Mabon Healing Bath

Mabon marks the beginning of Autumn, and what better way to celebrate cooler weather than with a warm and healing bath. Ideal as both a pre-ritual bath or the main magical event of this Sabbat, this mixture brings healing, protection, and spiritual opening.

Ingredients:

1 part oatmeal
1 part powdered milk
1 part sea salt
dried calendula petals
dried chamomile flowers
frankincense essential oil
myrrh essential oil
Place oatmeal in food processor or blender and blend until it becomes a powder consistency (conversely, buy it in powder form). Transfer to a separate container. Mix in equal parts powdered milk and sea salt, then add roughly 1 teaspoon of each dried flower per cup of mixture. Drop in essential oils to desired fragrance strength.

Draw a warm bath the night of Mabon and add in at least one cup of the mixture to the water. Add plenty of candles, spicy incense, and fall colors to the space to set the mood. While in the bath, meditate on the coming darkness and ask your deity or the elements for protection

Mabon Herb & Tarot Ritual

Materials:

• pen or sharpie

• some leafs (however many you need)

• sage

• lavender

• any materials you use to cast a circle (optional)

• tarot cards (optional)

1. Cleanse the area you will be working in with sage and lavender

2. Cast your circle (optional)

3. Take your leaf/leaves and write down everything you want to let go off and everything you hope to harvest

4. Take all of your leaves and go outside to release them. As you release them think about everything you want to let go off and everything you hope to harvest until spring while saying:

What is lost and what is gained are now set free in equal measures. Blessings be all 

Mabon spell

During September, collect some fallen tree leaves and write them down your wishes for the rest of the year.

Do you promise yourself to study harder?

Do you want to start exercising?

Do you want to sign up to new courses?

Maybe develop some skills?

(Use a black-ink pen to write on your leaves, you can also write sigils) Keep your leaves on your altar or on your bedside table, if you are a secret witch.

Then, during the Mabon night, burn your leaves to release the energy of your wish. If the leaves can’t be burn, then bury them outside.

Blessed Mabon

With the Sun crossing the celestial equator and going south, it’s time to welcome the autumn season with the arrival of the autumnal equinox in the northern hemisphere.

A time when day and night are of equal length, Mabon (one of the eight Wiccan sabbats) celebrates the Autumnal equinox – marking the end of summer and the beginning of fall. It is a point from where we head into the dark half of the year, leaving behind the long days of summer. This significant Pagan / Celtic festival marks the halfway point between the summer solstice and the winter solstice; the exact opposite of the Vernal equinox, which marks the beginning of spring with Ostara.

The date can fall anywhere between September 21 and 24, depending on a particular year. In 2023, Mabon will be observed on the 23rd of September.

As the celestial equator during an equinox is in perfect alignment with the Sun – day and night are of equal length all over the Earth. And thus all the influences upon our planet are in perfect equilibrium. It is a time that emphasizes the harmony between light and darkness; and so it’s a time for restoring balance!

Autumnal equinox or Mabon is also observed as a celebration of the second of three harvest festivals that take place in the Wheel of the Year (Lughnasadh being the first, and Samhain, the third) – honoring the abundance of Mother Earth and the gifts she provides.

The occassion of Mabon can be observed simply by vibing with the rhythm of the season, or you can celebrate the turning of the year by involving yourself in activities that correspond with the theme of this festive time, like —

• DECLUTTER :

– Like spring, Mabon is also a great time to clean your living space to get rid of negative or stagnant energies. When your outer atmosphere is clean, calm, relaxing, and peaceful, it largely helps in clearing out emotional clutter and can bring a sense of harmony.

• SET UP A MABON ALTAR :

– Mabon altar is a personal reflection of your connection to the season. Allow your creativity to guide you. Infuse your altar space space with your own unique style and intentions. Give your altar the look of the season by decorating with Mabon-inspired colours like red, orange, yellow, and earth tones like green, brown, rust, cream, and gold; You can place symbols like autumn leaves, cornucopia, acorns, gourds, pumpkins etc that correspond with the seasonal vibes. Place a pair of white and black candle representing balance between the light and dark aspects of the equinox, or any other symbol that represents balance: such as a yin-yang or a mandala / sacred geometry. Your Mabon altar is a sacred space to celebrate the abundance of Mother Earth’s harvest in all forms, and to experience moments of inner balance.

