Mabon and Calling the Pagans Home

This year for Mabon we did a ritual focused on the sacrifices that are made by the Gods and by the land so that we may survive. The ritual was performed at the Covenstead by Cypress and other members of our Grove, along with a special guest from Acorn Grove. We made sacrifices and vows to our Gods, had a wonderful feast, and called the pagans home using the poem below. It was a lovely time of community, family, and love.

-Antler

SPELL TO BRING LOST CREATURES HOME

Poem: Kathleen Raine (1908-2003) ©2009 The Literary Estate of Kathleen Raine, from "The Collected Works of Kathleen Raine", Golgonooza Press, 2000.

Home, home, wild birds home

Lark to the grass, wren to the hedge

Rooks to the treetops, swallows to the eaves

Eagle to its crag, raven to its stone

All birds home 

Home, home, strayed ones home

Rabbit to burrow, fox to earth

Mouse to the wainscot, rat to the barn

Cattle to the byre, dog to the hearth

All beasts home

Home, home, wanderers home

Cormorant to rock, gulls from the storm

Boat to the harbor

Safe sail home

Children home, at evening home

Boys and girls, from the roads come home

Out of the rain, sons come home

From the gathering dusk, young ones home

Young ones home

Home, home, all souls home

Dead to the graveyard, living to the lamplight

Old to the fireside, girls from the twilight

Babe to the breast, and heart to its haven

Lost ones home

Mabon Celebrations

Mabon is the second of our harvest celebrations.  We look at it as the pagan Thanksgiving.  We come together to feast and celebrate our bounty.  Food and feast is always important for a Blue Star ritual but especially so for Mabon.  

One of our regular traditions is to ensure that we have something to represent each type of food we hope to have in the coming year.  Depending on the size of the coven, you'll find fish, chicken, pork, beef, game meat, fowl to cover the meats.  Then several vegetables and fruits with an assortment of grains. Chocolate is ALWAYS on the table.  Plus a myriad of desserts.  We are blessed that living in this metropolitan area, we can access so many types of food easily and typically affordably.

While we have all these foods on our feast table, it is important to remember that we need to understand where those foods come from, how are they produced, how did they make it to our table.  Are we doing more harm to ourselves and our planet by eating these foods?  A common and recurring theme from our gods, at this time of year and also in the spring during the planting times,  is that we need to know where our food comes from.  We need to understand how to grow and harvest our own foods.  We need to understand how to protect those food sources and the people who bring them to our tables.  The food should nourish us, those who provide it, and the land it comes from.  

The second part of Mabon is the Harvest Home portion.  This is when we Call the Pagans Home.  This is a call to the Universe to help people (and all creatures) to find their way home.  A home where they are loved and accepted for who they are.  A home where they can flourish and grow.  We've co-opted (read stole) a poem by Kathleen Raine for our purposes.

Spell to Bring Lost Creatures Home
by Kathleen Raine, “The Year One”, 1952. 

    Home, home,
    Wild birds home!
    Lark to the grass,
    Wren to the hedge,
    Rooks to the tree-tops,
    Swallow to the eaves,
    Eagle to its crag,
    And raven to its stone,
    All birds home!

    Home, home,
    Strayed ones home,
    Rabbit to burrow,
    Fox to earth,
    Mouse to wainscot,
    Rat to the barn,
    Cattle to the byre,
    Dog to the hearth,
    All beasts home!

    Home, home,
    Wanderers home,
    Cormorant to rock,
    Gulls from the storm,
    Boat to the harbour,
    Safe sail home!

    Children home,
    At evening home,
    Boys and girls
    From the roads come home,
    Out of the rain,
    Sons come home,
    From the gathering dusk,
    Young ones home!

    Home, home,
    All souls home,
    Dead to the graveyard,
    Living to the lamplight,
    Old to the fireside,
    Girls from the twilight,
    Babe to the breast,
    and heart to its haven,
    Lost ones home!

All of the lost souls, may you find your way home!

All the best, 

Lapis