UNION Alumni Mabon Camp

In the wilds of Dumfries, a group of UNION Alumni and participants gathered for a special Mabon Extravaganza…

A time for thanks, for transition, for letting go…

‘Known as the pagan Thanksgiving, Mabon marks the Autumn Equinox, when day and night are equal, making it a time of balance, equality and harmony. In ancient times Mabon was a celebration of the second harvest (Lughnasadh was the first) when farmers gathered hearty foods like gourds, pumpkins, grapes and apples.

Modern Mabon celebrations are a time to give thanks for the abundance of Mother Earth – both literally and spiritually. It’s also a good time to reflect on the Wheel of the Year, recognizing your successes and letting go of the things that did not serve you during the past twelve months.’ – mabonhouse.co/mabon

This UNION ‘learning camp’ was attended by current and past participants (UNION 19, UNION Leeds 22, UNION 23), a chance for us to come together, connect and reconnect. We stayed as guests of the community that is Standingstone Farm in Dumfries, hosted by UNION 23 participant Alice Francis and very good boy, everyone’s new bestie – Reggie.

The schedule for the weekend was planned together open space style meaning each attendee could choose their own journey through the Camp.

Activities were suggested by alumni and participants as well as offered by our local hosts including building in wood, mushroom foraging, medical herb foraging, yoga, tai chi, swimming, walking, and saunas. Plus, some sessions together to share and consider what we have achieved ourselves over the past year(s) and where we are going next.

The building was hosted by Sistxrwood. The amazing Sistxrwood host regular timber framing camps by and for self-identifying womxn and non-binary folk, sharing and learning building skills that they are often excluded from doing.

Our mushroom foraging session was led by the very knowledgeable and enthusiastic Jesse, we headed to Dalbeattie Forest to collect some delicious mushrooms for our group’s evening meal. However, we also found it particularly fascinating to learn more about mycelium networks! That really resonated with UNION… kew.org/read-and-watch/fungi-hidden-dimension

And the main event, The Mabon ceremony…

For many of us, this was our first experience of Mabon so we were keen to create something authentic and meaningful to us but also bring the fun!

We explored the idea of letting go and letting in, after discussing our ideas we split into smaller groups to work on sections.

We opened with dance, music and storytelling in a field lit by torchlight, very atmospheric.

Heading back to our fire pit we each wrote down something to let go and something to let in in the coming season which was then placed upon a hand-crafted wreath made with the flora that surrounded us.

Each person was then invited to make a journey up to the nearby hill. Along the way we were directed by attendees, through the fields and the winds, to reach a double spiral. Walking round the double spiral* we reflected on our journeys to date and each placed a rock to mark a point of letting go.

Upon our return, we were treated to more music and delicious mulled apples.

All in all, pretty nice. And just a bit bonkers.