• RITUALS :

– You can practice magick ritual as a part of your Mabon celebrations. Choose rituals that resonate with the vibes of the the occasion. Consider practicing candle magick for balance; or shadow work for acceptance and release. You can incorporate crystals like Sun stone and Moon stone, Citrine, Smokey quartz, Carnelian, Green Aventurine, Tiger’s eye, Peridot, Obsidian etc in your practice. You can also meditate on these crystals. The fragrance of the season subtly associates with the scent of pine, sage, sweetgrass, myrrh, rosemary. Add them to your ritual or your day’s experiences in forms of dried herbs or essential oils.

• LIGHT A BONFIRE :

– Lighting a bonfire symbolizes the welcoming of the dark half of the year as the days become shorter and the nights grow longer. Bonfires signify the cycles of life and transformation; and remind us to discover the strength to face our fears and the courage to seek transformation.

• MABON FEAST :

– Indulge in the seasonal delicacies that reflect the bounty of Mother Earth. Savor the flavors of the harvest with joy and gratitude. (Traditionally, whole grain bread, beans, squash, nuts, pomegranates, apples, carrots, potatoes, fresh seasonal fruits are included in the festive feast)

In this season of introspection, transition, and an occasion to harvest human potential, may we find strength to know that every ending is also a new beginning. May we release what no longer serves our growth; live in gratitude, and align with the sacred cycles of life – that’s perfectly woven with both light and darkness, each holding its own divine purpose.

Blessed MABON!

Mabon Simmer Pot

Mabon is the 2nd Harvest of the year and falls on the Fall equinox. During this time, we give thanks for the harvest and blessings bestowed upon us. Make sure to give yours. With this simmer pot as you add each ingredient be sure to give your thanks for that item and the work it provides.

Ingredients

• Water, moon water if you prefer

• Nutmeg Fresh or ground. For luck, prosperity, and clairvoyance

Coffee Grounds or brewed. For energy, spell boosting, and removing blockages

• Oranges 1 to 3, depending on your pot size. Sliced in the whole ring slices. For healing, prosperity, and love.

• Cloves whole, but you can use ground cloves. For friendships, protection, and banishing negativity

• Vanilla Pure extract, essential oil, or whole bean. I personally use extract when I don’t have whole beans. For passion, mental awareness, and love.

• Star Anise Whole, 5 or 7, depending on pot size. For clarity, psychic awareness, and as an offering.

• Apples Freshly picked is best. 1 to 3, depending on pot size. Sliced horizontally so that you see the star shape the seeds and pods make. For protection, divination, and love.

• Cinnamon Ground or whole sticks. For prosperity, passion, and energy.

• Pomegranates 1 to 2, depending on pot size. Sliced, or just the seeds. For abundance, divination, and fertility.

• Mulled wine (optional) 1/3 cup to 1 cup, depending on pot size. Mulled wine infused with herbs and fruits including in the simmer pot is the best. To enhance intention.

Ground and center before all else.

Cleanse your space next.

Cut and prep everything, always keeping intentions in mind.

Put everything in the pot, largest first, stating your intention and thanks for each individual item.

Lastly add the wine, if using, and then fill pot until about ¾ full with water.

Turn stove on high. Bring pot to a boil, then lower heat all the way, and let it simmer.

Stir pot through the day. Repeat a personal mantra, chat, or simply give thanks every time you stir this pot. Stir to the right to attract, and to the left to banish.

Inhale the scents, let them wash over you.

Let pot simmer until all liquid is gone.

Once the liquid is gone, and the moon is out, take pot outside and return it to the Earth, giving your final thanks for the day.

Apples for Mabon

Apples are the perfect symbol of the Mabon season.

Long connected to wisdom and magic, there are so many wonderful things you can do with an apple.

Find an orchard near you, and spend a day with your family.

As you pick the apples, give thanks to Pomona, goddess of fruit trees. Be sure to only pick what you’re going to use.

If you can, gather plenty to take home and preserve for the coming winter months.

Mabon: A time for welcoming the Vine Gods

At this time of year, grapes can be found everywhere. Bearing this in mind it is no great surprise to find that the Mabon season can be a popular time for winemaking as well as celebrating the deities connected to the growth of this particular fruit.

Whether you see your particular deity as Bacchus, Dionysus, the Green Man, or some other vegetative god, the god of the vine is a key archetype in harvest celebrations.

Maybe as a way of furthering your Mabon celebrations, you could try your hand at making some of your own wine. If possible perhaps you could take a tour of a local winery to see what they do this time of the year.

If you’re not into wine, that’s okay; you can still enjoy the bounty of grapes, and use their leaves and vines for recipes and craft projects. However you celebrate these deities of vine and vegetation, you may want to leave a small offering of thanks as you reap the benefits of the grape harvest.

