10 Meaningful Ways to Celebrate the Autumn Equinox (aka Mabon or Witch’s Thanksgiving)

Wheel of the Year

Sep 19

Discover rituals, spells, and 10 meaningful ways to celebrate the Autumn Equinox

[Updated September 2025]

As the air turns crisp and the leaves shift to gold, I always feel the Autumn Equinox calling. Known as the Witch’s Thanksgiving, this sabbat falls on the autumn equinox (between September 21st and 23rd). At this moment of balance, day and night are equal before the scales tip toward the darker half of the year.

The name Mabon comes from Welsh mythology. Mabon ap Modron, the “Son of the Mother,” is a figure tied to youth, harvest, and the cycle of death and rebirth. The word itself wasn’t used historically for the Autumn Equinox; it was adopted in the 1970s by modern Pagan communities who wanted a name that echoed the mythic resonance of other sabbats.

Our ancestors may not have called it Mabon, and I tend to say ‘Autumn Equinox,’ but many modern witches embrace the name as a way to connect with myth and the Wheel of the Year. What we do know is that people historically marked this turning point with harvest festivals, feasts, and rituals of gratitude. For many, the Autumn Equinox marked the second harvest of the year—following Lughnasadh in early August and leading into Samhain at the end of October.

Today, the Autumn Equinox invites us to celebrate abundance, reflect on what we’ve accomplished, and prepare for the months ahead. It’s a moment to pause, give thanks, and honor both the light we’re leaving behind and the darkness that teaches us to rest and renew.

Here are ten meaningful ways you can celebrate autumn this season:

1. Count Your Blessings ✨

Gratitude is the heartbeat of Autumn. Start by physically counting your blessings. Tear small slips of paper and write one blessing per slip—big or small. Maybe you’re grateful for supportive friendships, a cozy home, or even the smell of your morning coffee. Drop each slip into a jar, bowl, or basket as you go.

This jar becomes a visible altar to abundance. Place it somewhere you’ll see daily, like your kitchen table or altar space. Whenever you’re feeling down, revisit the jar and pull out a few blessings to remind yourself of the good that surrounds you. For an added magical touch, light a pink or red candle while writing (for love and gratitude) or a green one (for growth and the heart chakra).

2. Collect the Gifts of Nature 🍂

Step outside with a basket or bag and go on a mindful “harvest walk.” The goal isn’t just to pick up pretty leaves; it’s to notice the shift of the season with intention. Gather fallen leaves in red, gold, and brown, acorns, pinecones, seed pods, or even stones that catch your eye.

You can turn your finds into seasonal crafts: press leaves into a journal, make an autumn wreath, or decorate your altar with nature’s offerings. If you’re a kitchen witch, you might even collect edible herbs, rose hips, or late-season berries to dry and use in teas. Every item you gather carries the energy of the equinox.

3. Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor 🥘

Food is central to Witch’s Thanksgiving. Plan a meal that reflects the bounty of the harvest, such as roasted root vegetables, fresh bread, apple desserts, or hearty soups. Invite friends or family for a potluck, encouraging each person to bring a dish made with seasonal ingredients.

Before eating, pause together for a gratitude circle. Each person can share something they’re thankful for, weaving a collective spell of abundance. If you’re celebrating solo, make yourself a special feast and enjoy it mindfully, taking each bite as a prayer of thanks. Don’t forget to leave an offering of food outdoors for the land spirits.

4. Go Apple Picking 🍎

Few symbols capture autumn’s magic like apples. Plan a trip to an orchard and spend a crisp afternoon picking your own. Apples can be used in countless ways: bake pies, simmer cider, or make apple butter to enjoy through winter.

Magically, apples are associated with wisdom and divination. Slice one horizontally to reveal the hidden star inside. You can use this as part of a spell, meditate on the symbol, or even try apple divination. This is where you peel the skin in one long strip and toss it over your shoulder to see which letter it forms.

5. Raise Energy and Vibrations with Music 🥁

Autumn is alive with high, celebratory energy, and the equinox is the peak of autumn. Channel it through music and movement. Put together a seasonal playlist filled with songs that make you feel grounded and joyful. Dance barefoot in your living room, clap out rhythms, or drum with friends around a fire.

If you play an instrument, set aside time to create music. Singing is equally powerful, and even humming to yourself while cooking or walking can raise energy. The key is to let your body vibrate and your spirit lift. This act becomes a form of spellwork: joy multiplied and released into the world.

6. Honor the Darkness 🌑

From the equinox onward, nights grow longer than days. Instead of resisting, use this moment to honor what the dark season brings: rest, dreaming, and shadow work. Create a quiet space with candles or dim lighting and meditate on what the darkness represents for you.

