Wheel of the Year

The turning year

Eight seasonal festivals. Tap one to read what it means, where it comes from, and how you might mark it.

SamhainYuleImbolcOstaraBeltaneLithaLughnasadhMabonYou are hereEarly harvest

Gold ring marks the next Sabbat: Mabon, in 1 days.

Autumn · MAY-bon

Mabon

The autumn equinox: balance again, with the dark now growing. Widely kept as a harvest thanksgiving and a time to take stock.

When: The autumn equinox, around 21–23 September in the north; around 20 March in the south.

Historical context

History

'Mabon' was adopted as a sabbat name in the 1970s, borrowed from the Welsh figure Mabon ap Modron. It is not an ancient festival name.

Where the history is uncertain: Mabon has no documented ancient observance under that name. Many Wiccans use the plainer term 'Autumn Equinox' for this reason.

Traditional themes

  • Gratitude
  • Balance
  • Harvest
  • Preparation
Modern Wiccan practice

Common correspondences

Correspondence tables are modern conventions collected from folklore and ceremonial magic. Traditions vary, and none of this is required.

Colours:
Amber, russet, deep gold, plum
In nature:
Apples, turning leaves, cooler mornings
Foods:
Apples, squash, root vegetables, cider
Themes:
Taking stock, thanks, settling in

Ways to celebrate

  • List what this year has given you, even the small things.
  • Collect one beautiful fallen leaf and press it in a book.
  • Prepare something for the colder months: a blanket out, a soup made.

A simple beginner practice

Take five minutes outside. Notice three signs that the season is changing, and write them down. That's a good seasonal practice on its own.

Reflection

What has this year given you, including the things that were hard to receive?

Go deeper

Look into why the 1970s naming of Mabon is debated among Wiccans, and how some traditions simply call it the Autumn Equinox.

Read the full Mabon lesson

Sources & further reading

  • Ronald Hutton, The Stations of the Sun (Oxford University Press, 1996)

    A history of the ritual year in Britain, based on documented custom rather than folklore retellings.

  • Ronald Hutton, The Triumph of the Moon (2nd ed., Oxford University Press, 2019)

    The standard academic account of how modern pagan witchcraft, and its calendar, were assembled.

Where reliable evidence is limited, we say so rather than filling the gap.

Dates are approximate and vary by tradition and hemisphere. Many Wiccans mark the exact astronomical solstices and equinoxes instead.