Count your blessings at Mabon

Mabon is a time of giving thanks, but sometimes we take our fortune for granted.

Sit down and make a gratitude list.

Write down things that you are thankful for.

An attitude of gratefulness helps bring more abundance our way.

What are things you’re glad you have in your life?

Maybe it’s the small things, like

“I’m happy that I have my cat Peaches”

or

“I’m glad my car is running.”

Maybe it’s something bigger, like

“I’m thankful I have a warm home and food to eat”

or

“I’m thankful people love me even when I’m cranky.”

Keep your list some place you can see it, and add to it when the mood strikes you.

Mabon

Autumn Equinox, 2nd Harvest, Falls Between September 21 – 23
Mabon, (pronounced MAY-bun, MAY-bone, MAH-boon, or MAH-bawn) is the Autumn Equinox. The Autumn Equinox divides the day and night equally, and we all take a moment to pay our respects to the impending dark. We also give thanks to the waning sunlight, as we store our harvest of this year’s crops. The Druids call this celebration, Mea’n Fo’mhair, and honor the The Green Man, the God of the Forest, by offering libations to trees. Offerings of ciders, wines, herbs and fertilizer are appropriate at this time. Wiccans celebrate the aging Goddess as she passes from Mother to Crone, and her consort the God as he prepares for death and re-birth.

Various other names for this Lesser Wiccan Sabbat are The Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest, Feast of Avalon, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), Alben Elfed (Caledonii), or Cornucopia. The Teutonic name, Winter Finding, spans a period of time from the Sabbat to Oct. 15th, Winter’s Night, which is the Norse New Year.

At this festival it is appropriate to wear all of your finery and dine and celebrate in a lavish setting. It is the drawing to and of family as we prepare for the winding down of the year at Samhain. It is a time to finish old business as we ready for a period of rest, relaxation, and reflection.

Symbolism of Mabon:
Second Harvest, the Mysteries, Equality and Balance.

Symbols of Mabon:
wine, gourds, pine cones, acorns, grains, corn, apples, pomegranates, vines such as ivy, dried seeds, and horns of plenty.

Herbs of Maybon:
Acorn, benzoin, ferns, grains, honeysuckle, marigold, milkweed, myrrh, passionflower, rose, sage, solomon’s seal, tobacco, thistle, and vegetables.

Foods of Mabon:
Breads, nuts, apples, pomegranates, and vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and onions.

Incense of Mabon:
Autumn Blend-benzoin, myrrh, and sage.

Colors of Mabon:
Red, orange, russet, maroon, brown, and gold.

Stones of Mabon:
Sapphire, lapis lazuli, and yellow agates.

Activities of Mabon:
Making wine, gathering dried herbs, plants, seeds and seed pods, walking in the woods, scattering offerings in harvested fields, offering libations to trees, adorning burial sites with leaves, acorns, and pine cones to honor those who have passed over.

Spellworkings of Mabon:
Protection, prosperity, security, and self-confidence. Also those of harmony and balance.

Deities of Mabon:
Goddesses-Modron, Morgan, Epona, Persephone, Pamona and the Muses. Gods-Mabon, Thoth, Thor, Hermes, and The Green Man.

Mabon is considered a time of the Mysteries. It is a time to honor Aging Deities and the Spirit World. Considered a time of balance, it is when we stop and relax and enjoy the fruits of our personal harvests, whether they be from toiling in our gardens, working at our jobs, raising our families, or just coping with the hussle-bussle of everyday life. May your Mabon be memorable, and your hearts and spirits be filled to overflowing!

Mabon: Clearing Away and Finishing Off

Although the corn is gathered, there is still apples, pears and berries left to be picked. Mabon is the time of year to tie up loose ends and also throw-away aspects of your life that are no longer relevant.

If any goal that you set yourself at the start of the year remains unfinished, you may wish to accept the fact that you have come as far as you can in this particular growth cycle. If you have gone along way in achieving this particular goal, you can probably be pleased with yourself that you have taken it this far. It was obviously a worthwhile goal and you can be proud of yourself for the effort you have made and doing so well. If you did not quite achieve what you wanted to with what you set out to do, maybe you can take note of the reason why and use this for the seed you sow for the coming year.

Mabon can be a good time of the year to resolve personal relationships. You may owe someone an apology or may of borrowed something you need to give back. You may need to repair a relationship that has gone sour , or put some old squabble behind you. Mabon may be the appropriate time to do this.

