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Reframe your perspective with a 7 day Gratitude challenge

During fall the energy and essence of gratitude is in the air all around us as we watch the fields being harvested with the bounty from the land and making it’s way to our tables for gathered meals as we give thanks with our families in November and December. This time of gratitude has me thinking of the importance and significance of cultivating a mindset of gratitude in my life. Cultivating a mindset of gratitude is a powerful tool to realign our thoughts and energies and allow us to live life from a state of wise mind and duality. When you practice gratitude you are building a deeper connection with yourself. You are committing to self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-compassion and these are essential tools for supporting your personal growth, mental health and overall well-being. As the saying goes, “What consumes your mind, controls your life.” So why not let gratitude consume our minds and dictate the course of our lives? By shifting your focus to positivity, gratitude not only improves your mental health and self-esteem but also enhances relationships and boosts overall well-being. Learn how practicing gratitude can transform your perspective, leading to a happier, more fulfilled life .Discover the life-changing benefits of gratitude with this 7 day gratitude challenge in this blogpost today!

What is gratitude?

Thankfulness, gratitude, and appreciation are all deeply connected, simply they all mean expressing the pleasant feeling of being thankful and appreciative for something one has received. The word gratitude comes from the Latin word gratus, which means “grateful, pleasant”. Not only is it something we feel and experience but, it is a tool we can use to reframe our perspective. Using gratitude as a tool allows you to shift your focus. From what you believe your reality is towards what you want your reality to be. They are both very real, but you choose to prioritize one over the other.

The Science behind gratitude

It turns out, the benefits of gratitude aren’t just motivational fluff you see on social media everywhere. Scientists have actually shown that gratitude can physically change your brain. This research made me realize that the mind’s ability to “rewire” itself—known as neuroplasticity (A term I Learned while in DBT) —plays a big role here. When we practice gratitude regularly, it strengthens certain neural pathways, just like exercising a muscle. In fact, gratitude activates regions in our brain linked to pleasure, reward, and emotional regulation, including the prefrontal cortex and the hypothalamus. Let’s dig into a bit of it now!

Practicing gratitude effects our brains by stimulating the production of dopamine (a chemical messenger (neurostransmitter) that works in the brain. It helps nerve cells send messages to each other. When dopamine is released in the brain, we feel a sense of temporary pleasure) and serotonin (another messenger which creates a long-lasting feeling of happiness or wellbeing), often referred to as the “feel-good neurotransmitters. These chemicals play a vital role in regulating mood and emotions. By regularly expressing gratitude through different ways in our lives, we essentially train our brains to produce more of these beneficial chemicals!

Researchers have discovered that expressing gratitude can also trigger the release of oxytocin, the hormone responsible for strengthening social bonds and creating feelings of trust and connection. So practicing gratitude not only improves our relationship with ourselves, but also enhances our ability to build and maintain meaningful connections with others and ourselves.

Historical Significance of Gratitude

Historically, the concept of gratitude isn’t new. Many ancient cultures emphasized the importance of thankfulness in their traditions and rituals. For example, the ancient Romans celebrated a festival called “Lectisternium” where they expressed gratitude to their gods for their blessings. The festival of Setsubun central in Japan and Shintoism is a time when they give thanks to the kami and the land for the spring and fertility to come. Plus pagans have many, many holidays centered around gratitude and giving thanks like Mabon, Samhain, Beltane, Hekate’s night, and so on! Honestly there are too many holidays centered on giving thanks to name. Similarly, every religion has holidays, and festivals that are centered around the act of giving thanks, We even have holidays centered around cultural and country specific reasons to give thanks like Thanksgiving in the USA, highlighting its timeless significance to our human existence.

Benefits to practicing gratitude

By dedicating just a few minutes each day to this practice, you can begin to experience a shift in your perspective. You’ll start to notice and appreciate the small joys that make life special, from a sunny day to a kind gesture from a stranger. Ultimately, this simple act of focusing on gratitude for a small pocket of time can lead to profound changes in your mindset and overall well-being like some of the benefits we will explore more below.

Gratitude aligns your with the flow of abundance

When we acknowledge and appreciate the blessings, big or small, that surround us, we invite abundance into our lives. Gratitude shifts our focus from what is lacking to what is plentiful, fostering a sense of contentment and fulfillment allowing us to enter into the flow of abundance. Once in the flow, we are able to connect to the generosity of the multiverse and have all of our needs met.

Gratitude creates a life attracting positivity

Practicing gratitude not only has a positive impact on our mental and emotional well-being but also attracts more positivity into our existence. By expressing thanks for the opportunities, relationships, and experiences we have encountered along our journey, we create space for greater joy and success to manifest. Embracing a mindset of gratitude transforms challenges into valuable lessons and setbacks into steppingstones toward growth and achievement.

Focusing on gratitude builds resilience

Gratitude and having a daily practice focused on it, can help individuals build resilience by encouraging them to find silver lining in challenging situations. When you’re able to see the good even in difficult times, you become more emotionally resilient and better equipped to cope with problems or life changing events as they arise. By acknowledging and appreciating the good, you develop a more balanced perspective, making it easier to cope with challenges by allowing you to access wise mind and use the DBT skills that will be the most effective.

Gratitude reframes our perspective

By focusing more on a habit of gratitude, you learn to reframe your thinking and concentrate on the positive aspects of your life. Our brains have a natural tendency to dwell on negativity, a phenomenon known as the negativity bias. It is an evolutionary survival mechanism that once served a purpose but can now hinder our well-being. In our day and age we don’t always have to be on alert for dangers in the wild to be able to survive and provide for our families. Of course we have a new set of issues nowadays, but our bodies do not have to constantly be in fight or flight mode. By consciously redirecting our attention towards gratitude, we counteract this bias and retrain our brains to notice and appreciate the good things around us. This shift in perspective can significantly improve mental well-being.

Gratitude helps us heal from childhood trauma, abuse, and pain

Learning how to practice gratitude after childhood trauma can help in your healing journey immensely by helping you reach radical acceptance. I know how hard it may seem to practice gratitude, especially when you’ve experienced childhood abuse and trauma. It’s hard to be grateful when we’re born into an unloving home with toxic or abusive parents that makes us doubt our self worth. It seems insensitive or perhaps even offensive to suggest. However, the benefits of gratitude, and practicing gratitude can help with healing from trauma. Also, gratitude doesn’t mean ignoring the fact that bad things did and do happen. It’s possible to feel grateful yet still find that life’s hard sometimes. It isn’t easy, but it can make a difference.

Other benefits of practicing gratitude

  • Feeling grounded, especially during challenging times
  • Boosting your mental health and well-being
  • Allowing your mind to focus on the positive things
  • Making you more optimistic
  • Developing a new-found appreciation for the simple things
  • Cultivating a healthy work-life balance
  • Relieving stress and overwhelm
  • Decreasing anxiety and depression
  • Fewer physical symptoms of illness
  • Forming a deeper connection with yourself, your surroundings and others

Ways to connect to Gratitude

Gratitude has more power to make our lives happier and healthier than we have ever imagined. Spending a little time each day to practice gratitude makes you consciously and intentionally focus on becoming more grateful for everything around you. It is also a great way to practice being more mindful and helping you shape a reality where you thrive. Feeling and expressing gratitude changed my life. I have more confidence in myself and I see people and situations in my life more compassionately. I have more peace of mind than ever before and I’m more certain that I can design the life I want for myself while maintaining wise mind and duality.

Discover some simple and powerful gratitude rituals below to transform your daily routine and boost your mental well-being. These easy gratitude practices help cultivate mindfulness, positivity, and emotional resilience. Whether you’re new to gratitude practices or looking to deepen your daily routine, these rituals are perfect for anyone seeking peace, happiness, and a life where you thrive in wise mind. Start and/or end your day with a grateful heart and watch how your mindset shifts. When you practice gratitude, it becomes part of all areas of your life. Join me on this 7 day gratitude challenge below and watch your reality become what you truly want and your perspective be reframed.

1.Keep a Daily Gratitude journal

Gratitude means, “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” So to practice gratitude is to show your own appreciation of things. Either in your head, out loud or on paper. The most popular form of practicing gratitude comes with journaling and keeping a daily gratitude journal. A gratitude journal is more than just a diary; it’s a dedicated space where you regularly record things you’re thankful for. This simple yet profound practice encourages you to focus on the positive aspects of your life, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem. By doing so, you train your mind to see the good in everyday situations, fostering a more optimistic outlook on life.

So, for day 1 of this gratitude challenge we are going to start are very own daily gratitude journal practice. When you do this find a quiet place you can sit down and simply answer the questions below, Writing down the things, people, surroundings, etc, you are grateful for at that exact moment as you reflect on your day. Try to do your best to make this part of your daily routine from here on out. Here is a link to this gratitude journal for you to download and use as many times as you would like too!

2. Create a gratitude list through a brain dump

For day 2 of this challenge to help us reframe our life with gratitude, we will focus on getting a bigger picture of the things in our life we have to be grateful for. Doing this allows us to reframe our perspective even wider looking past just the day we had today to further beyond. Today’s challenge task is an easy one – make a list of everything you’re grateful for. You have wonderful things in your life already. It’s up to you to notice it. Think about everything you currently have going on in your life (or don’t have going on – in a good way). Take a moment to reflect on these blessings. There is nothing too small for you to be grateful for. You can be grateful for that cup of hot tea you get to enjoy every morning, that playtime with your child, your cat purring as they lay sleeping near by… List everything you can think of in a journal for you to see in one place. Allowing it all to sink in. Each and every single thing you have to be grateful for in your life as a whole.

3.Create a gratitude Jar

For day 3 of this challenge to help us reframe our life with gratitude, we will focus on that bigger picture again. While creating a way for us to come back to it in times of doubt or hardship when we need a little reminder of what we have to be grateful for. We will do this by creating a gratitude jar. So, what is a gratitude jar? A gratitude jar is a manifestation exercise where you add notes of gratitude to a container of your choice. Now, there are a few ways to use this tool of gratitude and a few ways to make it, First way you can choose is to take the list you made in day 2 of this challenge and either cut it into smaller pieces. Or write each thing written there onto sticky notes or smaller cut pieces of paper. Then you can take those pieces place them inside a jar, and leave it in your home somewhere you can see it. That way when you have moments of doubts when you are thinking life is too dark and you can’t go on because you have nothing to hold on for, you can pull as many of those little papers out. Then read them to help you reframe your unwanted and emotional thoughts.

The other option for how you can make this tool today and start using it to reframe your perspective brings more attention to your gratitude practice each day. Take one piece of paper and sit down and think of something that happened or someone who made your day worth being grateful for today. Once you have that in mind write in on your piece of paper then place it inside your jar, coming back every single day to do the same thing. Then whenever you would like come back and open your jar to read all the things you took the time each day to write down you were grateful for. You can go back in a week, at the end of the month, or what is common is to to wait until the end of the year on New Year’s Eve. Don’t forget either you can get creative and decorate your gratitude jar in any way you want as well bringing more joy to this daily practice of gratitude.

4. Express thanks to others in your life

For day 4 of this challenge to help us reframe our life with gratitude is to focus on expressing thanks to others in our life. Think about people that have done something for you at any point in your life. It can be today, yesterday, or even decades ago. Typically, people are grateful for their parents, guardians, caregivers, other family members, spouses, children, and friends. Let me remind you though that you don’t have to be grateful for people who have hurt you, even out of obligation or blood ties. (unless you want to be). So, think about those in your life that have held you up, supported you, and allowed you to grow into the beautiful human that you are. Then find a way to express your gratitude and thanks to them and do it. Whether that be by sending them a random text, getting them a card, or by giving them a gift. Do little and big things for them as they’d do for you. Spend quality time with loved ones. Connect and bond. Savor the moments you get to spend together. Don’t take any of it for granted because you never know how much time you have left with someone. So cherish it while you can. The goal is to make sure they feel your appreciation and how much your think they are truly worth. But, remember a simple “thank you” is usually enough for those who support you with their love. Plus it could also be a small act of kindness to brighten up someone’s otherwise dark day.

