Join Kristin for an evening of ceremonial rituals, honoring the Pagan and Wiccan sabbat known as Mabon.

Known as the pagan Thanksgiving, Mabon marks the Autumn Equinox, when day and night are equal, making it a time of balance, equality and harmony.  In ancient times Mabon was a celebration of the second harvest when farmers gathered hearty foods like gourds, pumpkins, grapes and apples. 

Modern Mabon celebrations are a time to give thanks for the abundance of Mother Earth - both literally and spiritually.  It’s also a good time to reflect on the Wheel of the Year, recognizing your successes and letting go of the things that did not serve you during the past twelve months. 

A HISTORY OF MABON 

Modern Pagans began celebrating Mabon as the last of the eight Sabbats in the 1970s, but its roots as a harvest festival go back to ancient times.

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).  Similar to Apollo, the figure of Mabon was depicted as a handsome youth with a lyre. As a baby Mabon was said to have been held hostage as a baby in the underworld, similar to the story of Persephone and Demeter.  

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.

SETTING INTENTIONS AT MABON 

As the Wheel of the Year comes to an end, Mabon is a good time to set intentions that involve decrease and reduction such as ending bad relationships, unhealthy habits or self destructive beliefs. 

MABON SYMBOLS

Symbols: Cornucopia, pinecones, seeds

Colors: Orange, red, yellow, brown, copper, dark yellow, dark green 

Foods: Corn, beans, squash, apples, pumpkins, cider, root vegetables, pomegranate, wine   

Herbs: Yarrow, rosemary, sage, mugwort, rosehips,   

Stones: Amber, citrine, cat’s eye, aventurine, sapphire, jasper 

Flowers: Sunflowers, thistle, marigolds 

Deities: Mabon, Green Man, Demeter, Persephone, Morgan, Pomona, Inanna 

Animals: Owl, stag, blackbird, salmon