Autumn Equinox. Mabon, Sept 20-23
“The Old Sun God is dying. Mother Earth, the Goddess, restsas she carries the foetus of the new Sun God”
-Kitchen Witch
Mabon/ the Autumn Equinox is another point in the seasonal Wheel of the Year where we are in perfect balance. Directly in between the Summer Solstice and the Winter Solstice we experience equal amounts of night and dark and all the other facets of duality being the perfect union and balance of the Masculine and Feminine energies and expressions within the world around us. This is the point before the days become shorter and the nights become longer. It is the a great letting go and natural release and moving into slowness and more inward time of year.
The cycle of the natural world is moving towards completion, the Sun's power is waning and from now on the nights grow longer and the days are are shorter and cooler. The sap of trees returns back to their roots deep in the earth, changing the green of summer to the fire of autumn, to the flaming reds, oranges and golds. We are returning to the dark from whence we came…
…The Goddess is radiant as Harvest Queen and the God finally dies with His gift of pure love with the cutting of the last grain…
- Goddess and Greenman
This Celtic Festival is an opportunity to celebrate one more time with our friends and family, our second harvest of the year, that will carry us into Winter. So this is a time to give thanks to all the abundances received in the Summer and beauty of Summer that we have experienced. Each festival is a celebration or giving thanks to Mother Earth and the stewards that tend to her and work alongside her. Without these amazing farmers we wouldn’t be able to eat all these amazing foods produced by the earth.
Each turn of the Wheel blesses us with both internal and external gifts, the inner awakenings and second chances and also the abundance of life. And during this transitional inner and outer shift within the turn of the Wheel we can reflect back, change again anything that isn’t working and start planting new seeds or the old seeds of intentions in a new more evolved way for our next yearly cycle. The seeds we start to work on now, within this darkness can be nourished with our love, attention and new found awareness’s until the Return of Spring once again. Th earth and her cycles, always gives us this blessed opportunity to go within and birth ourselves again and create new beginnings. Honour this sacred portal we are now stepping into and enjoy this quieter more reflective time.
Mabon Spiritual Practice
Things to do
Clear out and declutter, to honour and prepare yourself for the more inward journeys of the season.
Make more time for slower activities and creativity
Plant your seeds, bulbs or trees now, so they can blossom in the spring!
Get outside to enjoy the last fruits of the summer and take gratitude walks in your neighbourhood, especially as the colder seasons start to beckon.
Start making your cosy, creative nest for Winter. A place where you still feel inspired despite the short days and longer nights. Enjoy cooking with the last of the Seasonal Veggies and fruits by making delicious dishes and Jams or preserves
Mabon Ritual Journal
What abundance did you enjoy this summer?
What are some of the accomplishments you are proud of?
How have you grown this year?
Write a little letter of gratitude for all the little wins and moments of joy this year that you have been blessed to experience.
What are you ready to let go of at this time of the year, before you transition into the slower, more inward months of Autumn/Winter ?
What healthy habits do you wish to infuse and nourish yourself with this Winter ?
MABON RECIPES
Make it stand out
MUSHROOM SOUP
Ingredients
90g butter
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
500g mushrooms, finely chopped (chestnut or button mushrooms work well)
2 tbsp plain flour
1l hot chicken stock
1 bay leaf
4 tbsp single cream
small handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, to serve (optional)
Method
STEP 1
Heat the butter in a large saucepan and cook the onions and garlic until soft but not browned, about 8-10 mins.
STEP 2
Add the mushrooms and cook over a high heat for another 3 mins until softened. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken stock, bring the mixture to the boil, then add the bay leaf and simmer for another 10 mins.
STEP 3
Remove and discard the bay leaf, then remove the mushroom mixture from the heat and blitz using a hand blender until smooth. Gently reheat the soup and stir through the cream (or, you could freeze the soup at this stage – simply stir through the cream when heating). Scatter over the parsley, if you like, and serve.
APPLE PIE
Ingredients
For the filling
1kg Bramley apples
140g golden caster sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp flour
For the pastry
225g butter, room temperature
50g golden caster sugar, plus extra
2 eggs
350g plain flour, preferably organic
softly whipped cream, to serve
Method
STEP 1
Put a layer of paper towels on a large baking sheet. Quarter, core, peel and slice the apples about 5mm thick and lay evenly on the baking sheet. Put paper towels on top and set aside while you make and chill the pastry.
STEP 2
For the pastry, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until just mixed. Break in a whole egg and a yolk (keep the white for glazing later). Beat together for just under 1 min – it will look a bit like scrambled egg. Now work in the flour with a wooden spoon, a third at a time, until it’s beginning to clump up, then finish gathering it together with your hands. Gently work the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film, and chill for 45 mins. Now mix the 140g/5oz sugar, the cinnamon and flour for the filling in a bowl that is large enough to take the apples later.
STEP 3
After the pastry has chilled, heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Lightly beat the egg white with a fork. Cut off a third of the pastry and keep it wrapped while you roll out the rest, and use this to line a pie tin – 20-22cm round and 4cm deep – leaving a slight overhang. Roll the remaining third to a circle about 28cm in diameter. Pat the apples dry with kitchen paper, and tip them into the bowl with the cinnamon-sugar mix. Give a quick mix with your hands and immediately pile high into the pastry-lined tin.
STEP 4
Brush a little water around the pastry rim and lay the pastry lid over the apples pressing the edges together to seal. Trim the edge with a sharp knife and make 5 little slashes on top of the lid for the steam to escape. (Can be frozen at this stage.) Brush it all with the egg white and sprinkle with caster sugar. Bake for 40-45 mins, until golden, then remove and let it sit for 5-10 mins. Sprinkle with more sugar and serve while still warm from the oven with softly whipped cream.
