Thomasin in a witch vestment In the classic novel "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare, the character of Thomasin plays a significant role in the story. As the story progresses, Thomasin finds herself caught in a difficult situation, leading her to make a bold decision that ultimately changes her life. Initially, Thomasin is seen as a free-spirited and independent young woman. Raised in Barbados, she is accustomed to a life of sunshine and freedom. However, after the death of her parents, she is sent to live with her aunt in the Puritan community of Wethersfield, Connecticut. Here, she is quickly thrust into a world of strict rules and unyielding beliefs.
Here, she is quickly thrust into a world of strict rules and unyielding beliefs. As the story unfolds, Thomasin becomes friends with a young girl named Kit, who is considered an outsider due to her non-Puritan upbringing. Kit's presence in Thomasin's life encourages her to question the conformity and limitations of the Puritan lifestyle.
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.
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.
Throughout the novel, Thomasin is depicted as a compassionate and empathetic individual. She is often seen caring for others and seeking to help those in need. However, her kindness is met with suspicion and judgment by the Puritan community. They see her as different and question her motives, labeling her as an outsider. This constant scrutiny takes a toll on Thomasin's spirit, leading her to doubt herself and the world she has been thrust into. She begins to question her own identity and her place in this new society. This internal struggle reaches its climax when Thomasin is accused of being a witch, an accusation that could ultimately lead to her death. In a pivotal moment, Thomasin makes the decision to embrace her "witch" persona. She dons a witch vestment and confronts her accusers, challenging their narrow-minded beliefs. This act of rebellion not only allows Thomasin to reclaim her identity but also sheds light on the hypocrisy of the Puritan community. Thomasin's choice to wear the witch vestment is an act of defiance and self-discovery. It symbolizes her refusal to conform to the expectations placed upon her and her desire to break free from the confines of societal norms. It is a step towards embracing her true self and finding her own path in life. In conclusion, Thomasin's decision to wear a witch vestment in "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" is a significant moment in her character development. It represents her rebellion against the oppressive norms of the Puritan community and her journey towards self-acceptance. Through this act, Thomasin emerges as a strong and resilient character who refuses to be defined by others' perceptions..
Reviews for "Thomasin's Witch Vestment and the Allure of the Occult"
1. John - 2 stars - I really didn't enjoy "Thomasin in a witch vestment". The plot was confusing and hard to follow, and the characters were poorly developed. It felt like the story was all over the place, and I struggled to connect with any of the characters. Additionally, the pacing was incredibly slow, and I found myself losing interest halfway through. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and wouldn't recommend it.
2. Sarah - 2 stars - "Thomasin in a witch vestment" didn't meet my expectations. The writing style was difficult to get into, and it felt very disjointed. The author seemed to jump from one idea to another without much explanation or transition. The story lacked depth, and I couldn't invest in the characters or their journeys. While the concept of the book had potential, it fell short in execution. I was left wanting more from the story and ultimately felt let down by the overall reading experience.
3. Michael - 1 star - I couldn't finish "Thomasin in a witch vestment" because I found it incredibly boring and unengaging. The story dragged on without any significant developments, and I struggled to stay interested. The characters lacked depth, and their actions felt forced and unrealistic. The dialogue was also poorly written, and I couldn't connect with any of the interactions. Overall, this book was a disappointment, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting and immersive read.