The offspring of the witch refers to the children born to a witch, specifically a female practitioner of magic or witchcraft. This concept has been explored in various mythologies, folklore, and literature throughout history. The offspring of a witch often carry a supernatural lineage and are believed to possess special abilities or powers. In many tales, the children of witches are portrayed as being both feared and revered. They are often seen as a threat to society due to their association with dark magic and the supernatural. These offspring may have a mix of human and magical traits, making them both interesting and dangerous beings.
Astronomically, the four seasons centre around the equinoxes and solstices. However, there is disagreement between those who see the equinox or solstice as the start of the season, and those who hold that it represents the middle of the season.
Whether you re Pagan or not, this time of year can be a really good opportunity to take a look at what kind of balance to bring to our personal lives. Historically the light of the Harvest Moon was said to enable farmers to work late into the night, helping them to bring in the crops from the fields.
These offspring may have a mix of human and magical traits, making them both interesting and dangerous beings. The portrayal of the offspring of the witch varies greatly depending on the cultural context. In some stories, they may be portrayed as mischievous, using their powers for personal gain or to cause harm.
Even Non-Wiccans Can Celebrate Mabon, the 'Pagan Thanksgiving'
If you love all things autumn — "leaf peeping" the fall foliage, picking apples, decking out your front stoop with gourds and corn stalks — then you might want to add another holiday to the calendar. Mabon, also known as "Pagan Thanksgiving," is a harvest celebration that falls around the autumnal equinox on Sept. 22-23, 2022.
Since the dawn of agriculture, cultures around the world marked the harvest season with ancient rituals of feasting and thanksgiving for the abundance of the earth. In contemporary Paganism, some of those ancient harvest traditions are revived and reinterpreted by people who may identify as Neopagans, Wiccans, druids, hedonists, witches, animists, nature worshippers or plain old Pagans.
Mabon is one of eight "sabbats," contemporary Pagan festivals that mark the changing of the seasons on the Pagan calendar known as the Wheel of the Year. The best-known sabbats are Yule, which commemorates the winter solstice and Samhain, the late harvest festival associated with Halloween.
Although lesser-known, the fall equinox festival Mabon is "a really powerful time," says Selena Fox, senior minister and high priestess of Circle Sanctuary, a nature spirituality center in Wisconsin. "I think most people would recognize a lot of the ancient fall equinox customs, but didn't realize where they had their origins."
What Is the Autumnal Equinox?
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, the autumnal equinox is the date in late September when the number of daylight hours and darkness are almost exactly equal (12 hours each). If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, that same September date is your spring equinox, also known as the vernal equinox. (In 2022, the date is Sept. 22.)
Druid Merlin poses for a photograph as druids, Pagans and revelers gather to take part in Mabon celebrations at the ancient neolithic monument of Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, 2017.
Matt Cardy/Getty ImagesModern astronomers are not the only ones who have carefully calculated and tracked the fall and spring equinoxes, as well as the summer and winter solstices when the daylight hours are longest and shortest.
"All around the world, there are ancient monuments and sacred sites that were built to attune to the equinox points and the solstice points," says Fox. Examples include the Pyramid of Kukulkán at the ancient Mayan site of Chichen Itza in Mexico. Every year on the fall and spring equinoxes, the interplay of light and shadow makes it look like a large serpent is descending the temple's stone steps.
Mabon: a New Name for Old Ways
Fox has organized the Welcome Fall Festival at Circle Sanctuary since 1974, not long after Paganism was reborn as a contemporary religious movement. "The word Mabon as a term for the fall equinox is only about 55 years old," says Fox.
Mabon was a name borrowed from Welsh mythology and lore. There's a medieval Welsh text called the Mabinogion that includes some of the earliest tales of Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. The hero of one of the stories is a handsome young god named Mabon ap Modron ("Son of the Mother") who was held hostage in the underworld as a baby.
When contemporary Paganism was emerging in the 1960s and 1970s, an academic and poet named Aiden Kelly was trying to create a vocabulary for this new/old religion. As Kelly wrote on Patheos, he went looking for Gaelic or Germanic names for a Pagan calendar based on the solstices, equinoxes and other dates that would become the eight sabbats.
When he couldn't find a suitable Gaelic or Germanic name for the fall equinox, Kelly chose Mabon, because the Welsh god's story has some elements in common with Greek goddess Demeter, whose ancient cult was associated with the fall equinox. "It was not an arbitrary choice," Kelly wrote. "There seems to be a complex of myths associating the fall equinox with the rescue of a young person from death, datable back to about 1500 B.C.E." He referred to the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac which is read at Rosh Hashanah, a Jewish holiday that also happens in late September.
