Autumn Equinox or Harvest Home
From sundown. Also known as Mabon, Alban Elfred, or Winter Finding,
the Autumn Equinox is one of two times of equalibrium -- when the hours of day and night are matched -- on the great Wheel
of the Year. The universal rhythm of rebirth and reincarnation are evident at this sabbat. The Wheel has turned and as the
harvests are gathered with life-sustaining abundance, so too are the changing seasons moving inevitably toward death -- and
rebirth. "Therefore the Wise Ones weep not, but rejoice." -- from Doreen Valiente's "Book of Shadows."
Mabon is the second harvest. The God has now become Sage, at his final
time of virility before he falls asleep in death at Samhain, the final harvest. The Goddess has become Crone, sharing her
last fruits and leaving us seeds for new life as her legacy. This is a time for feasting, merrymaking, and thanksgiving, relaxation,
and joy in a job well done. Many rededicate themselves to the and initiation ceremonies are performed Craft at this time.
Some traditions perform a special rite for the Goddess Persephone's descent into the Underworld as part of their celebration.
Some say the September equinox marks the beginning of a time when the
veil between the worlds thins, and the spirits can manifest themselves more easily. The barrier dividing light from darkness,
the seen from the unseen, the mundane from mystery, and life from death, continues to thin until Samhain, the eve of November,
which is a time outside of time when all manner of spirits and energies can move between the worlds with ease.
Slavic Pagan celebrate Svarog's Holiday in their month of Ruen. This
is the day honoring Svarog, the God of Fire and the Sky, a day to drink mead and celebrate. In ancient Egypt (Kemet), they
celebrated the Feast of Divine Life in honor of the Moon and the life-giving waters which came from it by sacrificing a pig.
This was also the time of the Ritual of the Netjeru of the Two Lands. The Inca celebrate the Coya Rayni festival honoring
the Moon Goddess Quilla, focusing on purging sickness and evil.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the Spring or Vernal Equinox, also called
the Festival of Trees, Alban Eilir, Ostara, and the Rites of Eostre are celebrated. The great fertility celebration of the
birth of Spring and the reawakening of life from the Earth is the origin of many of the traditions surrounding the Christian
holiday of Easter.
Sources: TarotAdvice.Com, Southern Delta Church of Wicca, DeAna Alba
