Mabon: The Autumn Equinox

The wheel of the year is a Wiccan construction that has been adapted by neo paganism. It takes from older pagan celebrations across Western Europe (mainly the UK) and puts them together in perfectly spaced celebrations in the year. However most of these celebrations were never celebrated as the Wheel of the Year and each region would celebrate a different festival. Nor were these perfectly spaced and always on the same date each year. Rather people would perceive seasonal change through the natural world via plants, weather or the sun signalling a changing of seasons. 

The origins of the Wheel of the Year seem to not matter anymore. Nowadays many pagans and witches (including me), whether they’re Wiccan or not, celebrate the Wheel of the Year. This could be for various reasons, however a prominent one seems to be the connection between other witches and/or pagans. Or simply to live more slowly and attentively with the seasons. In my Wheel of the Year series, I take you through the origins of these celebrations and give my interpretations and modern adaptions for them.

Mabon, or more commonly known as the autumn equinox, signifies the second harvest festival in the triad of harvest festivals (Lammas/Lughnasadh, Mabon and finally Samhain). Mabon falls on the autumn equinox, which this year where I live falls on the 23rd of September. The exact date and time can vary depending on your location. Mabon also symbolizes the middle of autumn and the balance between light and day. From this day until the winter solstice, the days will be shorter and the nights longer. 

Welcoming cozy autumn days

Autumn is by far my favourite season. Nature clads the landscape with warm toned colours, providing a harsh contrast to the cold seeping in as the night lengthens. As the outside world fills my lungs with cold air and decay, I am greeted by the comfort of cinnamon and candle light inside my home. Autumn provides a beautiful contrast and balance between light and dark, warmth and cold, decay and new beginnings. Where summer feels ever-lasting, autumn has a fleeting nostalgic feeling. 

Saying goodbye to the land

Excuse my absence for the past month. But it’s for good reasons! In August I was finally able to move out of a toxic home. I spent all my energy and focus on renovations and working on my new home, which is why I have been mia. Now that I have settled ever so slightly and the anxiety has passed, I want to shift back my focus to my blog. Today I’d like to talk about saying goodbye to a Genius Loci, or spirit of the land. This blogpost also partially acts as an ode to the land spirit, supported by pictures I have taken of the land.