It is almost Mabon again already (next week roughly celebrated between the 21st and 25th). Otherwise known as the autumn equinox it makes the end of the harvest season. There is still warmth in the air during the day but you can start to feel the crispness of autumn. I find that you can smell autumn. It’s a brisk, crisp, slightly sharp smell that is actually the smell of leaves, trees, and plants dying and rotting.
A brief bit of background:
Mabon is named after a god of Welsh mythology. Mabon means “Great Son” and it stands in reference to the Welsh mythological character Mabon ap Modron.
Mabon was an excellent hunter, possessing a nimble horse and a magnificent hound. When he was three nights old, he was kidnapped from his mother, Modron (“Great Mother”), the earth Great Goddess, causing light to hide. Eventually, he was later rescued by King Arthur. In other legends, it is said that he was rescued by the Blackbird, the Stag, the Owl, the Eagle, and the Salmon.
Now, from another perspective, Mabon has been fortunate enough to spend his entire life imprisoned in Modron’s mystical Otherworld— Madron’s womb. Only in this manner is he capable of rebirth. Consequently, Mabon’s light has been dragged into the Earth, where it has gathered sufficient power and knowledge to germinate as a new seed.
From a mythological perspective, Mabon also portrays the harvest’s masculine figure. Mabon is the masculine equivalent of Persephone— the seasonally withdrawn male fertilising power and therefore, Modron is a resemblance to Demeter. (September equinox, according to the ancient Greeks, heralds Persephone’s return to the darkness of the underworld, where she is reunited with her husband Hades.)
Subsequently, in British folklore, Mabon is associated with Herne the Hunter and marks the beginning of the deer hunting season in many regions.
It is a celebration and also a time of rest after the labour of harvest. In terms of our modern lives, it’s a chance to reap what we’ve sown so far this year and reflect on the goals, hopes and aspirations that we set during Imbolc and Ostara. The cornucopia and the apple are the traditional symbols of Mabon.
Celebrating:
It is a time of thanks and blessings so why not give back by doing some volunteer work this weekend.
Visit a pick your own farm and harvest some apples. Don’t take any more than you actually need, and think about preserving some for the winter.
Sit down and make a gratitude list this week.
Go for a walk and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the changing season. I love to find a good leaf, feel the crisp breeze in the air and take in the slight smoky smell of autumn.
You’ll be spending a lot of time at home in the upcoming months, so spend a little time doing an autumnal version of a spring cleaning.
Bake an apple cake.
If you want to mark the occasion with the use of essential oils throughout the day, I’d focus on vetiver, orange, frankincense, cloves, and ginger. (Of course, always check if the essential oil you are using is safe for pets – not all are!)
Some crystals that you might be interested in using and helping you focus are clear quartz, opal, citrine, and amber.
Will you be marking the day in any way? What are you excited about in terms of the upcoming autumn?
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:
Beltane (2021)
Celebrating Ostara (2021)
Celebrating Imbolc (2021)
Celebrating Ostara
Celebrating the Winter Solstice and Yule
Celebrating Samhain