5. Prioritize and practice self care

When you practice gratitude you promote self care and end up prioritizing yourself. Because when you practice gratitude you are building a deeper connection with yourself. You are committing to self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-compassion and these are essential tools for supporting your personal growth, mental health and overall well-being. It allows you to truly connect with yourself on a raw, wholehearted level and changes your perspective on things. So, for day 5 of this gratitude challenge I want you to pick an activity that you consider self care and you are grateful you have the ability to do today. Then be as mindful and present as you can while you enjoy and soak up the time of self care you have today. Take in and notice how when you focus on self care it allows you to connect to parts of yourself and things you have to be grateful for in your life. For me when I slow down and focus on me it really allows me to open my eyes, and reframe what I see. Opening me up to more that I have to be grateful and thankful for. To learn more about self care and how vital that is in your life and how it promotes self love as well as gratitude click the link to read my guide here.

6. Spread gratitude through acts of kindness

For day 6 of this gratitude challenge we are going to use a little bit of DBT and bring our focus to gratitude by spreading it to someone else. Sometimes it’s hard to see what we can be grateful for because of life circumstances or our mental sate. If you are having a hard time in life or you are feeling anxious and/or depressed seeing things you can be grateful for may be clouded or something you simply don’t want to do. So, today we are going to use opposite action if we need to and instead of focusing on what we don’t have or what we have lost get out and spread kindness to bring us something to be grateful for. That feeling in our heart that glows and brings us joy plus the smile on the other person’s face is more then enough to be grateful for today.

For day 5 of the challenge today get out and give yourself something to be grateful for by being kind to others today. Spend 30 minutes doing something kind for someone else. This can be something extremely small like leaving a note on their doorstep, sending an email to thank them for all they do, making breakfast for someone, or volunteering your time. Do whatever it is that comes from the heart and makes you feel good inside.

7. Use affirmations of gratitude

For the last and final day of this challenge we are going to use simple yet very affective tool; gratitude affirmations. Gratitude affirmations are a simple tool you can use daily to help you see the beauty that life has to offer. So what are gratitude affirmations? Gratitude affirmations are positive statements that you repeat regularly to stay in wise mind and cultivate a mindset of gratitude. There are so many ways you can use gratitude affirmations in your life. For day 7 of this challenge pick one of the ways you feel called to use them below. Then pick some of the affirmations in the graphic to begin using today. I personally love to say mine out loud when I wake up in the morning and before I close my eyes at night.

  • Write them in your journal
  • Choose a new affirmation for each day of the week, then write it on a post-it note to keep by your desk
  • Choose 3 affirmations to focus on each day and say them out loud to yourself
  • Set up automated reminders on your phone so you get notified with an affirmation or multiple affirmations throughout the day
  • Get creative and draw or write an affirmation in your bullet journal

8. Bonus- Shadow work prompts for deepening your gratitude through journaling

Shadow work through journaling focused on gratitude and what we have to be grateful for can bring about a greater sense of contentment. It encourages you to see the glass as half full, which can have a profound impact on your attitudes and overall perspective of life. It brings you to a place where you are able to let of of fear and meet yourself and your life fully. When we journal and do shadow work based on gratitude it helps you become aware of all the goodness in your life. Even the things you may not see as things to be grateful for right now because they live deep within the shadows of your heart. 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.

If you want to deepen your journey with gratitude beyond this challenge you can access these bonus shadow work prompts in my FREE shadow work journal here!

Final Thoughts


Showing appreciation for things doesn’t always look like journaling or making a gratitude list. Sometimes it can be as simple as making a language shift. So instead of saying “I have to do this” and feeling resentful or unexcited, change it to “I get to do this” for an instant positive mindset shift. Remember, you don’t “have” to do anything. No one is forcing you. You are the one in control of the choices you make. You “get” to do what you want to do, so feel excited and grateful for these opportunities and life you get to live each and every day.

Don’t forget to also be grateful for yourself! During this gratitude challenge make sure when you go through each day to include things that are only about you. Being grateful for yourself or anything about you is probably one of the hardest things to be grateful for. I know as a childhood abuse and trauma survivor it is for myself. So, if that is please make sure to make this part a priority. No matter how you feel about yourself or how someone else made you feel. There IS something about yourself that you can find to be grateful for. You just have to look for it. Use this challenge to find it and bring it to light in appreciation.

It’s true what they say: gratitude really does have the power to transform your world. Give it a try, and you might just find yourself, like me, realizing that gratitude was one of the missing pieces all along.

Come join me for community, knowledge, and to restore the enchantment of magic in yourself and life today!

Don’t forget to head over to the shop today for eBooks, workshops, resources, and 1:1 services with me!

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About Me : I have been a solitary grey magic practitioner for 15 + years. First and foremost, I consider myself a mystic and seeker of all knowledge. I am dedicated to the restoration, and re-enchantment of Magic in society, across this realm, and in each and every soul I come across in life! I am here to create a container that promotes healing, duality, and raw authenticity. I do this by guiding you on your personal journey to understanding your unique magic and sacred contracts. I facilitate this for you through embracing your shadow, duality and learning to live in energetic balance while not wearing a mask. When you work and learn from me you do so from your “darkness” as much as your “light” and in a way to truly harness and accept it not to just go thru it on the way to your light. But, I teach you how to truly embrace it, work with it, and use it alongside your light as a partner. I hold up a mirror for you to be able to see your authentic reflection looking back. Then have the courage to take the next step and do the uncomfortable but vital inner work to completely remove your mask. By facing all of your past wounds, traumas, and hurts. Allowing you to see both the dark and light within your story and take each chapter and alchemize it into something that is so powerful. your unique internal flame will shine so bright you will always be able to go within and find it on a dark cold night. You will learn how to truly live in duality and energetic balance to allow growth, and alignment with your sacred contracts and purposes. to finally move on and truly let the things that hold you back in this life from healing and manifesting go. To see everything I offer; like personalized shadow work sessions, womb healing, eBooks for you to work through on your own, Tarot sessions for guidance and more! Go to my shop!

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The magic of working with Pumpkins

Autumn is a magical time, perfect for witchcraft, as we approach the latter half of the year and the long, dark, cold, months of Winter drawing near. In witchcraft we use many things in our lives as tools for our spell work from nature or our home, like one of the most popular symbols and flavors of fall; Pumpkins. Pumpkins are synonymous with the autumn season we see them everywhere; especially around Halloween / Samhain and carrying through the month of November until Thanksgiving here in the USA. But, Pumpkins and gourds have been used for centuries in magic though as a form of protection, a connection to abundance and fertility, a boost to love and more. Let’s take a look at the biggest fruit, full of seeds of potential inside, who takes center stage during the spooky and fall season; the pumpkin in this blogpost.

Pumpkins what are they?

The pumpkin, Cucurbita pepo, is a type of Winter Squash though technically it is classified as a berry! The name pumpkin originated from the Greek word Pepõn, which means large melon. Most pumpkins are typically large, round and ribbed and of a distinctive orange color. However, they can also be white, green, yellow and other shades depending on the cultivar, as there are 3 or 4 different kinds of pumpkins overall. Harvested in October, this nutritious and versatile orange fruit features flowers, seeds and flesh that are edible and rich in vitamins. The pumpkin, though popular in many places throughout the world today, is native to North America and Mexico and has been cultivated since at least 7000 BCE. They were even a common crop to be planted and grown before beans and corn.

Medicinal properties of Pumpkins

Rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, pumpkins aren’t just the most popular fall flavor and a common witches’ tool set out on our front doorsteps but, they are incredibly healthy for us as well. Pumpkins are loaded with nutrients that can boost your immune system and help you stay healthy like vitamin C, E, and A. Pumpkins are also high in carotenoids, which are compounds that can function as antioxidants and some believe may help protect against certain cancers like, stomach, throat, pancreas and breast cancers. The health benefits keep rolling in with them being high in potassium, vitamin C and fiber, which have been linked to having heart benefits. Plus these popular fruits can help you stay looking younger since they are loaded with nutrients that are great for your skin. Pumpkin seeds can also help boost your mood. They contain tryptophan which helps boost serotonin.

Magical themes of Pumpkins

In witchcraft every single ingredient and tool we use in our spells and rituals has magical themes and energies it can align with and be used for. Pumpkins are no different. They can be used in spells, rituals, or charms to enhance your fertility, boost your manifestation, and connect you to the gratitude of the harvest. They can be utilized to attract wealth, success, and opportunities for financial growth. Don’t forget the most common magical use of all; calling on them to aid in protecting your home and guarding your threshold. Take a look below for some more themes you can use pumpkins for in your magical workings, spells, and rituals. . Don’t forget you can use all parts of the pumpkin too! Especially the seeds for potent fertility spell workings.

  • Protection
  • Divination
  • Prosperity
  • Healing
  • Good health
  • Death
  • The harvest
  • Gratitude
  • Abundance
  • Good luck
  • The dead
  • Love and matters of the heart
  • Fertility
  • Transformation

Pumpkins in myths and lore

Pumpkins are a true symbol of Autumn and spooky season, most likely because, that’s when they are harvested. We’ve also seen them as part of Fall and spooky season festivals and celebrations for thousands of years across cultures especially during Samhain. Below are a few myths and common lore we have involving pumpkins.

The Origin of carving pumpkins

The act of carving faces into a vegetable originates with the Scots and Irish but they didn’t carve pumpkins in ancient times, they carved vegetables like turnips or potatoes. Later on, after the Scotts-Irish migrated to the New World, they brought their Samhain traditions with them but, started to use the native fruit of the land pumpkins instead. The frightening faces carved into pumpkins were thought to serve as guardians. People believe these glowing, eerie faces could scare away malevolent and confused spirits, and other dark entities, keeping homes safe during the Samhain season when the veil is pulled back from the other side.

The origin of the Jack o lantern

The term Jack o lantern actually originated in England and is linked to a supernatural phenomenon called Ignis Fatuus or “foolish fire”. This is an eerie, spectral light that sort of bobbs and dances. It seduces people off the beaten path and often to their death. In addition to the jack o’ lantern being a spook light, the name also has a couple legends behind it and refers to a character or man named jack or stingy jack who made a deal with the devil. Because of this deal with the devil, he is not permitted to go to Heaven or Hell and is doomed to wander the earth forever with a glowing carved turnip ( now pumpkin) as his head.. And apparently he amuses himself and passes the time by leading people to their doom down dark and haunted paths on Halloween night.

Other mentionings of pumpkins

According to a Huron creation story, pumpkins arose when a divine woman died in childbirth. All of the plants necessary for life sprang up from her body: Beans grew from her legs, corn sprang from her body, and pumpkin vines grew from her head.

In religions that sprang from the Africa, pumpkins are associated with several major deities, particularly Oshun and Shango. Oshun is a goddess of rivers, love, and fertility, which echoes the connections between pumpkins, the element of Water, and the concepts of fertility and abundance as seen in other cultures and traditions.

Duality and Pumpkins

Since, I am a grey witch I look for the duality in every single energy I work with including the tools and spell ingredients I use. Pumpkins are full of duality in the properties they represent and energies they allow us to work with. On one hand they are a symbol of prosperity and abundance. Connecting us to the unlimited and generous flow of abundance calling it INTO our lives. While on the other hand they connect us to the energy of death and protection. Being a common symbol sitting at our front doors protecting our homes and threshold by keeping unwanted entities and spirits OUT.

We can’t forget that the most popular time to work with this tool is in the fall when they are being harvested and there are plenty to go around. The fall season is a really unique pocket of liminal space and time for us to connect to duality. 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.

Correspondences for the Pumpkin

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 magical tool/ fruit the pumpkin, which I will list below for you to use. Remember this is just a start to the list for you. You can use any correspondences that connect the magical themes and energies of the pumpkin. Just follow your intuition on what you choose to work with!

