Mabon, the autumn equinox is almost here! Mabon's yearly date fluctuates between the 21st-22nd, depending on the day autumn equinox falls on. For 2021 Mabon is September 22nd! Can you feel the energy in the air shifting (if your in the *western hemisphere that is)? Changes where I live in Kansas are subtle, but noticeable by fall enthusiast. Days are becoming shorter, there are cold front flowing through, and the trees are slowly beginning to shed their leaves, more and more signs about surpluses of tomatoes and homemade goods are popping up, and fall décor is out on display in stores everywhere. Autumn is my favorite time of year, if you couldn't tell, the restful energy and time with family is something I look forward to after the long laborious year. There really is just something about fall that is nostalgic and brings me to a far off place in my mind. I do not celebrate Thanksgiving for many reasons, but I look at Mabon as that time - to be thankful for the abundance the universe, the gods, and what natures has provided us.
But, what is Mabon? How do you celebrate, and what are some correspondences in witchcraft? Well, lets get right into it...
*this information is for the western hemisphere, where I live
What is Mabon?
Mabon is one of the many pagan holiday's, also celebrated by witches around the world on 21st-22nd (the date will change year to year). The name originates from Mabon the welsh god, but there isn't a lot of information regarding if the Mabon sabbath was actually celebrate in Celtic countries. Mabon was actually renamed in the 70s during a time where paganism was being reformed. Before Mabon had its name, the autumn equinox was celebrated by many cultures and viewed as a time to give thanks. The name was just different in other places, but all celebrate the harvest and abundance of the year.
Modern Pagans who celebrate the second harvest sabbath have adapted to their own ways of celebrating using traditions and correspondences. Common themes of Mabon are balance (because the days and night on this day are equal in length), giving thanks, and resting.
Ways to Celebrate:
*Celebrating will look differently to everyone, these ideas resonate with me!
Enjoy a nice dinner with your family eating in season foods.
Go on a walk (with pets if you have them) and admire the changing season.
Indulge in self care, prepare yourself a cleansing bath or shower.
Make offerings to the wildlife and nature around you.
Wear corresponding colors!
Make decorations, bread, etc with Apples, they are symbol of Mabon
Take this time to forage for useful herbs and dry them.
Cleans your home (and deep clean) to welcome in the new season.
Decorate your home or altar in corresponding themes.
Normally I do most activities, it just depends on my needs/abilities for each year (I have a chronic illness that can limit my mobility). I plan to take a walk with my dogs, wear corresponding colors (the easiest way to acknowledge the change of season), cook dinner for my family plus make an apple desert, and forage in my local area for herbs/flowers/leaves/etc and of course leave an offering to
Mabon Correspondences:
*these are correspondences I use right from my grimoire, some may differ from others and that's okay!
Herbs/Plants/Etc:
ferns, oak leaves, honeysuckle, marigold, milk-weed, myrrh, rose, sage, tobacco, thistle, wheat, barley, hops, cedar, cinnamon, nutmeg
Foods/Drinks:
apples, cider, pumpkins, gourds, pumpkin pie, dried fruits, nuts, squash, pomegranates, breads, grains, carrots, onion, wine, mead, cornbread, potatoes, beans, mutton, ale, beef
Colors:
browns, orange, yellow, red, gold, maroon, scarlet
Crystals/Gemstones/etc:
yellow agate, lapis lazuli, sappier, brown and orange stones
Incense:
sweet grass, prairie sage, apple blossom, myrrh, cinnamon, sandalwood, patchouli, clove
Animals:
dogs, wolves, goats, cow, stags, owls and birds of prey
Magickal focus:
hearth and home magick, warding, prosperity working, protection, and abundance magicks
Customs:
giving offerings to the land, leaving apples on graves, harvesting, walks in nature, fermenting and storing food and grains, drying herbs
The information are from a few different sources which I will link below and correspondences are from my own grimoire. Please note before celebrating or partaking or even doing something in the witchcraft community do your own research. Always check resources, and trust who you get information from. Most of TicTok, Instagram, Tumblr, etc aren't going to give your reliable information. Follow your gut, watch out for closed practices, and don't culturally appropriate anything.
References for Mabon History:
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