Whether you call it Mabon, fall equinox or Pagan Thanksgiving, Fox says that the name of the holiday isn't as important as the traditions and meaning behind it.
"I appreciate the fact that some long-standing harvest traditions are continuing to be kept alive by individuals and families and communities, by whatever name," says Fox.
Ways to Celebrate Mabon
On the Pagan calendar, Mabon is the second of three harvest festivals. The first harvest, Lughnasadh, is observed in early August. Mabon celebrates the bounty of late September, and Samhain marks the final harvest of late October.
As farmers and gardeners in the Northern Hemisphere know, late September is the height of the harvest season, when everything in the field is ripe and ready to pick: corn, squash, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, apples, pears and grapes. One of Fox's favorite Mabon traditions is to fill a cornucopia with the bounty of the season.
"The Horn of Plenty, which is such an iconic fall decoration, has its roots among the ancient Greeks," says Fox.
The cornucopia could be the centerpiece for a potluck Mabon picnic with family and friends, where everyone brings a homemade dish featuring the fruits of the fall. If you want to make it more of a Pagan Thanksgiving, ask everyone to reflect on the past year and share something that they're thankful for. Fox even has a call-and-response Thanksgiving rite that you can perform as a group.
You can also set aside time to meditate on the idea of "balance," says Fox, since the fall equinox is when the light and dark are in balance. "Whether you're Pagan or not, this time of year can be a really good opportunity to take a look at what kind of balance to bring to our personal lives. Are we working too much? Are we procrastinating too much and not accomplishing enough? There's an opportunity at Mabon to evaluate and reset."
Probably the simplest way to celebrate Mabon is by bringing the colors of fall into the home. Place a basket of fresh red and yellow apples on the kitchen table. Fashion a fall wreath out of autumn leaves and dried flowers.
Or better yet, says Fox, go out into nature itself. Take an early evening walk in the brisk fall air. Get lost in a corn maze. Or on a clear night, soak in the glow of the Harvest Moon, the last full moon before the fall equinox. "Before electricity, it was really helpful to have that extra illumination when you were bringing in the crops."
Now That's InterestingThe Neolithic architects of Stonehenge originally aligned some of the great stones to frame the sunrise and sunset during mid-summer and mid-winter, but experts say that there's no evidence that Stonehenge marks the fall and spring equinoxes.
The cornucopia could be the centerpiece for a potluck Mabon picnic with family and friends, where everyone brings a homemade dish featuring the fruits of the fall. If you want to make it more of a Pagan Thanksgiving, ask everyone to reflect on the past year and share something that they're thankful for. Fox even has a call-and-response Thanksgiving rite that you can perform as a group.
In other tales, they may be seen as tragic figures, struggling to fit into a world that fears and rejects them. Despite the negative connotations often associated with witches and their offspring, there are also stories that depict them in a more positive light. In these narratives, the children of witches are often portrayed as heroes, using their powers for good and fighting against evil forces. Their magical abilities are seen as a gift rather than a curse. Overall, the concept of the offspring of the witch is a fascinating and complex topic that touches upon themes of power, identity, and the human fascination with the supernatural. It reflects our collective desire to explore the boundaries of what it means to be human and to have control over forces beyond our understanding. The offspring of the witch embody the eternal struggle between light and darkness, good and evil, and the delicate balance between the natural and the supernatural..
Reviews for "Lost Traditions: Reviving the Ancient Ways of the Offspring of the Witch"
1. John - 2/5
I was really looking forward to reading "Offspring of the Witch" as I am a big fan of the fantasy genre. However, I found the book to be incredibly dull and lacking in originality. The plot was predictable and there were no thrilling twists or surprises. The characters felt flat and underdeveloped, making it difficult for me to connect with them or care about their journey. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and wouldn't recommend it to others.
2. Lisa - 2/5
"Offspring of the Witch" failed to live up to my expectations. The writing style was mediocre and lacked depth, making it difficult for me to stay engaged with the story. The world-building was weak, with minimal descriptions and a lack of creativity. The pacing was also uneven, with slow segments that dragged on and failed to hold my interest. Overall, I found this book to be underwhelming and would not read another work by this author.
3. Mike - 1/5
I couldn't finish "Offspring of the Witch" as I found it to be extremely poorly written. The grammar and spelling mistakes were abundant, indicating a lack of editing and attention to detail. The dialogue was stilted and unnatural, making it difficult to follow the conversations between the characters. Additionally, the story was disjointed and lacked a coherent plot, leaving me confused and frustrated. I regret wasting my time and money on this book.