck, The Celestial Tarot (Kay Steventon, Brian Clark, U.S. Games Systems) I found these three cards that perfectly coincide with the energies that will be present and active this Mabon. (*note - you can use these same cards with any deck you have!!)

Princess / Page of Cups ~ Autumn.
"Surrounded by the rich metaphoric colors of the autumnal equinox, the Princess of Cups contemplates the seasonal shift. The season of the zodiac turns to Libra, the quintessential sign of relationships, followed by Scorpio the phase of intimate union, then Sagittarius the distillation of knowledge. The Princess stands at the threshold of her own metamorphosis either through the process of emotional maturation in relationships or through her own imagination. In her hands is the urn, the alembic that symbolizes the birth of new feelings and attachments beginning with the feelings of self love and respect." ~ Brian Clark via the Celestial Tarot guidebook.
The classical meanings of the Page of Cups indicate the arrival or delivery of deep feelings, romance, spirituality, and self-love. In order to fully embrace the gifts of our relationships (including our relationship with Spirit) we need to allow ourselves to be emotional, intuitive, intimate, and loving. As we open ourselves up to self love and allow our emotions and intuitions to guide us we become more mature in our relationships and we can fully begin to harvest rewards that will lead us to greater emotional fulfillment and intuitive or spiritual guidance from within. (more Page of Cups)
As you contemplate the Page/Princess of Cups, ask yourself the following questions (and write them in your journal!)

* What is my intuition telling me, or what is my Spirit guiding me to do?
* What am I harvesting on an emotional level? (What emotional lessons and growth have occurred?)
* How can I serve others and be more loving in my relationships?
* Who is dependent upon me emotionally? Who am I dependent on emotionally? Are these relationships emotionally satisfying for all involved?

Affirmation; "I am willing to risk loving."

Justice ~ Libra (Sun in Libra)
"Libra reflects the evolution from instinctual life to culture, echoing the European trend away from primitive values toward the refined ones. At the midpoint of the Zodiacal round it represents the Northern Hemisphere autumnal equinox. Like Libra, Justice is at the midpoint of the Fool's Journey through the Major Arcana. At this crossroads are two orders of justice; one is the old instinctual order, which upholds familial and tribal values, while the other is the new rational order promoting reason and civil law. The card of Justice reflects the balance between the two modes of being." ~ Brain Clark via The Celestial Tarot guidebook.
The classical meanings of the Justice card include responsibility, cause and effect, fairness, ethics and equality, truth, and accountability. Libra energy encourages us to find balance in all areas of our life and urges us to make choices and decisions which will bring about balance. Under the influence of Libra energy the cause and effect of our past choices may come sharply into focus and we may be forced to recognize the Karma of our situation; assume responsibility, and then take steps to restore order and balance. (more on Justice)
As you contemplate Justice and Libra, ask yourself the following questions (and journal your thoughts!)

* What decisions am I currently weighing? What are the pros and cons?
* What consequences am I experiencing as the result of some previous action?
* What is the appropriate compensation/energy exchange needed to balance my life?
* What do I need to do to be true to myself?

Affirmation; "I am willing to be true to myself in all my decisions."

The Emperor ~ Aries (Full Moon in Aries)
"The Emperor personifies power, authority, and leadership. With this card we are given permission to have dominion over the current situation and are empowered to be in control. However, like the Arian temperament we may need to be more adventuresome and heroic, confronting and assertive to feel we are truly emperor of the situation." ~Brian Clark via The Celestial Tarot guidebook.
The classical meanings of The Emperor include authority, regulation, structure, and fatherly energy. The Harvest Moon in Aries will encourage us to take a leadership role in our own lives. The combination of this Aries energy with the Libra Sun and the Autumnal equinox asks us to bring our personal power into balance and restructure our energy. In simpler times the Harvest Moon was a time of restructuring; as the focus moved from cultivating the crops to harvesting and storing the food, preparing for the winter months that lie ahead. It is time for us to take the knowledge and lessons we are harvesting and begin applying them to our inner lives.... letting the metamorphosis of the Page of Cups and the balance of Justice begin to manifest. It is time to give shape and structure to our goals, and embrace our own personal power with confidence and ambition. (more on The Emperor)

As you contemplate The Emperor and the Harvest Moon in Aries, ask yourself and journal these questions;

* Where do my ambitions lie?
* What am I building, organizing, and restructuring in my life?
* Who has the power and authority in my life, and how is that power and authority being used?
* What kind of Emperor (leader) am I?

Affirmation; "I have the power and discipline to achieve my highest ambitions."

I would suggest laying these three cards out on your altar (or a safe place) where you can see them and meditate on them over the next few days. The energies of the Harvest Moon and the Autumnal Equinox are already beginning to manifest and will continue to be present for the rest of the week. If you want, you can journal and meditate on each card on a different day. Another option would be to shuffle the rest of your deck, and draw three more cards randomly; one for each card that was outlined above. The cards you draw will give you more clarity as to how these energies are currently present in your life on a personal level, and can be used to help you answer the questions above. You would lay the cards out like this;

Use these secondary cards and this tarot spread as your personal Autumn Equinox tarot reading, meditating and journaling on the questions posted above for each card and see what further insights and growth you can achieve this Mabon!

