Mabon is the Wiccan sabbat of the autumn equinox, celebrated around September 22 in the Northern Hemisphere. It's the second of the three harvest festivals, a time of balance when day and night are about equal, and a time to give thanks for everything the year has brought.
Many witches call Mabon the witch's Thanksgiving. If Samhain is the witch's new year, Mabon is the harvest dinner before it: a moment to gather, share and get ready for the darker half of the year.
In this guide you'll learn when Mabon falls, what it means, which deities people honor, its colors, crystals and herbs, and simple ways to celebrate.
How to Celebrate Mabon in 6 Steps
- Take a gratitude walk. Go outside, notice the turning leaves and collect acorns, pine cones or fallen leaves for your altar.
- Set up a Mabon altar. Use red, orange, brown and gold, plus apples, grapes, gourds and a candle.
- Write a gratitude list. Note what you've harvested this year: lessons, wins and blessings.
- Find your balance. Light one dark and one light candle and think about what you want to keep and what you want to release.
- Cleanse your home. Do a seasonal clean, open the windows, then smoke-cleanse or ring a bell through each room.
- Share a harvest meal. Cook with apples, squash and root vegetables, and share food with friends or a food bank.
You don't need to do all of them. A walk, an apple and a few words of thanks are a perfectly good Mabon.
When Is Mabon?
Mabon falls on the autumn equinox, so the date shifts slightly each year. In the Northern Hemisphere it's around September 22 (usually between September 21 and 24). In the Southern Hemisphere, where it's spring in September, many witches celebrate Mabon around March 20, when Northern witches are celebrating Ostara.
On the Wheel of the Year, Mabon comes after Lughnasadh, the first harvest, and before Samhain, the last. It's one of the four solar festivals (the solstices and equinoxes), sometimes called the Lesser Sabbats, alongside the four Greater Sabbats on the cross-quarter days.
Where Does the Name Mabon Come From?
The name is modern. In the 1970s, the American Wiccan Aidan Kelly gave the autumn equinox the name Mabon, after Mabon ap Modron, a figure from Welsh legend whose name means "son of the mother." There's no evidence that the ancient Welsh held an equinox festival for him, so some Pagans prefer to just say the autumn equinox, Harvest Home or Second Harvest. Most English speakers say MAY-bon; the Welsh pronunciation is closer to MAH-bon.
What Is Mabon? The Meaning of the Autumn Equinox
Harvest festivals have been celebrated around the world for thousands of years. Farming communities paused at the height of the harvest to give thanks, feast and prepare for winter. You can still see that spirit in harvest suppers, harvest festivals in churches and schools, and autumn fairs.
For Wiccans, Mabon carries two big themes. The first is balance: on the equinox, day and night are roughly equal, and from now on the nights grow longer. It's a natural time to look at the balance in your own life between work and rest, giving and receiving. The second is gratitude: we give thanks for the summer and the harvest, and we make peace with the darker days ahead.
Which Deities Do We Honor at Mabon?
Even though the sabbat is named after a Welsh figure, most Wiccans don't celebrate it in his honor. In the Wiccan story of the year, the Goddess moves from Mother toward Crone as the harvest ends. Some witches honor wise, mature goddesses at this time, such as Hecate or the Morrígan.
The Horned God, the lord of the forest, begins to fade. Like the grain that's cut and stored, he gives his life to the land and prepares to journey into the underworld, so many witches feel the veil starting to thin from Mabon onward. In the story of the Holly King and the Oak King, the Holly King's dark half of the year is now in full swing.
Greek and Roman Deities for Mabon
The ancient Greeks explained the seasons through the story of Persephone. Each year she returns to the underworld to rule with Hades, and her grieving mother Demeter, goddess of the grain, lets the earth go barren until her daughter comes back in spring. Pomegranates, the fruit Persephone ate in the underworld, are a lovely Mabon offering.
Dionysus (Bacchus to the Romans), god of wine and celebration, fits the grape harvest perfectly.
Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit trees and orchards, is another good choice for the apple harvest. She's often pictured with fruit or a pruning knife.
