What is Mabon?
Mabon is also known as the Autumn Equinox, where day and night are of equal length, falling around March 20-23 in the Southern Hemisphere and September 20-23 for the Northern Hemisphere. It is a celebration of the second harvest and a time for thankful reflection on all that is coming into fruition for farmers, and in our modern lives. All the Harvest festivals (Lammas, Mabon and Samhain) are perfect opportunities to pause, rest, give thanks and take account of our ‘planting’ and ‘growing’ seasons.
As an Equinox with balanced light and dark, Mabon invites us to consider where we could introduce more balance into our lives — perhaps between our masculine and feminine energies, our work and rest, or structure and discipline.
Autumn also sits in the west of the Wheel of the Year, representing the energy of sunset or dusk as we descend into the dark, slow, yin phase of the cycle of seasons.
We are invited to let go and ‘come down’ from the high of summer with grace and awareness, embracing the upcoming season of inward reflection, darkness and slowness.
It always amazes me how Mama Earth provides us with these beautiful reminders and opportunities for learning the wisdom of cyclical living and balance — seasons are incredible! This is why I love celebrating the eight Sabbats in the Wheel of the Year.
Mabon Rituals
Here are my favourite Mabon rituals, curated and collected over the years.
1. Decorate your altar, sacred space or home
Create a space for reflection and celebration by gathering symbolic elements of Mabon. Your altar could be a simple shelf, table or cabinet. I’ll be making my Mabon Altar in my kitchen, since that is the cosy hearth of my home this time of year!
Decorate with:
- Fallen leaves
- Produce and herbs of the season (apples, pumpkin, cinnamon sticks)
- Beeswax candles or red, orange, yellow and gold candles.
2. Healing pumpkin soup recipe
This warming, nourishing recipe incorporates the therapeutic plants of Autumn (ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg) that keep us grounded and sustain our immune systems during the winter months. Nature always knows when to grow what our bodies need, doesn’t she!
INGREDIENTS 1 pumpkin | 3 medium carrots | 1 large potato | 1 onion | 500ml vegetable stock | 400ml coconut milk | 1 cm fresh ginger, chopped | Pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg | Salt and pepper to taste
- Peel and chop the pumpkin, carrots, potato and onion. Place them in a large saucepan of lightly salted water and cook until soft (approx. 40-60 mins).
- Using the lid, drain the water. Add the stock and coconut milk.
- Blend using a handheld mixer (or let mixture cool slightly and pour into a blender) until combined.
- Add the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.
Other recipes you could try are apple cider, apple pies or pumpkin spice lattes!
3. Mabon Journalling & Tarot Ritual
Take your journal to your Mabon altar or in a place in nature where you feel connected to Autumn. Light a candle and take a moment to ground yourself with deep, slow breaths.
Begin a new page in your journal and title it as your Mabon entry (so you can refer back to it later).
What are you harvesting in your life? What have you manifested, grown & received?
What does balance look like to you?
What do you need to let go of in order to find more balance in your life?
What do you need to gather or prepare to sustain you for autumn and the upcoming winter? (any self-care routines, comfort items, structures or habits)
For deepened insight, draw 3 tarot cards in this spread and journal on the message you receive:
- What have I planted?
- What have I harvested?
- What am I letting go of?
Wishing you a cosy, nourishing Mabon! Autumn has always been my favourite season because of the gorgeous colours, the cooler, crisper mornings and all the wholesome food and drinks.
Mabon is also known as the Fruit Harvest in many Pagan traditions, so pumpkin and apple picking are definitely on the cards.
Love,
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