Celebrating the Autumn Equinox: A Look into Mabon
The autumn equinox, also known as Mabon in the Wheel of the Year, is a time of perfect balance—when day and night stand in equal length before the darker half of the year begins. An equinox occurs twice a year, once in autumn and once in spring, as the Earth moves along its orbit around the sun. During an equinox, neither hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, creating a moment of equality in length between light (daytime) and dark (nighttime).
In the Southern Hemisphere, the autumn equinox falls between March 20-23, while in the Northern Hemisphere, it occurs between September 20-23. After the autumn equinox, nights grow longer than the day, temperatures cool, and the world begins its slow descent into the introspective energy of autumn. When the autumn equinox occurs in the Northern Hemisphere, the spring equinox will occur in the Southern Hemisphere, and vice versa.
The autumn equinox has been celebrated for centuries as a season of gratitude, reflection, and transition. It is a time to honor the harvest—both the physical abundance of the land and the personal growth we have cultivated over the past seasons.
Below are ways to embrace this time and weave its energy into daily life.
Ancient Traditions & Folklore
Throughout history, cultures worldwide have recognized the autumn equinox as a sacred time of transition:
Celtic & Pagan Traditions (Mabon) – In Celtic spirituality, Mabon is the second of three harvest festivals, following Lammas and preceding Samhain. It is named after the Welsh mythological figure Mabon ap Modron, a divine child associated with wisdom, strength, and rebirth. Mabon represents the gathering of the final crops, a time of gratitude for abundance, and the acknowledgment that the darker days of winter are ahead.
Greek Mythology & Persephone’s Descent – In Greek mythology, the equinox symbolizes Persephone’s return to the underworld, where she spends the colder months with Hades, bringing autumn and winter - reflecting the seasonal cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Japanese Shūbun-no-Hi – In Japan, the equinox is honored as a time to reflect on nature’s beauty and express gratitude to ancestors, known as Higan—a Buddhist tradition where families visit gravesites and pay respects.
Harvest Celebrations – Many cultures celebrate this time with feasts to give thanks for the earth’s produce to be harvested.
Ways to Recognize & Celebrate the Autumn Equinox
1. Practice Gratitude
Mabon is a time to give thanks for the abundance in your life—both physically and emotionally. Journaling what you’re grateful for, creating an autumnal altar with seasonal offerings (such as apples, pumpkins, or dried herbs), or simply pausing to appreciate nature’s beauty can help cultivate a deep sense of gratitude.
2. Align with Seasonal Foods & Nourishment
The harvest season is a reminder to eat in harmony with nature. Root vegetables, warming spices, apples, figs, and pumpkins are grounding foods that can help us transition into the cooler months. Cooking nourishing meals, making herbal teas, or preserving summer’s produce (through drying herbs, making jams, or fermenting) are wonderful ways to honor the equinox.
3. Reflect & Let Go
Just as trees begin shedding their leaves, the equinox is an opportunity to release what no longer serves you. Journaling, meditating, or performing a letting-go ritual—such as writing down old habits or emotions on paper and burning it safely—can be a symbolic way to clear space for new beginnings.
4. Restore Balance in Life
Since the equinox represents equal day and night, it’s a great time to reflect on areas of imbalance in life. Are you overworking? Neglecting self-care? Feeling emotionally drained? Use this time to set intentions that create more harmony in your routine, relationships, and inner world.
5. Connect with Nature’s Energy
Spending time outdoors—whether it’s taking a mindful walk in a park, collecting fallen leaves, or simply watching the sunset, can help you feel more in tune with nature’s rhythms. Honouring the transition from light to dark reminds us to embrace the cycles of change in our own lives.
6. Create a Mabon Ritual
Light a candle to honor the balance of light and dark - bonus points for burning a black and white candle to honour the equal length of night and day
Decorate your home with autumnal colors (gold, deep red, orange, brown).
Craft a nature altar with seasonal elements like acorns, dried flowers, or cinnamon sticks.
Perform a simple meditation, visualising yourself grounding and aligning with the season’s energy.
Write your intentions on a piece of paper or a fallen leaf, burn, and scatter the ashes into the wind
Bake a sweet treat using seasonal produce - apple pie or bread, plum tarts, maple cake
Collect fallen leaves and decorate the home with a garland or wreath
Harvest and tie herbs into a herb bundle
Mabon Correspondances and Symbolism
In traditional folklore and spiritual practices, each festival or seasonal shift is associated with specific elements that can deepen your connection to its energy.
Herbs & Plants
Sage – For cleansing, wisdom, and protection
Rosemary – Enhances memory and reflection
Chamomile – Soothes and nurtures during seasonal transitions
Cinnamon – Represents warmth, abundance, and prosperity
Apples – A symbol of harvest, fertility, and the cycle of life
Oak Leaves & Acorns – Represent strength, wisdom, and resilience
Crystals
Citrine – Represents abundance, success, and gratitude
Carnelian – Enhances motivation, creativity, and warmth
Smoky Quartz – A grounding stone that helps release negativity
Tiger’s Eye – Symbolises balance, courage, and clarity
Amethyst – Supports inner reflection and intuition
Colours
Deep reds and oranges – Represent the turning leaves and warmth of the season
Gold and yellow – Symbolise the fading sunlight and gratitude
Browns and earthy tones – Connect to the grounding energy of autumn
Dark green – A reminder of nature’s endurance and cycles
Elemental Connections
Mabon is deeply connected to the elements of earth (harvest, stability, grounding) and fire (warmth, transformation, gratitude). Incorporating candlelight, bonfires, or cozy spaces into your celebrations can amplify this energy.
Flowers & Trees
Sunflowers – A last nod to the summer sun and gratitude for its gifts
Marigolds – Represent warmth, creativity, and protection
Chrysanthemums – A symbol of longevity and transition
Oak & Maple Trees – Represent wisdom, endurance, and the cycles of life
Animals & Symbols
Owls – Represent wisdom and intuition as the days darken
Deer – Symbolise grace and moving through seasonal transitions
Crows & Ravens – Guardians of mystery and transformation
Cornucopia – A symbol of abundance and gratitude
Embracing the Autumn Equinox in Daily Life
Living seasonally means slowing down and embracing the wisdom of nature.
The Autumn Equinox serves as a powerful reminder that life moves in cycles—of growth and rest, light and dark, outward action and inward reflection. As the earth slows down, we are also invited to pause, realign, and embrace the natural rhythm of the season—less rushing, more cozy evenings, mindful eating, and deeper self-care.
By honouring the equinox, we deepen our connection to the earth, to ourselves, and to the ancient wisdom that reminds us that change is not only inevitable but beautiful. However you choose to celebrate, let this season be a time of mindful transition, warmth, and inner harmony.