Mabon Symbols and Correspondences
Mabon traditions come from many cultures, but some symbols are nearly universal: apples, grapes, acorns, gourds and the cornucopia, the horn of plenty. Here's a quick reference. For even more, browse the free Witch's Cabinet.
| Category | Mabon correspondences |
|---|---|
| Colors | Red, orange, yellow, brown, gold, deep green, purple, black |
| Crystals | Citrine, amber, yellow agate, moss agate, red jasper, peridot, lapis lazuli, clear quartz |
| Herbs and spices | Cinnamon, clove, sage, rosemary, myrrh, pine |
| Flowers and trees | Chrysanthemum, marigold, sunflower, thistle, oak, maple, apple, pine |
| Symbols | Cornucopia, apples, grapes, acorns, pine cones, gourds, scales (balance) |
| Foods | Apples, pears, grapes, pomegranates, squash, root vegetables, bread, nuts, cider, wine |
| Themes | Balance, gratitude, sharing, rest, letting go, preparing for winter |
Celebrate in Style!
Download our Free Mabon Wallpapers, Backgrounds, and Social Media Banners
Mabon Colors
The best Mabon colors are the ones you see around you: the red, orange, yellow and brown of turning leaves, and deep green since autumn is only beginning. Purple stands for grapes and wine, and some witches use black for the descent into the darker half of the year. Our guide to candle color meanings can help you choose.
Mabon Crystals
- Citrine: creativity, abundance and following through on goals.
- Amber: warmth, protection and positive energy.
- Yellow agate: joy and prosperity.
- Moss agate: fresh starts, peace and balance.
- Red jasper: grounding, patience and persistence.
- Peridot: harmony, compassion and prosperity.
- Lapis lazuli: self-reflection and wisdom as you plan the season ahead.
- Clear quartz: clarity, and it amplifies any other stone.
For balance, the main theme of the equinox, many witches like aquamarine or a pair of light and dark stones, like clear quartz and obsidian.
Mabon Herbs, Flowers and Trees
Warm autumn spices and herbs fit Mabon: cinnamon, clove, sage, rosemary, pine and myrrh are all lovely in incense, sachets and simmer pots. (Try our guide to simmer pots for a cozy Mabon blend.) Chrysanthemums, marigolds, sunflowers and thistle look beautiful in a vase, and leaves, nuts and cones from oak, maple, pine, walnut and apple trees make great altar decorations.
Mabon Foods and Drinks
Like Lughnasadh, Mabon is a time for bread and baked goods. Apple cake, apple crisp and fruit turnovers are classics, and markets are full of apples, pears, grapes and late berries. Pomegranates are a nice nod to Persephone.
For savory dishes, think squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, corn and roasted meat, or put it all into a big Mabon stew. It's also a great time to make jams, chutneys and pickles for winter. To drink, serve wine, cider or grape juice. For full recipes, see our Mabon recipes and foods.
Ways to Celebrate Mabon
Mabon is a chance to slow down, reflect on the past months and prepare for the next ones. Here are some ideas you can do alone or with a coven.
Take a Nature Walk and Gather Altar Items
The sabbats remind us to notice the world around us. A walk through a forest or park is a chance to collect acorns, chestnuts, pine cones and colorful leaves for your home. Only take what's plentiful, and leave plenty for the wildlife getting ready for winter.
No forest nearby? Visit an apple orchard or a vineyard and bring home apples, grapes or a few vines to weave into garlands. Before you leave, say thank you to the land. You can scatter native seeds or leave a few apple slices or berries as an offering.
Cleanse Your Home
The equinoxes are a perfect time for a deep clean. Dust, vacuum, and open the windows to let stale energy out. Bring out your warm clothes and donate whatever you no longer need. Then follow up with a spiritual cleansing to get your home ready for winter.
Decorate a Mabon Altar
Start with a cloth in an autumn color, then add candles, ribbons and the symbols above. Cinnamon or apple-scented candles make your home smell like fall. For a lovely picture of the equinox, put green candles and offerings on one side of your altar and golden-brown ones on the other, meeting in the middle. New to altars? Read our beginner's guide to Wiccan altars.
For offerings, use herbs from your garden, things you gathered on your walk, grain, nuts and seeds, and fruit like apples, grapes, berries, squash and pomegranates. Never leave candles burning unattended, especially near dried leaves.
