Mabon Ritual: “The Balance and the Blessing”

A warm autumn ritual scene by a window overlooking a forest of golden leaves. On the wooden table sits a lit amber candle, a steaming cup of spiced cider or tea, and a bowl filled with dried petals and herbs. An open handwritten journal and parchment note rest nearby, surrounded by scattered flowers and a bouquet of dried blooms in a dark cauldron-like pot. Falling leaves drift gently outside the window, capturing the essence of Mabon, the autumn equinox.

Purpose: To honor the autumn equinox, express gratitude for what has been harvested (physically or spiritually), and prepare the spirit for the coming darkness.

🔮 What You’ll Need:

• 1 gold or amber candle (for gratitude & light)

• 1 black or deep red candle (for reflection & release)

• A small bowl or basket

• Three seasonal items (e.g., apple slices, dried herbs, acorns, a mini pumpkin, etc.)

• Paper & pen

• Optional: incense, a warm drink (like spiced cider or tea)

✨ The Ritual

1. Prepare Your Space. Set your candles side by side, representing balance: day and night, light and shadow. Arrange your seasonal items nearby. Light incense if desired.

2. Cast Your Circle (optional): If you work with a formal circle, cast it now. Otherwise, simply take three deep breaths and center yourself.

3. The Gratitude Flame. Light the gold/amber candle and say: “I give thanks for the light, the growth, the harvest. For what has bloomed, within and around me. I honor the blessings of the sun.”

Hold your seasonal items one by one and name something you're grateful for as you place each into the bowl or basket.

4. The Release Flame. Light the black/red candle and say: “I release what no longer serves me. I make peace with the ending of things. I welcome the quiet of the coming dark.”

Write something you're ready to let go of on the slip of paper. Fold it and place it in the bowl too (or burn it in a safe dish if fire-safe).

5. Balance and Blessing. Sit for a moment in the candlelight. Feel the balance—the flicker of both flames, the turning of the wheel, the quiet in your bones. Sip your warm drink and breathe it in.

Say: “In balance, I find peace. In gratitude, I find strength. In release, I make space. So it is, so it shall be.”

Snuff the candles and keep the seasonal items on your altar through the rest of the season as a symbol of your harvest.

🍂 Optional Add-Ons:

• Anoint yourself or your tools with a fall oil (like clove, apple, or frankincense)

• Use a piece of obsidian or smoky quartz to absorb what you're letting go

• Pair with a tarot pull: “What have I harvested?” and “What must I release?”