  • Planet- moon
  • Gender- feminine
  • Day-Monday
  • Element- water and Earth
  • Crystals-Orange calcite, citrine, pyrite, heliodore, moonstone, onyx, obsidian,
  • colors-oranges, whites, reds, yellow, greens
  • Deities-Oshun, Nicneven, Priapus, Woden, Osris, Loki, Persephone, Cerrunnos, Dionysus, lady hel, lakshmi, hades, Saraswati, hekate, Janus, Anubis, fide, The Morrígan,Parvati, Shango
  • Holidays- Lughnasadh, Diana’s Festival, Mabon, Samhain, the fall harvest, Alfablot
  • Zodiac-Virgo, Capricorn, Taurus, Scorpio

Ways to work with the pumpkin

We’ve talked a lot about pumpkins in this post so far, including the magical themes associated with them. Those themes are the energies we can connect to with Pumpkins. They are how we can use them to build our spells and rituals. You have many options on how you want to include them in your spells and rituals and many different ways to work with them. Below you will find a list I put together of some ideas for spells, rituals, and ways you can work with them using the themes and magic we can harvest in each rounded and fruitful one.

  • Use their seeds as a spell ingredient for potent fertility spells in spell packets, spell jars, offerings at altars and more
  • Save their stems and grind them up to add to wish spells and manifestation magic
  • Abundance magic
  • Carve the pumpkin in a scary face and use it as a protection spell for samhain
  • Use the pumpkin in kitchen magic making pies, cakes, soups or drinks as abundance and fertility spells or to bless your home and hearth
  • Add a candle to the inside of a carved out pumpkin and use it for fire scrying
  • Carve sigils of protection and blessings in them and add them to your altar, hearth, or front door
  • Add them to your Samhain altar for your ancestors to represent death and transformation
  • Write an intention or goal for the spring and bury it in the ground with some seeds for them to grow in the spring
  • Write something you wish to release and let die and bury in the ground with old pumpkins to allow them to be released to the earth
  • Place 7 pumpkin seeds into a green spell bag or packet and place it in your wallet or purse and carry it around to attract prosperity
  • Paint an Algiz, Uruz, or Tyr rune on a pumpkin and place by the front door for protection during the Samhain season
  • Visit a pumpkin patch to soak up the abundance and fertility of the land they grow from
  • Carve a heart and the person’s name you love into the bottom of the pumpkin then light a red candle inside to attract their love into your life
  • Use them as portal magic when the veil is thinned during Samhain
  • Give them as offerings for graveyard magic or to deities of the dead
  • Hold a small pumpkin while working on balancing and aligning your sacral chakra
  • Get 3 smaller pumpkins and paint or carve symbols of fertility on them. Then mediate while focusing on them and thinking about what you would like to bring into life
  • Take a carved pumpkin and place a wish written on a bay leaf inside the pumpkin and bury it in the ground before sunrise

Pumpkin Scrying with water

There are countless forms of divination across the Earth using many different tools. Pumpkins can be powerful tools for divination, particularly in the practice of scrying due to their connection to transformation. Scrying is a form of divination that involves gazing into a reflective or translucent surface to receive visions or insights. Using pumpkins for scrying combines the seasonal magic of autumn with ancient divination practices.

How to perform pumpkin scrying

Hollow Out the Pumpkin- Cut off the top of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Save the seeds for fertility magic spells for later
Smooth the Interior- Scrape the interior walls until they are smooth.
Create a Reflective Surface- place a small mirror at the bottom of the pumpkin before adding water. This enhances the reflective quality of the water.

Fill the Pumpkin with Water-Pour clean water into the hollowed-out pumpkin, filling it to about three-quarters full.
Create sacred container- Do this in any way that works for you but, I recommned lighting black and white candles and setting them around the pumpkin to enhance the reflection

Gaze into the Water-Look into the surface of the water, allowing your gaze to soften. Don’t force any images to appear; simply observe and remain open to any visions or impressions.
Interpret Your Visions-Take note of any shapes, symbols, or scenes that appear in the water. Trust your intuition to interpret their meanings.

Samhain Pumpkin Protection Spell

Like we talked about above pumpkins were thought to be used as very strong symbols of protection during the fall especially when the veil was it’s thinnest during Samhain. While the veil is pulled back and entities, spirits, and the dead walk among us and come out to play. Don’t forget to protect your threshold. Making sure only those you wish to cross it on that hallowed eve are the ones who can.
Try this protection spell using a carved pumpkin on that night to give those unwanted spirits ghosts and entities a fright! I will even pull this spell out during different times of the year if my home ends up with an increased about of spirit activity for some reason.

What you will need:

A carved pumpkin, white candles, bay leaves, rosemary, sage, coriander, cloves

How to perform:

First take your white candles and set them in your pumpkin envisioning them bringing protection and being the guardian of your home this hallowed night. Next add your herbs of protection and connection to the dead to your pumpkin leaving out the bay leaves. Then take your bay leaves and add them one by one while saying out loud the names of the passed loved ones you would like to be able to cross your threshold and enter your home this hollowed night. After that take the top and with a deep breath seal the spell inside. Knowing this pumpkin will be the one now to decide who will come into your home on this hallowed night.

Kitchen Magic; Baking a pumpkin pie to bless your home

Kitchen magic is a very powerful type of magic that fills up the walls of your home. Allowing you to bless those you love while you can also create memories together and then fill their bellies with food. One common item to be baking right now especially with Thanksgiving at the end of this month when families will gather for a meal is a pumpkin pie. The entire process of making and baking the pie becomes a magical ritual. The spices used have their own magic properties helping you create your spell. You can then draw sigils or symbols in the pie crust before baking to add more magic and blessings for those you choose to serve it too.

Pumpkin Prosperity spell

Pumpkins are a significant sign of abundance and fertility for the fall. Think about when you cut open a pumpkin, it’s absolutely packed with seeds, each representing the possibility of new life and expansion. They can also be used to represent long term abundance as pumpkins can be kept for a long time before they start to decay. Another reason why they are plentiful for the fall harvest during this time right now. Try this prosperity spell using the very fertile and abundant pumpkin and watch your money flow get so much richer.

What you will need:
A piece of pumpkin
3 bag leaves
A pen
A piece of twine
A dollar bill
7 pumpkins
Cinnamon- abundance
Sugar- to sweeten the results and add speed
Rosemary-connection the dead
Basil-abundance/wealth
Nutmeg-abundance

How to perform:
Get yourself into sacred container focusing your energy and breath on abundance, prosperity and what it feels like to have more than all your needs met.
Then take your piece of pumpkin and sprinkle each one of your herbs on the entire thing continuously focusing on abundance and prosperity.
Next take your bay leaves and write the dollar amount you wish to receive on each of the three.
Take your pumpkin piece in your hand and as you envision that dollar amount coming to you freely grab it, the dollar bill and your three leaves and use the twine to bind and wrap the money to you and your family securely around your bright golden piece of pumpkin.
Once securely tied with the magic of a binding knot and your hand go outside somewhere you can bury it into the land. When you have your spot take your spell in your hand and recite out loud as you bury it into the ground.
” Pumpkin, pumpkin tightly bound bring your prosperity to me from the ground.
Pumpkin, pumpkin rich and bright bring this prosperity to me day and night.”

Now watch the money amount you requested begin to flow to you and your home.

Come join me for community, knowledge, and to restore the enchantment of magic in yourself and life today!

Don’t forget to head over to the shop today for eBooks, workshops, resources, and 1:1 services with me!

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Working with the magic of November; gratitude, introspection, and preparation

November is a time to honor and remember our ancestors while enjoying the comfort and compassion of our loved ones in a cozy home full of cheer. It’s a month to express gratitude for the abundance of the harvest season, and prepare for the quiet introspection of winter just ahead. As the last month of autumn we can focus on connecting with our roots and the wisdom of those who came before us while also planning and prepping for the future ahead. November is a month that reminds us of the cycles of life and death in nature around us with the leaves changing and falling from the trees creating a blanket of death on the forest beds. This month’s magic is a time that creates a beautiful mix of energies for us to receive abundance, gratitude, good health, and blessings to our home and hearth. Along with allowing us to sit in silent introspection alongside our passed away loved ones as we reflect on the year that just ended to prep for the brand new turn of the wheel.

History of November

The name November means “ninth month” as it was the Ninth month of the ancient Roman calendar. It is the 11th month of the Julian and Gregorian calendars.

Zodiac Signs For The Month Of November

Those born in October are said to be born under either the sign of the scorpion Scorpio and the archer Sagittarius.

First,  Scorpios are born between October 23 and November 21. They are known for being passionate, intuitive, sensual, and emotional. Scorpios are known for their intense passion and magnetic presence. They are also said to be fierce and enigmatic.

Second, Sagittarius are typically born between November 22 and December 21. Sagittarius is the ninth sign of the zodiac, and is represented by an archer. They are known for being self-sufficient, independent, free and are a one-of-a-kind, and wise beyond their years. Sagittarius, is the learned healer whose higher intelligence forms a bridge between Earth and Heaven.

Sacred Days And Celebrations In November

Every Single month has sacred and important days and celebrations to help you connect to the energies of the month. Plus they usually are a lot of fun to take part in! Below you will find a list of the sacred days and celebrations for the month of November! The common theme you will find is connection to family, our homes, gratitude, and preparation for the long winter months some of us may already be nestling into. Don’t forget Samhain took place on the 31st of last month so, you can still connect to the energy of the veil being pulled back that hollowed night. But, first we are going to talk about the one that is front and center this month for pagans, and witches, especially those of latine heritage; Dias de los muertos. This day brings in the essence of family, home, and hearth we feel during November by having a jovial day of remembrance with the dead.

Dias De los Muertos aka day of the dead

Day of the Dead combines the ancient Aztec custom of celebrating ancestors with All Souls’ Day, a holiday that Spanish invaders brought to Mexico starting in the early 1500s. The holiday, which is celebrated mostly in Mexico on November 1 and 2, is like a family reunion, except dead ancestors are the guests of honor. Día de los Muertos is a joyful celebration that is more about healing than feeling bad. It is also a time to face mortality and not be afraid of it. It’s a time when families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a brief reunion that includes food, drink and celebration.

To learn more about Dias de los Muertos you can learn all about it on Divination Academy’s YouTube channel today!

Diwali ( Date changes each year)

Diwali, also known as Deepavali, or Deepawali, is a festival that holds a profound place in the heart of India’s cultural and religious heritage. With a history spanning thousands of years, this ‘Festival of Lights’ is rooted in ancient Hindu traditions and mythology. Diwali, at it’s heart, celebrates the victory of light over darkness, “good over evil”, and knowledge over ignorance. Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is typically celebrated over a period of five days, following the darkest day of the month after the new moon. Each day of the five day festival has its own significance and rituals. Diwali is a time of profound significance and delightful customs. Families come together for prayer, feasting, and the exchange of blessings, while the night sky comes alive with fireworks, symbolizing the victory of light over darkness. I personally make sure to celebrate this festival every year especially day 3 when you connect and honor the goddess of abundance and prosperity; Lakshmi. She has really transformed my life many times when I light those candles guiding her to my home that night. Don’t be afraid to seek her out all month long either to remind of the gratitude this month brings to you through abundance.

Other sacred days and celebrations

  • All Soul’s Day
  • All saints day
  • Samhain
  • Guy Fawkes Night
  • Feast Day of St. Martin of Tours
  • Shichi-Go-San, also known as the “Seven-Five-Three” festival in shintoism
  • Remembrance Day, known as Veteran’s Day in the USA
  • Thanksgiving day celebrated in the USA
  • First month of witches new year

Magical And Witchcraft Themes For November

November is a time to honor and remember our ancestors, express gratitude for the abundance of the harvest season, and prepare for the quiet introspection of winter. As the last month of autumn we can focus on connecting with our roots and the wisdom of those who came before us. The festival of Samhain’s continuation this month, where the veil between the worlds is thinnest, makes it easier to communicate with spirits and ancestors through many forms of divination. Take this time to work with healing magic of some sort as well, like going into the depths of your soul with shadow work and confronting the unknown. It’s also a great time to work with release rituals and finally be able to truly let go and let something die following the cycles of nature you see outside. This time of the year also marks the first month of the witches new year which means it’s a month to really hunker down and plan ahead. To play with our dreams and our deepest desires to begin our new year with an inner flame of power that is burning bright all year long. Lighting the way for a year to manifest all that we truly desire.

