The season of the witch is upon us as autumn is fast approaching! We’ve compiled a list of rituals designed to help you make the most of your Mabon celebrations.

What Is Mabon?

Mabon (MAY’bn) is the Wiccan and neopagan name for the autumnal equinox, which falls around September 21st in the Northern Hemisphere each year (around March 21st in the Southern Hemisphere). It is one of eight sabbats on the modern Wheel of the Year calendar.

The equinox is a time of balance between darkness and light, with this being the day when daylight hours are equal to nighttime hours. In the spring, this signifies the time when daylight hours grow longer and longer—but the autumnal equinox is the tipping point into the darker half of the year.

The name “Mabon” was given to the holiday in the 1970s by prominent Wiccan author Aidan Kelly, who sought Celtic or Germanic names for each of the holidays on the Wheel of the Year. In his eyes, the Welsh story of Mabon (MAH-bon) ap Modron fit well enough with the Greek story of Persephone disappearing into the Underworld for half the year, thus creating autumn and winter from her mother Demeter’s sorrow. We explore this mythology at length here.

Mabon is a time for celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for the abundance of the Earth, as well as beginning to prepare for the long months of winter ahead. At Sea Witch Botanicals, we celebrate with our best-selling Mabon essential oil blend, rich with real coffee, vanilla, bergamot, and warm autumn spices—it smells like everything you’d want to drink from a steaming mug on a crisp fall day!

Sit back, relax, light your Mabon incense, turn on your Mabon playlist, and let’s explore a few rituals perfect for celebrating the changing seasons and the beginning of fall!

Table of Contents

1. How to Build a Mabon Altar
   1. Correspondences for Mabon
   2. Suggested Materials for a Mabon Altar
   3. Steps for Setting Up Your Mabon Altar
2. Autumn Nature Walk: Tuning to the Season
   
3. How to Make an Autumn Leaf Garland
   
4. Harvesting for Mabon: Seasonal Fruits
   
   1. List of Seasonal Produce for September
      
5. Ritual for Release: Cleansing Your Space
   
   1. Steps for Cleansing Your Space
      
6. Mabon Divination: Tarot Spread for the Equinox
   
7. Mabon Feast: Giving Thanks for the Harvest
   
   1. Essential Autumn Equinox Foods
      
   2. 14 Ideas for What to Cook for the Autumn Equinox
      
8. The Mabon Collection: Plant Magic for Autumn

How to Build a Mabon Altar

If there’s one thing witches love, it’s their altars. Altars can serve a variety of different purposes in the witch’s practice; it can be a shrine to a particular deity, a place to honor ancestors, a home for magickal tools, a working table for spellcraft, or simply a sacred space that reflects one’s own relationship with nature, magic, and the universe. 

How you choose to set up and use your altar is completely up to you and your practice.

Whether you’re refreshing an evergreen altar or crafting one from scratch, building an altar for the autumnal equinox is a go-to way to celebrate Mabon. Incorporate elements that represent fall and the turning of the seasons in addition to items of personal significance to create a Mabon altar tailored to your practice and your experience of autumn.

An altar setup you can use to honor the equinox is one that specifically acknowledges the balance between darkness and light. Dedicate one side of your altar to the sun and decorate with solar imagery, warm-toned colors, and symbols of fire and air. Dedicate the other side of your altar to the moon and decorate with lunar imagery, cool-toned colors, and symbols of water and earth.

Correspondences for Mabon

Colors: red, brown, orange, gold, indigo
Moon Phase: Last quarter moon
Botanicals: cinnamon, clove, frankincense, garden sage, honeysuckle, marigold, mugwort, myrrh, nutmeg, pine, rosemary, rosehips, sunflowers, yarrow
Stones: red jasper, garnet, obsidian, tourmaline, labradorite, moonstone, sapphire, lapis lazuli, amber, topaz, citrine, amethyst, ametrine
Animals: bears, salmon, horses, boars, stags, geese, blackbirds, owls, eagles, herons, cranes
Foods: apples, grapes, cherries, pomegranates, corn, squashes, root vegetables, breads, nuts, grains, soups, stews, eggs, beans, roasted meats, ciders, wine, mead, beer
Altar Items & Decor: autumn flowers and leaves, red poppies, wheat and corn stalks, corn, gourds, acorns and chestnuts, pinecones, autumn leaf garlands, cornucopia or horn of plenty, corn or apple dolls, cauldrons, tarot cards, candles and crystals in autumn colors

