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The RP Mystic Guide to Mabon

Mabon is the eighth spoke along the Wheel of the Year. Celebrated on the autumn equinox, Mabon is a minor sabbat that honors nature for another bountiful harvest (the other major harvest celebrations being Lughnasadh in August and Samhain in October.) In her book Practical Magic: A Beginner’s Guide to Crystals, Horoscopes, Psychics, and Spells, author Nikki Van De Car writes, “On the fall equinox the hours of sunlight are equal to the hours of darkness, so Mabon is about seeking balance – and about respecting the darker aspects of life, since so many of the other holidays are about honoring the sun. It is also a time to give thanks and reflect on all that we have been given throughout the year.”

 If Mabon sounds like a magical version of Thanksgiving, you’re not wrong! Here, we offer you our favorite rituals and correspondences for your Mabon to help celebrate balance, imbibe with friends, and give thanks back to nature.

 

To honor the growing nighttime hours that come with Mabon, here are some of our favorite rituals from The Night School: Moonlit Magic Deck from Maia Toll. This enchanting deck is a pocket-friendly companion to her newest book, The Night School: Lessons in Moonlight, Magic, and the Mysteries of Being Human.

Photo of The Night School Moonlit Magic DeckGo Dark
Choose an evening to go dark. Turn off all electronics, and don’t use flashlights or electric lamps. Use candlelight or battery-operated tea lights or keep the light soft. Do your thoughts change when you’re in true dark? Can you relinquish your daylight persona?

Step into Change
Small changes help you get acclimated to bigger changes. Try going to sleep at a different time or upending the order of your bedtime routine.

What does this do your senses? Are you more intentional about how you go about your evening and how you move within your space?

Find Your Equilibrium
Stand in yoga’s Mountain pose and push your feet hard into the ground while letting the top of your head stretch straight to the stars. Image a string stretching from the crown of your head into the heavens, head in the stars, you stretched between.

 

Sabbats are always a magical time to reset your altar for the new season. Here, author Cerridwen Greenleaf offers some insight for an autumnal altar refresh with a corresponding sabbat ritual adapted from The Practical Witch’s Spell Book for Love, Happiness, and Success.

Photo of the Practical Witch's Spell BookAltars of the Seasons: Fall

There are so many reasons to create personal altars, and four of those reasons are the seasons to the year. Your altar helps you maintain balance in your life and deepens your spiritual connection to the world around you. A seasonal altar is your tool for ceremonies to honor Mother Nature and connect with the deeper wisdom of the earth.

The leaves are now falling and the harvest is here, calling for a gratitude altar that reflects the bounty and continuation of life. An arrangement of pumpkins, acorns, multicolored branches, and a handsome bouquet of leaves will honor the natural changes that characterize autumn.

Your Home is Your Temple: Sabbat Ritual

Practical witches observe both major and lesser sabbats. Establish one room in your house as a temple. Ideally, it is the room in which you normally keep an altar or sacred shrine. In any case, you should create an altar in the center of the space. Place a loaf of freshly baked bread (bread you have made with your own hands is best) in the east, a bowl of apples in the south, a bottle of wine in the west, and a sheaf of wheat or a bundle of dried corn in the north. Upon the main altar in the middle, place a candle, a plate of sweet cakes, and a goblet. Light incense and place it in front of the cakes. Before your ritual, take some time for contemplation and think about what you have achieved during this busy year.

What have you done?

What do you need?

What remains to be done?

What are your aspirations?

Write down your thoughts and feelings and the answers to these questions. Read what you have written and ponder it. Look for recurring ideas or themes and make notes on a piece of paper. Light the candle on the altar and use this candle to light all the other candles in the temple.

Take string, preferably blue or purple in color, and bind the paper with your contemplations on it into a scroll. Place the scroll on your altar. Extinguish the candles. Then declare your temple closed. The common wisdom is that you should place the apples, bread, and wine in your garden as on offering the next day, as a blessing to all of nature.

 

Because Mabon celebrates the balance of light and dark at the beginning of the new autumn season, consider crafting this special tisane to incorporate in your sabbat ritual, courtesy of Potions: A Guide to Cocktails, Tinctures, Tisanes, and Other Witchy Concoctions, the newest book from Nikki Van De Car.

Balancing Tisane

Magic is all about intention—and intention requires us to ask questions and tune in deeply to our thoughts and feelings. Through both the ingredients and brewing process of this tisane, learn to listen to

yourself, as you restore balance to this moment.

½ teaspoon lavender

½ teaspoon dried mint

¼ teaspoon mullein

Squeeze of lemon

Spoonful of honey, to taste

Bring some water to a boil, then turn it off and let it come to stillness, all that activity finding rest. In a tea strainer, combine the lavender, mint, and mullein. Pour the water over the strainer and into your cup, letting it steep for three minutes. Remove the strainer and add a squeeze of lemon and a spoonful of honey, stirring to mix everything. Take a first sip of your tisane, and ask yourself what is most needed at this moment. Should you find some time to do something that brings you pleasure? Should you go through your email? Should you call a friend? The correct answer will change from day to day, so whenever you prepare this potion for yourself, allow the response to float up with the steam.

 

Bring an enchanting natural element into your Mabon rituals with some of our most cherished essential oils that promote the balance and coziness that Mabon celebrates, from Essential Oils: A Little Introduction to Their Uses and Health Benefits by Cerridwen Greenleaf.

Cedarwood: Frequently a component of perfumes, fragrances, and, ironically, insect repellants. Cedarwood oil’s woodsy aroma provides a plethora of healing benefits and is valued for its use as an anointing oil, as well as for protective energy in your home.

Clove: Derived from clove trees, this strong, spicy essential oil is native to Southeast Asia and is connected to money magic and protection spells. Traditionally, clove oil has been used to fight bacteria and address respiratory conditions, and it’s a common pain reliever for toothaches

and muscle pains.

Cypress: Originates from the eastern Mediterranean region; this mystical oil soothes the soul and is a balm for those who are suffering from grief, despair, and hopelessness. With an evergreen and lightly spicy aroma, cypress oil can connect you to loved ones who have passed away. Cypress offers strength, energy, and hope.

Lavender: Lavender is soothing, calming, nurturing, and relaxing. This versatile essential oil is a natural antibiotic, antiseptic, sedative, antidepressant, topical treatment for scalds and burns, and a powerful detoxifier. Lavender promotes healing, and the lovely scent has a calming effect that is widely used in aromatherapy.

Vetiver: A thick and amber-colored oil from India, vetiver has been found to boost immunity and whole-body wellness. Vetiver balances emotions and can relieve nervous tension. Though a very grounding energy, it can be used to prevent or reverse curses and hexes. It is also an abundance attractor for money magic.

 

Incorporating crystals into your Mabon ritual is a powerful way to balance your spirits and prepare your mind and body for the new season. Here are some of our favorites to use during this time, courtesy of Crystals: A Little Introduction to Their Powers by Nikki Van De Car.

Celestine: Allows you to stand back and look at a problem without emotional clouding. Clears any blocks that may be preventing you from connecting with the spirit world.

Clear Quartz: A stone of healing, it channels power and amplifies universal energy. This stone can be programmed to whatever use you require.

Hematite: A stone of protection and grounding, it closes your aura to keep out negative energy. Provides support for astral projection.

Sunstone: An antidepressant that stimulates the kidneys and allows energy to flow freely throughout the body.

Moonstone: Soothes the emotions as well as the digestive system. Encourages peace and harmony within.