The gods and goddesses of November

With every season and month there are certain themes, magic, and energies we have the ability to connect to including deities. Everyone works with and views deity energy a little differently. Whether you view them as archetypes of the human consciousness, representations of the source energy, or as being entities on their own, there are certain deities that now is the time to connect to and honor them in the most sacred and amplified way.( Don’t forget to grab my eBook in the shop to help you explore this)

During this month a few deities take center stage because they have festivals or sacred days during this month to help you connect with them in a very intimate way. The deities that are going to be the best for you to connect to right now are deities connected to the fall, gratitude, reflection/ the shadows, hearth/home, abundance, and seeking wisdom. Below we will talk about some of the deities you can work with this month. Plus take note how most of them are goddesses and ones considered dark at that. Because, even thought this month is about gratitude it also is one of the most potent times to go within following the creative force from where we all begin.

Hestia

The first deity I want to talk about I personally feel is overlooked far too often especially during the cold winter months. Even though November is the month to welcome the last few days of fall, in some regions of the world, like mine snow will also begin to fall. Which means we need warmth and heat for us to survive and thrive. Which is why I always feel pulled to her during this time. Especially living in Minnesota I need her to bless my hearth with continuous heat during the long winter months. Not only that, but she can make your home extra cozy during this month while you spend more quality time with your family. Hestia is the sole attendant to the celestial hearth of the gods. As the goddess of the hearth, she personified the fire burning in the hearths of every home in Greece. On a very tangible level, Hestia rules the domain of fire. This means that she is directly responsible, at least according to the Greeks, for the fire, the stove, and the heat in your home. Honoring her during November, the last month of fall when the temperatures begin to drop, will bless your hearth as she stokes and fuels the flames all winter long. Don’t forget all month long to present her and your hearth with the first offering sacrificed to keep those flames burning strong.

To learn more about and meet Hestia, you can come join me in my upcoming class all about her with Divination academy on Sunday December 15th @ 2:pm CST

Cerrunous; The horned god

Cernunnos was the Gaelic (Celtic) god of the harvest, beasts and wild places. Often called the Horned One or the green man, Cernunnos was a mediator of man and nature. He was the god and energy of the hunt and the wild. cernunnos the Celtic god of the harvest is the heart of Samhain celebrations which reverberate into the month of November as well. Often depicted with antlers or horns upon his head, he is a symbol of the untamed wildness of the natural world. As the god of life, death, and rebirth, cernunnos perfectly embodies the cyclical nature of existence that Samhain celebrates and the cycle we go through during the month of November. During November ,cernunnos’ energy is palpable. He represents the harvest’s end and the descent into winter’s slumber, a reflection of the fading light and the approaching darkness during the last days of fall. Work with him this November to connect your heart back to the wild parts of who you are. While giving thanks for the harvest that will keep you alive during the long cold and dark winter months ahead.

Cailleach

Cailleach stands as a prominent figure in Celtic mythology, embodying the essence of wisdom, transformation, and the cycles of nature. Her presence is deeply rooted in the folklore and traditions of Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. She is a divine figure often depicted as a weathered, old woman wielding a staff or a wand. This staff is said to have mystical powers for when she slams it on the ground winter will freeze all the land. She represents the embodiment of winter, sovereignty, and the primal forces of the natural world. Since, the ancient Celts celebrated two seasons only, her reign bringing cold all over the land began the night before this month began on, Samhain. So, take your time this month to connect to her allowing you a smoother and blessed transition into the long cold winter months ahead.

Baba Yaga

The next goddess we have gives me a very similar energy and feel when I work with her as the goddess we just talked about above; Calileach. To modern witches and Slavic pagans, Baba Yaga is a witch goddess who lives deep in a birch forest moving from place to place among the trees in her hut she calls home on top of giant chicken legs. From time to time when she needs to gather more supplies you might catch a glimpse of her flying by up in the sky from her magical mortar and pestle. She’s a wild and untamed old woman, often seen as a hag or crone, but can transform herself into a beautiful woman to manipulate or trick someone if she desires. Baba Yaga is a goddess of wisdom, healing, transformation, death, rebirth, renewal and autumn/winter. When healing is needed, whether it’s from colds/flu or emotional healing, Baba Yaga can offer healing often in the form of herbal teas brewed by herself. Calling on her during this November can lead you through the forest now littered with dead leaves, to her skull fenced lined home. To peer into the darkness of her cauldron and gain the most ancient ancestral wisdom she guards.

To learn more about her you can read my previous post here.

Artemis

The last deity I want to bring up is one associated with a common activity we have done since ancient times for survival during this month, hunting. The month of November is known as the month for hunting season. When we go to the woods to stalk our prey getting us a stockpile of fresh meat for the long winter months ahead. Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting and nature, was born as the daughter of Zeus and Leto. Artemis, was the twin sister of Apollo. Their mother, Leto, faced numerous struggles during her pregnancy, as she was relentlessly pursued by the jealous Hera. Artemis helped her mother give birth to her brother Apollo, earning her reputation as the goddess of childbirth. Artemis would establish herself as the revered goddess of hunting, protector of young girls, and a powerful force in Greek mythology. Depictions of Artemis show her with sacred symbols like the bow and arrow, a quiver, and her sacred animal, the deer. Stories of her wrath, such as the myth of Artemis and Orion, highlight her powerful vengeance and the level of her protection. Work with her this month to help guide the bows in your quiver for the hunt and bring forth the wrath needed to protect those who need it especially women and the young.

Correspondences For The Month Of November

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 time of the year like a month, which I will list below for you to use. Remember this is just a start to the list for you. You can use any correspondences that connect the magical themes and energies of November. Just follow your intuition on what you choose to work with!

  • Planet- Pluto
  • Animal- scorpion, owls, goose, jackal, raven, beaver, deer, hawk, snake
  • Element- water and fire
  • colors-Orange, yellow, brown, white, black
  • Symbol-Marigolds, sugar skulls, candles
  • Herbs- hops, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, mugwort, Patchouli, rosemary, star anise, marigold, peppermint, sage, wormwood, dragon’s blood, chrysanthemum
  • Stones/ crystals- Obsidian, smoky quartz, topaz, onyx, apache tear, tiger’s eye, amethyst, lapis lazuli,
  • Deities-Cailleach, Astarte, artemins, Circe, Cybele, Nephthys, baste, Lakshmi, Cerridwen, baba yaga, Freya, holda, Sekhmet, the horned god, lady Hel, Lakshmi, Kali, hestia
  • Zodiac- Scorpio and Sagittarius
  • Themes- gratitude, harvest, new beginnings, health, home and hearth, release, ancestors, death, cycles of life, remembrance, prep for winter, last days of fall, divination,

How to connect to the magic of November

We’ve talked a lot about all the different types of energies the month of November has and gives us access to work with. So, how can you specifically connect to those energies? In your everyday life you can make sure your affirmations , intentions, and manifestations align with the energies of gratitude, abundance, home/hearth, family, reflection, and preparation for the long winter months ahead. Make sure to also grab onto the energy of the witches new year setting manifestations right now that are very clear.  You can celebrate and honor any of the sacred days and holidays this month like the final harvest, Dias de los Muertos, and Diwali. Don’t forget you also still have the energy of Samhain and the veil being pulled back dancing around for us to connect to and honor as well.

Some Rituals and spell workings during this time that will be really intensified will be based on cycles of the seasons, gratitude, abundance, reflection, coming winter months, and the darkness of the shadows surrounding us. Other spells that will have some significant meaning right now and help you connect to the energy of November should be centered around your home and family. Creating a home that is cozy, caring, and full of gratitude for the time you all share there. This month is another month when you can really get some clear and transformative messages from your guides. through any means of divination you prefer but, fire gazing or apple peel reading are some to think about to align with the correspondences of this month.

November creates a very potent liminal pocket of time that is teeming with duality, balance, and the power of transition from one season to the next. It’s a month that really pulls us to go deep within ourselves for introspection, reflection, self awareness, and growth. This makes it a great month to do any work on transformation, reflection and preparation for dark times through shadow work. Allowing the energy of death in the final days of fall to prep you for the long introspective 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.

Spell and ritual ideas

  • Write a gratitude list, read it out loud to the multiverse and burn it in a fire to release it
  • Elemental magic with the element of water or fire
  • Shadow work based on transformation, transition, the cycles of nature, and your feeling of self worth to abundance
  • Kitchen magic adding compassion, and peace to your meals during family gatherings
  • leaf magic – one of my favorites is gathering up leaves and writing wishes and manifestations on them and than letting them go on the breeze OR using them to create a wreath and placing it over my hearth all month long
  • Simmer pot for gratitude and abundance
  • Transformation and transition spells and rituals
  • Pumpkin magic- protection, abundance, love
  • Herbal magic-brew teas especially
  • Apple magic-prosperity, protection, love, manifestation
  • Use pumpkin seeds for fertility magic
  • Protection magic– most potent right now will be banishing, hexing, binding, and cord cutting rituals
  • Abundance and gratitude magic- one of my favorites this month is using drinks like hot chocolate and apple cider to call in abundance daily to my life
  • Bake fresh loaves of bread and add sigils to the dough for good health and prosperity
  • Candle magic
  • Leave an offering for Hestia at your hearth to bring warmth into your home during the winter months
  • Take a mindful walk in nature and find pockets of liminal space to work with during the last days of fall
  • Set SMART goals and intentions for your manifestations for the witches new year
  • Cleanse your home, altar, and tools
  • Ancestral magic like graveyard magic
  • Create a symbol of the harvest, gratitude, and abundance; the cornucopia and place it in your kitchen, near your hearth or on your altar
  • Journal reflecting about the past year than take the piece of paper and burn it in a fire
  • Add sigils for protection and good health to the lids of your jars as you prep your winter food stores
  • Work with deities of the underworld and darkness or deities of the fall and the harvest
  • Divination- apple peel reading, water scrying, fire gazing, runes, and throwing bones will be potent right now

Duality and the month of November

Since, I am a grey witch I look for the duality in every single energy I work with including sacred times like a month of the year like the one we are currently in November. November, for me seems to get overlooked when it comes to amount of duality this month has. Most of us, especially in the United states spend this month focused on gratitude and our families while we prep and look towards thanksgiving. That is if we even pay attention to this month at all and don’t just skip right to yule season after Samhain. While this month is a month that draws us into the cozy warmness of our homes and the closeness of family near. Reminding us of all the little things we have to be grateful for as our tables overflow with food from the harvest. It is also a month when nature is blanketed in the reminder of the cycles of life and death with leaves fallen to the ground. In some areas like mine you may even begin to experience the stillness, silence and dark introspection that comes with the first snowfall. This blend of gratitude, happiness, and reminiscing the past mixed with the darkness, stillness and dreaming of the future is a potent duality.

Wrap up

We talked about many things in this blogpost including the history, some celebrations, the different energies and magical themes we can work with during this month. Along with how to connect to those energies, deities we can honor and worship, and how to work with the magic of November. November is a time of abundant blessings, good health, and making cheerful memories around a warm hearth. From the quiet introspection of Samhain lingering to the cozy celebrations of the family gatherings celebrating this years harvest. This month reminds us of the ongoing cycle of life and death, and offers a chance for reflection of the past and preparation for what lies ahead. Use this month to express gratitude for the abundance of the harvest season, and prepare for the quiet introspection of winter just ahead.

Come join me for community, knowledge, and to restore the enchantment of magic in yourself and life today!

Don’t forget to head over to the shop today for eBooks, workshops, resources, and 1:1 services with me!

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Deities of spooky season; gods and goddesses of the dead, transition and the afterlife

As the leaves begin to fall and the air turns crisp, the festivals like Samhain, Halloween, and the day of the dead beckons us into the realm of shadows, transformation, and magic. During these festivals its common for many witches and pagans to work with and celebrate deities that connect to and represent the energies central to the reflective and transitional celebrations. This season and it’s celebrations are full of magic, and there are many gods and goddesses who embody its transitional energy. Spooky season during Autumn, specifically the months of October and November, is a really important time in pagan culture and there are plenty of spooky gods and goddesses to work with or worship, depending on your practice, festivals, and celebrations. Let’s take a walk through the veil that is thinned now, allowing us access to our ancestors, the dead, and the otherworld. To take the time to pause, reflect, and truly connect to those who have come before us while we meet SOME of those deities together in this post today.

