“And I Jack, the Pumpkin King, have grown so tired of the same old thing…”
Tim Burton- The Nightmare Before Christmas

If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, you may be preparing for the Autumnal Equinox, or Mabon.  The second of three harvest festivals, a crisp chill starts to enter the air as everything preps for winter. Colors turn from greens to deep reds, orange, and golds.

Unfortunately, I missed Lughnasadh due to some health issues. So, I hope everyone will accept some belated well-wishes.  It also means that I’ve got an extra kick to celebrate Mabon to its fullest! Keep reading for some of my tried and true options to bring some of that fall magick into your life.

1. Get Your Clean On!

Mabon is another holiday where personal reflection comes into focus.  With day/night starting to even out, balance becomes paramount both in our personal and professional lives. People always talk about “spring cleaning,” but the Autumn Equinox is a great time to clear away that extra clutter!

Moving into darker days, it can be overwhelming to be bogged down with unfinished projects and unused items.  Re-evaluate some of those professional deadlines at work, and look at your projects from new prospective. Separate projects that can be finished from those that will take longer or the ones that were just duds.

If its difficult for you to part with things in your house (or you stop/start when it comes to cleaning out your home), try this instead.  Get a box/container (on the larger side).  Every day for two weeks, three weeks, or a month pick one item to donate.  At the end of your time frame get rid of the box.  Clearing away even a few items can lift an enormous weight.  You can even narrow it further by picking a specific room to clean, rather than trying to clean out your entire home at once.

2. Box of Rejuvenation

In the Pacific Northwest, SADs (seasonal affective disorder) is more common than one would think. Typically the onset of SAD occurs around the same time every year, late fall/early winter until early summer.  We have a lot of rain and a lot of cloud cover, which can intricately affect people’s moods. That’s why its so important, especially during the fall/winter seasons to remember to take care of yourself.

In this way, I highly recommend creating a box with fun activities that you can do during the cold and often dreary days.  Create sections like “outside,””alone time,””recipes to try,” to give yourself options. Fill the jar with ideas like board game or movie nights with your friends. Include indulgences like “at home spa days” or “date night” ideas when you just don’t want to stay in.

Are there fall/winter activities outside that you like to do, but always put off? Put them in the jar.

Do you have a list of books on your shelf you’ve been meaning to read?  Add it to the jar along with ideas to include tea or hot cocoa, or make yourself a batch of popcorn.  Make the jar about you, your interests, and things that even on a blustery fall day will rejuvenate your mood.

3. Smell Your Way Into Autumn

Scent is a wonderful way to lift your mood. Mix, match and stir Autumn into your home with combinations of these ingredients:  nutmeg, cinnamon, orange, cloves, pumpkin spice, apple, ginger, vanilla, or rosemary.
Wax Burners:  Use 3-4TBS of coconut oil in a wax burner depending on the size.
Stovetop:  All you need is a pot of water.

Two of my favorite recipes are: (Disclaimer: There are recipes ALL OVER Pinterest too, so check it out if you aren’t a fan of these recipes, because there are dozens!)
1) On a wax burner, mix the coconut oil with 2-3tsp of pumpkin spice and 1/4-1/2tsp of cinnamon or nutmeg or vanilla.
2) Stovetop, add in 1/2 orange, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2-3 sprigs (or 2-3tsp dried) rosemary, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp cloves (and you can add cranberries). Bring everything to a slow boil and then let simmer.  Cover with a lid overnight or store in your fridge and slow boil the next day too! (In my experience, the mix can be boiled 2-3 times on the stove before needing to be discarded). You can also forget the rosemary and orange and substitute apple and vanilla.

4. Decorate!

ALL OF IT!! Fall is my favorite, absolute favorite, season of the year. I love the colors and the crisp air. I love taking walks and hearing the leaves crunch underneath my feet as I just take in nature. And decorating brings all of that joyand happiness into my home.

Decorating does not have to entail an entire house, even a small counter or tabletop can add some of that seasonal abundance to your home.  I personally have the “less is more” mantra.  Even if I don’t have the time to decorate more than one area of my house, I always remember my favorite decorations. In my case that is a pair of chipmunk salt shakers dressed as pilgrims. They belonged to my great grandmother, and it reminds me of all those strong women in my life who loved Autumn as much as I do.  It provides me inspiration in my kitchen and brings a smile to my face on those gloomier days.

If I have the space and time, I usually try to decorate my altar with fall leaves, acorns or pine cones that I’ve found on a walk or hike. In addition, I have a LARGE collection of pumpkins of varying shapes, colors and textures that I put around my house in different corners.  It doesn’t end up overwhelming, but it adds color and seasonal inspiration to  my home.   

5. Visit Your Neighborhood Farmers

As one of the harvest festivals, Mabon is a fabulous time to hit up your neighborhood berry, orchard or “pick your own” farm.  Dahlia’s are in bloom in almost every color and provide beautiful backdrops for you table and home. They make wonderful gifts for the hostess in your life and are great to bring to friendly gatherings. Squash patches are bursting, and raspberries, apples, plums, and pears are ripe. They make perfect day trips for friends and family. Bring back some of that childhood joy and visit a pumpkin patch! Have a carving party with your oldest friends. Gather fruit at an orchard and bake treats for yourself or for your loved ones.

As always, getting outside and taking in the energy as the season changes is amazing.  Take the time to re-evalute and reorganize the projects you have on hold. You may be surprised by the amount of positive energy you can create by making small changes during the Equinox.

Blessed Be and thanks for reading!

What are some of your ideas for Mabon? I’d love to hear about them!