Suggested Materials for a Mabon Altar

1. Home cleaning solution (e.g. plant-based Canary Clean soap or a homemade vinegar spray)
   
2. Preferred energy cleansing tool (e.g. essential oil spray or incense with rosemary or cedar, or an her bundle made of juniper, cedar, pine, rosemary, or garden sage instead of white sage)
   
3. Altar cloth (optional)
   
4. Autumnal items from nature, such as fallen leaves, acorns, or buckeyes, stones and crystals, pinecones, a bundle of twigs, gourds, corn, wheat or corn stalks, apples, and autumn flowers
   
5. Other symbols of autumn and tools of the trade you connect with, such as a small basket or horn of plenty, candles, tarot cards, a small cauldron, a wand, an incense holder, a bowl of salt (or black salt), jars of herbs, a bell, a chalice, a vessel of water, a ritual knife, or symbols of animals or deities you work with (especially those associated with the harvest)
   
6. Personal mementos or items of personal significance, such as photos of your ancestors, heirlooms, feathers, shells, bones, or any other treasures and trinkets you hold dear

Steps for Setting Up Your Mabon Altar

1. Select your space. It can be helpful to find a surface that won’t be easily disturbed. Perhaps it’s a windowsill, a shelf of a bookcase, the top of your dresser, or a private corner of your closet tucked away from view. All that matters is that it feels right to you.
   
2. Cleanse your space. Give your surface a good washing down (use a bit of plant-based Canary Clean soap or a homemade vinegar spray). Then, cleanse the area with an essential oil spray, essential oil incense, or bundle of herbs (we just recommend avoiding white sage).
   
3. Optional: Lay down an altar cloth to designate the area as an intentional space as well as to protect the surface from potential damage or stains.
   
4. Gather your materials. Collect an assortment of items that spark your inspiration and that represent autumn. You might start with a couple candles and candle holders, colorful fallen leaves, autumn-colored crystals and stones, a few gourds, a bouquet of autumn flowers, and an incense burner.
   
5. Arrange your materials. Place your items on your altar space in any way that pleases you. It might be helpful to place a centerpiece (e.g. a small cauldron or horn of plenty) and then build some kind of symmetry out from there (e.g. a candle on either side, a circle of crystals, etc). 
   
6. Tip: To honor the equinox, a time of equal darkness and light, you might craft your altar to dedicate one side to the sun, and one side to the moon. On the sun side, place The Sun tarot card face up, accompanied by symbols of fire, air, and warm-toned objects. On the moon side, place The Moon tarot card face up, accompanied by symbols of water, earth, and cool-toned objects.
   
7. Personalize it. Add in any items of personal significance you want to incorporate into your celebration of the autumn season. If an item doesn’t entirely have to do with autumn but it still feels special to you, feel free to include it on your altar.
   
8. Bless your space. Once you’re satisfied with your altar setup, use your cleansing tool of choice to refresh and settle the energy of the space. Speak a small spell over the space during this process to charge the altar with its purpose. This can be as simple as, “May this space be purified for magickal work,” or even, “I dedicate this altar to autumn and the transformation it will bring.”
   
9. Relax and enjoy your new altar! Remember you can always continue to add to your altar and/or rearrange it as the season goes on—nothing is set in stone unless you make it so.
   
10. Note: If you place fresh produce on your Mabon altar, keep an eye on these items and remember to refresh them at least once a week—rotting fruit on the altar is never fun to clean!

Autumn Nature Walk: Tuning to the Season

One of the easiest ways to celebrate the autumn equinox is to spend some time outside. No matter where you go—whether you visit a faraway forest or amble about your neighborhood—the signs of the season are everywhere. Honor the equinox by tuning into your surroundings and taking yourself around to observe the changes of the earth around you.

Bring a small notebook with you to write down your observations as you go. Any striking images, quiet sensations, haphazard thoughts, or lingering feelings are worth capturing.

