One way that I like to connect with the seasons and cycles of the earth is by tuning into The Wheel of the Year. The Autumn Equinox, sometimes called Mabon, is the third of the quarter days, which marks the second of the fall holidays (the mid-point between Lughnasadh and Samhain). Read on to discover how you can connect more deeply with the distinct energies of the Autumn Equinox in your spiritual practice.
Similar to the Lunar Phases (but on an annual scale rather than just monthly), the Wheel of the Year is a guide for living in alignment with the earth’s natural cycles. When you harmonize with the seasonal ebb and flow of nature, you can lead a more soulful life, cultivate a deeper understanding of yourself, and better recognize your role in the world around you.
By helping you stay in energetic flow with the seasons, the Wheel of the Year allows you to internalize the outward changes in nature as reflections of the growth and evolution you experience in your own life.
So what is the Wheel of the Year?
Separated into 8 main holidays, the Wheel of the Year is a representation of seasonal cycles that focuses on the 4 Solar Holidays of the year (also known as the quarter days). This stems from the Anglo-Saxon cultural observations of the solstices and equinoxes, with the addition of the 4 Gaelic, agrarian, seasonal celebrations (the mid-points between the solar holidays known as the lunar cross-quarter days or fire festivals).
Although some of the holidays observed in the Wheel of the Year are quite old, The Wheel of the Year as a whole is fairly modern (being developed in the late 1950s). Though I don’t personally follow the tradition that created the contemporary Wheel of the Year, I do find it a helpful way to think about the passage of time and what’s happening in the world at each time of year.
I tend to identify more with the Gaelic Cross-Quarter Days, as they stem from my ancestral heritage, than I do with the Anglo-Saxon solstices and equinoxes, but I do find value in these quarter days because they more closely align with the seasons as I observe them where I live in Madison, Wisconsin. For example, though my ancestors in Ireland and Scotland celebrated Lughnasadh as the beginning of autumn, I don’t quite feel the seasonal changes until the time of Mabon, the Fall Equinox, here in the United States. For this reason, these seasonal markers are important for helping me feel connected to what’s happening in nature all year long, while the cross-quarter days hold more spiritual significance for me in other ways.
An Introduction to the Autumn Equinox:
The Autumn Equinox, sometimes called Mabon, is the third of the quarter days, which marks the second of the fall holidays (the mid-point between Lughnasadh and Samhain). Mabon is traditionally celebrated on the day of the Autumnal Equinox, determined by when the Sun is directly over the earth’s equator (this date may range from September 21st through September 24th each year depending on the Sun’s position).
Modern Mabon celebrations stem from the contemporary Wheel of the Year, where Mabon is associated with the Autumn Equinox and is celebrated as a time to celebrate the abundance of the harvest before we move into the depths of winter.
Why celebrate the Autumn Equinox?
Mabon welcomes in the Fall, the return of longer nights, and the great harvest of the year. At this time, we harvest the fruits of our labor, and we literally harvest the fruits, vegetables, grains, and other crops from the land. As the days grow darker, we are reminded to plan and prepare for the long winter season ahead. Though we may allow ourselves some time for celebration and gratitude while we are surrounded by abundance, we must also practice moderation and self-discipline to ensure our safety and survival during leaner times.
Mabon is celebrated at the Autumnal Equinox, when light and darkness are equal, which means that from this day forward, the days will continue to grow shorter until the time of the Winter Solstice. For this reason, Mabon is a time of recognition of the darker half of the year, a time to recognize the cycles of death and rebirth, transformation, and equilibrium.
Set up your Autumn Equinox Altar with me!
