From Befana's Grimoire: A Mabon Harvest Intention Ritual
Ah, Mabon. Or the Autumnal Equinox, if you like your magick a little less mysterious. Some call it the Witch's Thanksgiving. I call it Mabon.
This is the second harvest… the one that comes after the fields have already given so much, after the long stretch of summer asked you to do, do, do. Mabon is different. Mabon asks you to stop and take stock. What did you actually grow this year? What's ready to be gathered in… and what's ready to be let go?
Because here's the thing about the equinox, darling: day and night stand perfectly equal for one breath before the scales tip toward the dark. That balance doesn't last. It's not supposed to. Mabon falls under Libra season — the sign of the scales, ruled by a desire for harmony — and there's something so fitting about that.
A Simple Mabon Altar
Gather whatever feels like enough. You don't need everything on this list, just what calls to you:
Apples, pomegranates, or whatever fruit is in season near you
Dried leaves, acorns, or pinecones
Wheat, corn, or anything golden and harvested
A candle in gold, orange, or deep red
Two small bowls
Paper and a pen
The Ritual
Light your candle as the sun starts to set, if you can. Take a slow breath in, and a slower one out. Let yourself actually arrive here, instead of rushing through it like one more task.
On your paper, draw a simple line down the middle. On the left side, write everything you're grateful the past season grew in you — the harvest. Don't edit yourself. Small things count. Let the list be as long or as short as you want.
I asked for help.
I finished the thing I was scared of.
I rested without guilt, once.
On the right side, write what you're ready to release before the year turns dark. Not as punishment, but as relief.
The apology I keep owing myself.
The deadline I made up.
The version of myself who thought softness was weakness.
When both sides feel complete, read the gratitude list aloud; a soft whisper is totally fine, and place that half of the paper in one bowl — this is what you're keeping, what you're carrying forward into the dark months to nourish you.
Then read the release list aloud, and either burn that half of the paper carefully in your candle flame (a fireproof dish makes this much less stressful) or tear it and place it in your second bowl to bury, compost, or release outside. Watching it go — burned, buried, scattered — is the whole point. Don't just write it. Let it leave.
Close by saying something like:
I have gathered what serves me. I release what no longer does. The wheel turns, and I turn with it.
Blow out the candle, or let it burn down safely if you're staying nearby. Either way, you've already done the real work.
I love watching the leaves change colors every year.
Balance isn't a place you arrive at and stay. It's a moment you pass through on your way to what's next. This ritual is about pausing in that moment long enough to be honest… about what you're carrying, what fed you, and what you're finally ready to set down before the dark half of the year asks you to rest.
Cerridwen keeps a small harvest altar in the Apothecary window every September. Amberberries, dried wheat, a single candle burned low. I think about how much magick is just noticing, giving thanks, and making room. I am grateful for cooler days ahead, filled with cozy socks, fireside chats with sticky marshmallows, and leaves changing color. I am grateful for my beautiful family, and how they choose to show up in the world as their authentic selves.
I am ready to shed old habits of comparison and leave behind the version of myself that felt she wasn’t good enough. I am walking away from the ideas of what life “should” be, and continuing down the path that feels most aligned for me.
I am ready for another evolution. How about you? Let me know in the comments!
Dalea Faulkner is an author, filmmaker, and creative living in the White Mountains of Arizona. Her Amberlight Valley trilogy is available now. Her world is always, in some way, the mountains.
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