~~BlesseD AutumnaL EquinoX~~

Various names for the Autumnal Equinox include: Mabon, Fall Equinox, Second Harvest Festival, Festival of Dionysus, Wine Harvest, Feast of Avalon, & Winter Finding.

Interesting tidbit re the Autumnal Equinox is that the length of both the day & the night are equal & the sun rises directly in the East and sets directly in the West.

For us Pagans =)

Mabon marks the end of the 2nd of 3 Pagan Harvest Festivals. Usually, the majority of crops have been gathered…& thoughts turn towards balancing our lives…

Reflection & honor on our aging Deities & those who have passed over to the Spirit World.
Giving thanks is of importance……hence the non-pagan holiday of Thanksgiving…Halloween…or all hallows eve & Dias de Los Muetos….where we visit the graves of our loved ones to celebrate them.

Many pagan activities may include: wine making, decorating of graves, walking in wild places and forests, gathering seed pods and dried plants.

These items are often used to decorate the home or altar, protection, & others saved for future herbal magick. But always be respectful if out walking….as it is considered taboo to pass burial sites and not honor the dead.

Recommended Spellwork:
Focus on protection, wealth and prosperity, security and spells to bring a feeling of self-confidence. In addition, spells focusing on the energies w/in your home and life situations to create balance & harmony.

Rituals include: the praising or honoring of fruit as proof of the love of the Goddess and God, and a ritual sprinkling of Autumn leaves.

To preserve turning leaves…..they can be dipped in paraffin. (dip the leaves in melted paraffin, and put them on wax paper). When the leaves are dry, you can put them in a huge decorative jar with a sigil of protection carved lightly on some or all of the leaves.

Appropriate colors for this Sabbat are: red, orange, deep gold, brown, russet, maroon & violet.
Candle colors: orange, dark red, yellow, indigo, or brown.

Altar cloths: made of material w/ Fall designs.

Stones to use during Mabon: amethyst and yellow topaz, carnelian, lapis lazuli, sapphire, & yellow agate. River & stream stones gathered over the Summer can be empowered for various purposes.

Animals associated w/ the Autumn Equinox are dogs, wolves & birds of prey.

Mythical creatures include gnomes, minotaurs, sphinx, cyclopes, andamans & gulons. Plants associated w/ Mabon: vines, ivy, hazel, cedar, hops & tobacco.

Traditional herbs of the Mabon sabbat: acorns, asters, benzoin, ferns, honeysuckle, marigold, milkweed, mums, myrrh, oak leaves, passionflower, pine, roses, sage, Solomon's seal, & thistles. Incense for the Mabon Sabbat Ritual might include any or all of the following: frankincense, aloes wood, jasmine, cinnamon, musk, cloves, benzoease.

~~(information obtained from : http://moonlit_goddess.tripod.com/mabon.htm )~~