Something that I've been pondering are the names we give to our festivals and the Autumn Equinox is one I pondered a lot.
Like many, I became accustomed to calling it Mabon, after the Welsh god who is the son of the Welsh goddess Modron. I never questioned this but naturally fell into calling it the Autumn Equinox after I moved to the UK.
It's only been in recent years that I've become aware there is controversy over Mabon as some say there is no connection between Mabon and the Autumn Equinox. I've seen a few different reasons given for calling it Mabon, but none of them have come up in my own reading of the old myths. It could be I've missed it, which is always possible. I do not claim to be well read. But thus far, I've not found anything to really back it up.
I also ponder naming a festival after a god when I follow a Goddess focused path. Personally, I have no problem with gods, but does it make sense to call a festival by a god's name when I'm honouring Goddess solely in my personal rituals? In my own mind, not really, although that said, I don't really have a problem with someone calling it Mabon even if I don't.
I've seen some suggest that the solstices and equinoxes were never really celebrated by the Celts. I do not pretend to know one way or the other as I am not educated enough in ancient Celtic practises to know or form an opinion. Although I appreciate there is some emphasis on following ancient ways, there is a reason Paganism, generally, is sometimes referred to as Neo-Paganism. New traditions were and are created, with new ideas injected, finding deeper meaning in it all, perhaps even more deeply than people in ancient times did. Certainly, the Avalon tradition I follow is no exception. Although it is based on honouring the indigenous goddesses of the UK and Ireland, it is done in ways that are new.
In my reading and exploring about Mabon, I've come across various names for the Autumn Equinox. One that leapt out is Feast of Avalon. Where this originates from is not clear. Again, reasons given for using this term at the Autumn Equinox varied, but some spoke to me. In the Wheel of Britannia, we honour the Mother of Earth, the continuing harvest and this time of balance. Symbolically, this is the time of the apple. Some analogies were made about the harvesting of apples, some about Celtic funeral rituals of placing an apple on the headstone as Avalon is the Isle of the Dead. Well, yea, I can kind of see a bit of all of that in the tradition I follow.
Because I am a Priestess of Avalon following an Avalonian tradition, I quite like the idea of calling the Autumn Equinox the Feast of Avalon for no other reasons than it is the season of the apple and it is the time of the abundant harvest still and Avalon is the Isle of Apples. Celebrations of the Autumn Equinox often involve feasts and libations in gratitude to Goddess and/or God. Feast of Avalon makes sense and is therefore meaningful to me.
So I wish everyone a blessed Feast of Avalon and hope your own celebrations are powerful and yet fun at the same time!
It's only been in recent years that I've become aware there is controversy over Mabon as some say there is no connection between Mabon and the Autumn Equinox. I've seen a few different reasons given for calling it Mabon, but none of them have come up in my own reading of the old myths. It could be I've missed it, which is always possible. I do not claim to be well read. But thus far, I've not found anything to really back it up.
I also ponder naming a festival after a god when I follow a Goddess focused path. Personally, I have no problem with gods, but does it make sense to call a festival by a god's name when I'm honouring Goddess solely in my personal rituals? In my own mind, not really, although that said, I don't really have a problem with someone calling it Mabon even if I don't.
I've seen some suggest that the solstices and equinoxes were never really celebrated by the Celts. I do not pretend to know one way or the other as I am not educated enough in ancient Celtic practises to know or form an opinion. Although I appreciate there is some emphasis on following ancient ways, there is a reason Paganism, generally, is sometimes referred to as Neo-Paganism. New traditions were and are created, with new ideas injected, finding deeper meaning in it all, perhaps even more deeply than people in ancient times did. Certainly, the Avalon tradition I follow is no exception. Although it is based on honouring the indigenous goddesses of the UK and Ireland, it is done in ways that are new.
In my reading and exploring about Mabon, I've come across various names for the Autumn Equinox. One that leapt out is Feast of Avalon. Where this originates from is not clear. Again, reasons given for using this term at the Autumn Equinox varied, but some spoke to me. In the Wheel of Britannia, we honour the Mother of Earth, the continuing harvest and this time of balance. Symbolically, this is the time of the apple. Some analogies were made about the harvesting of apples, some about Celtic funeral rituals of placing an apple on the headstone as Avalon is the Isle of the Dead. Well, yea, I can kind of see a bit of all of that in the tradition I follow.
Because I am a Priestess of Avalon following an Avalonian tradition, I quite like the idea of calling the Autumn Equinox the Feast of Avalon for no other reasons than it is the season of the apple and it is the time of the abundant harvest still and Avalon is the Isle of Apples. Celebrations of the Autumn Equinox often involve feasts and libations in gratitude to Goddess and/or God. Feast of Avalon makes sense and is therefore meaningful to me.
So I wish everyone a blessed Feast of Avalon and hope your own celebrations are powerful and yet fun at the same time!
Thanks for such a wonderful post. I enjoyed reading it. Blessings to you on this very special day.
ReplyDeleteMary
Thank you, Mary! Blessings to you as well!!
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