Today is the Autumnal Equinox (15:44 UTC) which signals the beginning of Fall in the northern hemisphere. On this day there will be an equal amount of light and darkness, and after this day the nights grow longer and we head towards Winter. In many modern Pagan traditions this is the second of three harvest festivals (the first being Lughnasadh, the third being Samhain).

Pagan circle at Autumn Equinox.
Photo by Chris John Beckett (CC)

The holiday is also known as “Harvest Home” or “Mabon” by Wiccans and Witches, “Mid-Harvest” and “Alban Elfed” by some Druidic and Celtic-oriented groups, and “Winter Finding” by modern-day Asatru. Most modern Pagans simply call it the Autumn Equinox. Here are some media quotes and excerpts from modern Pagans on the holiday.

“We’ve had a fun summer, but it’s almost time to bid farewell to the warm weather and welcome the fall. The autumnal equinox will occur on Monday, September 22, 2008 at 11:44:18 a.m. EDT, causing weather geeks, neo-pagans, and people who simply enjoy the change of seasons to break out the sweaters or druid’s cloaks and have a little party. Variously known as Mabon, Alban Elfed, Night of the Hunter, Wine Harvest, and Witch’s Thanksgiving, the fall equinox holiday doesn’t quite enjoy the the popularity of the summer solstice, but it’s a good enough excuse to get outside and groove on nature, if that’s your thing.” – Victor Ozols, Jaunted

“We pagans consider this holiday as a reminder of the harvest of our efforts this year, and the bounty it is, weighted against our life’s experience. These past experiences take seed, regenerate into wisdom, which is reborn within. It is also a time to ponder the necessity for fallow periods, for it is the fallow periods which allow us to assimilate, regenerate, and incorporate that which we have progressed through the year. Just as fields need to lay fallow to better support new growth, so do we!” – Terry Smith, Alexandria Town Talk

“Mabon is the second of three harvest festivals on the Pagan calendar, with the third and largest being Samhain, at the Celtic new year. It celebrates the bounty of the harvest, but it also calls for celebrants to be thankful for other blessings in their lives, including family and friends. Among the traditional symbols of Mabon are wine, gourds, pine cones, acorns, grains, corn, apples, pomegranates, vines such as ivy, dried seeds and horns of plenty. Traditional foods include breads, nuts, apples, pomegranates and root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and onions.” – Leslie Boyd, Asheville Citizen-Times

“At Mabon, we acknowledge the riches of the harvest while the fields are still bringing forth produce. This lets us interact, if we choose, with the living Earth even as She is busy making our apples and cabbages and corn and beans and potatoes get fat and ready for the picking. Whether we go to the local farmer’s market, go picking in a local orchard, or grow our own in a garden plot, the sensual connection with nature is strong at this time because the season of harvest is rich with color, fragrance and texture.” – Peg Aloi, The Witches’ Voice

“Harvest Home is the pleasantest of holidays. Admittedly, it does involve the concept of sacrifice, but one that is symbolic only. The sacrifice is that of the spirit of vegetation, John Barleycorn. Occurring one quarter of the year after Midsummer, Harvest Home represents midautumn, autumn’s height. It is also the autumnal equinox, one of the quarter days of the year, a Lesser Sabbat and a Low Holiday in modern Witchcraft.” – Mike Nichols, The Witches’ Sabbats

May you all enjoy the fruits of your harvest this season.

Tags: Autumn Equinox, Festival, Harvest, Mabon, Paganism