Mabon

Mabon falls on September 21-22, and is also known as the Autumn Equinox, Fall Equinox, Harvest Home, and Harvest Tide. It is the second of the three Harvest Festivals – the Fruit Harvest, with Lughnasa as the First Harvest – the Grain Harvest,  and Samhain as the Third and Final Harvest – the Nuts and Berries Harvest. Mabon is named after one of the gods of Welsh mythology, Mabon ap Modron, who is the Child of Light and son to Modron, the Earth Mother Goddess. However, it seems that this name is relatively new and was only coined in 1970.

The spring equinox, Ostara, is the day where there is equal length between day and night before the days start getting longer again. Conversely, Mabon, the autumn equinox, is the day where there is equal length between the day and night before the nights start getting longer again.

As with each Harvest Festival, it is a time for celebration and giving thanks for the fruits of our labor. It is a time to look back on our lives, and recognizing as well as celebrating all the hard work and effort we have made to get to where we are. It is also time to finish up our old projects and start planning for new ones to get us where we want to go.

Rituals

If you would like to observe Mabon with a ritual, here are a few simple ones you can perform:

• Set up your Mabon altar with a variety of fruits, like apples, pears, and berries, to celebrate the Fruit Harvest. You can also decorate your altar in the colors of autumn – red, orange, brown, and gold.
• Or pack a basket of fresh fruits and go outdoors to enjoy a fruit picnic with your loved ones.
• Bake an apple pie or your favorite fruit pie!
• Take some time to write in your journal about everything you are grateful for and to look back on the work that you have done.
• And of course, you can perform a divination ritual with the Mabon Tarot Spread below!

The Spread

The Questions

1. Ripe: What rewards are ripe for the picking?
2. Zest: How do I celebrate and give thanks for my achievements?
3. Core: What are my core beliefs that strengthen me?
4. Peel: What must I leave behind?
5. Fruition: What projects do I need to bring to fruition?
6. Fruitful: What new projects will be fruitful for the future?

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I hope that you enjoyed this spread and that you have a wonderful Mabon celebration this year.

You can also purchase the complete Wheel of the Year Tarot Spreads which includes this spread and all the other spreads in the Wheel of the Year series in one convenient 40-page ebook in the shop.

As always, I would love to hear back from you about how it worked for you if you use it. Please feel free to leave a comment or contact me at mynasmoon@gmail.com.