Mabon aka The fall Equinox; A day in duality to balance day and night

Across many cultures, the time of the autumn equinox aka Mabon, has been marked with festivals that celebrate the second harvest, a crucial period for gathering resources before the onset of winter. Mabon, or the fall equinox, is the first step toward the season of transformation. This is a time of transition and harvest, and a time of balance and realignment as we turn to greet the darkness of shadow season. As the Autumn Equinox brings equal day and night, Mabon stands as a poignant reminder of balance and reciprocity.

Mabon is not only a time for celebration but also for reflection and preparation. It encourages contemplation of life’s balances—light with dark, activity with rest, and abundance with scarcity. This equilibrium is reflected in the equal length of day and night during the equinox. In this sense, Mabon mirrors the theme of balance seen in the earlier spring equinox festival, Ostara, but with a focus on gratitude and the harvesting of blessings. This sabbat serves as a reminder to cherish and utilize the abundance currently available while preparing for the leaner times winter may bring. It’s a time to make the most of the remaining warmth and light, gathering resources and fortifying homes against the coming cold, all while giving thanks for the year’s bounty and the people with whom we share it.

What is Mabon?

Mabon is the Wiccan term for the Autumn Equinox that occurs annually between September 21st and 23rd. It’s the first official day of Fall, sometimes known as the Witches’ Thanksgiving. Although I really recommend for you to not refer to it as such. That is dripping in cultural appropriation and celebrating the slaughter of many and blood running across the land.Mabon is the second of three harvest festivals for many Wiccans, witches and pagans.

The history of Mabon

The idea of a harvest festival is actually very old. Cultures from around the world have been celebrating this time of year for the last millennia. Most of how we see it now is rooted deeply in Celtic and Welsh traditions. Ancient Greece held a festival known as Oschophoria which celebrated the harvest of grapes to make wine. Oktoberfest began in the Bavarian counties during the eighteenth century. In the East, this is a sacred time to celebrate the harvest, family, and unity. Many cultures believe Mabon or the second harvest, to be the best time for giving thanks and reflecting upon the year. For, it is during the second harvest was when food storage and prep for the long winter months ahead would really begin.

When is Mabon?

In the northern hemisphere, it’s typically celebrated between September 20th and September 22nd, the exact moment of the Equinox varies from year to year. This is due to a slight misalignment between the Gregorian calendar and the actual rate of the Earth’s rotation around the Sun. Mabon 2024 will occur on Sunday, September 22, at 8:44 AM EDT, aligning with the Autumn Equinox. While this marks the official date, celebrations can vary, with some extending the festivities throughout the weekend to fully embrace the season’s themes of balance and gratitude

A Celebration of The Harvest

With Mabon, we celebrate the plenitude of earth’s bounty, the abundance of life, as well as what needs to be released. Mabon holds the energy of gratitude, celebration, and letting go. We connect to and honor the fertility the land has produced and all its riches. It is time to reap what we have sown, both physically and energetically. We are now feeling the fullness of the Fall season all around us and interwoven in the air. Mabon is the celebration of the fruits of our labor all spring and fall long in our fields, gardens, and orchards. Mabon holds the energy of gratitude, celebration, for the bounty of the land.

A time to connect to the cycle of the seasons

It’s the time the leaves change and begin to fall. Mabon is a reminder every single year that change is always coming, needed, and beautiful. Mabon is the welcoming of the harvest and our last farewell to the long days of Summer. Because following the Autumn Equinox, the days will start to fall shorter than the nights. It’s the reminder to us all that life like the seasons is cyclical.

A time of reflection, transformation, and rebirth

Mabon marks when the length of the day and night are equal, initiating the dark half of the year, and with it, the ability to integrate, transmute, and release what has occurred over the course of the year. To allow ourselves to descend into the depths of our soul to hold up a mirror of reflection for ourselves. We are able to truly embrace the shadows of our soul within this liminal space giving them the comfort and grace to change.

