The Wiccan autumnal equinoctial festival, also known as Mabon, is a celebration that falls on the autumn equinox, usually around September 21st. This festival is based on the beliefs and traditions of Wicca, a modern Pagan, witchcraft religion. The main idea behind the Wiccan autumnal equinoctial festival is the celebration of the balance between light and dark, as well as gratitude for the harvest and the abundance of nature. It is a time when Wiccans come together to acknowledge and give thanks for the blessings of the season, while also preparing for the coming winter months. During this festival, Wiccans often partake in rituals and ceremonies that honor the changing of the seasons. These rituals may involve the lighting of candles, the casting of spells, and the offering of fruits, vegetables, and other symbols of the harvest.
September 23 marks the 2019 Autumnal Equinox — a day when the sky is equal parts dark and light. It’s also the date that witches celebrate Mabon, one of the pagan festivals in the Wheel of the Year. The Wheel of the Year is the cyclical calendar of festivals that modern pagans celebrate. The Wheel symbolizes the continuous turning of time and mirrors nature’s cycles of death and rebirth. Named for the God of Welsh mythology, the festival celebrates the harvest and the life and that summer created as we prepare for the long, cold nights of winter.
Named after the ancient Welsh hero named Mabon ap Modron , which means Son of Mother, Mabon is the second of three harvest festivals that take place in the Wheel of the Year Lughnasadh is the first and Samhain is the third. Named after the ancient Welsh hero named Mabon ap Modron , which means Son of Mother, Mabon is the second of three harvest festivals that take place in the Wheel of the Year Lughnasadh is the first and Samhain is the third.
These rituals may involve the lighting of candles, the casting of spells, and the offering of fruits, vegetables, and other symbols of the harvest. Wiccans also use this time to reflect on their own personal harvests, both literal and metaphorical, and to set intentions for the future. One of the key elements of the Wiccan autumnal equinoctial festival is the concept of balance.
Autumnal Equinox: Witches Share How They Celebrate
September 23 marks the 2019 Autumnal Equinox — a day when the sky is equal parts dark and light. It’s also the date that witches celebrate Mabon, one of the pagan festivals in the Wheel of the Year. The Wheel of the Year is the cyclical calendar of festivals that modern pagans celebrate. The Wheel symbolizes the continuous turning of time and mirrors nature’s cycles of death and rebirth. Named for the God of Welsh mythology, the festival celebrates the harvest and the life and that summer created as we prepare for the long, cold nights of winter.
Most modern witches likely don’t have a literal harvest to feast on and honor like the original celebrants of Mabon did, so the day instead marks a time to reflect on and honor the things we’ve been working on this year and the work that we’ve brought to fruition. “Mabon is the day that corresponds to the last harvest: It is a day to call in, a day to appreciate our many, many blessings and spread those around. It is a day to give thanks and let whatever bad habits or troubles that have been accumulating in our psyche in an unhelpful way go,” Sarah Faith Gottesdiener told Teen Vogue.
Gottesdiener is an artist, designer, tarot reader and witch — you may know her from her popular and often sold-out Many Moons workbooks or from her shop, Modern Women. For Gottesdiener, the season’s magic is especially potent because it combines with her celebration of the Jewish High Holy Days. While she says that the Celtic mythology attached to the Wheel of the year doesn’t resonate with her, its connection to nature and the season’s effects on us personally and collectively makes following it important to her. This includes embracing the return of the darkness that accompanies the Equinox. “The darkness is a beautiful thing, because it is where seeds germinate. The darkness is deeply potent: it is our subconscious and a source of our own power,” Gottesdiener said.
For writer and intuitive tarot reader Swati Khurana, the Autumnal Equinox is a profoundly personal holiday. After Khurana began shifting away from the label of “Hindu” 20 years ago to separate herself from what she called a "tradition that was connected to caste violence," she said she started questioning and opting out of holidays and traditions that felt like they no longer fit into her “post-colonial intersectional feminist perspective.”
“I loved the rituals of being among women in temple, applying mendhi on my hands, creating trays of offerings, and walking into the moonlight,” Khurana told Teen Vogue about her appreciation of certain aspects of some Hindu holidays. “As I started observing the Equinox, I used elements that I still find so beautiful, but recast them in a ritual that centered self-actualization and personal freedom. Observing the Equinox became a way for me to reclaim the season [that] includes my birthday and my two favorite holidays — Diwali and Halloween — from a feminist perspective.”
