You've probably gotten here from the
wonderful work of Sandie Worthy on the Tarot Blog Hop. If not, you can click
the above link to read her musings. And of course, you're going to
want to travel onward when you're done here. Look to the bottom of
this blog for your ongoing link. And so, who is "Mabon" and
what does he have to do with the Autumn Equinox, and with The Power
of Transformation?
In mead-making, one takes the freshest, sweetest, most succulent grapes, and the most powerful and natural of honeys, and one mixes them. Lovely, and wholesome, is this mixture, and will make wonderful mead, won't it? Well...no. Not unless you let it ROT. WHAAAAT? you screech...ROT? What you talkin' 'bout, Willis? Well...therein lies a tale, as I said. Fermentation, in other words, the rotting of the grape which produces the alcohol and turns the juice into luscious liquor, is the only way mead may be created. And, when we think metaphorically, destruction of the Ego is necessary for the discovery of the Hidden Self, the Shadow, the deep lore and mystery of your own Being, without which you cannot be whole. One must, at this time of the Last Harvest, discard all that no longer serves, bring oneself into Balance, and permit destruction and change to take place in order to produce Transformation...
And so, to the cards. I thought about
the concept of mead-making, and the process of self transformation,
and I have decided there are some cards that definitely represent the
phases of this process. I am trying something new here, rather than
using the Tarot, because my own focus on Mabon is actually connected
with the way I use the Celtic Tree Calendar in my personal practice.
And there are four trees. actually, which occur in order in the Tree
Year, which represent the journey of Mabon and which illustrate the
cycle of transformation which is celebrated at the Autumnal Equinox.
So, let's journey through the forest and see the hearts of these
trees, and in so doing, let's discover our own personal Hidden
God/dess.
First,
at the end of August, or the beginning of September, we look to the
Hazel tree. Hazel is the traditional Celtic symbol of wisdom. The old
tale tells of Fintan, nine years a salmon and fed upon the hazel nut,
who became thereby the wisest man in the world. (Please remember that
it was the Salmon of Wisdom who assisted Arthur and his Knights in
the search for Mabon, the Hidden God.) The hazel bears nuts after a
nine-year cycle, which was a magickal number in Celtic lore. It is a
small round nut in a seemingly seamless shell, which is nearly
impossible to crack forcefully without smashing the nutmeat;
therefore it became a prime exemplar of the kernel of truth or hidden
wisdom...hidden sweetness which must be achieved with time, patience
and art rather than brute force. Indeed the kernel of the hazelnut
with its compact strength and sustenance is the source of our saying,
" That's the whole thing in a nutshell." As the number nine
indicates, eating of the hazel nut brought all the wisdom of the Nine
Arts of the Celts: Music, Lore, Dancing, Truthtelling, Farseeing,
Talemaking, Worldwalking, Healing, and Rebirth. At the Hazel Moon,
Wise Ones concentrate on the lore and wisdom of their elders, on
nurturing and expanding their own inner wisdom, and on studying the
wisest ways to deal with the situations of their own lives. And so
the Hazel Moon, for our purposes, is the goal-setter, the Tree that
represents our discovery of the need for transformation, of the need
to discover our own hidden truth, and sets for us the task of finding
the hidden sweetness which will take our time, effort, and focus.
So--the task is set. Where in the Forest do we travel next?
Well, interestingly enough, the next
Tree we encounter in the calendar is the Vine. The Vine, in and of
itself, is the raw material of the harvest we seek, but the lore of
this Tree tells us that there is more to be done here than merely
picking grapes! The drawing of this card is concerned with the
release of prophetic powers. The uses of the grape and the effects of
wine are well known. The phrase "in vino veritas" almost
expresses the meaning of this card. Wine dissolves the inhibitions
and often allows you to speak more perceptively and truthfully than
you otherwise would. in a similar way, you need at times to let go of
your logic and intellectual attitudes and gather other resources in
order that subtle intuition can surface and lead. During such
periods, your psychic sense will be a more reliable ally than common
sense, you must permit instinct alone to show you what should be done
and allow your deepest emotions to show freely and openly. Allowing
all your senses to open in such a way is a sign of inner development,
as you learn to place your trust in them when they are acting for you
strongly. Let your soul open so that it is able to harvest and gather
together all the signs and omens that it is so capable of
comprehending, if only you will permit it to do so. And so with Vine,
we do not see the fruits of the harvest, but we do learn the
techniques necessary for the success of our Quest. Think clearly and
honestly within yourself. Let your inhibitions dissolve. Work with
your intuition and insight, temporarily shelving the thought of
"common sense" and instead reaching for "uncommon
sensibility". In the nature of Vine, we find both tools and
potential. But--potential of what sort? Well--maybe we'll get that
answer when we look at the next Tree.
