I didn't really do much for Mabon this year, so I thought I'd share some ideas on what could be done to celebrate it, as well as the spread tat I chose to do. I should also point out that it's absolutely fine if you don't do anything to celebrate Mabon as there are no rules stating that you have to do something. Remember that this is your path and you choose where you wish to go.
Mabon is also known as the Autumn/Fall Equinox, and it's the exact opposite of the Spring/Vernal Equinox. In the Northern hemisphere, it's celebrated between 21st and 29th September and between 21st and 29th March in the Southern hemisphere.
There are many ways of thinking about this festival but the main two seem to be: the second of the three harvest celebrations, and light and darkness being equal. Other themes that you could focus on at this time are welcoming the waning, darker part of the year, or letting go and grieving where necessary for what hasn't yet been fulfilled.
As the Autumn Equinox, it was traditionally celebrated as the green harvest, a time of celebration for the fruits and vegetables of the earth and the Earth Mother. This is the second of two occurrences where day and night are balanced. This is the time when the god of light, Lugh, was defeated by Goronwy, his twin, alter-ego and god of darkness.
With the harvest theme, you could celebrate the harvests being brought in or you could choose to give thanks for the blessings you have received recently. Gratitude is definitely a part of harvests because you can give thanks to the earth, the soil, for growing the plants/food. You can also use this time to give thanks to those around you who have supported you in any way.
For my own celebrations, I chose to do a Mabon tarot spread that I found online. I rarely want to do readings for myself but I think these Wheel of the Year celebrations are good opportunities for reflection on what has happened on a personal level. I felt this spread was appropriate because of the associations of Mabon.
How should I be giving thanks for my "harvest"?
The Magician Reversed
This card really made me stop and think as I wasn't sure what it was trying to tell me at first. But I do feel as if the message is that I had some experiences that dulled my enthusiasm for certain projects but I never gave up learning so that when I was ready, I could share what I'd learned with others. I feel like this card is saying that I'm still learning and I should give thanks for the knowledge I have learned, particularly about my Shadow self. I've been on quite the journey over the Summer, learning a lot about myself and things that I no longer need to carry. This has given me a greater power over myself.
What can I learn from the coming darkness?
Five of Swords
With this card, I feel as if I'm being told that when things are beyond my control, there isn't a lot that I can do to change things. That I need to release control and try not to let things worry me unnecessarily. But also that I shouldn't be ashamed when I can't do certain things. While others may try to shame me, that isn't my problem - it's the other person's problem. Basically, it's not a "me" thing because it's a "them" thing. I don't have to put up any kind of fight unless I particularly feel that it is something I should fight for. I also feel like this card is encouraging me to embrace any and all emotions associated with the concept of "not enough".
How can I best utilise these shorter days?
Five of Spears Reversed
This card was interesting because I feel like I'm being told that I shouldn't try to please everyone who has an idea about my life. I can't please everyone and me at the same time so I need to find time to prioritise what I want to do. I can only do so much and I may have to disappoint people to follow my own dreams. I don't have to fight for things that aren't worthy of my time or effort, regardless of how much others may want to pressure me into doing things that I don't want to do. I have to be able to listen to my own inner guidance, my intuition, so it might just mean that I have to disappoint or ignore others.
How can I create more balance in my life?
The Hermit
I am very familiar with this card as I feel it aptly describes how I have come to live my life since the events of 2020. However, with this card as the guidance for answering this particular question, I feel like I'm being told to keep doing more Shadow Work because it will allow me to balance my life better. I also feel like this card is inviting me to embrace my Shadows, to continue to shine a light within so that I can deepen my intuition. I also feel like it's saying that I can bring more balance into my life by owning my mistakes and bringing them into the light so that they don't drown me in darkness.
What must be shed for the coming season?
Judgement
With this card, I feel as if I'm being invited to shed the judgements and possible prejudices that I've been holding for years. I've been feeling like I need to shed these for some months now but, most likely because they are so familiar to me, I haven't fully released them. I know it's something that I need to do but it is hard. I suppose I have delayed this because I still fear the unknown and what emotions will take space in my heart instead. This card has more of a gentle encouraging energy to it than harsh commanding energy. It's another sign in a whole season of signs that I really do need to shed emotions and past judgements that are no longer relevant to my life.
What lessons have I learned from the year?
Queen of Coins
This is rather an interesting card because I feel as if I have a better handle on adulting in general. I've owned my personal bad choices of the past and am working to remove the effect they are having on me as quickly as possible (yes, I'm talking about debts). But I don't think this card is just about financial things because Olenna Tyrell (the lady who is pictured in this card) was also very much a home and family character. I've learned how to stay on top of my personal housework so I'm no longer ashamed when I have visitors (not that I have many living as I do like a hermit). I've become better at being organised although this is still a work in progress for me. I have also learned a lot about my family and the dynamics that formed part of my own childhood. I've also learned that I may have been too harsh on my personal judgements and so I need to release them so that I can truly move forward. I've learned a lot about the matriarch of my mum's family and the role she played in my childhood.
This has been a very deep year for me and I feel as if it's been a very autumn year. Numerologically for me, 2022 has been a number 9 year, which is the end of this particular cycle. This means that 2023 will be the start of a whole new cycle for me but that's next year's journey. This year's journey has been all about completion. It's also had a lot of Shadow Work, which I've written about already with some experiences that I'm still working though. But until I did some further research around Numerology, I hadn't known made the connection that this particular year number is associated with letting go of the old to make space for change, which is what my Shadow Work has been all about.
Since Mabon 2021, I've come to realise that I was carrying a lot of burdens that I no longer need to carry. Again, this is a theme of this Numerological year. I've been on a really intense journey that I do not regret, but I do have some regrets regarding certain responses I have had in the past to people and situations.
I hope this inspires you to explore what else may be going on for you in your own lives. I also hope that through my experiences, you don't feel like you are alone.
Peace and love to all!!!
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