What have you accomplished in your life? What is working? What is not working? Are you where you want to be, or does something in your life need to change in order to set your feet on the right path?Īs the God prepares to be reborn as the Mabon, so can you prepare yourself to be transformed by taking evaluation of how far you’ve come, and how far you still have to go. As such, Mabon is an excellent time of reflection as we head into the darker half of the year.

Spiritual Significance of the Autumnal EquinoxĪn equinox is a time of balance. Celebrations of the Autumnal Equinox sometimes include references to the Mabon as the Golden Child, and preparation for death and rebirth are common ways of celebrating this holiday. When the God is reborn at Yule, he becomes the Mabon, or the Golden Child. It is also a time to reflect on life’s journeys and to share both life’s joys and concerns with each other.Īt this time of year, the Goddess passes from Mother to Crone, and the God (various traditions honor Cernunnos, Lugh, or the Green Man at this time) prepares for his death and rebirth at the Winter Solstice. The Mabon feast is a time for friends and family to gather together and thank the God and the Goddess for abundance. Pagans in general are the kings and queens of the potluck dinner, and Mabon feasts are no exception. The Autumnal Equinox, as a thanksgiving celebration, is a time of feasting and revelry. In some circles where there are a lot of vintners, each brings a sample of his wares to the autumnal feast for others to sample and share. You may choose to make a mulled wine punch or a wassail. The God known as the Mabon (The Divine Child) is linked with wine and celebration, therefore wine would be an appropriate way to celebrate this holiday. Since this is the time of the second harvest when the grapes are being picked and new wine is being made, many celebrations of the Autumnal Equinox involve wine. Another way of honoring the trees is by hanging bells, chimes, or colored ribbons (called “clooties”) from their branches. If your Grove has a special tree, you may choose to honor it in this fashion. It is a time for being thankful for how far we’ve come, and for considering how far we still have to go.ĭruids celebrate the Autumnal Equinox by offering the trees libations of ciders, ale, wine, mead, or sacred herbs. As the Sun and the Moon are reflected on the waters, we take this time to reflect on our own progress on the path of life.

The Druid name of this High Day, “Light of the Waters,” paints a picture of the reflective properties of water. Because day and night are equal on the Autumnal Equinox, it is a time for celebrating equality. At this time of year, night and day are again in perfect balance, as the waning Sun moves toward rebirth at the Winter Solstice. It is the time of the second harvest, and could be considered the Pagan thanksgiving. Mabon, (pronounced “MAY-bone’ or “MAY-bahn”), or Alban Elved (literally, “Light of the Waters’), is the Autumnal Equinox, usually around September 21 in the northern hemisphere.

Fall equinox pagan traditions