Celebrate the turning of the year with our guide to Mabon and the Autumn Equinox. Discover the traditions, folklore and seasonal magic surrounding this time of balance.
There’s something magical about visiting Mother Shipton’s as summer begins to fade. Here in the woodland, the first hints of autumn are impossible to miss. The mornings feel cooler, the leaves begin to turn, and the colours of the woodland change alongside the atmospheric banks of the River Nidd. With a pumpkin spiced drink in hand to warm us up after making a seasonal wish in the Wishing Well, it becomes one of our little rituals at this time of year. We dip our hands into the cold pool of water, make our wishes, and think about the nights drawing in and getting home before dark.
We also find ourselves thinking about the story of Mother Shipton herself – of Agatha Sontheil and baby Ursula. If Ursula was born here in the cave in July 1488, by September Agatha would have been caring for her two-month-old baby, keeping her warm in this shallow rocky outcrop as the seasons began to change.
It’s a time of year that encourages us to slow down, look around us and notice the changes taking place in the natural world. Leaves crunch beneath our feet as we walk through the ancient woodland towards the Cave of Mother Shipton. Looking up at the Petrifying Well, we see objects slowly transforming beneath its mineral-rich waters – a fitting reflection of the changing seasons, and of how we too have changed and grown throughout the year.
What is Mabon / the Autumn Equinox?
The Autumn Equinox usually falls around 22nd or 23rd September in the Northern Hemisphere. It marks the point when the Sun crosses the celestial equator, and day and night are approximately equal in length.
In modern Pagan and Wiccan traditions, the Autumn Equinox is often known as Mabon, and is considered the second of the three harvest celebrations in the Wheel of the Year, following Lughnasadh and leading towards Samhain.
The name Mabon comes from a figure in Welsh mythology. However, the use of Mabon as a name for the Autumn Equinox is relatively modern. Long before the name Mabon was adopted, people across Britain marked the changing seasons through harvest traditions, gathering crops and giving thanks for the abundance of the land. And while life looks very different for us today, the turning of the seasons still gives us an opportunity to reconnect with those older rhythms.
For many of us, the arrival of autumn no longer means preparing for a winter that could determine whether we had enough food to survive. We can buy food throughout the year, turn on the heating when the evenings become cold, and live largely removed from the rhythms of the land.
But the earth has not stopped changing, and the days are still becoming shorter at this time of year.
Mabon can therefore be a wonderful opportunity to remember our connection to the natural world, and to the generations who came before us, whose lives were much more closely tied to the turning of the seasons.
Ways to Celebrate Mabon
Give Thanks
What have you grown, learned or achieved this year? What are you grateful for?
You might even create your own little harvest of gratitude, writing down the things you are thankful for and keeping them somewhere special.
Go for an Autumn Walk
Take a wander through the woods and look for signs of the changing season. Notice the changing colours, the sounds of leaves beneath your feet and the first signs of autumn appearing among the trees.
Keep an eye out for fungi popping up across the woodland floor, one of the many little signs that the season is turning.
You could collect fallen leaves, acorns, conkers and other natural treasures to bring home, or simply take some time to observe the woodland as it changes.
Create a Seasonal Altar
Bring a little autumn magic indoors by creating a seasonal altar or display to remind you of the changing season and the balance around us.
For our Mabon altar, we’ve chosen:
A Mabon Candle
Autumn Pentagram Altar Decoration
Crystals in earthy autumnal tones
A favourite seasonal book
You can shop our full inspiration board here.
You could create your altar indoors, on a windowsill, or even outside beneath the trees.
Give thanks for what has grown, let go of what you no longer need, and carry the warmth of the harvest with you into the season ahead.
Happy Mabon, and happy Autumn Equinox.