Mabon : The Festival and its Meaning

Mabon celebrates the “Harvest home” the end of the grain harvest. The fields are all cleared and in the garden, most of the crops have come to an end. Only the Apples and Pears and the winter-hardy plants remain. As the sun retreats, the earth pulls in. All growth stops, the sap is withdrawn into the tree roots and the leaves begin to turn.

It is time to look over what we have achieved and what we have learned, to give thanks for it all and to share some of our riches. It is a winding downtime, for finishing things off and tying loose ends and preparing for the dark days of winter. It is also a time to reflect on the balance of the opposing forces in our lives, to stop rest and maybe change gear in time for the meditations of Samhain.

In our own personal harvest, we think of our successes and achievements over the past year, however small. We also take note of the lessons we learned from the projects that were not as successful and we may have wished them to be. These achievements and lessons are the seeds from which new projects will grow in the future. We celebrate both as gifts of the Goddesses and Gods of the harvest and at the same time we clear away unwanted baggage that no longer plays any part in our lives.

Mabon: A time of Balance

Mabon is a time of balance when there are equal hours of darkness and light, and that can affect people in different ways.

For some, it’s a season to honor the darker aspects of the goddess, calling upon that which is devoid of light.

For others, it’s a time of thankfulness, of gratitude for the abundance we have at the season of harvest.

Because this is, for many people, a time of high energy, there is sometimes a feeling of restlessness in the air, a sense that something is just a bit “off.”

If you’re feeling a bit spiritually lopsided, with this simple meditation you can restore a little balance into your life.

You can also try a ritual to bring balance and harmony to your home.

Mabon: Raising Energy

It’s not uncommon for Pagans and Witches to make remarks regarding the “energy” of an experience or event.

If you’re having friends or family over to celebrate Mabon with you, you can raise group energy by working together.

A great way to do this is with a drum or music circle.

Invite everyone to bring drums, rattles, bells, or other instruments.

Those who don’t have an instrument can clap their hands.

Begin in a slow, regular rhythm, gradually increasing the tempo until it reaches a rapid pace.

End the drumming at a pre-arranged signal, and you’ll be able to feel that energy wash over the group in waves.

Another way of raising group energy is chanting, or with dance. With enough people, you can hold a Spiral Dance.

Mabon; Goddess and Gods

At Mabon the Goddess is the Lady of the fruitful harvest. She has given nearly all she has to give and watches over us while we reap the final sheave. She is growing old and wise with the year and offers us wisdom, healing and rest. In the Land of Shadows, she receives the dying God with outstretched arms and yet, in her maiden aspect, she is pregnant with the God who will be born at Yule.

The God has laid down his life for the Harvest, is about to cross over into the Land of Shadows. He stands on the threshold of light and dark, life and death. Soon he will lay in the arms if the Goddess waiting to be reborn. Like the corn, the God has been cut down, but his seeds bring the promise of new life.

Mabon: A time to get back to Nature

Fall is here, and that means the weather is bearable once more.

The nights are becoming crisp and cool, and there’s a chill in the air.

Take your family on a nature walk, and enjoy the changing sights and sounds of the outdoors.

Listen for geese honking in the sky above you, check the trees for changing in the colors of the leaves, and watch the ground for dropped items like acorns, nuts, and seed pods.

If you live in an area that doesn’t have any restrictions on removing natural items from park property, take a small bag with you and fill it up with the things you discover along the way.

Bring your goodies home for your family’s altar. If you are prohibited from removing natural items, fill your bag with trash and clean up the outdoors!

Mabon: Celebrating Hearth and Home

As autumn rolls in, we know we’ll be spending more time indoors in just a few months.

Take some time to do a fall version of spring cleaning.

Physically clean your home from top to bottom, and then do a ritual smudging.

Use sage or sweetgrass, or asperge with consecrated water as you go through your home and bless each room.

Decorate your home with symbols of the harvest season, and set up a family Mabon altar.

Put sickles, scythes and bales of hay around the yard.

Collect colorful autumn leaves, gourds and fallen twigs and place them in decorative baskets in your house.

If you have any repairs that need to be done, do them now so you don’t have to worry about them over the winter. Throw out or give away anything that’s no longer of use.

Kitchen Witch: Mabon, September 21st/ 23rd

Mabon marks the second harvest. The bounty of nature is dwindling. Earth begins to pull her fertility from the land. Humans and wild animals alike scramble to gather as much food as possible in preparation for the hard winter ahead.

Grains are appropriate for Mabon—particularly corn. Corn chowder, boiled ears of corn, and creamed corn fit Mabon symbolism well.

Beans, squash, and all other fall vegetables are also perfect for this festival.

Honour the Darkness at Mabon

Without darkness, there is no light.

