As we follow the wheel through the ending of summer and the coming of the second harvest, we approach the time when the sun and the moon will be present equally in our skies. The Autumn Equinox will be here before we know it. The Sabbat celebrating it, known as Mabon, will soon be upon us.
The Wheel Turns
Even here in Florida, I can feel the colors of fall leaves will likely be happening in the coming weeks. The days are becoming cooler as I head out for my early morning walk or bike-ride.
Memories of early September days while growing up in California bring images of the first walk to school in my fall sweater, pulled out of the winter clothes box. I remember candied apples at the elementary school fair held on the basketball courts. We celebrated the coming of Autumn. And I recall the anticipation of what the new school year would bring. In those days we started the school year in early September.
A Taste of Autumn
The first cool breezes bring the scent of the approaching Autumn. I remember the taste of the fresh pressed apple juice and ciders that Mom would bring home from Lucky’s Supermarket there in Fullerton, California. We loved a glass at breakfast. Sometimes she would warm some up with a cinnamon stick for an evening’s “hot toddy” (alcohol free for us kids, of course).
She made cobbler with fresh apples and staples from our kitchen cupboard. That cobbler was always welcome at the Autumn potlucks at church. I don’t have her original recipe, but I did find this recipe for old fashioned apple cobbler. It is pretty close to what graced our holiday offerings. Perhaps it will be a part of your upcoming Mabon celebrations!
Old Fashioned Apple Cobbler
6 – 8 tart apples peeled, cored, and sliced
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon divided
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar divided
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour or cassava flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 large egg
½ cup butter (1 stick)Instructions
1. Combine prepared apples with one teaspoon of the cinnamon. Transfer to a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.2. Mix the second teaspoon of cinnamon together with 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Set aside.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, remaining brown sugar, and egg in a small mixing bowl. Spread batter over the apple mixture.
4. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over the top.5. Melt butter and drizzle evenly over the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes in a 350 oven until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender.
6. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.Notes
The number of apples you use in this apple cobbler will depend upon their size. Just be sure that your pan is filled to the brim with apples. As the apples cook, they will soften and settle.To make this a gluten free apple cobbler, use cassava flour instead of all-purpose flour.
Hard Labor
Growing up I didn’t realize what it actually took to bring the apples in from the orchard for the candied apples of my childhood. At the time, I was unaware of the effort of farmers far and wide throughout California. They would bring in the artichokes, broccoli, spinach, almonds, grapes, pumpkins, squash and other fruits and vegetables from the rich Central Valley. Certainly, then, I did not realize the number of people that it took to do all of that work.
I went to school with several kids of families who had migrated into Southern California from Mexico. It was a given through my youth that we were a bi-lingual State. Latin culture was a major part of our every-day life. Given that California used to “belong” to Mexico (it was ceded to the US after the Mexican/American war in 1848), is it any wonder that the traditions, foods and music of that country are so ingrained in the population of this State?
Looking at the thousands of people that it takes to bring in the crops from the abundant fields, I am grateful for the hard working immigrants and migrants who work tirelessly through summer heat and autumnal changes to bring us all the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor.
Separating the Wheat from the Chaff
Moving from summer to fall, the wheat planted in the spring is now being harvested. The edible grains are separated from their inedible husks (known as chaff) by a process known as winnowing. The chaff is sometimes burned. Other times it is fed to livestock, or it is turned back into the soil as nutrients for the next cycle of planting and growing.
In our everyday lives there are many opportunities to do our own “winnowing” of what we see, hear or read. There is a lot of turmoil happening in our country and the world right now. We must choose what “gets in” to us.
Nurturing Our Soul-soil
Is there nutritious grain in what we are seeing/hearing/reading? What is left behind to be burned or recycled into something positive (the chaff of it all)? What will we plant in the soul-soil of our selves? When harvest time comes, what is it we want to reap?
Walking the turbulent pathways that the turning wheel sometimes brings us, if we carefully tend what we allow into our own personal gardens, we can learn to dance with the growing rows.
Being Grateful in a Time of Struggle
I know it is hard right now – believe me. Continually rising prices of food and housing, continual political battles that sometimes seem interminable. Heartbreaking news flows across our personal lives, our communities and our country – it sometimes seems there is no end to the struggle. Until you stop for a moment and look – really look – at the bounty that is there when you open your eyes and truly see.
For me personally, although I suffer with chronic pain and some other ills that can come with age, I am Alive! I can see (with glasses) and hear (with aids) and taste the bounty of our Mother Earth. I am surrounded by the love of family and pets. And I am supported by an online community of friends and phambly. Beyond that, I am grateful for an ability to make music and write poetry and stories; to create art and appreciate the artistic creations of others. Oh, and I have a roof over my head and food in the cupboards and fridge. I am grateful for all of it. Even the pain, for it makes me who I am.
Starlit Autumn Nights
As we continue to walk the wheel of the year, we follow the pathway from hot Summer’s end through the cooling weather of golden Autumn. Let us all gather together to celebrate Mabon. Let us step out of ourselves at this time of equal balance, turn around and take a look at the bounty of our own lives. May we practice gratefulness for the good and positive things that are there. May we share our bounty with others, and may we appreciate what is labored over and shared with us, as well.
Blessed Autumn Equinox, one and all! And Blessed Mabon!
You can listen to my song Come Celebrate Mabon! that this blog offering was based on. And you can purchase it on bandcamp along with all of my other music.
Come Celebrate Mabon!
The heat of summer is starting to wane
Autumn approaches o’er mountains and plains
Equal day and equal night
The time of balance is ours once again
Weather is cooling, the harvest is fine
Apples for cider and fruit for our wine
Celebrate the Equinox
With bounty we harvest from bush, tree and vine
Let us rejoice in the plenty of summer
Fresh from long days in the sun
Let us give thanks for these gifts from the Mother
Come Celebrate Mabon!
Now is the time to let go of the chaff
Embrace the future and release the past
As we plant, so shall we reap,
Walking our pathways we learn how to dance.
Let us delight in the bounty of summer
From long days spent in the sun
Let us be grateful for our verdant Mother
Come Celebrate Mabon!
Let us give thanks for the passing of summer
and for cool days yet to come
Let us look forward to long nights of starlight
Come Celebrate Mabon!from “Come Celebrate Mabon!” (c) 2023 by Meren Edna Marie King, from the album “Walking the Spiral: Songs from the Wheel of the Year”, music and lyrics by Meren Edna Marie King, with additional lyrics by Brian Morse.
For more information about Meren King, including her collected articles here on Pagan Song, her bio, and links to Meren’s sites on the web, check out Meren’s page on Pagan Song.
Looking for more Pagan Song blog posts about Mabon/Autumn Equinox? Check out Wendy Rule’s September 16, 2021 offering Mabon & the Myth of Persephone and Alexian’s September 19, 2024 post Embracing the Autumn Equinox: Harmony, Harvest, and Transformation.
You can find all of our Pagan Song blog posts about Autumn Equinox on our Mabon Page. There are many articles for the season.
Featured photo by Prometey Sánchez Noskov.
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