Mabon: Building Community

Welcome to Autumn, my magickal friend! 

Today we’re going to talk about the Wiccan holiday, Mabon, and the theme of building community. Mabon is also referred to as the Autumn Equinox. This is a day that celebrates the harvest and the community that comes together to make sure the harvest is successful. 

What is community?

Community has a lot of different meanings. It could mean the physical community or neighborhood you live in. It could also mean the people you surround yourself with. Community could mean family, friends, neighbors, classmates, or people within your religious denomination. 

I found a definition that I love on Google that states community is “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.” This definition goes beyond where you live and talks about what is shared. 

Community and sharing

One of the most important themes of Mabon is the theme of community and sharing. Being a part of a community and being able to share a common goal or place is something that everyone should experience. 

I think the idea of sharing is critical to what this holiday is all about. Being able to share and be a part of something bigger than yourself is so important. When people share a common goal or idea, magick can happen. 

History of the Mabon harvest

The harvest seasons of old wouldn’t have been successful if it wasn’t for the entire community pitching in and helping to harvest all of the crops and take part in the preparations for winter. The communities would not have survived without everyone doing their part. 

The traditional celebrations of Mabon were all focused around the harvest. This was the time of the year where most of the harvest would be coming in from the field and the farmers had the most amount of work to do. 

This was also the time of the year where the rents would be settled with the landowners and farmers would be getting ready to prepare their food stores for the winter months. There was usually one person that was designated with the task of negotiating with the landowner for what share of the harvest would pay the farmers’ rents for the year. 

Once the rents were agreed upon, large feasts would be held for the community to celebrate the bounty of the harvests. Many times, the landowners would join in the feasts and this would be a good opportunity for the workers to share any grievances or issues that they may have with the landowners without fear of retribution.

Sharing responsibilities

Everyone in the community shared in the responsibilities of making sure the fields and crops were harvested, food was prepared, and other preparations were made to ensure the survival of the whole community through winter. 

Sharing responsibilities is crucial to the survival of a community. If one piece of the community puzzle doesn’t get taken care of, then there will be consequences that affect the community as a whole. 

If you’ve ever been a part of a group project in school, then I’m sure you can relate. When one person in the group doesn’t fulfill their responsibilities, the entire group and project suffers. 

This is why it is so important for everyone in a community to pull their own weight and share in the responsibilities. When everyone contributes, then the community thrives. 

Ensuring survival

Sharing the responsibilities in a community is not only good for morale, but it helps to ensure the survival of the community. That is a big goal within any community, to survive. When the community survives, it then leaves a legacy for future generations. 

However, survival means something different today than it did back in the old days. It’s not just physical survival anymore, it’s survival of the soul. It’s the need to connect, to find your tribe. 

Most of us don’t want to be alone because survival is more likely within a community. It’s self-preservation. The best chance any of us have to survive is to band together with others. This also makes survival easier and more enjoyable.

Responsibility to your community

Even though today we don’t have the same responsibilities of making sure that our communities are ready for the survival of winter, we still have a responsibility to those communities. This might not mean your immediate neighborhood, but the community of people that you have in your life.

 We all have a responsibility to each other to make sure we are all okay and that we have what we need for our own survival, whatever that may look like for each person. However, it’s not just about our own survival, but the survival of the whole community for this and future generations. 

Why community is so important

Being a part of a community is important for our own health and well-being because we are better when we are a part of something bigger than ourselves. When you are working towards a common goal with others, then you feel more energized and willing to contribute. 

There is something special about being a part of a community. That sense of belonging is not something that you can create all on your own. It’s something that is shared between people. Once you have found your community, it can feel like your soul has found its home. 

I’ve included a simple spell below to help you build a community or to strengthen one that you already have. Let me know how it works for you. 

Mabon Spell for Community Building

Materials Needed:

• Piece of lapis lazuli

This can be done in a group or solitary. Sit in a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed, but can hear the bustle of life. Place the lapis lazuli in your left hand and place your hands, palms up, comfortably on your legs. Close your eyes and picture a circle of people around you. You cannot see distinct features, but you can feel their presence. 

Feel the people on either side of you take one of your hands. All of the other people join hands as well. Feel the energy of the lapis lazuli start to grow and then spread through the circle, going clockwise. You see a blue light tinged with gold follow the energy until it forms a circle of light. When the circle is encompassed by the light, say, with the echo of the others in the circle:

Circle round

I have found

Community

Where I am me

And you are you

Connected in blue

Let us be filled

As energies build

And we are one

Our will is done

By three times three

So mote it be

Sit for a moment, feeling the energy of your community circle. You feel as one being, in separate bodies. There is a sense of camaraderie and connectedness, whether you are physically together or not. Take that energy into your heart, so it will guide you to your community. Hold the lapis lazuli whenever you wish to feel connected to your community. 

Until next time, my magickal friend, be well and choose joy. Blessed be.