The Origins of Mabon
As the Wheel of the Year turns once more, we arrive at Mabon, the Autumn Equinox, celebrated around September 21st–23rd in the Northern Hemisphere. This sacred sabbat marks a time of perfect balance—day and night are equal—and invites us to honor both light and darkness as we prepare for the coming winter months. Known as the Second Harvest Festival, Mabon is a time of thanksgiving, reflection, and harmony.
The term Mabon was introduced in modern pagan traditions, named after the Welsh god Mabon ap Modron, whose name means “Great Son of the Great Mother.” Mabon is a deity associated with youth, strength, and the cycles of life, and his story reflects themes of rebirth and renewal.
In ancient Celtic traditions, the equinox was a time to celebrate the harvest’s bounty, honor the gods, and give thanks to the land for sustenance. Many cultures, from the Greeks with their myths of Persephone to the Norse with their harvest feasts, marked the equinox as a sacred moment of balance and transition.
The Practices of Mabon
Mabon is both a harvest festival and a moment of inner reflection. It asks us to look at what we have reaped in our lives so far this year and what we must release as the darker half of the year approaches.
Gratitude and Harvest Rituals
Give thanks for the food on your table and the blessings in your life. Create a gratitude list, host a feast, or offer part of your harvest back to the earth.
Seasonal Altars
Adorn your altar with symbols of the season: apples, pumpkins, gourds, corn, pomegranates, acorns, pinecones, and colorful autumn leaves. Candles in gold, orange, and deep red honor the waning sun.
Reflection and Balance
Take time to meditate on balance. Just as the equinox brings equal light and dark, reflect on your own life: Where do you need harmony? What can you release before winter?
Offerings
Leave offerings of wine, bread, or fruit to nature spirits or deities of the harvest. This act of reciprocity honors the cycles of giving and receiving.
Divination
Use tarot, runes, or scrying to seek insight into the months ahead, especially as we begin the descent into the darker half of the year.
Ways to Celebrate Mabon Today
Host a Harvest Feast with friends and family, sharing seasonal dishes like apples, root vegetables, cider, and hearty bread.
Craft with Nature: Make wreaths, corn dollies, or garlands with autumn foliage.
Go Apple Picking: Apples are sacred to this sabbat and symbolize wisdom, love, and renewal.
Balance Ritual: Light two candles—one black, one white—to honor light and darkness. Meditate on balance in your own life.
Give Back: Donate food or time to your community as an offering of gratitude and sharing.
Conclusion
Mabon is a time to honor the turning of the seasons, the harvest of the earth, and the harvest within ourselves. It reminds us to pause, breathe, and give thanks before the long nights of winter arrive. As you celebrate Mabon, may you find balance, abundance, and peace in both the light and the shadows.
Blessed Mabon!