Mabon and Duality

Since, I am a grey witch I look for the duality in every single energy I work with including sacred times like the festival and holiday of mabon and the fall equinox. This sabatt is not only is teeming with an abundance of the energy of the harvest and the bouty the earth has brought us but, we also see it in the transition this month brings us through. Mabon and the fall equinox marks the time of the year when we acknowledge the cyclical transition from one season to another. We see us leave the hot, vibrant, fun and sun based season of Summer and turn our attention to the crisp, cool, productive, and earth based season of fall. We literally get to watch in real time on this day that is equal day and night, nature transitioning from being bustling with life to decaying in death. This sabatt is a really unique pocket of liminal space and time for us to connect too. We get to be surrounded by the bounty and abundance of the fall harvest and all the joy, celebration and gratitude that brings. While we are also confronted with the reality of nature beginning to die around us and the dark cold winter that is very soon going to be upon us.

Common Traditions

Traditionally this sabbat is celebrated with mid-autumn vegetables like squash, apples, seeds, nuts, grapes, wine, baskets which symbolize the gathering of crops, and sickles and scythes symbolizing the harvesting of the crops. Great feasts were commonly held at this time with lots of drinking and merriment. Hospitality was extremely important, as they may have ended up being the ones to help you through the harsh winter months if your stores ran dry.

Deities of Mabon

During Mabon and the fall equinox its common for many witches and pagans to work with and celebrate deities that connect to and represent the energies central to the celebrations. This season and it’s celebrations are full of magic, and there are many autumn gods and goddesses who embody its transformational energy.Mabon is a really important time in pagan culture and there are plenty of autumn gods and goddesses to work with or worship, depending on your practice, festivals, and celebrations. Let’s take a walk through the fields we are harvesting. Or through a woods full of vibrant leaves falling to the ground all around us. To take a look at the bounty of fall and revival in the transformation around us you can meet SOME of those deities in my previous post here!

Magical Themes Of Mabon

Every season and every pagan holiday has certain concepts and magical themes. Which means, depending on your tradition and needs, you can weave one or more of these themes into your personal celebrations. This Sabbat perform spells to cultivate inner balance, restore harmony, give thanks for the harvest, and embrace the changing seasons. It’s also an ideal festival to spend time in introspection, journaling about your experiences, analyzing your discipline and structure, and giving thanks for the abundance in our lives. It’s a very liminal time weaved with the energies of duality.  Mabon is a great time to focus on spells that express gratitude to harvest and the Earth for all it’s bounty it has brought you. This is a very potent time to allow yourself to descend into the depths of your soul for inner work and reflection. To dance between the fallen leaves and the liminal space of shadows in the woods to grow, heal, and be reborn. On Mabon, we see the following magical rituals and spells below as well. Remember these are just some of the themes and energies you can connect to and work with on Mabon.

• Gratitude
• Abundance
• Growth
• Change
• Transformation
• The harvest
• Liminal space
• Rebirth
• The underworld
• Death

Correspondences To Connect To Mabon

First, what is a correspondence? A correspondence is an item or symbol that is meant to connect you to a specific energy thru it’s representation. It is seen also as an item to respect, honor, and venerate that energy as well whether it be a deity, an archetype energy, the zodiac energy the moon is currently or for A holiday or sacred time like Mabon, I will list below for you to use.Remember this is not an all encompassing list and there may be other correspondences to use. Just follow your intuition and use what calls to you.

• Planet-Earth
• Animal-dogs, wolves, goat, stag, blackbird, owls and birds of prey, gnomes, Sphinx
• Element-Earth and Air
• colors- gold, bronze, reds, browns, dark greens, oranges, yellow
• Herbs/flowers-ferns, honeysuckle, marigold, milkweed, myrrh, pine, rose, sage, tobacco, thistle, wheat, barley, oats, aster, mums, oak, hops, cedar
• Stones/ crystals- green moss agate, green aventurine, black tourmaline, smokey quartz, lapis lazuli, citrine, carnelian, obsidian, tiger’s eye, amber
• Deities-Mabon, Morgan, Epona, Persephone, Thoth, Thor, The Green Man, Demeter/Ceres, the Muses, the Wicker-man, Bacchus, Dionysus, Ianna, Hades, Chang’e, Modron
• Symbols-apples, acorns, wine, pine cones, gourds, grapes, grains, dried seeds and leaves, vines, horns, scythes, sickles, squash