Persephone

In Greek mythology, Persephone is the goddess of agriculture, the spring, the Underworld, duality, and the wife of Hades. Prior to her marriage with Hades she was known as Kore, which means “daughter” or “maiden”. I find this to be crucial to her story and representation of rebirth, because, before she grabbed power in her marriage to Hades, the gods hadn’t even given her a name or her own place of power. Which makes no sense to me because she was born from two of the most powerful deities. Persephone is the daughter of Zeus, the chief god, and Demeter, the goddess of agriculture. For her to have such little power, be sheltered, and not have her own place of power within the pantheon was in injustice she would rectify through the power of rebirth and duality by becoming Hades wife. Persephone’s journey into the Underworld each autumn mirrors the cycle of life, death, and rebirth that Samhain embodies. As the wife of Hades, Persephone governs the realm of the dead by his side with grace, compassion, and might. Persephone’s presence in the Underworld brings a sense of balance between life and death. While Mabon aka the fall equinox marks Persephone’s descent into the underworld Samhain marks her rightfully ascending to her throne as the queen of the underworld. Working with her this spooky season you can call her as guide into the underworld and communicating with the your ancestors on the other side. Along with using her example to ascend to your own throne and grab your rightful true place of power.

To learn all about this alluring, intriguing, and transitional goddess, and see her story in a whole new light. Plus meet her in a guided meditation you can watch my class all about her here!

Hades

Since we’ve named him already alongside his beloved wife we can’t forget about the Greek god of the underworld himself; Hades (pluto). Hades is the god and king of the Greek Underworld, which gives him power and control over the souls who reside there. Hades, name translates to “unseen” or “sightless”, which really connects him the energy of transition, rebirth, and the liminal space . Connecting to him during this time of year to allow us to walk in and out of the liminal space that is created during this spooky season by the thinning veil. Hades’ father Cronus attempted to swallow him whole to destroy him forever but, in the end he failed. Allowing Hades to truly feel comfortable in the belly of the darkness that is the underworld beyond the veil. Calling on him during this spooky season will give you a calm, reassuring, and compassionate hand guiding you to your loved ones who reside now in his lands.

To learn more about him and meet him you can watch my class on him with Divination Academy here.

Hekate

To some she is Hecate, others Hekate. For many, she comes without a name revealing herself during times of great personal pain and loss. To others she the triple goddess. There is much to learn about Hecate from the written records, but for a witch to truly know Hecate, we need to experience her.
Hecate is a complex goddess with a long history. Hecate is an ancient Greek Goddess often associated with the Underworld, witchcraft, necromancy, crossroads, the spiritual realm, and the moon and so much more. She is the Goddess of Witchcraft, a guide along the path, and the universal Keeper of the Keys. The Guide who leads us back to our soul. And she is a face of The Great Mother, creatrix and destroyer of all. She is a liminal spirit – she guards the thresholds between the human and spirit world. She is the bringer of power and healing. She spins the wheel of time, weaving her magic and mystery throughout. The fiery spark that lives in all the universe. Working with her during this spooky season allows her to hold the torch for you as you walk to the crossroads with your ancestors by your side to choose your path for the next year ahead.

To learn more about her and meet her at the crossroads you can watch my class on her with Divination Academy here.

Osiris

Osiris is one of the most important deities in the Egyptian pantheon, he was the first son born to the god of earth geb and sky Nut. He was the Original ruler of the underworld until his wife Isis took over after his death at the hands of his own brother Set. Osiris was not only the ruler of the dead but also the power that granted all life from the underworld, from sprouting vegetation to the annual flood of the Nile River. He’s the god of fertility, resurrection, and the afterlife. Osiris is super important in the Egyptian underworld, called the Duat. He’s not only a god of the afterlife but, he is the one whom judges all the souls. When someone dies, their soul goes on a journey through the Duat, facing all sorts of challenges. Until The big moment at the end when the “Weighing of the Heart” ceremony takes place. They weigh the person’s heart against the feather of Ma’at, who stands for truth and justice. Osiris is there, watching and presiding over the entire thing. Being the one whom listens to the scales and judges each soul with fairness for all. Working with him this spooky season can give you a chance to look at the weight of your own heart through reflection and do the inner work to still try and tip that eternal scale in your favor.

Lady Hel

The ruler of Helheim. Hel Goddess of the Dead, daughter of Loki, is much more than a mysterious name and looming, shadowy presence. She is a deity of immense complexity, but one that is worth learning from. Hel, also called Hella and Hela, is the daughter of the trickster god Loki and the witch-giantess Angrboda in Norse mythology. Along with her brothers, the wolf Fenrir and the snake Jörmungandr, she was raised by her mother in a place called Járnviðr, the Iron Wood. She rules over the land of the dead, under one of the 3 roots of Yggdrasil, called Helheim. Yes, she is terrifying to behold, as the legends go, yet she brings transformation and paves the way for creation after destruction. When she manifests, she appears as a half-dead half-alive woman, showing the paradox between life and death. The polarity, that is needed for the Universe to continue on. Hel’s spiritual powers include death (physical and metaphorical), the afterlife, protection, transformation, omens, wisdom, mystery and ancestral connection. Work with her this spooky season to learn more about ancestors, shadow work, and to explore your fears about death and the afterlife.

To learn more about her and meet her you can watch my class on her with Divination Academy here.

The Morrigan

The Morrigan is the Celtic Goddess known as many things and she takes center stage during spooky season specifically . The Phantom Queen on the battlefield. The crow that soars above the wreckage and ruin. The seeress, the warrior, the protector. Her presence is a reminder of the thinning veil between the worlds and the mysteries that lie beyond. The Celtic Goddess of War is mysterious and dangerous, and chooses who she aids carefully. the Morrigan is intimately linked to the concepts of fate and prophecy. In Celtic mythology, she is believed to possess the ability to shape and determine the destinies of individuals and even entire kingdoms. Her prophetic powers grant her the ability to foresee battles and events, influencing the outcomes and playing a crucial role in the unfolding of history. The Morrigan’s role as a weaver of fate emphasizes the delicate balance between free will and the forces that guide our lives both in this one and the next. During Samhain, She is said to guide the souls of the departed and can offer protection to those who seek her aid in navigating the realms beyond. Work with her during this spooky season to protect you as work with your ancestors and energies beyond the veil. If your lucky she may even allow you a glimpse into your upcoming year.

To learn more about her and meet her you can watch my class on her with Divination Academy here.

Lilith

For 4,000 years Lilith has wandered the earth. Lilith is a “Dark” Goddess, she is one of incredible power, charisma, and persuasion. She is a mistress of the divine feminine and a true seductress. She is a Queen of Darkness and understands the powerful energies that sleep in the night and can bend them to her will. She hears the dark whispers of the forgotten night. The sleeping Dark mother who calls to the creatures of the nights and nurtures them in blankets of moonlight. She is Lilith, the Dark Mother and she is incredible to work with!

She is a healer and a lover and one who can provide comfort and support to those in need. Her night energies provide rest and comfort and she can inspire those who work with her with dreams. She empowers those she works with. She can awaken our power and help us to claim who we are and our space and become the people we desire to be. She reminds us of our truth and the powerful individuals that we are. Lilith is not bad or evil. Lilith is the voice inside of you telling you to act when you feel you’ve been treated unfairly by the patriarchy. She is the voice that says it’s not only ok but good to enjoy sex and your sensuality. She is the voice calling for the divine feminine in each one of us to stand up and fight for our power. Working with her this spooky season while the veil is thin can help you to get in touch with your inner wild woman, your divine feminine and let her raging power out!

To learn more about her you can read my previous post all about her here.

cernunnos

cernunnos the Celtic god of the harvest is the heart of Samhain celebrations. Often depicted with antlers or horns upon his head, he is a symbol of the untamed wildness of the natural world. As the god of life, death, and rebirth, cernunnos perfectly embodies the cyclical nature of existence that Samhain celebrates. During Samhain ,cernunnos’ energy is palpable. He represents the harvest’s end and the descent into winter’s slumber, a reflection of the fading light and the approaching darkness. His influence extends to the realm of the spirits, as he guides departed souls through the veil between life and death. Work with him this spooky season to connect your heart back to the wild parts of who you are. while giving thanks for the harvest that will keep you alive during the long cold and dark winter months ahead.

Oya

Mighty Oya, a Yoruban Orisha or Goddess, of mighty transformation and change controls the rain, winds, and storms. She’s mothering, powerful, and has a strong desire to help women through their struggles to transform. Oya represents the crone phase of the Triple Goddess and is closely associated with death and rebirth, another symbol of transformation. Allow Oya to blow her winds of change around your life to bring about something greater this spooky season.

Dionysus

Dionysus is a Greek god most well known for his wine-loving ways, but there’s SO much more to him than what’s on the surface. He is the Greek god of wine, intoxication, sacred polarity, ecstatic trance, dance and theatrical performance, sacred hallucinogens, and masked processions and festivals. He is a very unique god in the Greek pantheon because, he isn’t thought to be one of the original Olympians. But, to have originated from Thrace as a titan and later was added to the pantheon. He not only wasn’t part of the original 13 deities of the Greek pantheon but, he is said to be twice-born. Before he became Dionysus he was born to Zeus and Persephone as their son Zagreus. His story is one of death, sacrifice, transformation, and rebirth which is why he is such a great deity to work with during this spooky season. Use him and his love of wine to help you connect to the deepest shadows of yourself to allow rebirth and connect to the spirits in the underworld.

If you would like to learn more about his first life as Zagreus, what his story means and how he can show up in your life join the Modgepodgemystic Mysteries my patreon community today where I share my journey with him.

Baba Yaga

To modern witches and Slavic pagans, Baba Yaga is a witch goddess who lives deep in a birch forest moving from place to place among the trees in her hut she calls home on top of giant chicken legs. From time to time when she needs to gather more supplies you might catch a glimpse of her flying by up in the sky from her magical mortar and pestle. She’s a wild and untamed old woman, often seen as a hag or crone, but can transform herself into a beautiful woman to manipulate or trick someone if she desires. Baba Yaga is a goddess of wisdom, healing, transformation, death, rebirth, renewal and autumn/winter. When healing is needed, whether it’s from colds/flu or emotional healing, Baba Yaga can offer healing often in the form of herbal teas brewed by herself. Calling on her during this spooky season can lead you through the veil to her skull fenced lined home. To peer into her cauldron and gain the most ancient ancestral wisdom she guards.

To learn more about her you can read my previous post here.

Santa Muerte

Santa Muerte, also known as the Bony Lady, “Holy Death,” “The White Lady,” and “La Hueseda” is a special saint with a deep connection to the essence of death. Santisima Muerte emerges from the depths of history, tracing her origins to the sacred traditions of the ancient Aztecs. Her compelling narrative intertwines with the tapestry of life and death, offering solace and guidance to those who seek her enigmatic presence. Today she is a female folk saint and deity in Mexican folk Catholicism and paganism. She is a personification of death, but is also associated with healing, protection, and safe passage to the afterlife. Santa Muerte is not just about death; she also holds sway over the spirit world and mystical dimensions. This allows people to connect with the spirits of the deceased and other mystical beings. Because death has the power to transform our consciousness, she’s considered a powerful spirit for magic, helping people develop wisdom, strength, and awareness.

During this spooky season she is the patron saint who is at the heart of The Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos. Which is a national holiday when the souls of the dead are thought to return to enjoy the pleasures of life as well as the closeness of family and friends. Rather than a somber occasion, the Day of the Dead is intended to be a bright and joyous one. People gather to celebrate the spirits of their deceased loved ones and the lives that they lived. This celebration is not only believed to strengthen the bonds of the family but is also an opportunity to ask the dead for their assistance and protection. Work with Santa Muerte this spooky season to remind you of the love and joy you shared with your passed loves instead of making it a sad and somber affair.

To learn more about her you can check out this class all about her at Divination Academy.

How to connect to and work with these deities

Everyone’s relationship with deities is different and we all work with and believe in them differently. You might believe in multiple gods and goddesses and work with them each as though they are close, personal friends. Or maybe you believe the gods are reflections of Universal energy and simply archetype energies that you can learn a lesson from. However you incorporate deities in your practice is up to you. But here are some ideas to get you started on ways to work with any or all of these deities of the fall. Remember; it’s important to approach them with respect, reverence, gratitude and by building a relationship with them. Every time you work with a deity it is an even energetic exchange; which means what you put into your intention when working with them and building your relationship to them is what you get back. Don’t forget to check out my shop and for an eBook to help you explore how you view deities more and coming soon my deep devotionals prerecorded workshop series will be available for purchase.

