Deborah Lewis

Hope you have a good sabbat!

The Autumn Equinox is sometimes called ‘the witch’s thanksgiving’, it’s a time of harvesting and preparation. It’s a time to reflect on your life and to start making plans for the future - it’s also a time to appreciate and give thanks to the Goddess for her bounty.

Autumn Equinox, also know as ‘Mabon’ is the midpoint between the Summer and Winter Solstices. As at Spring Equinox, days and nights are of equal length, but from then on the days get shorter and the nights get longer. The main agriculteral harvest has been gathered and all that is left are the late fruits, berries and nuts.

The norse believed that your fate for the coming year was sealed at this time, they would perform divination, such as tarot cards or runes on the evening of Mabon to see whether their life had pleased the deities so far It’s a time of equilibrium, as plants wither their energy goes into the hidden roots and nourishes the Earth. The leaves of trees turn from green to red, brown and gold - symbolic of te sinking sun as nature prepares for winter. This is a time of balance between the outer and inner worlds. From now on, we should turn towards nurturing our own roots, pondering our innter lives and planning for the long-term. Thoughts can be seeded, gradually growing in the unconscious until they can emerge in the Spring.