As sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere begins to dwindle, we eagerly approach our treasured season of autumn. Mabon is the neo-pagan name given to the Autumnal Equinox, a day of equal light and dark and the official start of fall.
The name Mabon (MAY-bn) was ascribed to the day in the 1970’s by Aidan Kelly, a prominent figure in the world of Wicca. He drew from the name of a Welsh deity called Mabon (MAH-bon) or Mabon ap Modron, literally meaning divine son of a divine mother. Kelly chose this name when creating the now widely used Wheel of the Year as the myth of Mabon being held prisoner in the Otherworld somewhat emulated the Greek myth of Persephone. This goddess is bound to spend around half the year in the Underworld, a time during which her mother, Demeter, the goddess of grain and agriculture, grieves such that it creates the seasons of autumn and winter.
Mabon is the second of three harvests this season and focuses on the fruits and vegetables ripe for the picking. The equinox generally represents a time of balance and liminality, creating passageways for ancestors to greet the Earth and for powerful magic to be cast. In this time we are gathering strength and wisdom for the winter months ahead as the chilly breath of autumn settles over the land.
We’ve melded these equinox energies into a heart-meltingly warm and cozy blend. The Mabon Collection combines Bergamot, Vanilla, Coffee, and spices into a delicious autumn scent that welcomes you in from the season’s rains. Lay your boots to dry, put your feet up by the fire, and join us for a hot cuppa as we peruse the plants infusing medicine and magic into our Mabon blend.
PLEASE NOTE: This page is not intended to substitute for medical advice of any kind. If you have concerns for your health, please see a doctor, medical professional, or certified herbalist for assistance.
Bergamot for Abundance
Bergamot blossoms flood our senses with a nourishing citrus base, opening our Mabon palette with a shimmering swell of hope. Floral, juicy, and bright, this fruit bodes a bountiful harvest ahead.
Bergamot can be used to improve mental health, treat symptoms of stress and anxiety, relieve pain, and balance body weight and cholesterol. Like many citrus plants, Bergamot is rich in antioxidants, and has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial properties as well!
In magic, Bergamot drips with prosperity. Use its charismatic character in workings for abundance, longevity, health, dreams, joy, and full-body, full-spirit peace.
Vanilla for Delight
Vanilla drops into our palette bearing instantaneous pleasure. Restorative, calming, and heavenly sweet, this nostalgic plant is immediately recognizable. Vanilla is robust with the organic compound vanillin, which lends antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties to its host. This chemical may also protect against neurodegeneration.
This property carries over into Vanilla’s magical uses, as it is often used to strengthen mental powers. Vanilla is sweet, sensual, and attractive: Use in workings for love, sexuality, drawing, personal empowerment, and luck.
Coffee for Vitality
Bitter, nutty, and smooth, the scent of roasting Coffee beans wafts decadently through our Mabon palette, saturating our blend with its vitality and warmth.
Coffee is well-beloved for its invigorating, energy-raising character, but its medicine doesn’t stop there. In addition to giving its drinkers a hearty spring in their step, Coffee may lower a person’s risk of developing depression as well as type 2 diabetes. Full of antioxidants, it may support the health of the brain, heart, and liver.
Coffee has magical uses in inspiring creativity and generally bolstering the power of a working. With its ability to clear blockages, it has a place in facilitating mental clarity and sharpness. The grounds can also be used in divination and read like tea leaves!
Nutmeg for Luck
Sweet, earthy, and warm, a sprinkle of Nutmeg spices our Mabon blend with its potent, coveted flavor. More than just a seasonal dressing, Nutmeg was once the most expensive spice in the world–prized by the wealthy because it was “exotic and potent enough to induce hallucinations — or at least a nutmeg bender,” according to NPR.
Nutmeg has medicinal uses in pain relief as an anti-inflammatory. Like Vanilla, this plant shows positive effects on brain health and preventing neurodegeneration. It can be used to treat symptoms of insomnia and indigestion, and may be useful in fortifying the heart.
Nutmeg is a particularly versatile plant in the magical world. Many folks call in the magic of Nutmeg when working protective magic like warding or banishing. Use additionally for health, luck, travel, prosperity, and love.
Clove for Protection
Dancing between smelling sweet and spiced, Cloves are the fragrant, dried flower buds of an evergreen tree in the Myrtaceae, or myrtle, family. Like Nutmeg, this spice has a storied past, conjuring images of doctors wearing plague masks that, among other herbs, were stuffed with cloves at their tips.
Fittingly for the time of plague, Clove is antimicrobial, antiseptic, and antioxidant, giving a spirited boost to the immune system (you’ll find it in our Immunity Salve). It is additionally anti-inflammatory, lending itself well to relieving pain, as well as providing respiratory relief.
In keeping with its medicine of supporting the body’s immune system, Cloves can be used in protection or warding magic as well. Its warmth makes well for romance or workings for sexuality and passion, and can also be used to attract prosperity.
Cedarwood Atlas for Grounding
Photo by Yann Allegre on Unsplash.
Woody, calming, and fresh as an evergreen can be, Cedarwood Atlas kisses our Mabon blend with a gentle forest fog. This arboreal note rounds out this palette with a grounded sense of relief that we are sheltered and safe for the coming winter months.
Cedarwood is naturally soothing and can be used medicinally to treat symptoms of anxiety and insomnia. This plant is antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and diuretic (capable of treating high blood pressure)! It is also used to treat acne and dry skin, to stimulate hair growth, and as a natural insecticide.
This wise tree bears fruits of relaxation. Use in magic for grounding and protection, cleansing, and peacefulness. Cedarwood will clear your mind and intuition, bringing connection that allows inner wisdom to surface.
