Mabon Ideas From Aerik Arkadian

As Autumn Equinox is right around the corner, we begin to consider the balance between light and dark both in nature and within ourselves. This time of year is frequently associated with a harvest of fruits and vegetables, including apples, squash, pumpkin spice lattes, berries, grapes, pomegranates, and more. Looking beyond those "traditional" associations, what do you have in season locally? Here in Florida, we’ll have grapefruit, oranges, and tangerines. Certainly some of these foods can make great decorations for our altars! I’m sure you’re already full of correspondence lists, but I wanted to begin by sharing a few ideas for your altar an extra touch of Mabon.

Altar Cloth: Use two altar cloths of contrasting colors. Fold the second cloth into a thin runner. You can try using white and black to symbolize the balance of day and night or dark green and orange to symbolize the relationship between the earth and the sun at this time
Decorations: Dried leaves, acorns, seasonal fruits, squash, pumpkin seeds, cornucopia, pinecones, or anything that "feels" like Mabon to you
Crystals: Place an equal number of small, tumbled pieces of sunstone and moonstone to represent equality between two opposing forces

Incense

Every great altar deserves a great incense! This lovely Mabon incense recipe comes to you from my amazing wife, Selene.

● Two Parts: Frankincense Resin

● One Part: Honeysuckle

● One Part: Mugwort

● One Part: Juniper Berries

● One Part: White Oak Bark

● One Part: Apple Peels

Are you missing an ingredient? No problem. Substitute using whatever you have on-hand. Some other herbs that might be commonly associated with Mabon are sandalwood, cypress, pine, oakmoss, rosemary, sage, thyme and cinnamon. If you happen to find them nearby, you could also add a few fallen leaves or acorns.

The apple peels in this recipe need to be dried. You can peel an apple, eat the insides, then place the peels on a baking sheet. Bake at 200ºF for a couple of hours, flipping the peels every 30 minutes. If you happen to have a food dehydrator, this is a great excuse to use it. If the apple peels aren't totally dried, they'll be a little gummy. It does take quite a bit of effort to grind them.

Grinding the incense by hand is an opportune time to charge it with your energetic intentions. Try focusing on either "balance" or "gratitude." As you work the incense in the mortar, you can picture things you are grateful for and truly fill yourself with the feeling. You'll not only empower the mix, but you'll also feel more relaxed and content once you're done! What better way to charge a Mabon incense?

Knotwork

While that incense is burning, it’s time for some spellwork! This magickal working idea utilizes some simple knotwork and focuses on the balance aspect of the equinox. Since the day and night are equal, it's an important time to reflect on balance in our lives. Have we been working too hard and playing too little? Have we been spending more money than we've been saving? Has a spirit of adventure been dominating over a need for rest? Do we feel emotionally stable? Those are just some starter questions, but balance also extends to the elements within us -- to the air, fire, water, and earth energies that make up our four-fold nature. Take some time to reflect on any aspect of your life that feels unbalanced or out of sync, then grab your supplies.

You will need:

● 2 Lengths of Ribbon (1 white, 1 black) at least 9'' in long

● Optionally: A small bag, one small piece of moonstone, and one small piece of sunstone

Instructions:

Place the two ribbons side by side and tie an overhand knot at one end, locking them both together.
Using the long ends of both ribbons, tie a half knot (the same as the first knot you make when tying your shoes, not including the bunny ears) and tighten it until it is loosely snug against your original overhand knot
Repeat this process, securing each knot to the previous knot, until you run out of ribbon
As you work, visualize aspects of your life coming back into balance

I prefer alternating "right over left" and "left over right" to form square knots -- this typically produces a more "visually appealing" result. Don't untie knots if you mess up! It'll come out exactly how it's meant to.

If you're good at braiding, you can use longer pieces of ribbon. Fold them in half, then tie an overhand knot just below the bend. You'll now have 4 strands of ribbon to braid together. I'm terrible at braiding anything beyond 3 strands, so if anyone accomplishes this, I would love to see the result.

When we do this working with our coven, we like to give everyone a small drawstring bag along with a piece of moonstone and sunstone. You can keep everything, including the ribbon, inside the bag. Carry it around with you during times when you most feel you need balance.

Gratitude Jars

This last magickal working idea uses pen and paper and focuses on the gratitude aspect of the second harvest. Maybe you planted some "seeds" of manifestation at Imbolc that are just now starting to sprout, or perhaps you formed clear goals and intentions at Beltane. Either way, each of the three harvest festivals is an opportunity to show gratitude. Even in the darkest of times, there's always something to be grateful for. If you're feeling low, you can always pop open your gratitude jar for a quick reminder!

You will need:

● Pen

● Paper

● Small glass jar with lid

● Optionally: Supplies to decorate, like ribbon

Cut or tear the paper into tiny strips or squares. On each piece, write down something you are grateful for, fold it up, and place it in the glass jar. Continue until you run out of paper, space, or ideas.

Have a blessed Mabon!

About the Author: Aerik Arkadian is a Third Degree Gardnerian high priest, aborisha, husband, musician, and coven leader. He and his wife, Selene, run a teaching coven in Florida. He hates olives, but will put pineapple on pizza any day of the week. You can find Aerik’s writings at AerikArkadian.com or follow on YouTube and Facebook.