I was certainly hoping to have a more festive celebration for Mabon this year but unfortunately everyone here is sick - really sick. I haven't even had he energy to decorate my altar.
Although I love the Autumn season, I really dislike how colds an viruses seem to emerge this time of the year.
I hope you all are well~

Mabon is upon us! Finally, Autumn! This is, hands down, my favorite season!
Here's a bit of info on Mabon:
The Equinox is an in-between time; the end of something, the beginning of something else, the cusp of change. The zodiac shifts from Libra, ruled by Venus, goddess of love, sex, beauty and relationships, to Scorpio, ruled by Mars and Pluto, planetary Gods that rule death, insight and transformation.
The calendar date of the equinoxes vary, usually between the 19th and 23rd of the month (tending towards later as we approach a leap year). This year Mabon falls on the 22nd.
The Autumn Equinox is the second in the trilogy of harvest festivals. Mabon marks the completion of the grain harvest begun during Lughnasadh. Celebrations revolve around the gathering of crops and thanksgiving for the abundances of the harvest, and rituals to insure the success of next year's harvest are characteristic during this harvest time. The making of corn dollies from the last sheaf of corn that is harvested is a typical custom. She is kept until the spring - keeping the spirit of the corn, when she is ploughed back into the field to breath the life of the corn back into the soil.
Mabon is referred to as the 'Witches Thanksgiving' - in my house anyway! We usually have a big feast on Mabon night! There goes my diet! Tomorrow my best friend Cherie and I will be attending an open Circle for Mabon. I am really excited! I hope to remember to take pictures!
Autumnus
Autumn Equinox (Various Locations)
Themes: Harvest; Abundance; Thankfulness; Balance; Wisdom; Foresight; Autumn.
Symbols: Fall Leaves; Harvested Items
About Autumnus: This is the Roman personification of the autumn season. While the actual gender of this being is often left to the imagination, the strong connection with the harvest, wines, and fruits intimates a powerful earth goddess, blossoming with her seasonal array.
To Do Today: In magic traditions, today is a time to appreciate the earth’s abundance somewhat cautiously. After this festival, the daylight hours will begin to wane, meaning wise prudence is called for. So while we reap Autumnus’s bounty from the sowing season, we also begin prudently planning.
Decorate your dining table or sacred space with colorful autumn leaves today. Enjoy as many harvested fruits and vegetables (perhaps from a farmer’s market) as possible today to internalize Autumnus’s prosperous, wise energy. Leave out a libation of wine or grape juice for the goddess to please her and to encourage continuing providence when her stores begin to wane.
For Children, today is a perfect time to have a leaf-raking party in which they figuratively gather what they need from the Goddess, then play happily in her energy afterward by jumping in the piles.

Here are a few ways to recognize the darker aspects of the day on the Equinox, Mabon with your Witchlets - hold a Falling Leaves ritual out doors.
Take an offering of grains and vegetables out to a large tree, preferably an oak that is beginning to color and lose its leaves.
Speak about the Wheel as reflected in the life of the tree-
- In Spring the first new signs of life appear, moving into maturity at summer, then to ripe acorns in late summer, now to dying as acorns and leaves fall, and the tree will "die" and slumber under Winter's cold before beginning again in early Spring.
- At ritual's end, have the children gather a few favorite leaves to press between waxed paper with an iron(supervise the ironing!); cut around leaves and hang in the witchlet's window.
I made a lovely wreath for Mabon this year. What do you think? I LOVE the autumn months!!! This wreath was very simple to make. I got all the things I needed at a craft store. I didn't use anything live because I think I'm going to keep this up year round - somewhere in my house!
I tend to forget to pack things away a lot of the time. Hey, at least I have a festive home year round!
If you want to make a Mabon wreath, here's what you will need:
* Acorns
* Pomegranates
* Pine Cones
* Autumn colored leaves
* Apples
* Ivy
* Cornucopias - Horn of Plenty
* Grapes
Like I mentioned, some of these things can be real or you can buy silk flowers and such at your local craft store. Use your imagination and remember to have fun!
This is a fun activity you can do with your children to celebrate Mabon.
What you will need:
1 bag each of semisweet chocolate and white chocolate morsels (chips), broad leafed herbs such as mint, basil, celery, etc.
What to do:
Select your sprigs of leaves in the produce section of your grocery store or from your garden. Wash leaves thoroughly and pat dry. Melt chocolate with 2 tsp. of butter, stirring until smooth. Pour chocolate into small bowls and give each child a clean small paintbrush. Paint the underside of the leaves with the chocolate and place on a wax paper covered cookie sheet. Refrigerate until firm. Slowly pull real leaves away from chocolate leaves.
Explain to your child(ren) how art is a reflection of the true beauty of Nature.
September has arrived and a new season is upon us. As we glance at the surrounding landscape, we begin to note subtle changes occurring. Leaves are beginning to fall gently from the trees and evening breezes feel cooler as darkness slowly invades the day.
This is the time of the Autumn Equinox, also known as Mabon. It is the second harvest, a time of thanksgiving for nature's bounty. We gather and store our crops getting ourselves ready for the darker days ahead. As we slowly enter into a time of quiet reflection, may this season bring you peace, contentment, and the realization of all the gifts you hold within your hearts.
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