Mabon, (pronounced MAY-bun, MAY-bone, MAH-boon, or MAH-bawn) is the Autumn Equinox.

The Autumn Equinox divides the day and night equally, and we all take a moment to pay our respects to the impending dark. We also give thanks to the waning sunlight, as we store our harvest of this year's crops.

Mabon is considered a time of the Mysteries. It is a time to honor Aging Deities and the Spirit World. Considered a time of balance, it is when we stop and relax and enjoy the fruits of our personal harvests.

Whether they be from toiling in our gardens, working at our jobs, raising our families, or just coping with the hussle-bussle of everyday life.

May your Mabon be memorable, and your hearts and spirits be filled to overflowing! At this festival it is appropriate to wear all of your finery and dine and celebrate in a lavish setting.

It is the drawing to and of family as we prepare for the winding down of the year at Samhain. It is a time to finish old business as we ready for a period of rest, relaxation, and reflection.

Colors: Brown, Orange, Violet, Maroon, Russet, Deep Gold

Other Names: Autumn Equinox, Fall Equinox, Second Harvest, Festival of Dionysus, Wine Harvest, Alban Elfed, Cornucopia.

Symbols: Grapes, Wine, Vines, Garland, Gourds, Burial Cairns, Rattles, Horn of Plenty, Indian Corn, Sun Wheels.

Activities: Making wine, gathering dried herbs, plants, seeds and seed pods, walking in the woods, scattering offerings in harvested fields, offering libations to trees, adorning burial sites with leaves, acorns, and pine cones to honor those who have passed over.

Deities: Goddesses-Modron, Morgan, Epona, Persephone, Pamona and the Muses. Gods-Mabon, Thoth, Thor, Hermes, and The Green Man.

Taboos: Passing burial sites and not honoring the dead.

Animals: Wolves, Birds of Prey.

Stones: Amethyst and Yellow Topaz,Sapphire, lapis lazuli, and yellow agates.

Plants: Vines, Ivy, Hazel, Cedar, Hops, Tabacco.

Meaning: Celebrating the second harvest, balance, honoring the aging deities, honoring the spirit world, darkness overtaking light, celebration of wine.

Attunement Teas: (Individually or Blended) All berries, grape drinks, heather, hops, sassafras.

Spellworkings:  Protection, prosperity, security, and self-confidence. Also those of harmony and balance

Ritual Oils: Apple blossom, hay/straw, black pepper, patchouly.

Incense: Autumn Blend-benzoin, myrrh, and sage

Goddesses: All Grape-Berry Goddesses, All fruit-Vegetable Deities, Akibimi (Japanese), Anapurna (Indian), Cessair (Welsh), Epona (Celtic-Gaulish), Harmonica (Greek), Lilitu (Semitic), Mama Allpa (Peruvian), Modron (Welsh), Morgan (Welsh-Cornish), The Muses (Greek), Nikkal (Canaanite), Ningal (Sumerian), Ninkasi (Sumerian), Pamona (Roman), Rennutet (Egyptian), Sin (Irish), Snake Women (Aboriginal), Sophia (Greco-Hebriac), Sura (Indian).

Gods: All Wine Gods, All Non-Grain Harvest Gods, All Gods of Fruits, All Gods of Abandonment, Dionysus (Roman), Bacchus (Greek), Haurun (Canaanite), Hermes (Greek), The Great Horned God (European), Hotei (Japanese), Iacchus (Greco-Tuscan), Mabon (Welsh), Orcus (Roman), Thoth (Egyptian).

Lore: A traditional practice is to walk in wild places and forests, gathering seed pods and dried plants. Some of these can be used to decorate the home; others saved for future herbal magick.

Food: The foods of Mabon include grains, fruits and vegetables, especially corn. Cornbread is traditional fair, as are beans and baked squash.