  • Research, study and read about who they are, where they come from, and their myths and legends
  • Refresh your altar and add any of them to it. Or create a new one. Use any of the correspondences listed for each deity above that resonates with you!
  • Cast spells to help with personal transition or transformation allowing the deities of the transitional season to guide you through the process
  • Call on them to assist you with different types of divination like, tarot, pendulum readings, runes, or throwing bones while the veil is thin (Don’t forget to check out my free virtual tarot event)
  • Cast spells or host rituals including them to connect to, communicate with, or venerate passed loved and ancestors long since gone
  • Call on hekate/hecate at the crossroads to make a key decision in your life with the veil thinned
  • Practice liminal magic working with the veil and have your magic be amplified by the assistance of the deities who travel and/or live there the most
  • Leave offerings for them at graveyards, or cemeteries thanking them for protecting and guiding the souls who are resting there
  • Use their correspondences and energies in protection spells especially for ones for your home
  • Save them a plate and a seat at your dumb supper with your ancestors
  • add their sigil when you make a pentagram wreath and hang on your door, your hearth, or your altar
  • Prepare winter stores of food with kitchen magic and add their sigils to your recipes and jars to protect your food storage jars
  • Create a spell jar for them and add them to your altars or place them somewhere in your home
  • Shadow work focusing on death, rebirth, transition, and your relationship to your ancestral lines.  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.
  • Call on them to be your guide as you walk through the veil to the other side
  • Envision them and their energy as you meditate and contemplate your relationship with life, death, and the afterlife
  • Invite them to your circle and castings when performing graveyard magic
  • Include them in your celebrations for any festivals like Samhain, all souls day , and dias de los Muertos
  • Ask them for assistance as guides into past life regression work, and healing generational wounds
  • Ask them to assist you with working through a grieving process and understanding death and dying
  • Add their sigil to your candles to be used during your candle ceremony to honor your ancestors this spooky season

Conclusion

However you choose to work with the deities of this spooky season, whether it be when celebrating Samhain, all souls day, or Dias de los Muertos be open and prepared for the darkness, rebirth, and transformation this season has. They will do this for you by being a guiding hand as you walk side by side with the ancients and your passed loved ones through the thinning veil. Leading you to a liminal space of healing, remembrance, and death. Allowing you to shed your current skin as a new cycle begins with their divine guidance and, support, until this new journey ends.

Come join me for community, knowledge, and to restore the enchantment of magic in yourself and life today!

Don’t forget to head over to the shop today for eBooks, workshops, resources, and 1:1 services with me!

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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!

Come join me for community, knowledge, and to restore the enchantment of magic in yourself and life today!

Don’t forget to head over to the shop today for eBooks, workshops, resources, and 1:1 services with me!

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Deities of fall; Honor the harvest, transformation, and gratitude

Across many cultures, the time of the autumn equinox aka Mabon, has been marked with festivals that celebrate the second harvest, and is usually celebrated on September 21st-23rd. It is the time to celebrate the crucial period for gathering resources before the onset of winter. During the autumn equinox, summer officially ends and fall begins. Mabon, or the Autumn Equinox, is the time when day and night hours are equal. In the coming months, the days will get shorter and the nights will get longer. 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.

During these festivals 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.Autumn 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 while we meet SOME of those deities together in this post today.

Demeter: Greek goddess of Agriculture and the harvest

Demeter is a major goddess in Greek mythology who plays an important role in the lives of the ancient Greeks, who relied heavily on crops and grains for their existence. According to Greek mythology, Demeter, also known as Ceres in Rome, taught humanity how to cultivate, preserve, and cook grain and maize. Her role was to rule over the fertility of the land as one of the main deities of the harvest. She presides over crops, grains, food, and the fertility of the earth, and represents good harvests, fruits, vegetation, and the nourishment and growth of the earth. Demeter is also associated with health, birth, and marriage, and has connections to the Underworld. Other names she is known as are; the Harvest Goddess and Deo. Demeter is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and the sister and consort of Zeus, the king of the gods. Demeter’s legend centers on her daughter Persephone, who is “carried off” by Hades, the god of the underworld in some version. In others, Persephone goes to the underworld willingly to gain her own power. Demeter goes in search of Persephone, and during her journey she reveals her secret rites to the people of Eleusis.This, plus the deal she negotiates with Zeus to get her daughter to return to her for half the year; created the seasonal cycle. So in many ways, Demeter is the goddess of the seasons; she helps to usher in the new season and allows all things to come in cycles. She is a reminder that we must face the dark times of winter to be reborn in spring.

Persephone: Greek Goddess of Fall, spring, and the underworld

We can’t talk about demeter, fall, or transformation without talking about her beloved daughter Persephone. While many save spring to honor her. After working with her for over 10 years, I find autumn and fall to be an even more potent time to work with her. Because, it is her descent to the Underworld back to her beloved husband, that brings about the cold weather via the deal her mother demeter and father Zeus made. Spiritually and energetically, we all go to the Underworld with Persephone every single year. During Winter we move into a time of darkness, scarcity, and reflection. The harvest is our last attempt to store what we need in order to make it through that dark, cold time. While the winter can seem dark and scary, much like many view the Underworld, it is necessary to face these cold times for us to heal, meet our true self, and be reborn with the sun come spring.

So, who is Persephone? In Greek mythology, Persephone is the goddess of agriculture, the spring, the Underworld, duality, and the wife of Hades. Prior to her marriage with Hades she was known as Kore, which means “daughter” or “maiden”. I find this to be crucial to her story and representation of rebirth, because, before she grabbed power in her marriage to Hades, the gods hadn’t even given her a name or her own place of power. Which makes no sense to me because she was born from two of the most powerful deities. Persephone is the daughter of Zeus, the chief god, and Demeter, the goddess of agriculture.For her to have such little power, be sheltered, and not have her own place of power within the pantheon was in injustice she would rectify through the power of rebirth and duality by becoming Hades wife. As the wife of Hades, Persephone governs the realm of the dead by his side with grace, compassion, and might. Persephone’s presence in the Underworld brings a sense of balance between life and death. Just like the balance she brings to us all during this equinox and the beginning of Autumn/fall.

To learn all about this alluring, intriguing, and transitional goddess, and see her story in a whole new light. Plus meet her in a guided meditation you can watch my class all about her here!

Hades: Greek god of the underworld

Since we’ve named him already alongside his beloved wife and her mother we can’t forget about the Greek god of the underworld; Hades (pluto). Some may not think of him for this festival and time of year but, with this being such a crucial time for his wife and her mother his energy is interwoven among it as well. I mean his love for his wife and desire to have her, is really the seed of intention that sprouts the seasons. Hades is the god and king of the Greek Underworld, which gives him power and control over the souls who reside there. Hades, name translates to “unseen” or “sightless”, which really connects him the energy of transition, rebirth, and the liminal space . Connecting him to this time of year to allow us to walk in and out of the liminal space of transition just as we do the fall trees. Hades is the son of the Greek Titans Cronus and Rhea, and he is brother to Zeus, Demeter, Hera, Hestia and Poseidon. Hades’ father Cronus attempted to swallow him whole to destroy him forever but, in the end he failed. Allowing Hades to truly feel comfortable in the belly of the darkness fall is preparing us for and understand the pain and beauty to be born anew again.

Dagan god/ Dagon: Syrian and Semitic God Of Agriculture

Dagan god, was an ancient deity revered in Syria, Mesopotamia, and the eastern Mediterranean. Dagan god was considered the all father of the gods and worshipped for his connections to agriculture, prosperity, and fertility. Dagangod was a very powerful deity, often associated with the divine rulership and legitimacy of kings in ancient society. Dagan god also has a clear connection to Baal, the storm and fertility god, connecting him even more to energy of fertility. Together, they formed a harmonious pair representing the different elements needed to create thriving civilizations; fertility, prosperity, and divine protection.

In other writings, like the biblical context, Dagan god is referred to as Dagon. Dagon was the god of fertility and agriculture worshipped by the Amorites, an early Semitic tribe. Dagan was the Hebrew and Ugaritic common noun for “grain,” which made him one of the primary autumn gods bringing them a bountiful harvest. He is worshipped during this time more as a god of harvest and abundance. Instead of a god of transition because he tends to “rest” until fertility is restored in the spring when he restores the Earth’s bounty.

Pachamama: Incan Goddess Of Fertility, Time, & The Earth

Pachamama, the Inca goddess of fertility and nature, and she holds great significance in the indigenous cultures of the Andes. She is seen as the mother earth, is revered for her ability to cause earthquakes. By becoming a dragon underneath a mountain and causing the entire earth to tremble and shake. She is revered as a sacred force responsible for sustaining life and ensuring the abundance of crops and resources. The Incas believed that Pachamama was a loving mother figure, representing the living Earth itself. She was revered as a deity of duality capable of both creating and destroying. Both being essential for the cycle of life. The Incas perceived Pachamama as a benevolent and nurturing force that sustained all living beings. Later, the fusion of indigenous beliefs and Catholicism during the Spanish colonization led to the association of Pachamama with the Virgin Mary.

Hestia: Greek goddess of hearth, home, and fire

I can’t help but, always think of Hestia and turn to her during the fall. She may not be an obvious choice for some. But, when we think of fall it’s a time we go in, including returning back to our homes. We spend the time tidying up, storing goods, and collecting wood for the long cold winters ahead. Hestia is the sole attendant to the celestial hearth of the gods. As the goddess of the hearth, she personified the fire burning in the hearths of every home in Greece.On a very tangible level, Hestia rules the domain of fire. This means that she is directly responsible, at least according to the Greeks, for the fire, the stove, and the heat in your home. Which is why I always feel pulled to her during this time. Especially living in Minnesota I need her to bless my hearth with continuous heat during the long winter months. Honoring her during the equinox when the temperatures begin to fall, will bless your hearth as she stokes and fuels the flames all winter long. Don’t forget all winter long to present her and your hearth with the first offering sacrificed to keep those flames burning strong.

To learn more about and meet hestia, you can come join me in my upcoming class all about her with Divination academy on Sunday October 13th @ 2:00pm CST!

Autumnus: Roman deity of the Harvest

Autumnus represents the abundance of nature and harvest time during the autumn season. Autumnus is a unique deity as well, since we have both male and female representations of them. Which makes them a gender fluid deity. They represents the harvest, wine, and fruits of the earth. They are the divine personification of the autumn season, representing the abundance of nature and the time of the harvest. Autumn is a time to appreciate the earth’s abundance, but also remembering that the daylight hours will now begin to wane, meaning caution is called for. So while we reap autumn’s bounty, we must also start planning for the dark months ahead. This is the energy Autumnus brings and reminds us of, the fluidity of change within the cycle of seasons.

Cerridwen: Celtic goddess and keeper of the cauldron

Cerridwen is considered a goddess from the Welsh Celtic tradition today, but according to the Mabinogion and other Welsh legends, she is referred to as a Sorceress. Or a witch. Cerridwen is the Keeper of the Cauldron, the mother of transformation and change. Cerridwen is a goddess of “Awen” which is the source of Divine Inspiration. She brings inspiration, wisdom and the gifts of prophecy to those that work with her. She is seen in Welsh legend as being a crone Goddess.Cerridwen is also to some worshipped as a triple goddess, representing the Maid, Mother, and Crone, and can shape shift between life and death. Cerridwen’s areas of influence are Magic, fertility, wisdom, poetry, creativity, herbalism, the harvest, and more!