Make (or Bake) a Cornucopia
The cornucopia, or horn of plenty, is a classic symbol of the harvest. You can buy a wicker horn as a table centerpiece, or bake one out of bread dough:
- Mix 2 cups warm water, 1/4 cup sugar and 14 g (2 packets) active dry yeast. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until foamy.
- Add 1/2 cup oil, about 6 cups flour and a teaspoon of salt, then knead until the dough is no longer sticky.
- Cover the dough in an oiled bowl with a cloth and let it rise for about an hour.
- Shape a cone from aluminum foil, stuff it with more foil so it keeps its shape, and grease the outside well.
- Roll the dough out on a floured surface, cut it into strips and wrap them around the cone, starting at the point.
- Brush with egg wash and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden. Let it cool before gently removing the foil.
Fill your cornucopia with grapes, roasted vegetables or rolls. The video above shows the whole process, plus a cheese and apricot dip to serve with it.
Make a Mabon Wreath
A wreath on the door is a lovely protection charm for the season. Start with a grapevine base and add pine cones, leaves, berry twigs, dried flowers or feathers with twine or glue. Before you hang it, tuck in a sprig of rosemary for protection, or add a small sigil drawn on paper.
Make a Corn Dolly
Corn dollies are a traditional way to use the last of the grain. The idea is that the dolly gives the spirit of the grain a home through the winter. Keep yours somewhere safe until spring, when many people return it to the earth or burn it at Imbolc.
A Simple Mabon Balance Ritual
This short ritual works well alone. You will need: one black (or dark) candle, one white candle, an apple, a knife and a piece of paper.
- Light both candles and sit quietly for a moment. Think of the equal day and night of the equinox.
- On the paper, write two short lists: what you're grateful for this year, and what you're ready to let go of.
- Read the gratitude list aloud. Then read the letting-go list and say: As the light gives way to the dark, I release what I no longer need.
- Cut the apple across its middle to reveal the five-pointed star of seeds inside. Eat half, and leave the other half outside as an offering.
- Snuff the candles. Keep the gratitude list on your altar, and safely burn or bury the letting-go list.
If you'd like to go deeper into each sabbat's rituals and meaning, our Wiccan Holidays course covers the whole Wheel of the Year.
Final Thoughts: Share Your Mabon Blessings
Mabon is a time to reflect on the past season, through meditation, journaling or a simple tarot spread, and to set intentions for the dark months ahead. Above all, harvest festivals remind us not to take abundance for granted. Share what you have: host a Mabon feast, give to a food drive or volunteer your time. Gratitude grows when it's shared.
How do you celebrate Mabon? We'd love to hear your favorite autumn equinox traditions.
Sources
- Ronald Hutton, The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain (1996)
- Scott Cunningham, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (1988)
Check out our other articles:
Mabon Recipes and Foods
Wiccan Holidays: Samhain
Wiccan Holidays: Lughnasadh
The Wheel of the Year
See All Articles
Love this article? Share the magick with your friends and loved ones!
Mabon FAQs
How do you pronounce Mabon?
Most English speakers say MAY-bon. The Welsh pronunciation of the name is closer to MAH-bon. Both are widely used in the Pagan community, so choose whichever feels natural.
Is Mabon the same as the autumn equinox?
Yes. Mabon is the name many Wiccans and Pagans use for the autumn equinox, the day when day and night are roughly equal. Some prefer to simply call it the autumn equinox, Harvest Home or the Second Harvest.
Why is Mabon called the witch's Thanksgiving?
Mabon is the second harvest festival and its main theme is gratitude for the year's abundance. Like Thanksgiving, it's often celebrated with a big shared meal of seasonal foods, which is why many witches use the nickname.
What colors are used for Mabon?
Mabon colors are the colors of autumn: red, orange, yellow, brown and gold, plus deep green. Purple represents grapes and wine, and some witches add black for the coming darker half of the year.
What do you eat on Mabon?
Popular Mabon foods include apples, pears, grapes, pomegranates, squash, root vegetables, bread, nuts, stews and apple desserts. Wine, cider and grape juice are traditional drinks.
Can I celebrate Mabon alone?
Yes. Many witches celebrate alone with a walk, a gratitude list, a simple altar and a seasonal meal. A short balance ritual with two candles is a lovely way to mark the equinox on your own.