Ways To Celebrate Mabon

We have talked about many different themes, and energies you can connect to during this time from change, the harvest, abundance, rebirth, transformation, reflection, and more. Let’s talk about how we can connect to and celebrate those themes and energies now. First, you can participate and honor any of the deities listed above or that are associated with Mabon, transformation, and Fall. Mabon creates a very potent liminal pocket of time that is teeming with duality, balance, and the power of transition. It’s a Sabatt that really pulls us to go deep within ourselves for introspection, reflection, self awareness, and growth. This makes it a great celebration to do any work on transformation, rebirth, and renewal through shadow work. Allowing the energy of the transitioning seasons to harvest what you have grown and prepare for the long cold months of winter ahead. If you would like to learn more about shadow work you can purchase my eBook here;  you can book me for a 1:1 session as your guide here; and you can watch my free class previously taught on it through Divination here.

In your everyday life, you can work with any affirmations, mantras, and visualization work for change, rebirth, abundance, reflection, growth, the harvest, and transformation.You can also begin to turn your attention towards Samhain coming next month and the ancestral work you wish to do when the veil is the thinnest. Don’t forget to also take the time to give thanks to the earth for the harvest through rituals, prayers, and offerings as well especially during the equinox and Mabon!Check out below more ways to work with and celebrate this holiday and time of year.

Create and hang a Leaf wreath for transition and change

A central symbol and part of fall are the vibrant, color changing, and falling leaves. We enjoy the colors as we drive by through the windows or as we walk in the woods and catch them as they fall. We rake them into piles for us to run and jump into. One of my favorite things to do with them during Mabon and the fall equinox is to grab a big pile of them in my arms. I sit with them and a pen, then with a grounded and centered heart I write either an intention for the dark months to come or something to release in gratitude for the bright months soon to be behind us. I like to alternate from one to the next to honor the duality and translational energy of Mabon. Next, either weave them together as a wreath or add them to one as decoration continuing to keep each leaf anchored in your soul. Once, you are done with it you can hang it on your door, over hearth, or near your bed to bless yourself and home for the dark months coming ahead.

Refresh Your Altar
Another way to connect to a holiday and/or sacred day I always recommend is to cleanse and refresh your altar and/or sacred space. Use earth or fire to cleanse, then decorate with grains, fallen leaves, veggies you have harvested, apples, symbols of death, and any correspondences we talked about earlier.

Simmer pot for Mabon

Whether you consider yourself a Kitchen Witch, are vaguely interested in Kitchen Magic or just want to bring some good vibes and good smells into your home, simmer pots are an easy, accessible and fun ritual for any time of year! Simmer pots are easy to create and customize to your liking, so you can make your kitchen a sacred space whenever you want! So, why not make one specifically to call in and honor the energy of Mabon.

What are simmer pots? Simmer pots are basically potpourri in a pot! You choose your ingredients, put them in a pot with water, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and let it do its thing. They couldn’t be any easier, just be sure you don’t let your pot boil dry! If you want to keep the pot going simply add more water when it gets low. And obviously never leave it going when you are not home. To learn more about how about this magical practice you can check out my previous blogpost on the topic here.

Five Senses Nature Walk

Mabon is all about the cycle and movement of nature, marking the bounty of the Earth, and honoring the hard work of the harvest. Mabon is the time every single year to remind us the beauty of change and death in life. So why not take the time to connect to nature itself? Soak in all the fertility and abundance in nature right now by walking through fields of corn or grains that are being harvested for the winter now. Or dance between the trees and take in the vibrant colors of the changing leaves. Let your nose take in the smell of death and decay in the leaves littering your pathway. You can do this by going on a five sense nature walk. After you have engaged all your senses, walk back to your home. Reflect on your experience by writing it down in a journal.

Perform some fall divination with an apple peel reading

One of the symbols of Mabon and the fall equinox is the apple. So why not use one in your divination practice for this sacred day? Apples have been used in divination practices, such as apple peeling or apple seed reading. They are believed to enhance psychic abilities, intuition, and provide insights into the future. Apple peel reading, is a form of divination also known as pomatomancy. It is a traditional practice that uses the shape and letters formed by apple peels to gain insight and predict future events. This method has been used for centuries to seek guidance and answers and is really popular to do around the fall harvest time. The practice is really very simple, carefully peel your apple skin in one piece and remove it, allow the peel to fall, and let it reveal messages through its shapes, letters, and symbols to you.

