Mabon
21st March

Mabon is also known as the Autumn Equinox, one of only two times a year when day and night are the same length. It is the second of the three harvest festivals (the other two being Lughnasadh and Samhain) and the one most associated with feasting as all the work is finally over.

Mabon is the time of year when the light begins to fade and we begin the spiral down into winter. It helps to think that in the Wheel of the Year, a circle, darkness is always followed by light, death is always followed by rebirth and winter is always followed by spring.

The name Mabon comes from the Welsh word for son, and I think this is indicative of the lore surrounding Mabon. Though the God is dying and his light is fading, he is an eternal youth and will be reborn at Yule to the Goddess bringing light into the world again. We should also give thanks to both the God and the Goddess on this day as their work and sacrifice throughout the year means that we can survive the winter. This may seem a little obsolete to some of us now when we can seemingly get food at any time of year whether it is in season or not, but think about the festivals performed in the spring and at the beginning of summer - all prayed for abundance and fertility. Mabon is the time to thank the God and Goddess for giving it to us. Had we been alive even one hundred years ago our needs for this abundance would have been very real indeed.

Foods, incenses and drinks associated with Mabon are corn foods, nuts, fruit/berry wines, myrhh and so on. The acorns that adorn my altar as a representation of the God are gathered at Mabon.