You might journal about your fears, grief, or what you’re ready to release. Try a tarot spread that explores the balance between light and shadow in your life. Or simply sit in silence, acknowledging that every ending is also a beginning. By embracing the dark, we prepare ourselves for renewal.

7. Create a Seasonal Herbal Mix 🌿

Mabon is full of earthy, comforting scents. Craft your own herbal blend to honor the season. Combine dried herbs and spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, and orange peel. Place the mixture in a simmer pot and heat to release its fragrance.

This blend can also be used magically: sprinkle it around doors and windows for protection, burn it as loose incense to raise seasonal energy, combine it in a charm bag or jar spell as a reminder for gratitude, or use it to dress candles in a ritual. Each herb carries its own correspondence, so your blend becomes a layered spell of abundance, warmth, and grounding.

8. De-Clutter your Home 🧹

Autumn is the perfect time to clear out what no longer serves you, both physically and energetically. Go room by room, gathering items you no longer use. Donate or recycle them, creating more space for the season ahead.

Don’t forget your digital spaces: clear out old emails, delete unused apps, and organize your photos. This modern form of decluttering is just as powerful as cleaning your physical space. Once you’ve finished, cleanse your home with smoke, sound, or salt water to remove stagnant energy and invite fresh abundance.

9. Give Back 💝

Gratitude grows when it’s shared. Look for ways to give back during the Autumn Equinox. Donate gently used items, volunteer at a food drive, or offer your skills to a local community group. Even small gestures—like baking bread for a neighbor or writing greeting cards—ripple outward.

This step reminds us that abundance isn’t meant to be hoarded; it flows best when it circulates. When we give, we strengthen the web of community, ensuring that blessings return in countless forms.

10. Host a Ritual 🔮

Whether you’re practicing solo or with a circle, a ritual helps anchor the energy of the season. Decorate your altar with autumn colors—orange, red, yellow, and brown—and add seasonal items like apples, pumpkins, and corn. Light candles to honor balance and abundance.

Your ritual might include meditation, journaling, or chanting. If you’re with others, share a gratitude circle or work together on a spell for community prosperity. However you structure it, keep your focus on thankfulness, balance, and honoring the turning of the wheel.

Bonus: Acts of Service 🌟

Acts of service are one of the most meaningful ways to celebrate the Autumn Equinox. Here are a few ideas to inspire you:

Support a food drive. Donate non-perishables or volunteer your time.
Visit the elders. Spend time at a nursing home, hospice, or with older relatives.
Care for the Earth. Clean up a local park, beach, or hiking trail.
Support education. Volunteer with a school fundraiser or booster project.
Honor veterans. Write letters, deliver meals, or offer a kind gesture to someone who has served.

Each act of service is a living spell that offers gratitude extending beyond yourself into the wider world.

✨ Looking for a ready-to-use ritual and correspondences? Join the Blog Reward Program to download my free Mabon Celebration Guidebook—part of my Wheel of the Year Series.

💎 Crystals for Mabon

Crystals can help anchor the shifting energy of this season. My favorites include:

Carnelian – vitality and creativity
Peridot – growth and renewal
Yellow Topaz – optimism and joy
Tiger’s Eye – grounding and strength
Clear Quartz – clarity and amplification
Citrine – abundance and positivity
Green Aventurine – luck and healing
Lapis Lazuli – wisdom and truth
Serpentine – transformation and balance
Amethyst – spiritual connection and peace

🌾 Mabon Themes

Spiritual Focus: accomplishment, balance, gratitude, healing, preparation, success
Magical Focus: community, family harmony, grounding, planning, wisdom
Suggested Workings: study, concentration, transitions, releasing old patterns

Colors of the Season:

Brown – grounding, home, stability
Green – growth, healing, rebirth
Orange – warmth, kindness, action
Red – passion, protection, wisdom
Yellow – creativity, optimism, light

✍️ Journal Prompts for the Autumn Equinox

What abundance am I grateful for this year?
What am I ready to release as the days grow darker?
How can I restore balance in my daily life?

✨ Equinox Ritual for Balance

At sunset on the Autumn Equinox, light one white candle and one black candle side by side. As they burn, reflect on what you’re grateful for (light) and what you’re ready to release (dark), close by thanking the season for its lessons and blessings.

🍁 Bringing It All Together

Mabon is more than a seasonal marker—it’s an invitation to pause, give thanks, and honor balance. However you choose to celebrate, let it be a reflection of your journey: what you’ve grown, what you’re ready to release, and what you’re calling in for the seasons ahead.

✨ Want to keep the magic close? When you join the Blog Rewards Program, you’ll get instant access to my Mabon Celebration Guidebook—a printable mini grimoire packed with correspondences, ritual ideas, a tarot spread, recipes, and journal prompts.