Even if your inner dialogue doesn’t seem terribly relevant, there might be some insight hiding in the midst: A nagging thought about how badly you need to go grocery shopping might be an autumnal spirit reminding you it’s time to organize your harvest as you begin to prepare for winter.

You might also bring along a small bag or basket to collect a few items from nature to add to your altar or to decorate your space, such as stones, acorns, pinecones, or leaves. Just be sure to gather items that have already fallen—that is to say, harvest from the ground, not the trees!

How to Make an Autumn Leaf Garland

Autumn colors are fleeting, but this simple craft is an easy way to make the magic last a little longer. Bring the vibrant reds, yellows, purples, and oranges of autumn inside by coating the leaves in a thin layer of wax and stringing them to create your very own autumn leaf garland.

Materials Needed:

1. Freshly fallen autumn leaves
2. Twine, cotton string, or hemp cord
   
3. Beeswax or soy wax 
   
4. Pots for double boiling
   
5. Wax or parchment paper
   
6. Optional: Small clothespins or other small clips
   
7. Optional: Heavy books for pressing leaves

Note: It’s best to treat the leaves before stringing them up to preserve their color and increase the longevity of your garland. We recommend using plant wax or beeswax from a local craft store for this process because this is a more environmentally friendly option—but if needed, a good quality Mod Podge will yield similar results.

Instructions:

1. Go for a walk and collect a good helping of freshly fallen, brightly colored leaves. Aim for leaves that aren’t too dry and that are relatively flat.
   
2. Optional: Press the leaves for several hours or overnight to make them as flat as possible.
   
3. Heat your wax in a double boiler on medium high heat and prepare a sheet of wax or parchment paper. When the wax has melted completely, turn the heat off. Reheat as needed if wax starts to harden.
   
4. Holding the leaves by the stem, dip each leaf completely into the wax. Gently shake off the excess wax and lay the leaf face up on your wax or parchment paper. With this step, it’s best to be quick but still thorough. 
   
5. Once the leaves are all dipped and dry, go back through the batch and, holding the leaves from the top this time, dip each stem in the wax. Be careful not to re-dip any other parts of the leaf so that you don’t add a second layer of wax. Allow the leaves to dry completely.
   
6. Measure out the desired length of string for your garland. If you plan to tie the leaves rather than clip them, add several extra inches to this length.
   
7. Begin attaching your leaves to the string. If you’re using clothespins or other small clips, it might be easiest to hang the string first and then pin the leaves where you want them. If you’re tying them on, use your string to tie at least a couple knots around each stem. Leave several inches between each leaf for a more simplistic design, or just a few for a more lush result.
   
8. Tip: Autumn leaves are most vibrant in the light! Hang your garland over a window or pair with string lights to get the most of their color.

Harvesting for Mabon: Seasonal Fruits

The theme most central to Mabon is that of the harvest. Some traditions call this the second of three harvests: the first at Lammas, and the last at Samhain (Halloween). While at Lammas (around August 1st each year) the crops are primarily grains, at Mabon our harvest expands to a more bountiful yield of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. 

Honor this aspect of the equinox by gathering your own seasonal produce and use your bounty to cook a harvest feast. Collect ripened fruits and veggies from your garden, go apple picking, or visit a farmers market to find locally grown and harvested produce.

Foods that are in season for September will vary depending on your region. We provide a general list below, but be sure to check out the Seasonal Food Guide to explore some local options.

List of Seasonal Produce for September:

1. Berries and seedy fruits, like blackberries, pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries, and tomatoes
   
2. Bulbs and alliums, like fennel, garlic, leeks, onions
   
3. Cruciferous veggies, like broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and celery
   
4. Fleshy fruits, like apples and pears, figs, grapes, lemons, oranges, and persimmons
   
5. Gourds, like cucumbers and squashes
   
6. Leafy greens, like arugula, bok choy, cabbage, chard, collard greens, kale, lettuce, spinach, and sprouts
   
7. Legumes, like green beans and peas 
   
8. Mushrooms, like chanterelles and chicken of the woods
   
9. Nightshades, like eggplants and peppers
   
10. Nuts, like almonds, chestnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, and walnuts
    
11. Root and starchy vegetables, like beets, carrots, corn, ginger, potatoes, radishes, and turnips
    
12. Stone fruits, like avocados, dates, nectarines, olives, peaches, plums, and pluots

Ritual for Release: Cleansing Your Space

Autumn is a season of change. Aligned with the waning moon phase, this time of year is particularly powerful for endings—winding down, tying loose ends, and closing cycles. Magically speaking, this translates as an opportune moment to drive something out. Workings for banishing, protection, and purification are heightened by the tides of the season.

