![]() Vegetables such as squash and gourds, apples and anything made from their fruit, seeds, nuts, and corn are all appropriate for the holiday. Symbols of Mabon are reflective of the season: It's associated with rich, vibrant jewel tone hues and objects that possess grounding, comforting qualities. ![]() ![]() The point is to revel in the wheel of the year as she shifts once again, preparing us for darker days and a time of potent energetic opportunities. And, if there's no time for that, simply gather up friends and loved ones, start a bonfire, go apple picking, or simply sit outside and enjoy the smells of the season. Cleansing yourself by burning protective and cleansing herbs like sage, mugwort, and cedar is also a good way to use today's energy. Consider casting a protective circle, creating an altar outside, or leaving an offering of apples, milk, honey or bread for the faeries and elementals. Pagans often take this time to find connection to Gaia, the goddess of the earth and nature incarnate. Spending time outside, immersed in nature and her gifts, is another easy way to celebrate. Kitchen witchery, or using food for magic, is also apt. Celebrate in ritual outside, around a bonfire, or among the forest, giving libation and thanks to whatever it is that you worship and blessing the food in its name before partaking. Honor the autumnal bounty by hosting a feast, even if you're not the one who harvested the ingredients. Those who practice Mabon see it as a time of balance between the opposing forces of light and dark, life and death: As you celebrate the harvest you've reaped, you simultaneously recognize that the soil is dying, that the nights will start to become longer, and that the earth is slowly going into hibernation.īecause of Libra's community focus, the best (and most fun) way to celebrate Mabon is by throwing a party. This is an important time to give thanks to Mother Goddess and the earth for her gifts. For pagans, equinoxes are particularly significant events, and the autumnal equinox-also referred to as Mabon by neo-Pagans-is somewhat equivalent to Thanksgiving. The ancient Celts would conduct a mock sacrifice on this date, burning a wicker-work figure that represented the spirit of the vegetation.Īs any practicing witch can tell you, the equinox is a powerful time energetically the start of autumn, specifically, marks the point at which the light begins to wane. Although the details aren't known-initiates were forbidden on penalty of death from speaking about the rites-the festivities honored Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, and Persephone, her daughter, whose six-month annual disappearance into the underworld was said to cause the barren winter season. In ancient Greece, the Eleusinian mysteries, which marked the transition from summer to fall, were "considered essential to the survival of humanity," according to historian Mara Lynn Keller. In ancient Ireland, before the arrival of the Celts, prehistoric worshippers erected stone cairns containing chambers that that only let light in on the equinoxes. Watch now: Summer Solstice at Stonehenge: 12 Hours at the World's Biggest Pagan Party
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