About
Mabon is the modern pagan name for the autumn equinox, one of the eight sabbats of the Wheel of the Year, a twentieth-century framework that not every tradition uses. The name was chosen in the 1970s after Mabon ap Modron, a figure from Welsh legend, who has no known historical link with the equinox. It draws on older harvest home customs as a time of thanksgiving and balance.
Customs
- Holding a harvest home meal of thanks
- Picking apples and blackberries
- Decorating with autumn leaves, gourds and grain
- Giving food to food banks
- Reflecting on balance as day and night are equal
Food
- Apple and blackberry crumble
- Root vegetables
- Bread and cheese
- Cider or apple juice
A simple ritual
- Gather a few fruits, leaves or seeds from outside.
- Arrange them on your table and light a candle safely among them.
- Name three things you are grateful for from this year.
- Name one thing you are ready to let go of as the nights lengthen.
- Share a meal, give some food away, and put out the candle.
Never leave candles or fires unattended, and keep them away from pets and children.
Who is honoured
- Demeter Mother of the grain and the harvest
- Persephone Queen of the underworld and the returning spring