Merry Mabon & A Candle Ritual!

Mabon is one of my very favorite times of year! Autumn has arrived, bringing with it sweet relief from our Texas heat. The season of pumpkins and fall leaves is rushing in like a fragrant dream. And the holiday season is only a breath away--a wonderful time for enjoying the company of family and friends. This "quiet" half of the year often feels like anything but. And yet, it is a time to take stock, connect with gratitude, and sing the earth a lullaby as it drifts into its seasonal slumber.

Inside myself, despite the frenzy outside, I often feel a hush settle over. A reflection of sorts is underway, and I know that now is the time to evaluate where the past year has brought me, and where I'd like the next to go. The ancient Celts believed that places "between", spaces that marked the boundary between one thing and the next, were inherently magickal. There, one could stand between two worlds and glimpse into both, or pull from one to feed the other. The equinoxes are most certainly a primary example of this phenomenon. Poised between two halves, we have but two days on opposite poles of the year to feel the perfect balance of light and dark.

Mabon marks an ideal occasion for divination, meditation, and manifestation, as well as simply celebration. The above is a photo of my table at Mabon many moons ago, and the simple candle ritual I have enacted with my family at both equinoxes over and over again. This is a great little practice to share with children, for it gives them a wonderful visual of what Mabon is all about.

A Mabon Candle Ritual:

Decorate your table lengthwise with fruits of the season--acorns, pinecones, apples, pumpkins, gourds, grapevine, etc.

Using seven ascending candlesticks, place three white, gold, or yellow candles in the lowest order, and three black, purple, or blue candles in the highest order. Place one decorated or red, orange, or burgundy candle in the center. *If you do not have or cannot find ascending candlesticks, you can simply use seven candlesticks of an even height and cut your tapers to the appropriate lengths to achieve the desire results.

Light the first white candle and share something you are grateful for from the past year.

Allow the next person to light the next candle off of the first and do the same.

Continue in ascending order until all the candles are lit and everyone has shared something they are thankful for.

Have a toast or eat a treat to mark the occasion. Snuff the candles and bury them outside when the evening is over, or allow them to burn down in a safe place.

Be creative! There are many ways you can tweak this little candle ritual, such as carving sigils into the rising candles for what you'd like to see rise in the coming months. You could also create Mabon mojo bags and use wax from the Mabon candle to "seal" them. Additionally, if you are prepared for it, you could bless the Yule log you will be using in the coming months with wax from your Mabon candle.