Mabon: a simple home ritual with a gratitude table and balance

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The idea behind the ritual

Mabon is the festival of the autumn equinox, a moment of balance and thanks for the harvest (see Mabon: history and symbolism). The ritual proposed here is a gratitude table: we set it with seasonal fruit, say thank you, and choose what we keep and what we set down before winter.

What you will need

• Seasonal fruit and vegetables: apples, pears, grapes, squash, walnuts, chestnuts.
• Autumn leaves gathered on a short walk.
• A light: a candle in a glass holder, or a battery-operated candle.
• Paper, a pen, a knife and a board.
• Apple juice or a warm herbal tea.

Step by step

1. Take a short walk to gather a few leaves of different colours and watch autumn arrive. Only take leaves that have already fallen. Avoid horse chestnuts (conkers), which are not edible, and do not pick any mushrooms.
2. Set the table. Arrange the fruit and leaves in a circle or as a cornucopia.
3. Cut an apple in half, across its middle. You will see a five-pointed star at the centre, formed by the seed chambers: a lovely image for the cycle of the season.
4. Light the candle. Say: “Day and night are in balance. Thank you for this year.”
5. Say three thanks. One person, one moment, one everyday thing. Each person says them aloud, or writes them down.
6. Sort. On two sheets of paper: on the left, what you keep for autumn (a habit, a project); on the right, what you set down (a burden, a worry). One line for each is enough.
7. Share the meal: squash soup, apple tart, walnuts. Give a piece of fruit or a dish to a neighbour.
8. Put out the candle with a snuffer or by blowing gently.

Variations

• With children. A leaf collage game, a tree portrait, a “colour hunt”. Have an adult cut the fruit.
• With animals. Walnuts (especially mouldy ones), grapes and raisins are dangerous for dogs: keep them out of reach. No incense.
• Giving. Many people end the evening by giving a basket of fruit or non-perishable food to a food aid charity.
• In the southern hemisphere. Hold this ritual at the March equinox.

Safety

Wild mushrooms can be deadly: only eat what a pharmacist or a mycologist has identified. Walnuts and hazelnuts are common allergens. Grapes are toxic to dogs. Always cut the apple on a board, keeping your fingers away from the blade. If you light a candle:

• Never leave a lit candle unattended, and blow it out before leaving the room or going to bed.
• Place it on a stable, non-flammable surface, at least 30 cm away from anything that can burn (curtains, papers, branches, fabric), and nothing above the flame.
• Keep it out of reach of children and animals, who may knock it over.
• Extinguish it with a snuffer or by blowing gently; never use water on burning wax.
• If in doubt, replace the flame with a battery-operated candle: the ritual keeps all its meaning.

Dry leaves catch fire easily: keep them away from the flame.

Common mistakes

• Placing the candle on a bed of dry leaves.
• Serving strong alcohol to “celebrate” the season: a warm non-alcoholic drink is enough.
• Picking wild plants without knowing them.
• Trying to make it all very serious: a light and joyful moment works best.

To go further

Place the leaves and the list of thanks in a seasonal corner until Samhain. Some people place an amber or a citrine there as colour reminders. The full moon closest to this date is called the Harvest Moon. The Samhain ritual closes the cycle.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to The Wheel of the Year.