Mabon, (pronounced MAY-bun, MAY-bone, MAH-boon, or MAH-bawn) is a Lesser Sabbat and is celebrated on the Autumn Equinox which occurs between September 21st and 24th but most commonly on the 22nd or 23rd. Mabon is named for the Welsh deity of the same name and while most ancient cultures had some form of celebration at the Autumn Equinox, the name we use for the modern Sabbat is relatively recent. Naming the Sabbat Mabon is usually credited to Aidan Kelly as some time during the 1970’s.

Mabon is the second point of perfect balance as Wheel of the Year continues to turn, its counterpart being Ostara or the Spring Equinox. Night and day are again of equal length and in perfect balance; dark and light, masculine and feminine, inner and outer, all is in balance. But we are again on the cusp of transition and now the year begins to wane and from this moment on darkness will begin to defeat the light. The cycle of the natural world is moving towards completion, the Sun’s power is waning and the nights will begin to grow longer and the days will become shorter and cooler. And as the sap of the trees returns back to their roots, deep in the womb of the Earth Mother, we will begin to see the changing of the green of summer into the, to the flaming reds, oranges and golds of fall.

Various other names for this Sabbat are The Second Harvest, Wine Harvest, Feast of Avalon, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), and Cornucopia. The Teutonic name, Winter Finding, spans a period of time from the Sabbat to Oct. 15th, Winter's Night, which is the Norse New Year. While most Druid paths refer to the Automun Exuinox as Alben Elfed, some Druidic traditions call the celebration itself, ‘Mea'n Fo'mhair’, and honor the The Green Man, the God of the Forest, by offering libations to trees. Offerings of ciders, wines, herbs and fertilizer are appropriate at this time.

Just as the grain harvest was gathered in at Lughnasadh, at Mabon we enjoy the abundance of the fruit and vegetables harvest. It is time to thank the waning Sun for the wealth of harvest that has been bestowed upon us. It sometimes seems that each Festival requires the making of celebration and the giving of thanks, but this really is so, each turn of the Wheel brings both inner and outer gifts and insights. As the days grow shorter we should also take a moment to pay our respects to the impending darkness. Wiccans, and many other modern Pagans, celebrate the aging Goddess at this time as she passes from Mother to Crone, and her consort the God as he prepares for death and re-birth.

The Autumn Equinox is a wonderful time to stop and relax and be happy. While we may not have toiled the fields from sunrise to sunset every day since Lammas as our ancestors did, most of us do work hard at what we do. At this time of year, we should stop and survey the harvest each of us has brought in over the season. For us, like our ancestors, this becomes a time of giving thanks for the success of what we have worked for.　It is time to complete projects, to clear out and let go that which is no longer wanted or needed as we prepare for descent, so that the winter can offer a time for reflection and peace.

Spellwork for protection, wealth and prosperity, security as well as spells to bring a feeling of self-confidence are appropriate for Mabon. Since this is a time for balance, you might include spells that will bring into balance and harmony the energies in a room, a home, or a situation.

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