Without night, there can be no day.

Despite a basic human need to overlook the dark, there are many positive aspects to embracing the dark side, if it’s just for a short time.

After all, it was Demeter’s love for her daughter Persephone that led her to wander the world, mourning for six months at a time, bringing us the death of the soil each fall.

In some paths, Mabon is the time of year that celebrates the Crone aspect of a triune goddess.

Celebrate a ritual that honors that aspect of the Goddess which we may not always find comforting or appealing, but which we must always be willing to acknowledge.

Call upon the gods and goddesses of the dark night, and ask for their blessings this time of year.

Mabon : The Festival and its Meaning

Mabon celebrates the “Harvest home” the end of the grain harvest. The fields are all cleared and in the garden, most of the crops have come to an end. Only the Apples and Pears and the winter-hardy plants remain. As the sun retreats, the earth pulls in. All growth stops, the sap is withdrawn into the tree roots and the leaves begin to turn.

It is time to look over what we have achieved and what we have learned, to give thanks for it all and to share some of our riches. It is a winding downtime, for finishing things off and tying loose ends and preparing for the dark days of winter. It is also a time to reflect on the balance of the opposing forces in our lives, to stop rest and maybe change gear in time for the meditations of Samhain.

In our own personal harvest, we think of our successes and achievements over the past year, however small. We also take note of the lessons we learned from the projects that were not as successful and we may have wished them to be. These achievements and lessons are the seeds from which new projects will grow in the future. We celebrate both as gifts of the Goddesses and Gods of the harvest and at the same time we clear away unwanted baggage that no longer plays any part in our lives.

Mabon Explained

Autumn Equinox, 2nd Harvest, Falls Between September 21 – 23
Mabon, (pronounced MAY-bun, MAY-bone, MAH-boon, or MAH-bawn) is the Autumn Equinox. The Autumn Equinox divides the day and night equally, and we all take a moment to pay our respects to the impending dark. We also give thanks to the waning sunlight, as we store our harvest of this year’s crops. The Druids call this celebration, Mea’n Fo’mhair, and honor the The Green Man, the God of the Forest, by offering libations to trees. Offerings of ciders, wines, herbs and fertilizer are appropriate at this time. Wiccans celebrate the aging Goddess as she passes from Mother to Crone, and her consort the God as he prepares for death and re-birth.

Various other names for this Lesser Wiccan Sabbat are The Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest, Feast of Avalon, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), Alben Elfed (Caledonii), or Cornucopia. The Teutonic name, Winter Finding, spans a period of time from the Sabbat to Oct. 15th, Winter’s Night, which is the Norse New Year.

At this festival it is appropriate to wear all of your finery and dine and celebrate in a lavish setting. It is the drawing to and of family as we prepare for the winding down of the year at Samhain. It is a time to finish old business as we ready for a period of rest, relaxation, and reflection.

Symbolism of Mabon:
Second Harvest, the Mysteries, Equality and Balance.

Symbols of Mabon:
wine, gourds, pine cones, acorns, grains, corn, apples, pomegranates, vines such as ivy, dried seeds, and horns of plenty.

Herbs of Maybon:
Acorn, benzoin, ferns, grains, honeysuckle, marigold, milkweed, myrrh, passionflower, rose, sage, solomon’s seal, tobacco, thistle, and vegetables.

Foods of Mabon:
Breads, nuts, apples, pomegranates, and vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and onions.

Incense of Mabon:
Autumn Blend-benzoin, myrrh, and sage.

Colors of Mabon:
Red, orange, russet, maroon, brown, and gold.

Stones of Mabon:
Sapphire, lapis lazuli, and yellow agates.

Activities of Mabon:
Making wine, gathering dried herbs, plants, seeds and seed pods, walking in the woods, scattering offerings in harvested fields, offering libations to trees, adorning burial sites with leaves, acorns, and pine cones to honor those who have passed over.

Spellworkings of Mabon:
Protection, prosperity, security, and self-confidence. Also those of harmony and balance.

Deities of Mabon:
Goddesses-Modron, Morgan, Epona, Persephone, Pamona and the Muses. Gods-Mabon, Thoth, Thor, Hermes, and The Green Man.

Mabon is considered a time of the Mysteries. It is a time to honor Aging Deities and the Spirit World. Considered a time of balance, it is when we stop and relax and enjoy the fruits of our personal harvests, whether they be from toiling in our gardens, working at our jobs, raising our families, or just coping with the hussle-bussle of everyday life. May your Mabon be memorable, and your hearts and spirits be filled to overflowing!