Mabon

The Autumn equinox falls on the 20th of March this year. Pagans celebrate this as Mabon or the second harvest festival. Although considered a lesser sabbat, the equinoxes are my favourite times of the year as they mark a time of transition, in this case a transition from the light summer months to the darker winter months. On the equinox the hours of light and darkness are in perfect balance. Following the autumn equinox, the balance tips in favour of night and we enter the dark half of the year. The day lit hours continue to wane and the night lengthens until the darkness reaches its peak on the winter solstice (around 21st June). For me the equinox is a time to farewell the dying light and welcome the darkness that is to come. One of my favourite Mabon rituals is the "viking funeral" in which a paper model boat is set alight as it drifts out over the water, symbolising the dying light. Image from http://www.mobygames.com/game/amiga/lost-vikings/screenshots/gameShotId,73530/