If it’s your first time celebrating Mabon, Gottesdiener recommends choosing rituals that feel sacred to you and that have intuitive resonance. “Like celebrating the phases of the moon, or the different seasons, make it personal, and make it about celebrating and honoring life in the present moment— that is ultimately, what all great magick does,” she said.
Swati Khurana by Abeer HoqueGottesdiener will be celebrating by hosting a customary potluck feast for loved ones where they’ll eat, read poems, pull tarot cards, reflect, and burn that which they wish to release. She also plans to do some solo celebrating. “For the most part, I am a solitary practitioner, so I'll also be reflecting and working with the energies for myself personally as well. Because of the placement of the [waxing] moon, this year, I'll be focused on what I wish to harvest more of in my life,” told Teen Vogue.
Social justice educator Steph Guthrie offered a ritual facilitated for her birthday by friend Kritty Uranowski that felt particularly meaningful during a difficult year of her life. “We each wrote down on small pieces of paper one thing we were grateful for from the summer that we’d carry with us into the winter, one thing we were ready to leave behind, and one thing we hoped to manifest in the months ahead,” she told Teen Vogue. After a consensual and optional sharing of their reflections, participants burned the things they wanted to leave behind, planted in the ground the things they hoped to manifest, and held onto the things we were grateful for.
Even if you don’t identify as a witch or aren’t up for a planning big ritual, pausing to acknowledge the season’s changing is a valuable practice for reflection and gaining perspective.“Dedication to observing and respecting the natural world is something that anyone can do, whether they are witches or not,” said scientist and college instructor T. Kempton. “Seasonal holidays like Mabon encourage us to be active participants in the turning wheel of time, living intentionally and intensely, instead of just coasting through life. Mabon is a beautiful time, and we are beautiful within it.”
Indeed, the Greek goddess Demeter is much more closely associated with the Autumn harvest, as it was her grief at losing her daughter that turned the earth from lush abundance to barren cold.
Wiccans believe that this is a time when the forces of light and dark are equal, representing the equilibrium of the natural world. It is seen as a time of reflection and introspection, as well as a time to restore balance in one's own life. Another important aspect of Mabon is the celebration of community. Wiccans often gather with friends and family to share a meal, exchange stories, and participate in group rituals. This sense of community and shared celebration is a central part of the festival, as it emphasizes the interconnectedness of all beings and the importance of coming together to honor and give thanks for the blessings of the season. In conclusion, the Wiccan autumnal equinoctial festival, also known as Mabon, is a celebration of the changing seasons and a time to give thanks for the harvest and abundance of nature. It is a time of balance, reflection, and community, where Wiccans come together to honor the gifts of the season and to set intentions for the future..
Reviews for "Exploring the Connection between Wiccan Autumnal Equinox and Other Pagan Festivals"
1. Samantha - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with the Wiccan autumnal equinoctial festival. The event felt disorganized and lacked any real structure. There were supposed to be workshops and demonstrations on Wiccan practices, but they were poorly executed and lacked any depth. The vendors also didn't offer a wide variety of products, and the atmosphere was quite dull. Overall, I felt like the festival didn't live up to its promises and left me wanting more.
2. Michael - 1 star - The Wiccan autumnal equinoctial festival was a complete letdown. I went with high expectations, hoping to learn more about Wicca and embrace the autumn spirit. However, I found the event to be poorly organized and lacking any substance. The workshops were just superficial introductions to Wiccan practices, and the speakers didn't seem very knowledgeable. The vendors only had a limited range of overpriced products, and the entire festival felt like a cash grab rather than a genuine celebration of Wiccan traditions. I wouldn't recommend wasting your time and money on this disappointing event.
3. Emily - 2 stars - I attended the Wiccan autumnal equinoctial festival hoping to connect with like-minded individuals and learn more about Wicca. Unfortunately, the festival fell short of my expectations. The workshops and presentations were disorganized and lacked structure, making it difficult to absorb any meaningful information. The atmosphere also felt strained and forced, with no real sense of community or celebration. Overall, the event lacked authenticity and left me feeling disappointed with the whole experience. I would have preferred a more organized and educational approach to truly appreciate the essence of Wiccan traditions.