Today’s Guest Blog is brought to you by Jen:
Between Mabon and Samhain or Autumnal Equinox and Halloween if you prefer, harvest is in full swing. The earth offers up glorious bounty and we do our best to take advantage of all the hard work that is now reaping rewards. During this six week period one of the treats that we are able to enjoy are fresh apples.
The apples we eat today have a long history but it is believed that the Romans began the cultivation of the varieties that we consume today. They are quintessential North American favorites and are mentioned in countless myths and legends in cultures around the world.
In paganism apples have many meanings most of which vary from tradition to tradition, but regardless of the specifics they are considered a powerful emblem of the Goddess because when you slice them crosswise their seeds form an in-bedded pattern of the pentacle. They are also considered to be fruits connected with the dead and the spirit world and many pagan afterlife stories refer to the “Isle of Apples or Avalon where the dead wander in the orchards of the Goddess, whose trees bear fruit and flowers at the same time.”(1)
Since apples are harvested between Mabon and Samhain, there are customs that accompany both holidays involving them. At Mabon, the second harvest festival, the dead were said to be honoured by apples being placed on burial cairns (mounds) symbolizing rebirth and gratitude.(2) For Samhain, the final harvest festival, and the one most associated with the death aspect of the wheel of the year, apples came to be used as divination tools in customs that still exist to this day.
Bobbing or Dooking for apples is a wet tradition that many children do at Halloween parties. A large tub or cauldron is filled with water and apples and the participants in the game try and get an apple out of the water using only their teeth. The origins of this party game are connected to the ancient Druidic rite called Ordeal by Water. The action of moving your head and face through the water to get the apple was meant to symbolize the passing over water to reach Emain Ablach or the Apple Isle where the Otherworld feast of Manannan Mac Lir is said to be prepared for those who have died. (3)
At this time of the year with darkness prevailing over light, the veils between the worlds thin. This is supposed to aide in divination and so many youngsters or at least the young at heart would use this time to try and foresee their future loves. If your ordeal or dooking was successful you were to put your apple under your pillow and that night you would receive visions of your future wife or husband. If you did not receive visions it meant that you would not find your match in the coming year. (4) Another version of bobbing includes carving the initials of everyone eligible to marry on to the apples before placing them in the water. The one you pick out being the person for you….this one seems a bit too easy to manipulate to me though. It would be easy to let the ego choose the person you think it should be rather than the one you’re meant to have.
Such a rich and many layered history lays with in the crunchy surface of the Goddess’ fruit. There are many more divination rites and folklore associated with apples. Here are some associations as well as my sources if you are interested in delving deeper yourself.
Have a wonderful Halloween and Samhain season.
Apples
Pagan names: Fruit of the Gods, Fruit of the Underworld
Magical associations: love, healing, peace, harmony, longevity
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Sacred to: Aphrodite, Apollo, Athena, Diana, Dionysus, Hera, Iduna, Olwen, Venus, Zeus & Juno
Sources:
1- Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions, Anne Hill, Starhawk, Diane Baker pp. 72
2-www.geocities.com/CollegePark/4885/mabon.html
3-www.geocites.com/mikerdna/missalany17.html
4-The Pagan Book of Halloween by Gerina Dunwich
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Lovely job!Thank you also for citing your sources, so I can do further reading.
Great post, with lots of relevant info! I loooove apples too!
This post about apples is wonderful. Very timely and useful.
This was a wonderful, informative post! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge with us!)O(boo
I still have to get to the local orchards here. I love fresh-off-the-tree apples and plan to make an apple ciser … mead … and ale! Among other things.
Merry! Merry!
Wonderful write up!! I agree, thank you for citing your sources!!
How very cool! I'd never realized the seed placement!
Great post! Apples are one of my favorite fruits.
terrific post! thanks!
truly loved the post
Lots of great information! Thanks
Love this! I never realized how important apples are in this season!
What an interesting post . . . and I love the photos. I'm going to go check out Jen's blog now too.
I was just looking for apple recipes. Hmmm. Lot's to think about. Thanks.