An Acorn Mabon Spell for Prosperity
What you will need:

An acorn
Marker
Small spell bag
3 bay leaves and a pinch of rosemary

How to cast the acorn Mabon Spell for blessings of prosperity:

Cleanse your tools in whatever way you prefer and get yourself into sacred container
Hold your acorn in your hands and envision prosperity flowing from the acorn into your hands and through your entire body like a soft green light. Think of the fields, gardens, and orchards around your teeming with bounty
Keep the acorn in your left hand and place your 3 bay leaves and pinch of rosemary inside your spellbag
Say the following 3 times:
“Blessings of the Mabon season overflowing all the fields
make your way from the lands and flow through this little acorn into my hand

Bring with you on the winds of change, abundance and prosperity. Through the dark and cold winter months you will bless my hearth and my family”
Now draw a symbol that you think of when it comes to Mabon and prosperity onto the acorn
Place the acorn your small bag.
Sinch the bag shut and Thank the earth, Autumn, and the equinox energy.
Hang the Mabon spell bag above your hearth, until the Autumn season has ended.
Then bury the acorn somewhere in your yard.

Make a Mabon Spell Jar

Spell Jars are one of my most favorite spells to create and tools to use in my magical practice and life. Spell jars are great to create a container of energy for you to harness and come back to over and over again when you need it! A quick run down on how to create a spell jar. Pick your items, and add them to your jar after you wash, cleanse and charger your jar. As you add your items focus on visualizing the energy of abundance and what it is you very specifically want to call into your life with that energy. Once you feel the intention and energy is set inside the jar you can take your lid and seal it shut. To add more power to your jar you can add sigils to the outside or seal the lid with wax even. Place the jar on your altar or anywhere in your home, office, or car where you can see it and come back to it when you need to call on the energy and spell again. You can shake the jar to activate the magic whenever you come back to it as well. Keep an eye out for more spell jars on my Pinterest or Facebook page and to learn more about all about them purchase my ebook here.

Other ways to Celebrate Mabon

• Connect to any deities of the month
• Cast a spell for family, home and hearth or leave an offering of the first piece of meat for your feast for Hestia at your hearth to get your home and family warm all winter long
• Visit a corn maze
• Perform abundance magic with apples
• Begin prepping and planning for the winter
• bob for apples
• Cast gratitude spells and rituals
• Work with apples, grain, or corn in kitchen magic
• Cast spells to help with personal transition or transformation
• Make a corn dolly
• Ancestral magic and work
• Give thanks for the fall harvest through prayer or by leaving offerings at the edge of a field of orchard about to be harvested
• Use leaf magic for release work
• Go on a nature walk to mindfully notice the changing colors of the leaves
• Perform Green witchcraft
• Add a separate altar for the fall equinox
• make a manifestation leaf wreath or garland
• Spend time in Nature grounding and/or earthing
• Have a ritual bonfire with family and friends for the harvest and Mabon
• Make a besom and hang over your front door for protection, and prosperity
• do canning and food storage prep for the winter
• Serve others and nurture those in need by working at soup kitchen, food bank, or holding a food drive
• Meditate on balance and what duality means to you
• Make a gratitude list, read it out loud, and bury it in the earth to give thanks
• Do elemental magic with the element earth

Harvest duality, gratitude, and abundance this September

We talked about many things in this blogpost including the history, the different energies and magical themes, and how to celebrate Mabon and the fall equinox. No matter how you choose to work with the energies and magic of Mabon and the fall equinox make sure to be focused on continuing your rebirth for this year. Truly allow yourself to notice the beauty in the change, and decaying around you. Don’t let fear keep you from descending into the depths of your soul to begin your rebirth come spring. Be mindful and remember to give thanks for the seeds you planted at the beginning of the season. That you nourished with love, and are now harvesting with glee and gratitude. Take note of the leaves changing colors before they fall as you reflect on the past year and the growth it took to get here. Allow yourself to become immersed in the magic of duality weaving in nature all around you. As you cycle through the changing of the seasons this month and prepare for the long winter ahead of us.

To connect to the energy of Mabon and celebrate this sacred day of gratitude, reflection, and balance you can join me live on Sunday September 22nd @ 3:00pm CST in Facebook live with DiviNation Academy. You can RSVP to the event here and you can even watch my guided meditation from Mabon last year here!