Building A Mabon Altar

Hi everyone! 

Unfortunately I didn't prepare a Mabon newsletter this year, however, I was lucky enough to get this guest piece written by the lovely Cosmic Creeper to share here.

She is a wealth of knowledge, so definitely give her a follow. You will be thankful you did.

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As the wheel turns, the northern hemisphere is ready to greet the Autumn Equinox (known as Mabon to some). To those who follow its turns, you may choose to celebrate through ritual and altar decor. This is for those inclined to this as, of course, you can honour the wheel in any way you wish.

This equinox marks when the light and dark are equal in length before the darker months set in. Many called to acknowledge this moment of equilibrium, contemplate where their own life, practice or needs could benefit from restoring balance. Also considered a time to pull upon hearth and home, we express gratitude for final harvests and our prosperity.

As for altar decoration, there are many options. You have what are coined classics then offerings from the lay of the land, reflective of where you live and what makes up your craft. After all, familiarities often make more sense or offer a unique depth of connection. Therefore, encouragement to make it your own is always there, and the classics are fine too. Whatever works for you is no lesser than how someone else practices.

So let's dive in. Here are some decorative ideas and tools to inspire your Mabon altar.

• Consider what foraged or store-bought vegetables, fruits, and nature harvests are available before winter sets in. Apples, fungi and blackberries or fallen acorns, cones and yellowing leaves. Even the final wildflowers of the year make for a nice touch. Other seasonal foods can include squash and gourds, cinnamon, nuts and cloves. You might dry slices, make an offering space (for fae, ancestors, deity, spirit connections) or display a harvest basket.
• Candles or lanterns offer a reminder of the light and how this castes shadows. We witness the play between these during this liminal threshold.
• You can pull on the season's colours, so for me, it's warm yellow, orange, red and brown hues like the changing leaves and the harvest I encompass in my offerings.
• Again with scents, popular choices often reflect seasonal fruits and harvest; cinnamons, pumpkins, ciders, spiced apple, ginger, cloves or spices in general. Choices that warm the senses. You may include these by anointing your altar, dressing candles or by creating ritual incense.
• As many plants shed their leaves and animals with seasonal specific life cycles prepare for their final earthly moments, found feathers or bones can be a powerful way to honour this for those called to these connections.
• A cauldron placement works all year but again feels timely, representing hearth and home, ready for our ritual incense or spell work.
• Finally, to those using tools such as the tarot or runes, these can also be included. Displaying cards/runes pulled on the equinox or conscious choices to reflect energies we're harnessing during this time. I like to choose any decks or other tools I intend to use, adding them into my space beforehand. It can also be fun to draw a bindrune, witch rune or even a personal symbol on one of our foraged items.

Hopefully, this small selection sparks your creativity and maybe some outdoor exploration or foraging if possible. Make it personal and honour what you're drawn to. That's the beauty of our altars.