According to legend, Ceridwen sought to brew a potion of Awen, a divine inspiration, to grant her son, Morfran, unmatched wisdom and poetic prowess. As most myths go it didn’t actually end as planned, instead includes a chase, a death, and a new son to be born.Through her myths, Ceridwen represents the continuous cycle of death and rebirth, the pursuit of knowledge, and the power of transformation. Her cauldron is a symbol many use in rituals and meditations to invoke inspiration and change. Since, Mabon is a time of balance between light and dark. It is a period for giving thanks and reflecting on the cycle of life and death. Ceridwen’s themes of transformation and the harvest of wisdom and cosmic knowledge align well with the energies of Mabon. As she stirs the cauldron of rebirth, knowledge, and transformation, she transforms the world. Out of the unknown she reminds us, comes new life and new ideas. Embrace the spirit of Ceridwen this Mabon and may her cauldron show you your path to rebirth, transformation, and cosmic wisdom.

To hear more about the story with her son and to peer into her cauldron in guided meditation you can watch my class about her with Divination Academy here!

Inanna: Sumerian goddess of fertility, love, abundance and more

Inanna is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess associated with love, war, fertility, and more. She was originally worshipped in Sumer, but was also known as Ishtar by the Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. As the goddess of love and war, Inanna embodies the essence of duality. From peaceful alliances to fierce battles, her attributes symbolize the duality present in human life. She represents both passionate desire and relentless power, captivating us with her enchanting beauty and formidable strength. The story of Inanna is another descent into the Underworld. In this myth, Inanna embarks on a perilous journey to the realm of the dead, seeking to confront her sister Ereshkigal.The land became infertile and crops stopped growing when Inanna was in the Underworld, similar to Persephone’s story. Inanna restored fertility to the land after returning to Earth and bringing the crops back to life.

Modron: Welsh Earth mother goddess

Modron is a Welsh goddess of fertility, healing, abundance, grief, loss, and ancestral wisdom. She is also known as Matrona, and is said to be the mother of the divine child, Mabon. Modron is thought to have originated as a river goddess in ancient Celtic Gaul. Modron is featured in the Welsh Mabinogi tales, the Welsh Triads, and modern tales of Avalon. In these tales Mabon her son, was abducted as an infant and King Arthur embarks on a quest to rescue Mabon with many adventures happening along the way. Linked to fertility and the natural cycles of life, Modron’s association with the land’s bounty and the creation of new life is widely acknowledged. Mysterious and revered, she embodies the essence of motherhood and the nurturing aspects of life that we are giving thanks for this season.

Mabon: Son of Welsh Earth mother

Mabon, an enigmatic figure in Celtic mythology, and Arthurian legends holds a significant place in ancient beliefs. His story begins with the captivating myth of his abduction and King Arthur’s role in the search to get him back. According to ancient texts, Mabon was stolen from his mother, modron as an infant and hasn’t been seen since. His name means, “The Divine Son” and “The Son of Light”. He was the God of sex, love, magic, prophecy, and power. The sun god Mabon is also known as the Welsh and Gaulish god Maponos. Mabon, is often depicted as youthful and vibrant, personifies the essence of youth within Celtic mythology. His story of being freed from his imprisonment in a cavern. To than be able to aimlessly wander the land free, is another fall story of transition from the caverns of darkness back to bounty of the earth above.

Chang’e: Chinese goddess of the moon

Chang’e is the ethereal Chinese Goddess of the Moon, she is known for her captivating beauty, her immortality, and her connection to lunar cycles. Legends tell the story of her ascent to the moon, where she resides and is admired by people from afar. In this story, she was the wife of a heroic archer who was rewarded for his services to the gods by a gift of the elixir of immortality. In her husband’s absence, she stole the potion and drank it herself. Which then caused her to float up to the heavens where she lived out her immortality away from her beloved, as the moon.She is often depicted as a woman with long black hair, pale skin, red lips, and flowing robes. Her name translates to “the beautiful Cháng”. She is celebrated in poems and novels, and some people worship her during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Freyr or Frey: Norse god of fertility, peace, and good weather

Freyr or Frey was the god of fertility, peace, and good weather in Norse mythology.Freyr is Lord over the Earth and of the bounty of the Earth. Freyr was worshiped across Scandinavia (particularly in Sweden), where he was celebrated at weddings and harvest feasts. Freyr was among the most prominent of Vanir deities alongside his twin sister Freya. Freyr possessed the power of prosperity and well-being in regards to wealth, health, fertility, and bountiful harvests. Freyr was responsible for the Germanic peoples fertile well-being and prosperity. Including holding power over food production made Freyr one of the most important well-known Nordic gods throughout Germanic history. This is why we see him celebrated and honored during this festival, to honor the harvest and bounty he has brought.

Freyr also has ties to the elves and Yggdrasil. Freyr is considered an ancestor to the Yngling line, he might have even once been a real person. Then, following his death, he was buried in the earth among the other ancestors who were also called the Alfar (Elves). In other writings he is said to live in Yggdrasil. After Freyr was born, he was given a gift to commemorate his first tooth, which is a Norse tradition. That gift was Alfheim, one of the nine worlds in the branches of Yggdrasil and home to the elves. It’s not clear if this actually makes Freyr the ruler of Alfheim, but it certainly was his home.

Inari: Shinto kami of rice and prosperity

Inari is one of Japan’s most famous and beloved Kami, worshipped in both Shinto and Buddhist shrines commonly alongside Amaterasu. Inari is the kami of rice, tea, sake, agriculture, industry and prosperity. Inari is also associated with foxes called Kitsunes, who are said to be Inari’s messengers and protectors of the rice harvest. Inari is another unique deity being depicted as gender fluid. They are sometimes depicted as a bearded man on a white fox, or as a woman with long hair carrying sheaves of rice. They are considered the protector of grains, which are crucial for the survival of Japan and it’s people. During the O-Inari-san Festival in the fall we can express gratitude and requests for favor from the kami, Inari.

Keep in mind unlike other practices, Shintoism celebrates the harvest in the spring, and thanks the deity for the previous season’s crops in the fall. These festivals, are known as aki matsuri (autumn festivals).

How to connect to and work with these deities

Everyone’s relationship with deities is different and we all work with and believe in them differently. You might believe in multiple gods and goddesses and work with them each as though they are close, personal friends. Or maybe you believe the gods are reflections of Universal energy and simply archetype energies that you can learn a lesson from. However you incorporate deities in your practice is up to you. But here are some ideas to get you started on ways to work with any or all of these deities of the fall. Remember; it’s important to approach them with respect, reverence, gratitude and by building a relationship with them. Every time you work with a deity it is an even energetic exchange; which means what you put into your intention when working with them and building your relationship to them is what you get back.

  • Refresh your altar and add any of them to it. Or create a new one. Use any of the correspondences listed for each deity above that resonates with you!
  • Cast a spell for family, home and hearth to bring gratitude for the bountiful harvest into you home. Or cast spells to light your hearth with goddess Hestia
  • Begin prepping and planning for the winter allowing the deities of fall to help you prepare to transition from the season of light and warmth to dark and cold
  • Work with apples, grain, or corn in kitchen magic to bring the deity into your meals, baked offerings, and home
  • Cast spells to help with personal transition or transformation allowing the deities of the transitional season to guide you through the process
  • Give thanks for the fall harvest. There are many ways to do this one of my favorites is bringing offerings of thanks and leaving it at the edge of fields and/or orchards for the deity you are thanking for this bountiful harvest
  • Use leaf magic to ask for blessings from the deities of fall
  • Go on a nature walk to mindfully connect to the deities in nature while the seasons change
  • Make a simmer pot to call in transition, balance, gratitude, or a plentiful harvest into you home and family for the long dark winter to come
  • make a manifestation leaf wreath or garland and on each leaf either write a prayer or a blessing to the deities. Once done place the wreath on your altar to honor the deity. Or leave it at a field that is about the be harvested for gratitude and thanks. You can even hang it in your home to connect to deity throughout fall.
  • Spend time in Nature grounding and/or earthing to connect to the energy of the deities all around you and call to them for guidance, and connection while you transition with the season around you.
  • Have a ritual bonfire with family and friends for the harvest and Mabon and invite the deities to join by placing representations of them around the fire or give offerings to it for them.
  • Shadow work based on; duality, planning, gratitude, transition, and rebirth. Doing shadow work with deities connected to this very transitional time will allow you to walk in and out of the liminal space with ease. 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. 
  • Invite the deities to your dinner table during your fall equinox meal. Set them their own plate and leave their seat empty for them to choose to take.

Conclusion

However you choose to include the deities of Mabon and the fall equinox into your celebrations, festivals, and rituals; remember this is not only a time for celebration, but also for reflection and preparation. Allow the deities to encourage contemplation of life’s balances—light with dark, activity with rest, and abundance with scarcity. Allow them to show you the equilibrium that is reflected in the equal length of day and night and the cycle of seasons and life. Walk hand and hand with them down the rows of apple trees, stalks of corn, or wheat fields giving thanks for the bounty you see. Then let them guide you in and out of the shadows of the trees as you catch the vibrant falling leaves.

Come join me for community, knowledge, and to restore the enchantment of magic in yourself and life today!

Don’t forget to head over to the shop today for eBooks, workshops, resources, and 1:1 services with me!

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The magic of working with Apples

The air is getting a little crisper, and chillier as it blows through the trees around us. The leaves are following the cycle of the season as they change into their vibrant fall colors. We feel the pull to get outside in nature and soak up this changing season and the beauty fall has to bring us. One popular fall activity does just that as we find ourselves walking through an apple orchard and feel the living, moving, earth-shattering energy that swirls invisibly around us. Wrapped up in each juicy, ripe, colorful apple waiting for us to pick from the branches they weigh down. As we walk among the rows of the orchard, growing the food even cherished by the gods, we feel the magic of Autumn itself. As the veil thins during this season, we become more attuned to the other world, and the thinning of the veil. It’s a time when we can cast some potent spells and rituals connected to transition, gratitude, abundance, duality, protection, and accessing our ancestors. Let me show you in this blogpost how that basket of apples you just picked in the orchard can be a magical tool in all of these different kinds of spells and rituals!

Apples what are they?

Apples (Malus domestica) are among the most common fruits eaten in the US and Europe. This is because they grow just about anywhere! Apple trees have been cultivated for over 4,000 years, with origins in Central Asia. Although we do also know they’ve been grown in Europe for thousands of years and were brought to North America with European immigrants over the past few centuries. The apple tree’s ability to self-pollinate makes it a resilient tree and allows it to have many different varieties of colors, tastes, and sizes. Their five-petaled flowers appear in the spring blooming with a brilliant fragrance. The petals are white on top and pink underneath as they bloom. The fruit appears in late summer and ripens in autumn. The fruit can be red, yellow, green, or streaked red with yellow.

Medicinal properties of apples

Many have heard the common phrase ” An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.” What if there was some truth to that? Apples are rich in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, making them beneficial for overall health from boosting your immune system to aiding in weight management. Apples have been used for centuries in healing remedies, thanks to their antioxidants. Apples are great to use to treat constipation, other digestion issues, and even support a balanced gut microbiome. Apples contain malic and tartaric acids which helps neutralize the chemicals associated with gout even! Apples have even been linked to reducing the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels and certain types of cancer. They even clean your teeth! The act of eating a whole apple (not sliced and peeled) cleans the teeth and freshens the breath. It helps remove plaque and pushes back the gums to remove deposits.

Symbolism of the apple in magic, lore, and myths

Apples are a true symbol of Autumn and Winter, most likely because, that’s when they are harvested. We’ve also seen them as part of Fall and Winter festivals and celebrations for thousands of years across cultures. But, don’t be fooled while apples are a key focus of fall they are seen throughout the year as well in different cultures. So, don’t be afraid to use them year round. Not only do we see them in festivals throughout the year we also see them apart of many myths and lore. So, many I’d never be able to cover them all here. From seeing the apple as a center piece to Christianity, a gift of healing in Celtic lore, a way to immortality in Norse mythology, an agent of chaos and discord causing the Trojan war, to it popping up in modern pop culture delivering poison to a princess.

First up, in Western and European lore, apples are strongly used to symbolize forbidden knowledge (aka sin), divine wisdom, and self-awareness. We see this in one of the most commonly known myths from the bible and Christianity, which includes Eve ( the first women according to all versions after king James), a serpent, the garden of Eden, and of course an apple!

