Mabon marks the Autumn Equinox, when day and night are equal, making it a time of balance, equality and harmony.
22nd September 2025
It is the second harvest festival on the Wheel, the fruit harvest, when farmers gathered hearty foods like pumpkins, grapes and apples. Back in August, we saw the first corn harvest in the form of Lammas, where cultures across the world make corn dollies to celebrate a good harvest and welcome in an even better one for the following year.
There is a tendency to skip over Mabon as we gear up to Samhain (Halloween), maybe, we aren’t quite ready to give up the light of summer and begin the more introspective processes that autumn and winter can bring. As we slip into the autumn months and the light fades away, now is actually the perfect time to be looking at the darker side of life and reflecting on the uncomfortable things we usually shy away from.
Mabon Symbols
Symbols: Cornucopia (horn of plenty), pinecones, seeds
Colors: Orange, red, yellow, brown, copper, dark yellow, dark green
Foods: Corn, beans, squash, apples, pumpkins, cider, root vegetables, pomegranate, wine
Herbs: Yarrow, rosemary, sage, mugwort, rosehips,
Stones: Amber, citrine, cat’s eye, aventurine, sapphire, jasper
Flowers: Sunflowers, thistle, marigolds
Deities: Mabon, Green Man, Demeter, Persephone, Morgan, Pomona, Inanna
Animals: Owl, stag, blackbird, salmon
Mabon Altar or outside shrine
Decorate your altar using any of the Mabon symbols above. Make offerings to the Deities and make use of the seasonal foods, herbs and flowers in cooking, spells and potions. Meditate using the stones and give thanks for the fine harvest.
Setting intentions at Mabon
As the Wheel of the year comes to an end, Mabon is a good time to set intentions that involve decrease and reduction such as ending bad relationships, unhealthy habits or self destructive beliefs.
Go Walking.
Go for a walk and collect as much of nature's wild abundance as you can, while respecting the need to leave enough for everyone else including the nature spirits. You will find wild damsons, sloes, blackberries, apples and more. Remember the fruit is the carrier of the precious seed.
Clear Out and Complete.
We think of Spring as the time to clear out but now is the perfect time to complete unfinished projects and clear your home of unwanted stuff. Prepare to hibernate for the cold months are coming!
Plant Bulbs.
This is an excellent time to plant tree seeds and shrubs. They have all of winter in the darkness to establish and germinate. Plant bulbs which will hide in the earth until early Spring beckons. Make each one a hope, idea or aspiration for Spring and wait until their little green noses show above ground - to remind you!
Simple ways to celebrate Mabon
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Host a bonfire for friends and family
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Decorate your home, porch or entryway with traditional autumn decorations
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Write down all your blessings from the past year in a journal
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Go apple picking
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Have a picnic
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Clean your house and get rid of stagnant or negative energy
- A simple Mabon celebration you can do at bedtime is light a candle, close your eyes and breathe deeply for five minutes, giving thanks for all your blessings.
Next Month - What is Samhain?