As the leaves begin to change and the air cools, the Autumn Equinox—also known as Mabon to many of today's witches—marks a sacred time of balance between light and dark. Up here in the Pacific Northwest, the Larch trees shift to a golden hue and add warm enchanting luminance, peppered amongst the pines and fir trees in the dense evergreen forest background. This equinox, celebrated by many cultures, is a time to honor the harvest, practice gratitude, and prepare for the darker days ahead. Whether you're observing traditional celebrations or crafting modern rituals, Mabon offers a magical opportunity to connect with the Earth’s cycles, your ancestors, and your inner self.
In our modern world the change of season offers us a quarterly reminder to pause, unplug from the demands of capitalism, and take in the natural world around you. Maybe even make intention of living with the seasons, and prepare for what's ahead. You are afterall, part of nature.
In this article, we’ll explore how the Autumn Equinox has been traditionally celebrated across cultures, including those in the Black, Indigenous, and "Latin" Diasporas. Then, I'll share 11 accessible and inclusive ritual ideas to help you honor this season, using items you may already have at home or can easily find. We’ll also dive into corresponding elements like crystals, colors, and herbs to enhance your rituals and magic.
The Autumn Equinox Across Cultures
The Autumn Equinox has been celebrated across many cultures, each with its own unique traditions. In West African and Afro-Caribbean traditions, the harvest is honored through communal feasts and offerings to ancestors. Indigenous communities in the Americas have long celebrated the harvest, acknowledging the sacred relationship between humans and nature. For Latinx communities, rituals like Día de los Muertos are tied to the cycles of life, death, and rebirth, honoring those who have passed and celebrating the fruits of the year’s labor.
Each of these practices, while culturally distinct, shares a reverence for balance, the harvest, and the cycles of life—echoing the themes of Mabon in Pagan traditions, and informing the Autumn Equinox celebrations of today's Modern Witches creating new traditions of their own. As we dive into these rituals, keep in mind that they can be adapted to suit your cultural background and individual needs.
11 Ritual Ideas for the Autumn Equinox
Here are 11 ways you can celebrate the Autumn Equinox, using minimal supplies and offering options for low/no spoons (energy). If you're anything like me, an AuDHD witch with chronic illness, the seasons change can sneak up on you! It's nice to have simple ritual options on deck that are accessible most of the time. You'll want to cultivate what your accessible ritual list looks like for you. These rituals invite you to tune into the magic of the season, whether you’re seeking connection, gratitude, or simply a moment of rest.
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Stovetop Simmer Pot
Infuse your home with the warm, grounding scents of fall by creating a simmer pot using kitchen ingredients. Combine sliced apples, cinnamon sticks, cloves, orange peels, and rosemary in a pot of water. Alternately, you can use essential oils in place of fresh ingredients or add a few drops of Money Drawing Oil for extra magic. Simmer on low heat and let the aroma fill your space with the essence of the season. This ritual is low-spoon and low-cost, as it uses common household items. In addition to aroma, filling your space with the essence of fall elements is inviting more abundance and gratitude. Optional: Sometimes I write a wish on a bay leaf to place inside the simmer pot for extra witchery. If I'm short on resources or spoons, a mulling spice tea bag makes a nice simmer pot too. -
Harvest Ritual Door Wash
To cleanse and welcome the energies of abundance and gratitude, create a ritual door wash. First, dust and clean anything you don't want getting into your door wash. Plus, cleansing with a citrus, pine or eucalyptus based cleaner will also energetically cleanse your door, the mouth of the home in Feng Shui. You'll want to remove clutter from around the entryway, as to not block good energy flowing into your home. Make a door wash: mix water (moon water or holy water for extra magic) with a few drops of rosemary, lavender, clove, citrus or sage essential oil, OR use the water from your simmer pot. Add a pinch of salt for protection and a splash of apple cider vinegar for cleansing. Wipe down your front door top to bottom, left to right, inside to out, to symbolically open yourself to the blessings of the harvest. This is a simple and low cost ritual for those with limited energy. Optional: when you are finished washing your door, draw a protection sigil with some Protection Ritual Oil or a money symbol with Money Drawing Conjure Oil on your fingertip, on either or both sides of the door. -
Bonfire Offering or Fireplace Firestarter
If you have access to an outdoor fire pit or indoor fireplace, create a small firestarter offering. Gather dried herbs, flowers, and any items you wish to release or give thanks for, or a paper petition wrapped around the dried herbs/flowers. Add candle wax to your offering bundle for extra fire starting power. As you toss them into the flames, speak or think/feel your gratitude and intentions for the new season. If fire isn’t an option, lighting a single spell candle with intention can be just as powerful. In this case, I find warming the paper petition above the candle's heat (not in the flame) to be effective. This ritual offers flexibility, requiring only a candle if needed. -
