Discover the folklore of Mabon

Celebrate the autumn equinox

As you feel a chill in the air, and trees begin to shed leafy carpets of orange, red and brown, you know fall season has arrived. Mabon is the name of the Pagan harvest festival, which falls on the autumn equinox of late September.

But Mabon is more than just a single-day festival, it is a whole season of reflection. You can use this time of balance to assess your success and the things that didn't go well during the previous 12 months. It's a time for planning and soul-searching. Time to consider how you wish your life to unfold in the coming new year. Mabon is also full of folklore and traditions to help you with this reflection and future planning. Here's some of its lore.

1) Who is Mabon?

The Welsh god, Mabon, has been adopted as a figurehead for the autumn equinox celebrations by modern Pagans. With ancient roots, he is the son of the great mother goddess. Folklore says, he was stolen from her as a baby. He existed in a womb-like state of learning and growth, then was reborn to the great mother as powerful god of light. He is a symbol of male fertility and the abundance that flows after spiritual growth.

2) Experience Mabon Spirit

The most important aspect of Mabon is its personal meaning for you. Pagan festivals are, partly, intended to symbolise how the development of your life - your thoughts, actions, mental, emotional and spiritual growth - can mirror and work with the cycles of the natural world. Equinox is a time of balance in the natural world, when light and dark of equal length. So bring the Mabon energy of balance and reflection into your life during this season by pausing, reflecting and changing aspects of your life. Ask yourself:

-Have you accomplished your main goals for this year? If not, why not?

-What changes can you make in order to achieve your goals next year?

-Are there any negative habits that you could discard?

-What causes do you care about? Are they positive influences on you and others? If so, what more can you do to help them?

3) Pomona

Pomona is a Roman goddess associated with the fertile fruit trees, especially apples, which offer up their fruit at this time of year. In images, she holds out a cornucopia, which is a horn of plenty, containing all the fruits and foods of the harvest. So offer up thanks to Pomona as you collect nature's bounty this autumn. Honour her by not taking more than you need in any aspect of your life.

4) Darkness

Autumn marks the coming of darkness as the nights grow longer and the hours of light are shorter. This phase is not always welcome but it is necessary. Seasons change in order to make way for new growth and new life. Without the dark season the world could not bloom anew in the spring. The darkness of autumn and winter brings change to the world.

5) Acorns

A key symbol of Mabon is the acorn. From this small seed, a mighty oak tree can grow. So acorns symbolise how big ideas can grow from tiny seeds. The acorn falls from the oak tree to the ground during this season. Most acorns will become food for wildlife, but some will transform into a new oak tree in the coming months. Because acorns are only produced by mature oak trees, they also symbolise the perseverance needed to bring an idea to fruition.

6) Michaelmas

An old Christian festival celebrated close to the autumn equinox, which is interwoven with Pagan tradition. Usually held on September 29, Michaelmas or the feast of St. Michael is a harvest festival. It is named after the Archangel Michael who fought and defeated evil. He is a bringer of light in darkness, so an appropriate protector for the darker months.

7) Tap into Mabon energy

An easy way to experience the powerful energy of Mabon for yourself is by creating an altar with symbols of the season placed upon it. Offer intentions, meditations and prayers at your altar to prepare yourself for the months ahead. Offer good wishes for others, as well as yourself. Here's what to use on your altar, choose your favourites:

Sage, saffron, camomile, frankincense, sunflowers, apples, acorns, hazelnuts, oak leaves, pine cones, gourds, pumpkin. Crystals: clear quartz, amber, citrine, peridot, tiger's eye. Objects or pictures with shades of red, gold, violet, yellow, orange.