Among the festivals of the Wheel of the Year , Mabon is one of the most rich in symbolism. Celebrated around September 21st , it corresponds to the autumn equinox , that unique moment when day and night are of equal length . This fragile balance is followed by a shift: the light gradually diminishes, and shadows gain ground. Summer fades, but winter has not yet arrived: Mabon is a liminal festival , a threshold between expansion and contraction, between abundance and deprivation.
In the neo-pagan and Wiccan tradition, Mabon is both a celebration of the harvest and a time for introspection. It invites us to give thanks for what has been given, to rejoice in the fruits of Mother Earth, but also to prepare for the entry into the inner season , a time of rest and silence.
The harvest festival: second harvest
In the agricultural cycle, Mabon corresponds to the second harvest . The first, celebrated at Lughnasadh (early August), was that of wheat and grain harvests. Mabon, however, is the festival of full granaries and ripening vines .
It's the time for apples, grapes, walnuts, squash, mushrooms —all those autumn foods that herald the preparation for winter. Homes are filled with provisions, cellars with wines and dried fruits.
It is a time to pay homage to the generosity of Mother Earth , to share communal feasts, and to light the first embers in the hearth, a prelude to the long winter evenings. Mabon is therefore a festival of gratitude , a time to say thank you before turning towards the dark season.
Shadow and light: the transition to introspection
After the equinox, the balance is disrupted: the days shorten, the nights lengthen. The air cools, the trees begin to shed their leaves, and the sap descends back towards the roots.
In many cultures, this time was associated with the invisible worlds . Autumn, a period when nature declines, is conducive to domestic rituals, introspection, and connections with the afterlife .
The Mabon festival invites us to slow down, to turn our gaze inward. It's a time for meditation, sorting, tidying, and letting go . Where Beltane or Litha (the summer solstice) celebrated flamboyance, Mabon reminds us of the importance of returning to ourselves .
Ancient myths of autumn
The equinoxes and harvests have inspired countless mythological tales.
- In ancient Greece , autumn is marked by the myth of Persephone , abducted by Hades. When she descends to the Underworld, the Earth darkens and enters a period of dormancy. Her return in spring brings the fields back to life. Mabon is therefore an echo of this cycle of descent and ascent, of death and rebirth.
- In other traditions, the equinox is linked to the seasonal weakening of the sun god . The sun declines, reminding us that all power must give way to the cycle of shadow.
- The Celts themselves, although they did not name “Mabon” in the modern sense, celebrated the harvests and paid homage to the forces of nature that ensured the survival of the community.
These myths emphasize that Mabon is not just an agricultural festival, but a spiritual transition : a passage from movement to silence, from fullness to stripping away.
Mabon in the Wheel of the Year
In the neo-pagan cycle of the Wheel of the Year , Mabon is the second of the three harvest festivals. It takes place after Lughnasadh and before Samhain .
- Lughnasadh (August 1st) : first harvest, celebration of bread and wheat.
- Mabon (September 21) : second harvest, gratitude for the fruits and wines.
- Samhain (October 31) : end of the cycle, entry into the winter night, dialogue with the ancestors.
Mabon is therefore a crossroads : still bright, but already turned towards the night. It symbolizes the idea that balance is always transitory, that it precedes an inevitable tipping point.
Ritual and symbolism of Mabon
Celebrating Mabon today means reconnecting with simple and sacred gestures:
- Prepare a meal based on apples, nuts, and grapes, to honor the season.
- Take some time for introspection , write down what you are grateful for, but also what it is time to let go of.
- Meditating on the balance between shadow and light , both externally and internally.
In a modern world dominated by acceleration and productivity, Mabon offers an autumnal spirituality : that of slowness, gratitude, and restored balance.
And beyond the rituals, Mabon reminds us that life is made up of cycles: taking, giving, giving thanks, letting go. Each harvest is followed by rest, each peak by withdrawal.
Because we forget to give thanks. Because we run without reaping the rewards. Because we flee from the shadows when they have so much to teach us. Mabon brings us back to the essentials: recognizing the gifts we have received, accepting the end of cycles, and preparing for future rebirths.
An autumn spirituality
Mabon, the festival of the autumn equinox , is an invitation to balance , a reminder that life is not a linear race, but an alternation of fullness and emptiness, of days and nights.
It is an ode to gratitude and slowness , a celebration of inner peace after the outward exuberance of summer. In a world that relentlessly exhausts us, Mabon teaches us to honor the harvest, to welcome the shade, and to re-enchant our connection to the seasons.