I'm sitting in an air-conditioned room (one of only two in the house), looking out the window, watching the sky grow dark with rain. It's a temporary reprieve from the sweltering heat. When it stops raining, the air will be heavy with humidity. Such is life in the tropics.
Autumn is less than a day away, but everything is still green. The coconut trees soak up the sun. People still swarm to the beach on Sundays. I'm still wearing the lightest clothes I can possibly find, which is sometimes just a bathing suit top and shorts.
It will be like this until maybe December, but more likely January, and even then it's only a bit cooler.
Still, Autumn is more than a season for me. It's a feeling, a mood, a shift. It's in the air, even though the air is like a warm breath. It's in the way the sun shines at 3 p.m. Golden afternoons.
As a witchy woman, I like to celebrate the seasons, no matter the weather. Mabon is the celebration of autumn, the balance between light and dark. It's a time for harvesting and letting go. For taking stock of what we've grown and what we've lost. It's a time of transition and transformation. The nights grow longer, but it's okay - we still have our own light to guide us into and through Shadow season.
Mabon reminds us to step back from all that was and look at what is. Look within. Where have you been and where are you going? More importantly, where are you in this moment? How do you feel?
There are many ways to celebrate Mabon and welcome Autumn, once again. Things may not look or feel like they always have, but that's okay, too. Just as the world keeps spinning and the wheel of the year keeps turning, we will adapt and progress and celebrate. We must.
Here are 5 of my favorite ways to celebrate Mabon and the Autumn Equinox.
Autumn is less than a day away, but everything is still green. The coconut trees soak up the sun. People still swarm to the beach on Sundays. I'm still wearing the lightest clothes I can possibly find, which is sometimes just a bathing suit top and shorts.
It will be like this until maybe December, but more likely January, and even then it's only a bit cooler.
Still, Autumn is more than a season for me. It's a feeling, a mood, a shift. It's in the air, even though the air is like a warm breath. It's in the way the sun shines at 3 p.m. Golden afternoons.
As a witchy woman, I like to celebrate the seasons, no matter the weather. Mabon is the celebration of autumn, the balance between light and dark. It's a time for harvesting and letting go. For taking stock of what we've grown and what we've lost. It's a time of transition and transformation. The nights grow longer, but it's okay - we still have our own light to guide us into and through Shadow season.
Mabon reminds us to step back from all that was and look at what is. Look within. Where have you been and where are you going? More importantly, where are you in this moment? How do you feel?
There are many ways to celebrate Mabon and welcome Autumn, once again. Things may not look or feel like they always have, but that's okay, too. Just as the world keeps spinning and the wheel of the year keeps turning, we will adapt and progress and celebrate. We must.
Here are 5 of my favorite ways to celebrate Mabon and the Autumn Equinox.
how to celebrate the autumn equinox
Magical Apple Witchcraft
Apples are Autumn's fruit. I find them especially sacred, since they aren't exactly the most affordable fruit one can buy in the Philippines. In fact, apples are given as gifts and put in New Year's Eve baskets (along with other fruits and coins) as a way of bringing in abundance.
Celebrate the season by:
- Consuming apples in some way (baked goods, apple cider, raw apple, etc.).
- Infuse your home with spice by placing apple peels, cinnamon, allspice, and ginger into a pot of boiling water.
- Place apples on your altar, along with coins, to bring in prosperity.
- Use apple seeds in spells and amulets for protection.
Photo by Halanna Halila on Unsplash
Read Witch Baby by Francesca Lia Block
This is a personal Autumn ritual of mine. I started reading Francesca Lia Block's books in my late teens, Witch Baby being one of the first. I'm not sure why it holds a magical Autumn feeling for me, but I enjoy re-reading it around this time of year.
It's only $1.99 on Kindle, so what do you have to lose?
Once upon a time in the city of Shangri-L.A., someone left a baby on a doorstep. She had wild, dark hair and purple eyes and looked at the world in a special way. The family that took her in called her Witch Baby and raised her as their own. But even though she tried to fit in, Witch Baby never felt as though she truly belonged. So one day she packed her bat-shaped backpack, put her black cowboy-boot roller skates, and went out into the real world to find out who she really was.
Say Goodbye on a Leaf
Write things you want to let go of on a fallen leaf. Just as the trees are shedding what they no longer need, so too can we say goodbye to what no longer serves us.
After writing on the leaf, you can crush it or leave it whole, let it blow away, burn it, bury it, whatever feels good to you.
Show Gratitude for the Earth
Oh, Mama Earth...she's hurting so much right now. Let's celebrate another turn of the wheel by showing our appreciation for this little blue ball we call home.
- Plant a tree
- Clean up trash
- Take steps to reduce waste (start a compost bin, use reusable bags, buy gently used clothes/items or renew what you have instead of buying brand new)
- Take a walk in nature, sit beneath a tree, be fully present and offer thanks to the beauty around you
Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash
Create an Autumn Altar
Setting up an altar is one of the easiest ways to celebrate the season. Use gifts you find in nature, candles, and the magical tools you already own to decorate your Mabon altar.
Incorporate fall colors like brown, crimson, gold, and orange. Decorate with harvest symbols like corn, apples, pomegranates, and pumpkins. Scatter seeds, seed pods, and nuts. Adorn the altar with crystals, leaves, flowers, and incense. I recommend using items that are natural to your area. Not everyone has access to pine cones and acorns, after all.
I like decorating my altar with coconut branches because they look like little twisty wands!
How will you celebrate the Autumn Equinox this year? Do you have your own Mabon ritual? I think I'll drink a cup of apple tea and read Witch Baby.
Happy Autumn!
