Welcoming Mabon – The Autumn Equinox

Mabon is the Autumn Equinox, the moment when day and night meet in perfect balance before the darker half of the year begins to take over. Usually happening around September 21st to 23rd, it’s a powerful time to slow down, reflect, and give thanks.

The name “Mabon” comes from the Welsh god Mabon ap Modron, but like a lot of Wheel of the Year sabbats, it blends Celtic, pagan, and folk traditions from different places. Spiritually, Mabon is about balance, gratitude, and release. It’s the second harvest festival (after Lammas and before Samhain), and it celebrates the Earth’s generosity and the closing of the light season.

Ways to Celebrate Mabon

This is a deeply personal sabbat, so celebrate it in whatever way feels most nourishing. But if you want some ideas, here are my favorite ways to honor Mabon:

1. Create a Gratitude Altar: Use seasonal items like apples, squash, dried herbs, nuts, and autumn leaves. Add candles in orange, gold, or deep red. Crystals like citrine, carnelian, and amber also vibe beautifully with this season. Write a few things you’re grateful for and place them on the altar.

2. Bake or Cook Something Seasonal: Mabon is full of delicious earthy flavors. Apple pie, butternut squash soup, roasted root vegetables, warm bread. It’s the season of comfort food. Stir your intention into whatever you’re making.

3. House Cleaning and Energy Clearing: Just like spring cleaning, autumn calls for release too. Clean your home, smudge with sage or rosemary, and make space for what you want to welcome in.

4. Release Ritual: Write down anything you want to let go of – habits, thoughts, feelings. Burn the paper in a safe way. Visualize the release. You can pair this with a grounding meditation or breathwork session.

5. Go Outside: Even if it’s for a short walk. Notice the leaves changing, the wind shifting. During this beautiful season I like to walk in the forest with my dog and gather fallen leaves or acorns for my altar. Connect with nature in a way that reminds you of your place in the cycle.

Correspondences

Here’s a quick guide if you want to align your spellwork, decor, or altar with the energy of Mabon:

Colors: Deep reds, oranges, browns, golds

Crystals: Citrine, carnelian, amber

Herbs: Rosemary, sage, yarrow, chamomile, mugwort, thyme, calendula

Foods: Apples, pumpkin, squash, corn, pomegranate, bread, nuts, cider

Symbols: Cornucopia, pumpkins, apples, acorns, autumn leaves

Animals: Stag, crow, owl, blackbird

Deities: Mabon, Persephone, Demeter

Incense or Oils: Cinnamon, clove, frankincense, apple, sage, myrrh

Mabon Spellwork Ideas

Balance & Centering: Light two candles of equal size and color, representing day and night. Sit between them, meditate, and ask for harmony where you feel imbalanced.

Home Protection: Brew a simmer pot with cinnamon sticks, apple peels, rosemary, and cloves. Let the scent fill your space with protection and warmth.

Prosperity & Gratitude Jar: Fill a small jar with rice, dried herbs, coins, and handwritten notes of what you’re thankful for. Seal it and place it on your altar as a symbol of abundance.

Shadow Work: Journaling during this season is potent. The descent into the darker half of the year invites deep inner reflection. Explore what you’re ready to face or transform.

Final Thoughts

Mabon is a sacred pause before the cold comes in. It’s about taking stock, grounding yourself, and reconnecting with what really matters. Don’t worry about celebrating it perfectly. Light a candle. Breathe in the scent of cinnamon. Let the wind carry away what you no longer need.

And of course, as always when working with herbs or any natural remedy, test for allergies first. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or on medication, talk to a health professional before using herbal treatments. Nature’s powerful, but so is caution.

Happy Mabon, witches 🍂