Tea or Coffee Ritual and Divination
Brew a warm cup of tea or coffee and take a moment to ground yourself. Set your intention as you stir clockwise (to invite energy) or counterclockwise (to release). Adding spice blends like "pumpkin spice" or cinnamon, or nutmeg atop your beverage draws money and prosperity, because those ingredients naturally correspond with attracting abundance. Neat, huh? After drinking, look into the remaining leaves or grounds for divinatory signs. This ritual is perfect for those with low/no spoons, allowing you to integrate mindfulness into an everyday activity. -
Creating a Harvest Altar
Set up a harvest altar on your dresser or as a table centerpiece using autumnal items like pumpkins, apples, pinecones, fall leaves, corn, or candles. Add crystals such as carnelian, citrine, or smoky quartz, and include a small dish for offerings. You can personalize your altar with symbols of balance, such as two candles (one white, one black) or tarot cards like The Empress or The Hanged Man. For me personally, I take a minimalist approach on my altars these days and find that not only does it help with low-spoon barriers, having uncluttered energy makes for more impactful magic. This ritual can be low-cost, using nature or items you already own. -
Gratitude Journal Ritual
Take a few moments to reflect on what you’ve harvested this year—whether it’s achievements, lessons, or personal growth. Write down three things you are grateful for, and three things thanking yourself for, OR three things you're releasing to the past and letting go of - then fold the paper and place it under a candle to amplify your intentions. A spell candle from my shop, like Invoke My Ancestors , Peaceful Home, or Surrender and Letting Go, would work beautifully here. -
Ancestor Prayer and Offering
Set aside time to honor your ancestors by creating a small altar with their photos, offerings of food, and candles. A spell candle from my shop like Invoke My Ancestors, Spirit Messenger, or Summon My Spirit Guides would also work powerfully here. Speak their names aloud (if you know them, otherwise "My Ancestors, who lived and died well" works also) and ask for guidance as you move into the darker half of the year. This ritual is deeply powerful and can be done at no cost, using items you already have. -
Harvest Moon Tarot Spread
Perform a simple three-card tarot spread to gain insight into what you’ve harvested this year, what to release, and what to nurture through the darker months. Pair this ritual with your favorite tea or coffee and a candle from my Samhain collection for added ambiance. -
Grounding Nature Walk
If you’re able, take a walk/roll in nature to witness the beauty of the changing season. Go somewhere you know has pretty maple trees or other seasonal flora. Collect items like leaves, acorns, or stones to place on your altar as a reminder of the Earth’s bounty. *Ask the items/Earth before collecting them. This low-cost, low-spoon ritual is a great way to connect with nature and ground your energy. -
Kitchen Witch Harvest Baked Goods
Bake a simple loaf of bread, corn bread, or even a roll of cookie dough, or other baked treats infused with the energies of gratitude and abundance. As you prepare and bake, focus on your intentions for the coming season. Filling your space with the smell of fresh baked goods is abundance magic. Share the baked goods with loved ones or offer a portion to the Earth as a symbol of thanks. -
Candle Meditation for Balance
Light a white and black candle, two separate candles, or a single tealight candle and carve into the wax a symbol for or the word balance. Sit quietly, focusing on the flame and reflecting on the balance between light and dark in your life. Visualize harmony flowing into your mind, body, and spirit. This is a simple, no-cost ritual that requires only candles and a quiet space.
Corresponding Elements for Autumn Equinox Magic
To enhance your Mabon rituals, incorporate these corresponding elements:
- Crystals: Carnelian (creativity), Citrine (abundance), Smoky Quartz (grounding)
- Colors: Orange (harvest), Brown (stability), Gold (gratitude), Dark Green (renewal)
- Herbs: Rosemary (protection), Sage (cleansing), Cinnamon (warmth), Bay Leaf (wishes)
- Tarot Cards: The Empress (abundance), The Hanged Man (release), Death (transformation)
- Spell Candles: Surrender and Letting Go, Invoke My Ancestors, Santa Muerte, Samhain Ritual Oil (from my shop)
- Altar Items: Pumpkins, corn, apples, fall flowers, photos of ancestors, offering bowls for food and drink
DIY Your Own Rituals
The above corresponding items can inspire you to craft your own rituals. Whether it’s using a specific crystal to deepen your meditation, lighting a candle to honor the season’s shift, or creating a simple tea ritual, the magic is in you and your intention. Feel free to mix and match these elements to create rituals that resonate with you personally. Trust your intuition and make this season’s celebrations your own.
The Autumn Equinox is a time to slow down, reflect, and honor the cycles of life. Whether you practice just one of these rituals or incorporate several, remember that magic is most powerful when it’s authentic to you and grounded in gratitude. Happy Fall, y'all!
