Sabbats Almanac: Samhain to Mabon - Kristoffer Hughes 2018
Welcoming the Fall Equinox by Susan Pesznecker
Mabon
COOLER NIGHTS, DAYS THAT grow ever shorter, leaves shifting to colors of orange and gold, and the urge to bring in one’s harvest, whatever that may be …. It must be autumn. And the onset of autumn is marked by the fall equinox. Known in various cultures and traditions by a number of names, it remains a time to fill one’s larder, both literally and metaphorically, preparing for the quiet darkness of winter.
The fall or autumnal equinox falls on September 22 or 23 (infrequently on September 21) in the northern hemisphere. If you’re not sure of the timing where you live, the internet provides a number of sites to help with your calculations. Astronomically, the equinox occurs because of Earth’s tilt and its rotation. Our planet tilts about 23 degrees off axis, which means that as it rotates, different parts of the globe are closer to or further from the sun, creating seasons. The fall and spring equinoxes occur at those times of the year when rotation and tilt come together so Earth’s axis is equidistant—neither closer to nor further from—the Sun. In technical terms, it’s the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator; to picture the celestial equator, imagine the earthly equator being projected out into space, and you’ve got it. This alignment creates days and nights that are of approximately equal length, a hallmark of both spring and fall equinoxes. (Although in truth, any almanac will reveal that days and nights are approximately equal for a few days on either side of the actual equinox date). The closer to the equator one lives, the more perfect the equal day-equal night relationship.
In the fall, once we pass the equinox, the days begin to get steadily shorter and the nights longer, building up to the “longest night” of the winter solstice. The Earth’s rotation again tips us away from the Sun, bringing colder temperatures and the typical autumn weather. It’s a time when we instinctively want to cook up a pot of soup or curl up with a blanket, a cup of tea, and a good book.
We humans know the autumn equinox by many names. In recent years, Mabon has become a craft term many magical folk use to describe it, believing Mabon to be an ancient expression or tradition. Others point to a figure known as Mabon ap Modron or Mabon, which appears in some ancient Celtic folklore and Arthurian legends, attributing the use of “Mabon” to those origins. Still others look to the female Cornish saint named Mabyn—her festival is celebrated on November 18, about half way between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice—or Maponos, a pre-Christian Celtic/Gaulish god, said by some to be a god of youth.
That said, recent scholarship by historian Ronald Hutton suggests that the modern use of Mabon isn’t “ancient” at all and was probably created by author Aidan Kelley in his 1991 book, Crafting the Art of Magic. Hutton suggests that Kelly created the term “Mabon” for the fall festival based on syncretism: the bringing together of a variety of ideas for a purpose that now seems more romantic than backed by scholarship. Hutton also mentions the Welsh scholar W. J. Gruffydd, whose publications mention the Welsh figure of Mabon as a Pagan deity and point to that as an origin for the fall equinox’s name; however, Hutton points out that this claim remains unproven.
Some modern Druids refer to the fall equinox by the Welsh Alban Elfed, said to mean “the light of the water.” Such usage seems to be a relatively modern invention, for everything we know about the ancient Druids tells us they celebrated the fire (cross-quarter) festivals but didn’t mark the solstices and equinoxes as ceremonial events. That said, I’ve always believed if something helps a person connect with their own spirituality, it’s a good thing. Call the holiday what you want: it’s celebrating it that’s most important. Although, I also believe that learning more about the real background of our practices only makes them richer.
A number of cultures today celebrate autumn with a harvest festival, although not always on the day of the equinox. China, Korea, Vietnam, and the United Kingdom all have some sort of fall fest as does Japan, which sets their autumn equinox celebration aside as a public holiday. Here in the United States, we don’t have a formal autumn festival, but virtually every community marks autumn in some way, whether with hay mazes, fall farmer’s markets, cider pressings, or something similar that celebrates the season.
Most magical folk, celebrants of Earth-based traditions, and those who fall under the general neopagan “big tent,” mark the fall equinox as one of their important seasonal celebrations, often as part of the Wheel of the Year. The Wheel-as-metaphor imagines that every year rolls by in a series of natural cycles, some or all of which may be marked by a special observance. The solstices and equinoxes as known as quarter days, dividing the year into quarters, with the traditional “fire festivals,” or cross-quarter days, taking place on Samhain and the first day or two of February, May, and August. Most Wheel-based festivals honor the nature of the seasonal changes happening around them and cast an eye to what will follow. Different traditions may include offerings, initiations, vigils, and omen-casting in their rituals. Feasting is almost always a common part of these celebrations.
And the typical fall equinox festivity for magical folks? You might expect to see one or more of these ideas represented:
Balance: As the Earth stands poised on the celestial equator and day and night are of equal length, the idea of balance is strong: balance in both our magical and mundane lives, balance between work and play, balance between celebration and preparation, etc.
