Twixt the darkness and the dawning
Twixt the sunset and the night
Now the Wheel swings round in balance
'Tween the darkness and the light.

Now the pace of harvest hastens
Now the wind blows often cold
Now the balance is established
'Tween the new ways and the old.

We who walk this path together
Honoring those who went before
Balance now between the world gates
Remembering the sacred lore.

Sing to the tune of "Comes a Horseman"

In our ancestors time, Mabon marked the beginning of the end of the growing year. The people lived off the fat of the land, eating the products of field and forest that could not be saved through the winter. It was essential to fatten the animals, either for slaughter or so that they could survive the winter to come. Therefore, in the Celtic lands, it was customary to go without eating meat from Mabon until Samhain to allow for the greatest increase in the herds upon which they counted for survival. If you would honor the memory of the old days, try a meatless fast yourself in remembrance of the season and it's meaning. It is also a good way to purify oneself for the celebration of ending and beginning which falls at Samhain.

Main Index / Wheel of the Year / Samhain

Last updated August 6, 1998

© Lark August 1998