One easy way to incorporate this energy into your Mabon celebrations is to perform a full cleansing of your home. This is a ritual to release built-up energy and residual emotions lingering in your space, providing a nice reset for the coming season. If you’ve been feeling energetically clogged up, this one’s for you!

What you’ll need: The only materials you need for this ritual are your preferred tools for cleansing. While this can be accomplished with an essential oil spray or plant-based candle, we recommend using smoke to cleanse your space.

Some of the best herbs to use for cleansing include rosemary, cedar, pine, juniper, lavender, lemon, and garden sage. Find an essential oil incense blend that speaks to you, or a bundle of herbs to use. (Note: It’s generally best to avoid white sage.)

Optional: Use a bell to amplify your cleansing ritual. Ring it hard and loud in each room, and/or jingle it around the nooks and crannies to dislodge energy and send it out.

Steps for Cleansing Your Space

1. Center yourself. Take a moment to come into your body and your ritual mindset. If you’d like to, now is the time to call in ancestors or other spirit friends to assist in your working.
   
2. Open all windows in the areas you’ll be cleansing. Not only does this help to aerate your space while you’re burning something—it also provides an exit point for the energy you’re driving out.
   
3. Cleanse your body. Ignite your incense stick or herb bundle and wash your own hands and body with the smoke.
   
4. Speak your intention. Establish your purpose as you begin the ritual and use this as an anchor for your focus throughout the process. This can be something like, “With this smoke, I drive out unwanted energy from my home and welcome harmony and peace in its place.”
   
5. Begin to move through your space. If you’re cleansing multiple floors, try going from the ground up. Walk through each room in a consistent direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) and direct the smoke through the features of the space—across surfaces, around objects, up and down corners and doorways.
   
6. Focus on your intention as you go. Imagine energy loosening, lifting up, and leaving through the nearest window. Repeat your intention as you go to give the energy a directive. Be clear as to where you’re sending the energy (out the door/window!) to prevent buildup of a weird energetic soup in your space.
   
7. Pay attention to the subtle feelings. Some spots may instinctively require more work than others. Allow the natural inclinations and wisdom of your body to guide your work.
   
8. Cleanse yourself again once you’ve completed the tour through your home. Give your hands a little extra care, as they’re the primary tools we use to practice this ritual.
   
9. Tip: Use a bell to round out your cleansing process. Ring it in each room and over your own body and speak a small spell to establish the space as free, clear, and refreshed.
   
10. Give thanks to all who assisted in your ritual: the fire and smoke, the plants and winds, and any others you may have called in.
    
11. Bonus: Infuse your space with new energy! Now that you’ve purified your home, it’s time to set a new groove for energy to flow through. Rest, meditate, dance, cook, write, or do anything else that brings you joy and puts you in a creative flow while your newly freshened space settles.

Mabon Divination: Tarot Spread for the Equinox

Every holiday along the Wheel of the Year provides a natural space for reflection—a chance not only to tune into the changing seasons, but also to sit back and take stock of our own lives. To consider how we’ve grown, what we’ve learned, what is continuing to benefit us, and what needs to be cut out.

We’ve designed a 6-card spread for Mabon that can guide you through a few themes of the season and impart some useful insights to work with as we head into the dark half of the year.

Throw on your favorite Mabon playlist, light a stick of Mabon incense, and settle in with your deck of divining cards. 