Many blessings of Balance and Power to you this Equinox!
Blessed Be!
Love, Lady Josephine

A Mabon Necklace for Balance

I am starting to prepare for my Mabon Ritual on Sept. 22. For the Autumn Equinox I have my altar decorated with fall colors and leaves, and I am will be going out under that Full Harvest moon to celebrate Mabon and pray for Balance in my life. The Sun will be entering Libra just before the Full Moon on the day of the Equinox. The tarot card related to Libra is XI Justice.

I was looking through my beads, and I realized I just happen to have a Libra charm for a necklace. Then I remembered that I was going to be doing a ritual for balance for Mabon, and I thought "What better talisman or charm for balance than the image of the scales?" It seemed all too perfect, so I gathered the other beads I wanted to go with it. I'll tell you what the rest of the beads mean so you can make one too if you want!

Center; The Scales. Libra. Balance. If you can't find a bead or charm like this, an Opal would be perfect. Opal is Libra's birth stone. If you don't have an Opal, then any other large bead or gemstone will suffice. Hematite and Obsidian are good for balancing and grounding your energy. A Light Blue or Purple bead would work nicely too, as Light Blue and Lavender are the colors associated with Libra. As I placed this center charm I affirmed; "I easily find balance in all areas of my life."

Next I have two amethyst beads. One on each side of the center charm. I chose amethyst because the color (light purple) corresponds to Libra energy, and because Amethyst helps you balance your emotions and intuition. If you don't have any amethyst beads, use purple or lavender beads instead. As I placed these two beads I affirmed; "I am willing to be true to myself in all my actions, and I allow my intuition to lead me."

Elements. I found two beads for each element. Yellow for Air, Red for Fire, Blue for Water, and Green for Earth. I placed one of each color on each side. As I placed the yellow I affirmed, "I am balanced in the East and the power of Air." As I placed the red I affirmed, "I am balanced in the South and the power of Fire." As I placed the blue I affirmed, "I am balanced in the West and the power of Water." And as I placed the green beads I affirmed, "I am balanced in the North and the power of Earth."

Next I placed two Sodalite beads. Sodalite is blue so the color corresponds with Libra energy. Sodalite also helps us balance our thoughts and words. If you don't have any sodalite beads, two light blue beads can be used. As I placed one Sodalite bead on each side of the necklace I affirmed, "I am willing to be true to myself in all of my actions, words, and thoughts. I allow my creativity to inspire me."

After this I created a pattern using Light Blue, Purple, Orange, and Gold. Blue and Purple for Libra energy, and Gold and Orange for the colors of the Fall Equinox. I placed them in groups of two, because two is the number of balance. On each side, the pattern I used goes like this; 2 purple, 2 blue, 1 orange, 2 purple, 2 blue, 1 gold, 2 orange, 2 gold, 2 orange, 2 gold, 1 blue/purple (Purple on one side, blue on the other), 2 gold, 2 orange, 2 gold, 2 orange, 2 gold, 2 orange. All in all I have 11 purple beads (including the Amethyst), 11 blue beads (including the Sodalite), 22 Orange beads and 22 gold beads. (So there are 11 each of gold and red on each side). 11 is the number of the Tarot Card Justice, and it is a Master Number in Numerology with a strong vibration. So all through the necklace the numerological themes of 11 and 2 also promote Balance. As I placed these small colored beads, I repeated the above affirmations several times, "I easily find balance in all areas of my life. I am willing to be true to myself in all of my actions, thoughts, and words. I allow my creativity to bloom. I am balanced and complete, and I accept my bountiful harvest."

On Mabon I plan to cleanse and bless this necklace. I will use sage to smudge it, and I will anoint it with oil and water. I will repeat the affirmations again and imbue it with the energy of those positive statements. Then I will leave it out equally under the Libra Sun and the Full Harvest Moon to receive a balanced blessing from both the Sun and the Moon.

Spica; Virgo’s Light

My eyes search the darkened cosmos
Searching for a light to lead me
Orion, he is always there, and
Ursa Major dominates the night sky
I recall an ancient phrase;
“Arc to Archturus, then speed on to Spica.”
Following the Arc of the Great Bear
(once the pure and chaste Callisto, princess of Arcadia; Raped by Zeus and cursed by Hera)
Past her protector, Archturus
To find Spica, brightest star of Virgo -
A yellow sheaf of wheat,
Golden ear of corn
White Spark of light
Fire of Hearth,
In the hands of a something so Pure
That one name will not suffice.
She is the Virgin, Virgo
Astraea; Goddess of Purity and Innocence who clung to hope for human kind longer than any other
Shala, Goddess of Grain
Hestia, Goddess of Hearth and Home
Vesta, Keeper of the Flame
The Blessed Virgin Mary
Father Time has watched her transform,
Watched her name change,
Watched as Man’s study of Spica
Brought the knowledge of the Equinoxes.
What other secrets may she hold?
Father Time, the Hermit only nods and winks
As if to say
“Time Will Tell,”
And he turns to walk away “but don’t give up the search”.
And suddenly I know
I am beautiful
I am pure
You are beautiful
You are pure
And Astraea can return;
Through us.