Mabon, also known as the Autumn Equinox is just around the corner. Mabon is the 8th festival in the celtic and nordic wheel of the year. It is sometimes known as the pagan Thanksgiving, Mabon marks the Autumn Equinox, when day and night are equal and is the celebration of the second harvest. Or as I like to call it the sweet harvest. When the sweeter foods such as Apples and berries are gathered to bring sweetness through the coming months.
But if you are not in the position to go out and gather your own apples, how can you celebrate the festival of Mabon?
Good news is there are lots of ways to celebrate this festival of balance and abundance of Mother Earth, both literally and spiritually. It’s also a good time to reflect on your journey through this Wheel of the Year, celebrating your successes.
Symbols of Mabon
Symbolism of Mabon: Second Harvest, the Mysteries, Equality and Balance.
Dates of Mabon: Mabon in the western hemisphere falls on either the 20th, 21st or 22nd September. The day changes every year
Symbols of Mabon: wine, gourds, pine cones, acorns, grains, corn, apples, sun wheel, vines such as ivy, dried seeds, and horns of plenty.
Colors: Orange, red, yellow, brown, copper, dark yellow, dark green
Foods: Berries, apples, pumpkins, cider, root vegetables, wine
Herbs: Yarrow, rosemary, sage, mugwort, rosehips,
Flowers: Sunflowers, thistle, marigolds
Animals: Owl, stag, blackbird, salmon
Goddesses: Modron (Welsh), Bona Dea, Land Mother, Aging & Harvest Dieties: the Triple Goddess-Mother aspect, Persephone, Demeter/Ceres, Morgan (Welsh- Cornish), Epona (Celtic-Gaulish)
Gods: Mabon ap Modron (Welsh), Sky Father, The Green Man, Wine Gods, Aging Gods, John Barley Corn , the Wicker-Man, the Corn Man, Thoth (Egyptian), Thor, Dionysus (Roman), Bacchus (Greek) & all wine Deities
celebrations
-
Have a bonfire for friends and family
-
Decorate your home, front door and altar with traditional autumn greenery
-
Write down what you have harvested the past year and display it in pride of place
-
Go apple, nut or berry picking (Make sure you have permission first)
-
Have a picnic
-
Clean your house and cleanse with sage or incense to get rid of stagnant or negative energy ready for the winter
-
Host a potluck Mabon dinner with your favorite people. Each person bringing something to add to the feast!
-
Light a candle and thank the universe for all the things you have been blessed with for the past wheel (If you like you can offer a glass of wine outside in thanks)
-
Gather a few of the plants or bark from the trees, feathers you have found and create a medicine pouch to smell and see these things throughout the winter to give you strength when you need it.
-
Make jam from the fruits you gather to preserve the sweetness of the wheel for the winter.
-
Gather plants and leaves to make loose leaf incense.
-
Do a chakra balancing meditation to connect with the balance of sun and moon.
-
Get back into nature, swish the leaves in the woods underfoot, look for the signs of the wheel turning
-
Create a leaf mandala to celebrate the abundance in your life
-
Create a thanksgiving ceremony
Mabon recipies
My absolute favourite Mabon recipe is this beautiful apple cake from Denmark
Ingrediants
- Apples
- Honey (to taste)
- 2 tbsp of water
- Cinnamon (tsp)
- Nuts
- Full fat cream
Danish Apple Cake
Method:
- Collect apples wash them thoroughly and peel them.
- Chop the apples into small pieces and put them to a pan with the honey and cinnamon.
- Simmer the apple mixture on a low heat adding water to make a thick sauce.
- Whilst the apple mixture is simmering chop your nuts. ( use the prefered nuts in a plastic bag and bash them with a rolling pin)
- Whip the cream until its forming peaks in the bowl.
- Let the sauce cool a little.
- In a glass place 4 tbsp of the apple sauce.
- Cover with cream
- And top with nuts.
- Enjoy with a smile – trust me you will !
I wish you the most abundant sweet harvest and joyful Mabon celebrations from the bottom of my heart
Walk in the footsteps of your ancestors & align your spirituality with nature
Learn more about the festivals of the Wheel of the Year, traditions, and ceremonies…
Our Celtic and Nordic ancestors were deeply connected with nature. Shamanically, spiritually & personally. Discover how you can create your own spiritual path connected with nature with the Wheel of the Year.
