Mabon: The Season of Harvest & Release
Even though I am fall gal (hello, Scorpio here) and absolutely over our oppressively hot summer, I am not here to rush us. These transitions are always gradual, and we can intentionally prepare – as the world around does – for the next season. You may already notice this subtle shift, as daylight gets shorter, plants go to seed, spiders make their webs…everywhere, and maybe internally you feel the urge to slow down and take stock.
The Autumn Equinox occurs on September 22, 2026, in the Northern Hemisphere. With equal lengths of day and night, it is one of four major cross-quarters marking the earth’s rotation and seasons. Observed throughout the world, in the tradition I follow it is known as Mabon. This is the harvest season, when we gather what we need to sustain us through the coming darker months, begin to release everything else, and surrender toward a fallow cycle. All with gratitude.
The energy shifts from growth and outward expression to dormancy and inward sustenance. We might call it “fall,” but leaves don’t just gracefully flutter off trees as they wish, they are KICKED OUT by the tree as it conserves its resources for the coming inactive phase. They served their purpose and their time has come to an end – it is also incredibly beautiful.
We hold these cycles within ourselves and can look to the natural world for guidance. Aligning with the qualities of each season is a powerful practice to live more intentionally and at a natural rhythm better suited for us to thrive.
Mabon asks us to embrace death, dormancy, and endings, and accept the integral role that plays in the greater cycle of rebirth. Samhain (SOW-in), on October 31-November 2, is the peak of this energy, when the veil between worlds is thin and we can tap into a powerful and often healing connection to what has passed onto the Otherworld. Reminding us again that there is beauty in letting go.
Some gentle reflections to explore the season within:
- What has the light of the past few months revealed to me about myself? What feels most illuminated or what do I want to shine a light on?
- What can I gather, with gratitude, from the past season of growth – whether
- difficult or joyful?
- What am I proud to have cultivated or grown? What do I want to harvest and take with me? What do I need to sustain myself?
- What is no longer worth tending, what can I release that I no longer need or that has run its course? What purpose did it serve for my growth or sense of wholeness?
- How can I nurture my sense of self this autumn, and more fully embrace my power?
- How can you embrace the cycle of death, honor loss, or connect to those who have passed on for guidance?
Some ways to honor Mabon and welcome Autumn:
- Join me for the virtual Mabon Moon Circle on September 22!
- Cleanse your entry way – sweep your front steps/porch, clean your front door.
- Start to slow down and gradually turn within – meditation, journaling, waking up earlier to have a quiet morning, etc. It can be 5-10 minutes, it’s not always about time, but a slower state of being.
- Get outside, of course. Walk or hike and notice the changing landscape, gather seeds to save for next year, plant a fall garden, collect leaves for a craft.
- Bake or cook! Fall is just the perfect cozy time that invites some kitchen magic, and work with herbs associated with autumn like cinnamon, rosemary, and sage. My favorite fall recipes are: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Apple Cinnamon Muffins, Pumpkin Pasta, and Butternut Squash Soup.