Mabon Apple Ritual

With Mabon approaching, we are all looking for a few good ideas to share with our circle, our family and in our solitary practice.

This simple Mabon ritual is one of my favorites-may it remind you of the beautiful magick you have inside!

Materials:

-Several Apples (one for ritual, others for feasting)

-Sharp knife (adults only)

-Cutting Board

-Honey

-Plates & Napkins

1. Begin by casting a circle and calling quarters.

2. Invite each person in the circle to share one thing they are thankful for this Mabon season*.

3. Remind the circle that Mabon is a season of abundance. We have a lot to be grateful for (you may wish to read the Mabon page in my book The Wheel Of The Year for a cute Mabon rhyme and illustration).

4. Hold up the ritual apple. Explain that apples are one symbol of Mabon (along with other fall harvest fruits, vegetables and grains). Explain that this particular apple is a magickal apple-it is going to help us heal some of the negative things that have happened this year and teach us an important Mabon lesson about our magickal selves.

5. Invite each person in the circle to hold the apple and share one negative thing that happened this year. If they do not wish to speak, they may just hold the apple near their hearts and allow the apple to absorb the negative feelings/thoughts. Participants may wish to mark the apple with their finger nail as they share. As participants pass the apple, roll it across the ground or table to the next person*.

6. Once everyone has shared, the apple should be returned to the ritual leader. Examine the apple. Note out loud how worn out it looks. It may be cut, bruised, or otherwise harmed. Explain that as the Wheel Of The Year turns, we may find ourselves a bit beat up, bruised, worn out.

7. Remind the circle that this apple is a magickal apple. It is here to teach us an important Mabon lesson about our magickal selves. Place the apple on the cutting board and cut it across the widest part (not from stem to base). This will reveal a star (pentacle) in the center of the apple.

8. Show the pentacle to the circle. Explain that even though the apple was bruised, cut, worn out-inside there is still a pentacle; still magick; still a beautiful reminder of a whole, unbroken spirit. We are like this apple-no matter how bruised, broken or worn out we are on the outside--we are whole, beautiful and magickal on the inside.

9. Allow time for participants to journal and/or share their own reflections about the activity.

10. Bid farewell to quarters and uncast the circle.

For feasting after ritual you may wish to eat apples dipped in honey (not the ritual apple, feed that to the Earth!). Not only are they delicious together, but both apples and honey have spiritual properties across many faith traditions-for instance apples and honey are traditional Rosh Hashanah food in the Jewish faith. Rosh Hashanah is a holiday which shares the same season as Mabon, and sometimes its nice to connect across faith traditions to see all the things we have in common throughout the year!