Autumn is here, and don’t you just love it! But what does this time of year mean to witches and how does your average Pagan celebrate the equinox? Find out here.
You can genuinely smell the pumpkin spice in the air.
Today is the autumn equinox and people all over the Northern Hemisphere (and the internet) are celebrating by wearing brand new bobble hats, experimenting with mauve, and posting that really cute gif of the cat coming out of the leaves.
This one…
In the modern Pagan Wheel of the Year, today is the festival (or Sabbat) of Mabon. While this term only came about in the last 50 years, the equinox is still a very special time of year. Not only does it mean the start of a new season, but it’s also one of only two times of the year when day and night are in perfect balance. The term ‘equinox comes from two Latin roots – “aequi” and “noct”, in turn each meaning “equal” and “night.”
The focus of Mabon is on balance and finding equilibrium in our own lives. The light and the dark, the feminine and the masculine, the work and the play. Do you feel like something in you is taking too much control at the moment? What can you do to restore the balances in your own life?
Celebrating the autumn equinox doesn’t have to mean a full ritual. Here are three simple things you can do to help welcome balance and harmony back into your life this Mabon.
1. Take a healing bath.
Feeling under the weather? Take a bath. Feeling happy? Take a bath. Feeling unbalanced? Take a bath!
Baths release tension and toxins from the body. They are standard practice for the beginning of any magickal ritual but can just be a time to lie down and relax. While the cleansing water can help drain away negativity, it can also add positivity: top up your bath water with a mug of Epsom or magnesium salts and sprinkle in some chamomile for a cocktail of balancing goodness that is both replenishing and nourishing.
Tonight, I added rose oil and a piece of tourmaline, and enjoyed a bit of light witchy reading…
2. Do a guided meditation.
A meditation that connects you to autumn and the earth beneath your feet can be the grounding 10-20 minutes you need to reset. If, like me, you work 9-5 and find it hard to tune in after a long commute home from the office, a guided meditation with someone taking you through the steps can be a lifesaver.
There are all kinds of meditations out there on YouTube and Spotify – ones to help you find your spirit guides, ones to help heal trauma and ones just to help you completely swith off.
Today I chose Tess Whitehurst’s “Fall Equinox and Harvest Moon Meditation” which gave me 10 minutes of bathtime bliss. Enjoy!
3. Bring autumn into your home.
Many Pagans have altars in a quiet space in their home. An altar can host many things such as symbols of the God and Goddess, ritual tools, and seasonal items to help you reflect on nature and focus your intentions for the coming month.
At Mabon, stock your altar with pine cones, acorns, conkers and fallen leaves. Try never to pick something that is still living – only take what nature has given up to you on the ground.
I found this small branch of newly turned leaves for my altar on my way home from work today. I think Linnet approved.
Happy Mabon, everyone! I hope you’ve had a blessed day.
