It’s the time of year when summer has turned to fall. In the witchy world, that means the wheel of the year is turning again, and with it come two of my absolute autumn events: Mabon and Samhain.
Every autumn, I feel a delicious shift in the air with cooler mornings, the crunch of leaves underfoot, and the veil growing thinner with each sunset. This is the season where my witchy heart feels most alive.
Mabon: My Witches’ Thanksgiving
Mabon, or the autumn equinox, is all about balance. It’s when day and night are equal. This balance reminds me to pause and look for harmony in my own life.
For me, Mabon is steeped in gratitude. On the morning of the equinox, I brewed a homemade pumpkin spice latte (yes, I love ‘em!), lit a Bourbon Vanilla candle, and sat with my grimoire. I’ve been filling its pages with reflections, specifically things I am releasing and things I am holding onto. I’m also in the process of creating spreads for each month, which during autumn, includes things I’m thankful for and lessons learned the hard way. For me, writing them down makes them feel tangible. They’re like little spells of gratitude captured on paper.
I also celebrate with food! I always bake something seasonal. Apple crisp or pumpkin bread usually tops the list. This year, I started with a yummy pumpkin crumble. I stir my intentions right into the batter, imagining every bite as a way of taking in gratitude and abundance.
Have you ever created a Mabon altar? Mine practically glows with glass pumpkins, candles, a pewter cauldron, and a collection of herbs, all bathed in amber light. My besties also came over and we shot a collection of witchy pictures, which was so fun! Some of these, usually as image transfers, end up in my grimoire. It’s like a scrapbook of magic.
Samhain: Witches’ New Year in My Home
Then comes Samhain. I like to look at Mabon as sort of a golden light, which means, to me, Samhain is velvet shadows and candle flame.
On October 31st, I’ll be with one of my favorite people—my grimoire sister, artist Theresa P-Tan. We’ll set up a small ancestor altar with framed photos of loved ones who’ve passed—or me, my focus will be on my dad, who passed in January of this year—along with offerings of bread or bourbon (my grandparents would expect nothing less!). We will light a candle and whisper thanks for their guidance.
I anticipate the room feeling warmer, as if the veil truly will thin. I know I will feel closer to my dad and my grandparents. They’ll feel close.
Witchy New Year
This is also when I spend intentional time creating in my grimoire. I use Samhain as my witchy New Year, journaling intentions, releasing old energy, and sketching little sigils that represent what I want to call in. I’ve been pressing autumn leaves into its pages, making impressions, and collaging, all as a way of capturing the spirit of the season right between the covers of this special book.
And because I’m me, I also wander around with my phone to capture witchy photos…bare branches against the moon, candlelit pumpkins on the porch, tarot pulls, and even the swirl of smoke curling up from a sage bundle. Those images become part of my ritual too, grounding me in the beauty of the moment and of this beautiful time of year
.
Mabon and Samhain Together
To me, these observances feel like sisters. Mabon is about celebrating the harvest, finding balance, and giving thanks. Samhain is about honoring the shadows, listening to ancestors, and welcoming transformation. Together, they really hold all the mystery of autumn I hold dear: gratitude and endings, balance and beginnings.
As the wheel turns, I’ll shift my altar from apples and sunflower-yellow candles in September to pumpkins and black candles by late October. It feels like watching the wheel turn in miniature, right there on my table kitchen island.
Final Blessing
I celebrate this time of year tea and candles, baking and writing, photos and altars, and pages of a grimoire filling up with gratitude and intention. These small acts bring me closer to the magic of the earth and the turning of the year.
So whether you’re baking pumpkin bread and lighting candles for your ancestors like me, or simply walking under the autumn moon, remember that you are part of this autumnal magic, too.
May your harvest be sweet, your shadows kind, and your New Year full of light.
I’ve been filling its pages with reflections, specifically things I am releasing and things I am holding onto. I’m also in the process of creating spreads for each month, which during autumn, includes things I’m thankful for and lessons learned the hard way. For me, writing them down makes them feel tangible. They’re like little spells of gratitude captured on paper.
Then comes Samhain. I like to look at Mabon as sort of a golden light, which means, to me, Samhain is velvet shadows and candle flame.
This is also when I spend intentional time creating in my grimoire. I use Samhain as my witchy New Year, journaling intentions, releasing old energy, and sketching little sigils that represent what I want to call in. I’ve been pressing autumn leaves into its pages, making impressions, and collaging, all as a way of capturing the spirit of the season right between the covers of this special book.
To me, these observances feel like sisters. Mabon is about celebrating the harvest, finding balance, and giving thanks. Samhain is about honoring the shadows, listening to ancestors, and welcoming transformation. Together, they really hold all the mystery of autumn I hold dear: gratitude and endings, balance and beginnings.