Mabon – autumn equinox, abundance and balance

„"Mabon - the autumn equinox and a festival of abundance, gratitude and balance. Discover the traditions, rituals and magic of this day and get inspired for your own celebrations."“

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With the arrival of autumn, one of the eight great holidays of the Wheel of the Year is approaching – Mabon. It falls on September 20–23 and is celebrated as autumn equinox – a time of harvest, abundance and gratitude. It symbolizes the balance between day and night, light and darkness, between the outside world and our inner self.

Mabon It connects ancient pagan traditions with modern life. It is a time when we slow down, take stock, give thanks, and prepare space for new beginnings.

Serenity
The equinox brings harmony between day and night and between the inner and outer worlds.

Abundance and harvest
It is the time of the second and final harvest, when we reap the fruits of our efforts – literally and symbolically.

Gratitude
We celebrate the gifts of Mother Earth and give thanks for what we have "sown" during the year.

Harmony and preparation for winter
Nature is resting. We too are learning to slow down and turn our attention inward.

The autumnal equinox is the midpoint between the summer and winter solstices. Light and darkness balance out, and we learn to embrace the darker part of the year as a space for introspection and regeneration. Apparent passivity is not a waste of time – it is a space for renewal and creativity.

How to Celebrate Mabon in Modern Life

Gratitude Ritual
Give thanks to nature – perhaps while walking in the woods, in the park, or in the garden. Notice the gifts of the earth and take a moment to give silent thanks.

Feast of Plenty
Prepare a feast for yourself, your family or friends. Bread, apples, pumpkins, nuts, rosehip tea, cider or wine are suitable for the table. Sharing food is an old, beautiful ritual of abundance.

Self-knowledge and planning
Mabon is the perfect time to reflect on the past year. What went well? And what do you want to let go of? Above all, what new things do you want to sow?

Connection with nature
Go barefoot in the grass, touch the trees, listen to nature. You can plant a tree – the apple tree is a symbol of abundance.

Home altar
Create an altar with the gifts of autumn: acorns, chestnuts, rose hips, colorful leaves, crystals. It will remind you of balance and abundance.

Colors and Stones for Mabon

• Green stones – nature, life, prosperity (e.g. jasper, carnelian).
• Golden stones – abundance, success, spiritual wealth (e.g. topaz).
• Crystals for grounding – amethyst, lapis lazuli.
  Place them on your altar, carry them in your pocket, or meditate with them in nature. They symbolically connect you to the energy of autumn.

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Mabon as a time of stopping

The autumnal equinox is the midpoint between the summer and winter solstices. Light and darkness balance out, and we learn to embrace the darker part of the year as a space for introspection and regeneration. Apparent passivity is not a waste of time – it is a space for renewal and creativity.

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...can be a little corner of autumn magic. Place green and gold stones on it along with fruit, nuts, acorns, poppies and chestnuts.

During a gratitude ritual, imagine filling the stones with happiness, joy, and prosperity, and let this energy flow into your life. To connect more with the earth, take the stones into nature.

Sit down, feel the coolness of the soil, breathe calmly and release tension. This way you will find balance and peace within yourself. And if you want to please the creatures of nature, leave the stones together with apples, nuts or flowers outside as a gift to the elves, fairies or spirits of the forest. Autumn nature will then accept your gratitude and gently return it back.

A little ritual for Mabon

You need:

• a smoking container with sand, charcoal, herbs or flowers (e.g. a rose),
• autumn spices (cinnamon, star anise),
• stones or crystals according to intuition.

Find a quiet place, ideally outside. Light the charcoal, sprinkle herbs and spices. Smell the scent, touch the stones and symbols. Think about what you want to let go of and what you want to sow into the new part of the year. Thank Mother Earth for her gifts and open yourself to new energy.

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Activities for a beautiful Mabon

• Walks in nature and collecting autumn gifts.
• Baking apple pie and preparing drinks with spices.
• Cleaning and purifying the home and mind.
• Telling stories and legends about Mabon (reminiscing about old times).

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Mabon and myths

The goddess Modron gave birth to a son, Mabon (the Great Son), who was then carried underground – back to his mother’s womb. The world temporarily loses its strength and color until Mabon rises again in the spring. This legend commemorates the cycle of life and the alternation of light and darkness. We know an older version of the story from the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone.

With the arrival of winter, nature goes into hibernation, and instead of continuing to give us its gifts, it invites us to turn inward – to ourselves, to our souls and their silent depths. The autumnal equinox, Mabon, is the ideal moment to slow down, take stock, and be grateful for all that we have sown and harvested during the year.

It is best celebrated at home, in a warm and cozy place: snuggled up in a soft blanket with a cup of rosehip tea, the smell of honey and cinnamon, while reading beautiful books, in conversations with yourself and your loved ones.

Let your thoughts roam freely, allow creativity to breathe, and let new ideas sprout from simply doing nothing.

Mabon is not a waste of time, but a return to balance – a time when the body rests and the soul grows.

And since this holiday is also about abundance and thanksgiving, treat yourself to a feast full of autumn flavors: pumpkin soup, mashed potatoes with mushrooms, baked apples, fragrant teas with honey, and maybe even a glass of wine. Shared food, laughter, and the presence of those you love are the purest form of autumn well-being and gratitude.

Something for inspiration:

https://velkeholky.org/knihy-legendy

The 48 Laws of Power from the book by Robert Greene