The Tree in the Celtic Tree Calendar
which follows Vine is, interestingly enough, Ivy. One of the most
characteristic features of a vine of Ivy is the way the leaves and
stems twine in on themselves in an ever-narrowing spiral. And, of
course, the symbolism there is exactly what we're looking for.
On our Mabon-quest, we enter the complex
labyrinth of our own psyche. The spirit turns inward, rather as must
have Theseus, following his thread into the labyrinth. Theseus's act
may have symbolized his exploration for the secret centre of his own
being, which may appear monstrous, lying hidden most of the time. Of
course, there is a reason we call what we are looking for the "Shadow
Self". This quest, coincidentally occurring as the year is
beginning to darken, leads us into the darkest, inmost recesses of
our own souls, into the places where we have hidden away the parts of
our own Self that we fear to admit, acknowledge, or encounter. This
exploring, or soul searching, is as necessary to the Quest for Mabon,
for Transformation, as was the journey of Theseus. Indeed, it is the
center of the Quest. Such a journey may be in itself transformative,
revealing to you spiritual strength and depth you may never
previously have tapped or known about. And, of course, like the
pattern of the Ivy spiral, there is more than one side to this spiral
dance. Your spiralling dance through your Dark Self also eventually
turns outward, linking you with others through the group soul or
collective unconscious that pervades and encompasses all life. You
have a part to play---to assist in the spiritual journey of others,
as they also do in yours. This card represents the spiral of the
Self, and the search for Self. Ivy represents the wandering of the
soul, circling both inward and outward, seeking to face the shadows
within, but also seeking nourishment and experience from the outside,
to finally achieve its goal of enlightenment, of finding the Hidden
God. And here it is well to recall, for all of us, that Mabon, when
he was found, as it were, at the center of the labyrinth, was not an
untaught, foolish, and bewildered child or youth, but a full-grown
and skilful man who had taught himself, in silence and shadow, all he
would need to know. And just so, the Shadow Self at the centre of
your own quest, where the Ivy spiral will lead you, is going to amaze
you with the value, worth, and sweetness buried within the darkness.
And so, then, what of the
Transformation we seek at this season? Where does the Forest Path
take us in order that we may, finally, achieve our Harvest, come
face-to-face with our own personal Hidden God/dess and learn the
value of that Being? Well, the final Tree in our Journey is the Reed,
and this tree actually represents the successful culmination of our
Quest.
Reeds were used to create the bundles
of thatch which were used to roof the houses of the Celtic tribes.
The reed itself has a multitude of uses, everything from roofing
materials to whistles to arrows to brooms for cleansing, and many
more uses. This Tree is telling you of all the multitude of
possibilities for personal and familial or community transformation
that may result from your discovery and acknowledgement of the Shadow
Self. Just as the Vine reminds us of the necessary destruction and
change which produces wonderful wines, the Reed indicates that we
must be aware of potentials and possibilities, and that we are
capable of finding order where others find only chaos. Your results
are as sure as the intentions with which you started. You progress by
keeping your aim in sight. The Reed gives you the capacity to make
house and home safe and secure under your own roof, create, if
needed, spiritual weapons like the arrows made of Reeds, create
beauty and artistry as the Reed was used for flutes and whistles, and
above all, conform, as does the flexible and pliable Reed, to the
chance and occasional chaos of outside circumstances, bending in the
wind and storm but refusing to break . With the Reed you are able to
find direction and to give meaning and purpose to your Quest, your
discovery of the multi-talented Mabon, the Hidden God/dess within
you, and you are able to decide what you will do with this
Transformation and how you will use it to better your own life and
those of others.
Please journey along the Blog Hop to
the home of Gary Ormond to discover his take on the Power of
Transformation. By chance, should the link on a page break, there is a Master List here which will make it possible for you to move forward And may the Winds of Mabon bring you balance,
transformative energy, and many tools with which to travel onward.
Blessings from your TarotWitch, and may your Equinox be joyful,
productive, and ever wonderful for you.
Mabon Blessings from
Aisling the Bard
