Mabon History
Lesser Irish holiday named after the Celtic God of the same name. The name ‘Mabon’ is a recent usage, though harvest festivals on the Autumnal Equinox are ancient and universal. Also known as ‘Pagan Thanksgiving’.

Ways to celebrate Mabon
* Creating a huge, festive feast for friends and family
* Taking a walk in nature to collect acorns or other keepsakes
* Harvesting fruits and vegetables from your garden
* Starting craft projects for holiday gifts
* Putting away some of your summer clothes, and pulling out a sweater, just in case
* Start looking for Pagan Pride events around your area at this time of year

Herbs, etc.
* Seasonal grapes and apples to celebrate the harvest
* Pomegranates to represent Persephone’s descent back into Hades
* Rosemary for the mother, sage for the coming crone
* Any herbs harvested from the garden before the coming chill

Stones
* Garnet (looks like pomegranate seeds, for passion and motivation)
* Orange calcite for creativity (starting crafts for holiday presents)
* Citrine for prosperity and joy
* Tiger’s Eye for connecting to animal spirits

Symbols
* Apples and grapes are being harvested around now, and these are great things to add to your Mabon altar. This is the traditional time of year for making wine and cider as well as canning, and symbols of those activities are also appropriate.
* Pomegranates are especially important now if you follow any Greek traditions, as Persephone is descending to the underworld now. She was originally tricked into returning there every year by being fed pomegranate seeds, which tied her to the underworld.
* Gourds are starting to come ripe, and there are pumpkins here and there as well. Use them! Pumpkins aren’t just for Samhain.
* Vines. You can use grape vines (or any other vine, really) to create wreaths and garlands for decorations.
Cornucopia. As a symbol of abundance and plenty, the cornucopia is a great symbol for Pagan Thanksgiving!
* Seed pods. A lot of plants are setting seed now, and it’s a great time to collect those seeds and keep them on the altar to bless them. Then you can plant the blessed seeds next Spring for some extra magickal oomph.
* Autumn leaves. As I mentioned, we have a while before the leaves really start to change in Georgia, but this is still the mark of the beginning of Autumn, and leaves are a great symbol of that.
Representations of any animals we’re seeing a lot around this time of year.

** Information shared from my personal Book of Shadows