Bounty: With autumn comes the idea of bringing in one’s harvest and preparing for winter. With that readiness comes safety and comfort.
Honoring: We honor the cycles of life and show gratitude for their ever-changing consistency (Changes and consistency? We call that irony, folks!)
Symbolism: Bales of hay, representing the food that is gathered and taken in for winter; colorful leaves; the overflowing cornucopia of plenty; apples, apple trees, and everything about apples; pumpkins, squashes, and gourds; the colors orange, gold, and brown—symbolizing the changes we see in the fields and fauna around us.
Every seasonal celebration brings with it a number of opportunities to engage, enjoy, and experience personal growth. Fall is probably my favorite time of the year. I love the cooling temperatures, the smell of evening woodsmoke, the leaves that swirl around me feet, and the impetus to make rich cups of cocoa and simmer pots of soup on the stove. Everything at this time of year feels magical and full of promise. If you’re looking for ways to engage with autumn, here are a few favorites:
Go out for a walk! Sounds simple, but what better way is there to engage with the natural world than to be within it? Dress for the weather, and if you take your smart phone alone for safety, please leave it in your pocket and keep your ears unplugged. Open your senses to the sights, sounds, and smells around you. Be observant for natural signs and omens or for the perfect stone or acorn for your fall altar. As you walk, watch for changes from week to week—even day to day. And don’t let the weather stop you: bundle up and walk through rain and wind. It’s glorious, and you’ll experience Earth’s gifts in a primal way.
Make your home an autumn retreat. Put out tablecloths, kitchen towels, bedlinens, doormats, and more with autumn themes. Hang a fall wreath of dried leaves and berries. Light cinnamon-scented candles or simmer cinnamon sticks and whole allspice in a small kettle on your stove to scent the entire house. Redress your home altar in fall colors and decorate with small dried ears of corn, miniature pumpkins, and such.
“Put up” some food. Autumn is inexorably associated with filling one’s larder or root cellar so as to be ready for the coming winter. Canning food is simple—to make it even more fun, learn from or work side by side with a friend, and share your results. As you prepare the food, be aware of its gifts to you, and offer thanks to your deities of choice. Stir deasil, echoing the life giving forces of the seasonal wheel. Not ready to try canning? Try drying herbs or apple slices, or freeze apples or plums that you’ve stewed on the stove top with sugar, a bit of water, and warming spices of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Embrace your inner apple! If there’s one food item that symbolizes the wealth of autumn, it might be the apple. Buy local apples from your farmer’s market, or if you have a U-pick orchard nearby, harvest a bounty of apples and use them to make an apple crisp, applesauce, or the perfect pie. Sip hot spiced cider. Cut an apple through its equator to discover a perfect pentagram inside.
Visit a local harvest festival. Thanks to the internet, it’s easier than ever to find what’s going on in one’s community. Your local harvest festivals may feature corn mazes, hayrides, cider pressing, bonfires, or other fun events. Participating helps you engage with the season and celebrate your community at the same time. And of course, you can DIY as well. Maybe you can’t pull off your own corn maze, but you can have a backyard fire (s’mores, anyone?). No cider press? Puree apples into oblivion in your food processor and drain the results through a fine sieve for your own delicious homemade cider.
Prepare your yard for winter. The best way to do this is to do almost nothing! Pick up sticks and debris, but leave your grass uncut, your fields unmowed, and your shrubs and trees ragged and untrimmed. Leaving your yard on the wild side provides food and shelter for insects, birds, and even small critters through the autumn and winter, helping you support your own piece of the planet. Want to be even more wonderful? Provide a clean water source for birds through the autumn and winter. Do you have planting beds? Plant a cover crop to protect and nurture the soil; you’ll till it under in the spring.
Make smudge sticks. I know I just told you to leave your yard alone—but it’s okay to harvest some dried-or-done plant matter for this purpose. Bind the material together and roll tightly in newspaper to dry. When dry, wrap in cotton string or embroidery floss to make your sticks. These will be especially wonderful used in winter ritual.
Do something you’ve never done before! Go on a mushroom hunt—with an expert if you’re a novice, please. Harvest acorns and make acorn bread. Make ink from walnuts, wild berries, beets, or other natural ingredients. Make char cloth to use in lighting ritual fires. Peel birch bark and press (an old phone book works beautifully as a plant press) for use as paper in rituals. Harvest wood (live—with the tree’s permission—or fallen) for a new staff or wand. You’ll find resources on the Web to help with these projects.
Hold rituals for yourself, your family, or your magical friends. In the closing ritual, I’ll give you an outline for a fabulous equinoctial ritual. But why stop at one? With a blend of intention, planning, practice, and reflection, just about any autumn activity can be elevated to the level of ritual.
Are you excited? Inspired? I wish for you a joyous autumn, full of color, bounty, balance, and magic!