According to Christian lore, Eve was the first woman who lived alongside the first man Adam in paradise aka the garden of Eden. They were to use the garden as it’s home and care for it’s creatures. But, for some reason neither Adam nor Eve were supposed to ever eat the fruit from this ONE tree within the garden. God himself had commanded them not too. Than one day along came a serpent (aka Satan) slithering his way into the garden and into Eve’s ear. Where he convinced her to grab an apple (aka divine wisdom) from the forbidden tree and to take a bite. She than convinced Adam to do the same. God got pissed for their disobedience and exiled them from the garden and gave Eve the bonus punishment of childbirth for being the first to take a bite.

Next up, we see the apple as a symbol of healing, immortality, and the dead in a few key Celtic, Norse, and Germanic traditions and lore. In the Prose Edda, a key writing to reference for Norse Mythology; the goddess Idunn is the guardian of an apple orchard that grows apples of eternal youth a.k.a. immortality for the gods. Also, in the Old Norse tradition, the alfablot was a sacrifice to the elves/alfar and one of the most commonly used offerings was, you guessed it, apples! In Celtic myth, the enchanting fairy goddess Cliodhna; offers apples of healing and immortality to journeying heroes in the Celtic Otherworld. We see apples again in Celtic traditions as the food of the dead where it is used as an offering to them at different festivals. Like, Samhain which is coincidently also known as the feast of apples. It was also said in Celtic lore, that a magical apple branch called the silver bough allowed the person who held it to pass into the Otherworld safely.

In other myths like with the Greeks, apples symbolize love, beauty, discord, and war. They are often associated with deities like Zeus, Aphrodite, Hera, Athena, and Eris. My favorite Greek myth involving apples involves the goddess of discord Eris and the cause of the famous Trojan war. In Greek mythology, the Trojan War is probably the most famous event. Today, anyone with any knowledge of the war assumes that it began as a result of the abduction of Helen. But the abduction of Helen by Paris is just one starting point, and preceding this was another starting point where the goddess Eris and a golden apple was involved.

Zeus had arranged for Peleus ( a greek hero) to marry the sea nymph Thetis, so he decided to throw a huge wedding ceremony and celebration. This wedding was so big all of the gods and goddesses of the Greek pantheon were invited to the festivities; all except for the goddess of discord Eris. Who of course found out about the festivities AND that she was the only one not invited. Being the goddess of discord she decides to crash the party in a fit of rage, bringing with her a gift to throw in their faces and cause a little chaos. Now, there are a few different versions and theories as to how she got this gift and if you want to hear them all you can listen to me tell them here. But when she arrives, in hand she has a golden apple with the inscription ” to the fairest of them all”. She takes it and tosses it into the room amongst those who rejected her and watches the discord fall upon them all. You see that shiny golden apple would cause a fight between three goddesses (Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite) to claim it that would start a war between human kingdoms resulting in many to fall.

To the Ancient Romans apples were so sacred and important they were to be treasured and guarded. So, much so, this one fruit had their own deity to preside over and protect them! Her name was Pomona. Unfortunately, she’s one of those pagan deities whom most of their information has been lost to history. What I can find about her, is that she was a virginal nymph of the woods who married the personification of Autumn, named Vertumnus. They were a very fertile and passionate match which made them the reason for the bountiful apple harvest every fall. We would see them honored when offerings would be left for them at the edges of orchards. Apples pop up again with the Romans during the festival of Diana, when apple boughs were carried around for luck and prosperity.

We see the apple pop up in English lore and myth as well with the Isle of Avalon. The Isle of Avalon is a mythical island in Arthurian legend that is said to be a place of magic and healing. It is described as a utopian paradise, a fairyland island that is said to be lost in the mists of time. Ruled by the enchantress Morgan le Fay and her eight sisters. This sacred Isle of Avalon is also known as, you guessed it, the Isle of Apples. Because legend says apples grow there all year round as food.

Even now in pop culture the apple is everywhere we look on the iPhone, iPad, and computers. Reminding us of the access to wisdom and knowledge that comes with them. And let’s not forget the apple’s role in one of the world’s most beloved fairytales; Snow white. Its most pivotal moment is undoubtedly when a naïve Snow White bites into an apple poisoned by the jealous Evil Queen, lulling her into a slumber that can only be reversed with Prince Charming’s kiss. Showing us the dark, poisonous, and protective side apples have to offer.

Magical themes of Apples

In witchcraft every single ingredient and tool we use in our spells and rituals has magical themes and energies it can align with and be used for. Apples are no different as you saw in the myths and lore we talked about above. Some of the most common themes associated with apples are love, romance, and attraction spells. They can be used in spells, rituals, or charms to enhance love in an existing relationship, attract a new romantic partner, or promote harmony between others. Apples are also very popular with abundance and prosperity spells. They can be utilized to attract wealth, success, and opportunities for financial growth. Below, you will find a list of some of the other many magical themes associated with apples. Don’t forget you can use all parts of the apple, the bud, petals, leaves fruit, seeds, and wood from its tree as spell and ritual ingredients too!

  • Love
  • Luck
  • Fertility
  • Immortality
  • Money
  • truth
  • the divine feminine
  • opens portals and gateways
  • Healing and promoting health
  • Vitality
  • lust
  • Garden magic
  • Wisdom
  • The Otherworld / Afterlife
  • Deception
  • “Poisoning” and Malefica
  • Faery magic
  • Abundance
  • forbidden knowledge
  • Ancestors
  • protection
  • discord
  • chaos
  • beauty
  • Vanity
  • The soul
  • divination
  • intuition

The apple and the pentacle

The apple and the pentacle have a unique and potent relationship binding them together. Did you know if you cut an apple in half (the “fat way,” not the “tall way,” if that makes sense), you will find a pentacle star in the middle? This along with it’s seeds, which are poisonous, are where apples get their protective qualities from. The apple reminds us that we do not have to close ourselves off to the world in order to protect ourselves. We can bring healing to others AND be open without overstepping our own boundaries. You can also use this center star or pentacle, as an altar by pressing spell ingredients into the flesh of the apple. Using the apple core as an all natural protective altar.

Apple Peel Reading

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.

Duality and the apple

Since, I am a grey witch I look for the duality in every single energy I work with including the tools and spell ingredients I use. And man is the apple ripe with the energy of duality. We see it in the themes it represents from love and discord, to death and immortality, to healing and protection. This fruit is connected to opposing energies and forces in almost every sense, along with the changing of the seasons and transition. Not only that, it’s such a versatile tool you can use it, in pretty much every area of your life. Which adds another juicy layer of duality to this fruit with each bite.

We can’t forget that the most popular time to work with this tool is in the fall when they are being harvested and there are plenty to go around. The fall season is a really unique pocket of liminal space and time for us to connect to duality. 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.

Correspondences for the apple

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 magical tool/ fruit the apple, which I will list below for you to use. Remember this is just a start to the list for you. You can use any correspondences that connect the magical themes and energies of the apple Just follow your intuition on what you choose to work with!

  • Planet- Venus
  • Gender- Feminine
  • Day-Friday
  • Element- water
  • colors- Greens, reds, yellows
  • Deities- Eris, Venus, Aphrodite, Inanna, Morgan Le Fay, Rhiannon, Cliodhna, Diana, Zeus, Apollo, Idunn, Hera, Dionysus, Gaia, Olwen, Pomona
  • Holidays- Lughnasadh, Diana’s Festival, Mabon, Samhain, Yule, Alfablot, the Esbats and Ostara
  • Zodiac- Taurus

Ways to work with the apple

We’ve talked a lot about apples in this post so far, including the magical themes associated with them. Those themes are the energies we can connect to with apples. They are how we can use them to build our spells and rituals. You have many options on how you want to include them in your spells and rituals and many different ways to work with them. Below you will find a list I put together of some ideas for spells, rituals, and ways you can work with them using the themes and magic we can harvest in each juicy one.

  • Apple cider can be used in place of wine during rituals
  • Apple wood can make an excellent wand
  • Visit an apple orchard, pick apples, and leave an offering at the edge of the orchard
  • Use apples to represent the element of earth in elemental magic
  • To ensure fidelity, give an apple to your lover as a gift. You eat one half, the lover the other.
  • Use an apple in poppet magic- poppet magic has been around for thousands of years and is found across cultures. Use an apple as base for your poppet during mabon or samhain
  • Apples symbolize the food of the dead, so leave them on the altar to honor your ancestors and welcome them to “feast with you” during the harvest season.
  • decorate your home with them to connect to the magic of September
  • Create caramel apples and imbue magic into each one as you dip them
  • If you peel an apple all in one piece and throw the peel over your shoulder, it will fall in the shape of your future mate’s initials.
  • se the pentacle in a return to sender spell
  • Bobbing for apples is a centuries old tradition from the British Isles and Ireland. It likely also has origins in both ancient Celtic and Germanic festivals.
  • Include apples on your altar for any of the holidays they are associated with like mabon or samhain
  • candle magic-encircling a candle with apple slices, dried apple slices, or apple blossoms. Or using an apple to hold your candles even as they burn.
  • Use the apple seeds in a banishing spell
  • Go wassailing- Simply put, it’s singing blessings to the orchards, oxen, and the people who tend them.
  • Add apples to an abundance spell jar or simmer pot
  • Use the peels in divination
  • kitchen magic-use apples in baking like in pies
  • Sigil magic- draw sigils on apples for spells and rituals
  • Use apples to call on deities that are connected to them in myths like Eris
  • Add apple slices or oil to a self care ritual bath
  • Create an apple wreath or garland and hang in your home for prosperity and luck especially during Yule
  • Make studded apples- This is an English and Irish tradition involving studding an apple with cloves, nutmeg, and mistletoe and carry it around on new years for good luck.
  • Use apple blossoms in beauty spells, glamors, and love spells

Red apple love spell

One of the most common spells associated with apples are all about love, romance, and attracting a partner. Try this simple tried and true love spell using a red apple to attract that special someone whose been the apple of your eye today!

What you will need:

  • red apple
  • lavender buds
  • twine or some string
  • rose petals ( I like to use pink for love but you can use red for pleasure and romance as well)
  • a small piece of paper

How to perform this spell:

First, take a knife and cut your red apple in half the long or tall way revealing the pentacle star in the middle. Next, take your piece of paper and write your name and the name of that special someone whose caught your eye. Once done take as many deep breaths you need to in and out until you feel yourself surrounded by love and comfort within your sacred container. Visualize that love surrounding you and that special someone. What it feels like, looks like, and will be like to have. Than, take your piece of paper and fold it towards you. when done place it in the center of your apple over the pentacle. Next, take your rose petals, and lavender buds placing them on top of the paper. With all your spell ingredients now placed in the center of your apple, take the other half and place it on top to make it whole again. Wrap it up tightly in the twine to seal the love and attraction in. Take your spell outside and bury it in the earth under a healthy growing tree giving it a place for your love to bud and bloom.

Rotten apple banishing spell

Don’t forget apples aren’t only juicy and sweet but, their seeds give a poisonous and protective side to them as well. This makes them a great tool to use in protection spells like banishing a problem or situation from your life. Try out this simple spell using an apple to do just that below!

What you will need:

  • an apple
  • a black ribbon or string
  • bay leaves
  • a skewer

How to perform:

First, take a knife and cut your red apple in half the long or tall way revealing the pentacle star in the middle. Next, take your bay leaves and rub each half of the apple with them visualizing the problem or situation in your life you wish to be banish. Take the two halves and put them back together still focusing on the problem or situation you wish to banish. Next, take a deep breath in as you pick up the skewer and on your exhale as you visualize the problem or situation no longer affecting you, stab the skewer through both halves with force. Then, take your black ribbon or string and tie your apple together sealing the problem or situation in the center where it can no longer affect you. Take your spell outside and bury it in the earth. As the apple rots with the problem or situation inside it will be banished from your life.

Autumn abundance simmer pot

Apples are very popular with abundance and prosperity spells. They can be utilized to attract wealth, success, and opportunities for financial growth. Paired with the abundance of the harvest and autumn swirling around us now is great time to do some kitchen magic .One of my favorite types of kitchen magic spells to do are simmer pots. Simmer pots are easy to do, very potent, and they leave your house smelling amazing and full of magical energy! Use this recipe to bring the abundance of autumn into your home today using apples as the core. If you need to learn more about how to use simmer pots you can read my blogpost in the link here!