Cleanse, Connect, and Care this Mabon!
When autumn gathers, the tree
That the leaves sang
Reddens dark slowly, then, suddenly free,
Turns like a key,
Opening air where they hang
– Mabon, by Annie Finch
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September 21st to September 29th is the duration of the pagan harvest festival called Mabon. Mabon celebrates the Fall Equinox which this year falls on September 22nd. It is a time to reflect on the past year, and to honor the coming of darkness. After the equinox, the northern hemisphere is shrouded in night.
During this time, we acknowledge the mysteries that occur in our lives and in our universe. We create balance by stopping our work, relax, and enjoy the fruits of our labor. We give thanks to others, and bless ourselves and our relationships with love.
The way you celebrate Mabon is personalized to what you believe in and in the folklore of your ancestors. Please remember to give thanks and respect to any deities you are connecting with. Today, I’m sharing with you the ritual I will be practicing throughout the 8 days of the festival.
My ritual for Mabon is broken into three sections:
Cleanse
Clean up your space, remove any clutter and organize any loitering objects. I like to cleanse with aromatherapy and smoke, use herbs like peppermint, juniper berries, rosemary, or spearmint. Must dilute any essential oils with a carrier oil in 2 to 10 ratio.
Bless your space by envisioning light spreading everywhere as you use.
Protect yourself and your space by with wind chimes or with rosemary leaves by the entrance and exits of your space.
Connect
Goddess Oya
My favorite thing to do for the festival is to prepare an altar for Mabon. This is a very personal process and I recommend to research the correspondences and deities that reflects who you are. I have representations of the goddesses Persephone, Oshun, and Oya; and, I leave offerings to each and give my thanks for their guidance and protection.
Some correspondences include:
Wine
Pumpkin
Sprinkling of leaves
Honeysuckle
Apple
Balance of Light and Dark
The colors red, gold, purple, and brown.
Care
Your space and your altar is blessed with Mabon’s spirit, but you mustn’t forget the most important piece of the ritual. Yourself. Spiritual baths are needed often when you need to bind together again your body and your soul.
For a spiritual bath you will need to do the following:
I recommend to take a bath in the evening of September 21st.
Light red or purple candles around the bathroom.
Fill the tub with warm water with 2 handfuls of sea salt dissolved.
Pour a mixture of jasmine and apple blossom oils.
Add pomegranate seeds.
Add rose, marigold, honeysuckle, and passionflower petals.
Soak for 30 minutes. While soaking in the bath, set your intentions to protection, self-confidence, and balance.
Air dry for the best results.
Repeat bath ritual the evening of September 29th.
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I hope your Mabon is memorable and filled with celebration, gratitude, love, and prosperity for the coming season. Remember to be a force of love in this world. We all need it more than ever right now.
A newly-proclaimed Bruja from Brooklyn, Krizia is a writer whose Dominican heritage runs deep in her everyday life. She spends her day reading fiction novels and about the occult, drawing comics, visiting metaphysical shops, and playing with her Shih-Tzu, Shiloh. Currently, she is working on a prose chapbook, a memoir, and a graphic novel. Krizia is unpacked in Pittsburgh, PA until she graduates from the University of Pittsburgh. You can find Krizia on Twitter @KriziaIsamar and Instagram @TinyBlueBackpack