Mabon
The autumn equinox, a festival of balance and of the second harvest.
When: the autumn equinox, around 22 September in the north and 20 March in the south.
What it is
At Mabon (say "MAB-on") day and night are equal for the second time in the year, and from now on the dark is ahead. It is the second harvest, of apples, pears, nuts and grapes. The larder fills, the leaves turn, and the year begins to draw in.
Mabon is a festival of thanks and of balance: a look at what there is, a decision about what to keep, and the first step towards the quiet months.
Where it comes from
Of all the sabbats this one has the youngest name. Harvest festivals are as old as farming, but no ancient festival of the autumn equinox is recorded for Britain or Ireland. The equinox was added to the wheel in the 1950s to complete it, and it received its name in the 1970s from the American writer Aidan Kelly.
He took it from a Welsh tale. Mabon son of Modron, "the son of the mother", is stolen from his mother when he is three nights old and is freed from his prison many years later by the companions of King Arthur. The tale has nothing to do with the equinox, and for that reason some witches, and many in Wales, prefer to say simply "autumn equinox".
What the festival draws on is the harvest home of the countryside: the supper for all who had worked on the last field, the decorated church, and in the German-speaking lands the Erntedank at the beginning of October. In East Asia the full moon of this season is kept as a great festival of harvest and family.
Mabon is one of the eight sabbats of the Wheel of the Year.
Ways to celebrate
- The star in the apple: cut an apple across the middle, find the five-pointed star of its core, and share it.
- A table of thanks: lay out what the season gives, fruit, nuts, coloured leaves, and eat with someone.
- Balance the scales: write what you will keep from this year and what you will let go before winter.
- Share the harvest: give fruit from your garden or food from your cupboard to someone who needs it.
- Lay in stores: dry apple rings, cook jam, or simply put your home in order for the dark months.
Good to know
Eat only wild fruit, nuts and mushrooms that you can identify beyond doubt. With mushrooms a mistake can kill; when in doubt, ask an expert or leave them.
For some people the shrinking light brings a low mood. Go outdoors around midday, keep in touch with people, and talk to your doctor if it lasts.
Mabon also invites you to do less. Slowing down with the year is a way of keeping the festival.