Mabon or The Autumn Equinox

There is a lot of information out there about the various seasonal festivals, much of it conflicting, and such things are quite personal anyway, so this is just my view of this festival, yours may differ and that is completely fine.

As today (22nd September 2025) is the Autumn equinox or Mabon I thought I’d talk a bit about that including why all is not as it may seem!

Mabon is celebrated as part of the wheel of the year, but it is not the ancient celebration that some believe it to be.

While people have always celebrated the soltices and equinoxes, Mabon is new. In fact it was a name given to the autumn equinox celebration in the 1970’s.

The original four Celtic celebrations of Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh were combined with the four solar festivals of the solstices and equinoxes celebrated in many European cultures to form the wheel of the year around the mid 20th century and were given names, presumably so they sounded like they fitted better.

That’s fine. They are times when people have traditionally celebrated, it’s just that the names have changed a bit. I think it’s good to know that though. Having cleared that up, let’s move on to the good stuff, shall we?

The autumn equinox, or Mabon if you prefer, is the second harvest celebration, the harvest of fruit. This is traditionally a time for rest after the grain harvests, a time to stock up and prepare for the cold winter ahead.

It is a midpoint between the lightest and darkent times of the year so it is a time for balance and reflection.

Here in Britain there is no historical evidence that this was a major celebration, so I see it more as a moment to change pace. As it starts to get a little chillier and that slight autumnal edge can be felt in the air, it feels like a good moment to take stock of what you have, both externally and internally, and to get ready for the dark, cold months.

That’s not to say that it isn’t worth celebrating though.

Ideas to Celebrate Mabon or Autumn Equinox

• Tie up loose ends and finish any projects from over the summer so that you can move forward from there.
• Tidy up. I know a lot of people like a spring clean but I have always found myself having a sort out around now, getting everything clean and organised and cosy for autumn and winter.
• Lighting candles or a fire to welcome in some warmth.
• Making apple pie or crumble, if there are any left maybe add some blackberries too.

• Take a moment to appreciate what other people do for you. This was traditionally the end of the grain harvest and a time when people would appreciate the work that had been done to get the harvest in.
• Drink cider or apple juice.
• Go for a walk and notice how the leaves are changing and maybe find some conkers and acorns.
• Foraging, there are sloes, apples, blackberries, rosehips, pears, and hazelnuts all to be found – obviously be careful and do not touch anything unless you are completely sure of what it is.

• While you’re stocking up for the colder months, maybe buy a couple of extra tins or packets if you can and donate them to your local food bank, someone will be very grateful that you did.

This may not be one of the bigger celebrations but it is still a good point to slow down, appreciate what we have, and get ready and cosy for the months ahead.

I’ll be adding more to this post as and when I find any interesting little bits of information or when I think of something I’d like to add.