Ways to Celebrate the Autumn Equinox:
Hold an Autumn Equinox feast
Make an herbal wreath or garland out of your favorite mabon herbs or flowers (display it in your home during your celebration and then dry it to keep for a while longer)
Make a list of everything you’re grateful for right now and place it on your Mabon altar
Create a bouquet of autumn flowers and place it on your altar or in your home (gather them only from places where you have permission, take only what you need and leave much more than you take)
Bake fresh bread and think of gratitude for the harvest while you prepare it
Go on a walk or hike in nature and take some photos (or even sketch or paint!) to capture the coming of autumn (you can even print these and put them on your altar or create some Mabon-themed Grimoire pages)
Collect some colorful leaves from your neighborhood (only those that have fallen naturally), and place them on your altar, create some artwork with them, or dry them and iron them between sheets of waxed paper
Be intentional with your shadow work during this time of balanced light and darkness
Create a nature altar for fall (add your items dedicated to nature, or collect natural items to add – only collect with permission – please be respectful)
If you’re of age, consider enjoying a bottle of wine from a local vineyard (or give one as a gift to someone you’re grateful for)
Attend a fall fair, go apple picking, or visit a pumpkin patch
Harvest some fresh fruits, veggies, herbs, or flowers from your garden and share them with friends, family, and neighbors – be sure to offer a little something back to the land to show your gratitude for the abundance of your harvest and to ensure a good harvest next year
Spend some time in the kitchen preserving the harvest (canning, freezing, or dehydrating some of the bounty of the season for the long winter months)
Do a bit of cleaning & home blessing to prepare for the darker months ahead
Enjoy the delicious treat of some pumpkin or apple baked goods (homemade is great, but if you’re short on time or energy, support your local bakery by buying something pre-made)
Need Some Inspiration for Your Autumn Equinox Altar? Watch below for a list of suggested Mabon Altar supplies!
As healers, it’s important for us to harmonize with the natural rhythm of each season and know how to adapt to its distinct energies…
The Autumn Equinox is a potent time for channeling abundance and connecting with your soul purpose. If you’re looking for more ways to amplify and align yourself with these seasonal energies, check out our Autumn Equinox Kit, your ultimate companion for embracing Mabon magic.
Our Autumn Equinox Kit is specially designed to guide you through the mystical realm of Mabon, helping you honor the cycle of life and tap into the transformative energies of this magical season. Filled with expert knowledge and beautifully-curated resources, this kit is your key to unlocking the magic of crystal healing during this holiday.
This comprehensive, digital kit includes:
Autumn Equinox Guidebook
Guided Meditation for the Autumn Equinox
Autumn Equinox Card Spread
Autumn Equinox Crystal Grid Recipe & Template
As the wheel of the year turns and ushers in unique energies to the land, achieving seasonal synchronicity can be transformative for your spiritual practice. You’ll learn all about this with my Autumn Equinox Digital Download Kit!
Autumn Equinox Crystals:
Yellow Apatite
Bloodstone
Bronzite
Honey Calcite
Chalk
Gold
Hematite
Peach Moonstone
Rainbow Moonstone
Preseli Bluestone
Rutilated Quartz
Padparadscha Sapphire
Yellow Sapphire
Dravite Tourmaline
The Autumn Equinox Signifies the Time for:
Abundance
Achievement
Appreciation
Balance
Celebration
Community
Completion
Connection
Cycles
Excitement
Family
Generosity
Gratitude
Harvest
House Magic
Integration
Mourning & Grief (of people & things that have been lost)
Nature Connection
New Perspectives
Non-Duality
Nostalgia
Planning
Preparation
Prosperity
Protection
Recognition
Romance
Transformation
Wholeness
Autumn Equinox and the Lore of Modron & Mabon:
Mabon is a relatively recent name given to the Autumnal Equinox. Mabon, in Welsh mythology and lore, was a child of light who was taken from his mother, Modron, when he was just a baby. Overcome with grief for her kidnapped child, Modron, the great mother goddess of the Earth, allowed the earth and its creatures to succumb to her grief. This explanation of the seasonal change from the light half of the year toward the dark half o the year parallels the Greek myth of Demeter losing her daughter Persephone to the underworld. Mabon is typically the name used for the Autumn Equinox by those who practice Wicca, but it has also been adopted by some modern Pagans as it has become so prevalent, and the name is now used by many almost interchangeably when referring to the Autumn Equinox.
