Hot Berry Cider

1 gallon apple cider
32 oz bottle cranberry juice cocktail
8 allspice berries
8 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks, halved

Combine all ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 mins. Strain to remove spices; serve.
Makes 20 servings.

What is Mabon

Mabon was the Welsh god of light, the son of Modron whose Greek equivalent is Matrona or “Mother.” Modron is an Earth goddess and corresponds to Demeter, mother of Persephone, in the more familiar Greek pantheon. According to mythology, the infant Mabon was abducted and taken to the Underworld when he was three days old. Eventually Mabon was liberated, and his return to the human world signals spring, the time when days begin to grow longer and warmer and the earth is again fruitful. Both Modron and Demeter mourn while their kidnapped children are absent, and their grief causes the earth to grow dark, cold, and barren.
The autumnal equinox marks that day in September when we experience an equal number of light and dark hours. Afterward, the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer, as the mythological mothers grieve and wail for their children. In recent years, those who follow the path of Wicca have developed formal rituals for acknowledging the end of summer and the symbolic death of light. Some choose to call this sabbat “Mabon,” in honor of the Welsh god of light.
One need not identify with Wiccans or any other faith to feel the change that marks the turn of seasons. The outward symbols of Mabon are ubiquitous in Western society, even though relatively few people realize that their decorations and activities reflect the traditions of ancient peoples. The colors, the corn wreaths, and the hearty soups are such powerful symbols of the old, nature-based way of life that no one questions their appearance at this time of year; it simply feels right.

The meaning of the number 13

The meaning of the number 13

I thought this to be an interesting read.

Creating Sacred Space

Sacred space is the difference between somewhere that you could hold a ritual and somewhere that is worthy of your ritual.

The term "Sacred Space" can mean many things to may people and the methods for creating it can vary from tradition to tradition. Some religions will have temples or churches that are built and are sacred spaces unto themselves, and some Pagans will similarly have a temple set up in their house, if they are lucky. But for many Pagans the matter of creating Sacred Space involves doing so each time they hold a ritual.

Sacred Space is basically taking the area of your ritual and before you begin, marking it in some way in order to consecrate it to your purpose. This can be a simple symbolic act, perhaps involving a small dedication to the Gods, or it can be a significant part of the ritual itself, in which surrounding and personal energies are drawn together in order to align the space to your working.

The act of creating Sacred Space is common to a good majority of Pagan paths and they all have their own ways of doing it, which despite appearing different in their methods, remain extremely similar in their theory and intent. Here are a few examples:

Asatru: The most common method in Asatru for creating Sacred Space before a ritual is called "The Hammer Rite". This rite itself is a Neo-Pagan development, but believed by many to be based around the symbolism of Mjollnir, the hammer of Thor.

This rite usually involves a dual declaration, one towards the altar and one facing away from it (covering both directions of the ritual space), in which the person calls upon the hammer to sanctify the space. This is sometimes coupled with the striking of a hammer in each direction.

Kemeticism: In the Kemetic religion, the Sacred Space is created by purifying the Shrine (akin to the altar, here). This is done by physically cleaning the Shrine and the area around it and then touching each object on the Shrine with a mixture of water and Natron. Natron is a substance natural to Egypt, but can be made at home by combining baking soda and salt. As the objects are touched and cleansed, the Kemetic concentrates on making the area a place that is suitable for the Gods to visit.

Wicca: Ritual Sacred Space is created in Wicca through the casting of a Magic Circle. This is done by magically drawing in the energies that naturally surround the caster and projecting them into a protective circle. The area within this Circle will be the Sacred Space of the ritual. In addition to this, Wiccans call upon the services of supernatural beings of the Elements to act as guardians and observers at the four cardinal points of the Circle; North, East, South and West.

The building of the Circle is very much a ritual unto itself and as such forms a significant part of the greater ritual workings that will take place within it.

When we create Sacred Space we are seen to do so on multiple levels, cleansing the area on the physical plane and on the spiritual plane, while also clearing our own minds so that we may be better disposed towards what we are about to do. It is an act of purification and consecration, making the area worthy of our ritual and aligned towards it, while simultaneously doing the same to ourselves.

Preparing the Altar

The altar is the work-space of a ritual and the usually the central point of the ritual's Sacred Space. As the focal point of the ritual, the altar becomes the place the gives your ritual direction, as it is a place to keep your ritual tools, ingredients and any offering that you may be using.
Depending upon your tradition, the placement of your altar may be significant. It has become common custom in many groups to place the altar facing North, however some people may find more significance in having a South facing altar. Others may change the position of their altar depending on the rite that is being performed.

North: North is customary to some Traditions as it was seen as the home of the Gods and so any altar that is facing North is automatically aligned towards the Gods and ready to worship them.

East: The East is the point from which the Sun rises every day and so a lot of Traditions place their altar facing East and begin their rituals in that quarter, as the origin of light and revelation.

South: The South is the high-point of the sun, associated with passion and energy. Not many Traditions place their altar in the South, but some groups may choose this position for certain rituals.

West: Altars in the West are suited to workings of deep emotion and the subconscious. The sun sets in the West and as the place of darkness it is associated with the Mysteries.

When preparing your altar, make sure that you have placed upon it or around it, all items that you will need for your ritual, including any tools, effigies and seasonal adornments.

Before You Begin

Before you begin your ritual it is common to take time cleaning your tools, the ritual space and cleaning yourself. Much of the time this is a method for focusing your mind towards the work you are soon to engage in.

Cleaning Tools: Spending time in silence cleaning your tools is a way to focus your mind as a method of meditation. As you sit cleaning your ritual tools you rest your mind upon them, contemplating what they are and how they are about to be used. You will consider their symbolism and reaffirm your connection to these items, charging them with your own energies as you clean them.

Bathing: Ritual bathing can be a significant part of preparing for your ritual. It allows you to not only clean yourself but also to "cleanse" your mind of distractions. This is like a small purification ritual before moving into your larger working.

Cleaning the Ritual Space:  Sweeping, anointing and preparing the space for your ritual is in itself a significant act. It announces that something special is about to take place there and that the area is being made suitable for it. This cleansing is not just for brushing away dust and dirt, though, it is more about ridding the area of any energies that may be unwanted in the space of the ritual.

Step Four

What do I need?

Preparation really is the key to any successful ritual. Really, there is no worse situation to be in than to reach a crucial moment in a ritual only to discover you have left something important in your kitchen or forgotten to prepare appropriate words for that part.

Preparing a ritual is in itself a very significant part of the entire process, not only for the obvious need to know what you are going to do, but also because in the preparation of a ritual you are forced to give some thought into what each and every step in that ritual signifies and consider why you will be performing each bit.

For the solo practitioner this gives a situation where there shouldn't be anything in the ritual that doesn't hold some kind of personal significance, while for the group based ritual the members have the opportunity to attain an understanding of a ritual from many different perspectives and even learn about new things in context to the ritual.




What items you want to use in your Ritual are your personal choice I have done a post about Tools of the Trade this will introduce you to some of the basic tools that may be used. None have be used it its a personal choice as to weither you use them or not.

Blessed Be