Key ideas for Mabon: harvest, abundance, balance, transformation, grounding, & release

HARVEST: What have I learned in the last six months?
HUNT: Which pursuits are guiding me in the next six months?
FEAST: What abundance or recent success do I need to celebrate?
SHADOW: Which challenges might I face in the dark half of the year?
EARTH: Which practices will help ground me this fall?
INTENTION: What seed am I carrying into the quiet winter?

Mabon Feast: Giving Thanks for the Harvest

The central aspect of this time of year is the harvest of fruits and vegetables that have grown ripe in the summer’s sun. The best way to celebrate the harvest? Have a feast!

An essential Mabon tradition is cooking up a big seasonal autumnal dinner to share in with family and friends—in fact, many witches refer to Mabon as a “pagan Thanksgiving” because of this! 

Feasting at Mabon draws not only on the theme of celebrating the abundance of the Earth, but also that of sharing the harvest. Resource hoarding has become the norm in our hyper-individualized modern world. Now more than ever, we are in need of building and being in community with one another—and what better way to do so than over food?

Invite friends, family, and neighbors to bring a dish and share in the harvest with you to cap off your Mabon celebrations!

This is also an excellent opportunity to try your hand at a bit of kitchen witchery. As you prepare your foods and clean your tools, focus your attention on giving thanks. Give gratitude to the Earth, the sun, and water that have brought your foods to life, as well as to all the hands along the way that have worked to bring these foods into your hands.

Keep this energy flowing as you cook your foods by stirring appreciation and love into each dish, alongside any other intention you wish to bake into the meal—such as a wish for health, peace, and prosperity for all those who partake of the food. You might select herbs and spices that align with these intentions, and whisper your spells over the cauldron as you go. 

Essential Autumn Equinox Foods

1. Fruits: Apples, blackberries, grapes, pears, and pomegranates
   
2. Vegetables: Corn, leafy greens, potatoes, and tomatoes
   
3. Squashes: Acorn squash, butternut squash, delicata squash, and pumpkin
   
4. Spices: Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla
   
5. Others: Beans, grains, mushrooms, and nuts
   
6. Drinks: Cider, wine, chai, coffee, and herbal tea

14 Ideas for What to Cook for the Autumn Equinox:

1. Creamy acorn or butternut squash soup with roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, and onions, coconut milk, and curry seasonings (my personal tradition!)
   
2. Roasted vegetables (e.g. potatoes, broccoli, carrots, onions, peppers, squash, zucchini) seasoned with garlic, ginger, and lemon
   
3. Harvest salad with leafy greens, apples, sweet peas, radishes, pomegranate seeds, fresh herbs (e.g. basil, dill, mint, oregano, thyme), cooked grains (e.g. farro, quinoa, rice), goat or feta cheese, nuts, and roasted squash
   
4. Roasted cauliflower and chickpea salad with seared lemon tahini dressing and sauteed onions, shallots, and dates (trust me, it’s divine)
   
5. Autumn beef stew with garlic, onions, tomatoes, and butternut squash
   
6. Barley soup with kale, tomatoes, beans, and squash
   
7. Sauteed mushrooms with onions and garlic
   
8. Seared or grilled romaine with creamy lemon white beans, rice, and Japanese barbecue sauce
   
9. Squash and caramelized onion tart with melty cheese
   
10. Baked brie with pears, walnuts, and onions
    
11. Corn on the cob (grilled or boiled!)
    
12. Apple crisp or pie with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and oats
    
13. Gingerbread cinnamon rolls or pumpkin cinnamon rolls 
    
14. Mulled wine or cider with orange peel and autumn spices

The Mabon Collection: Plant Magic for Autumn

Our Mabon essential oil collection captures the crisp, dewy mornings and sidelong golden sunlight of autumn with real vanilla, bright bergamot and cozy coffee, spiced with classic nutmeg and clove, and kissed with a cedarwood fog.

Evoke the winds of change, the return of distant chimney smoke, and the flutter of dry, tumbling leaves with a celebratory fall blend inspired by all the delicious things you'd want to sip from a steamy mug on a chilly day!

Mabon is available for a limited time as a best-selling incense, candle, mini candle, room and body spray, and roll-on perfume.

Experience the magic of Mabon before the portal of autumn closes! Or, find Mabon year-round with our full Wheel of the Year incense set.