Other Autumn Equinox Deities:
Arawn (Celtic)
Asherah (Semitic/Canaanite)
Astarte (Greek)
Bacchus (Roman)
Dagda (Celtic)
Demeter (Greek)
Dionysus (Greek)
Dumuzi (Sumerian)
Epona (Celtic)
Green Man (Celtic)
Gwynn ap Nudd (Celtic)
Hekate (Greek)
Hermes (Greek)
Idunn (Norse)
Inanna (Sumerian)
Ishtar (Akkadian/Babylonian)
Mabon (Celtic)
Modron (Celtic)
Morgan Le Fay (Avalonian)
Ogma (Celtic)
Persephone (Greek)
Pomona (Roman)
Tammuz (Akkadian/Babylonian)
Autumn Equinox Symbols & Foods:
Acorns & Other Nuts
Apples & Cider
Autumn Leaves
Baskets (especially made of Willow or Oak)
Bread
Chipmunks
Corn Ears & Stalks
Corn Dollies
Cornucopia
Fruits
Geese
Gourds
Grains (Barley, Oats, Rye, & Wheat)
Grapes & Grape Vines
Harvest Tools (Boline, Sickle, & Scythe)
Herbal Wreaths & Garlands
Honey & Mead
Hops & Ale
Horses
Owls
Pomegranates
Pumpkins & Pumpkin Seeds
Quert Ogham Symbol
Salmon
Scarecrows
Snakes
Squash & Gourds
Squirrels
Stag or Deer
Straw or Hay
Wild Boar
Autumn Equinox Herbs, Flowers, & Plants:
Artichokes
Aster Flowers
Bay
Black-Eyed Susan Flowers
Black Pepper
Calendula
Cedar
Chamomile
Cinnamon
Clove
Elderflower
Frankincense
Ginkgo
Goldenrod
Hazel
Ivy
Maple
Milkweed
Oak
Oakmoss
Poppy Seed Pods
Rose Hips
Rue
Saffron
Garden Sage
Sunflowers
Thistle
Yarrow
Autumn Equinox Colors:
Brown
Gold
Green
Orange
Peach
Red
Tan
Yellow
Autumn Equinox is also known as (or is related to):
Mabon
Fall Equinox
Autumnal Equinox
Harvest Home
Michaelmas
Wine Harvest
Feast of the Ingathering
Harvest Festival
Alban Elfed (the Light of the Water)
Harvest Tide
Mean Fomhair
Ampelia
Vinalia
Winter Finding
Feast of Avalon
Harvest Moon Festival
Otsukimi
Festival of the Vine
Second Harvest
Middle Harvest
Witch’s Thanksgiving
Aequinoctium Auctumnale
Equinozio di Autunno
Boedromion
Eleusinian Mysteries
Dozynki
Erntedankenfest
Further Reading:
Mabon: Celebrating the Autumn Equinox by Kristin Madden
Mabon: Harvest Home Ritual by Yamaya Treehawk & Wayfinder Thomasson
Celebrating the Traditional Pagan Festival of Mabon by Maureen Murrish
Autumn Equinox: The Enchantment of Mabon by Ellen Dugan
Disclosure: The links here are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Yay!
*If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, you’ll be celebrating the festival of Ostara today instead of Mabon to keep with the seasonal cycles. In the Southern Hemisphere, Mabon is usually celebrated during the time of the Northern Hemisphere’s Vernal (Spring) Equinox.
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4 Responses
Very enlightening, detailed. Many thanks..
Love and Light
Obinne
Hi Obinne! We’re so happy you liked it! Thank you for your comment. <3 Crystal Blessings
I Love the Fall Equinox, the Air is Cool & Crisp. The Perfect Time to Make Some Spiced Tea with Dry Fruit.
Absolutely!! Spiced tea with dry fruit sounds amazing, definitely perfect for the fall. <3 Crystal Blessings