What is Mabon? All You Need to Know about the Autumn Equinox

Learn all about how to work with the energies of the Autumn Equinox. Discover the origins, correspondences, and magickal workings of the sabbat Mabon.

This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you! Thank you in advance for helping to support Feralwood Farm.

What is Mabon?

Also known as the Second Harvest Festival, Mabon (pronounced mah·bon) takes place during the Autumn Equinox which lies between September 22nd-23rd in the Northern Hemisphere, and March 20th-21st in the Southern Hemisphere. This is the day when our hours of light and dark are perfectly equal, and the halfway point between the Summer and Winter Solstices. Mabon is also one of the eight sabbats on the Wheel of the Year, and represents balance, harvest, gratitude, and preparation for colder times ahead.

While this sabbat’s name is connected with that of a Welsh hero, Mabon (often associated with the deity Maponus), the holiday itself doesn’t have anything to do with the hero. Mabon as a sabbat was actually named by Aidan Kelly, a Wiccan writer and academic, in 1974. When Kelly was tasked with creating a “Pagan-Craft” calendar, he decided to come up with aesthetic Gaelic names for the equinoxes & solstices to match those of the Celtic Fire Festivals. Mabon was chosen as the name for the Autumn Equinox because of being a Northern European hero; who’s myth is similar to those of Demeter searching for Persephone in the Underworld, and thus the seasons changing. In this blog Kelly goes into depth on his his reasons for choosing this name (and others such as Ostara).

Other Names & Similar Celebrations

Autumnal or Autumn Equinox
Second Harvest Festival
Michaelmas

Common Mabon Traditions

Crafting Corn Dollies: you can make what is known as a “corn dolly” from any plant material however corn husks or wheat tend to be the most common ingredients to utilize. Magical Crafting on YouTube has this brilliant video on how to make one yourself!

Participating in the Harvest: in the past it was all hands on deck during harvest season, but even in the modern era you can get your hands to the earth and participate in bringing in some seasonal edibles! Try finding a “you-pick” apple, pumpkin, or even flower farm near you, or if you’re feeling adventurous (and willing to research!) look for some seasonal wild foragables.

Feasting: Mabon, being one of the three harvest festivals, is even more heavily associated with food than those sabbats on the other half of the year. Try creating some new dishes made from seasonal foods, and share your bounty with friends and loved ones!

Mabon Correspondences

Colors

Yellow
Gold
Orange
Red
Green
Brown
Black

Crystals, Stones, & Metals

Citrine
Amber
Tiger’s Eye
Obsidian
Sapphire
Smoky Quartz

Animals

Crows
Owls
Wolves
Bears
Salmon
Eagles
Deer
Geese

Trees

Oak
Maple
Apple

Herbs & Plants

Apple
Cinnamon
Mugwort
Rosehip
Rosemary
Sage
Yarrow

Food & Drink

Cider
Apples
Corn
Squash
Pumpkin
Breads & Baked Goods
Grains
Root Vegetables
Beer
Wine
Mead
Apple Juice

Deities

Bacchus
Dionysus
Persephone
Demeter
Hades
Maponus
Banbha
Gaia
Ceres
Dagon
Cerridwen
Mercury
Pachamama
Inanna
Freyja

Ideas for Magickal Workings

Hearth Magick
Kitchen Witchery
Home Protection
Balance
Releasing Negativity
Releasing Bad Habits
Prosperity
Shadow Work
Abundance
Harvest
Gratitude

Download your FREE Mabon Grimoire Page!

More on the Wheel of the Year

Pin It For Later

Did you know I use Canva to make all the graphics I use here on my website? Click here to try it out for yourself!

Sources

About Naming Ostara, Litha, and Mabon: Aidan Kelly
About Aidan Kelly: Aidan Kelly
As pagans celebrate autumn equinox, some question why Mabon is its symbolic deity: Heather Greene
Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials Mabon: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for the Autumn Equinox
The Modern Witchcraft Guide to the Wheel of the Year