Basics of the Autumnal Equinox and Libra Season, with Ritual!

Hello, happy Autumn, and welcome to Libra season! Libra season kicks off every year on September 22nd with the Autumnal Equinox, when the day and the night are equally as long. Makes sense, as the sign of Libra is represented by a set of scales, and is all about balance!

The Autumn Equinox, also known as Mabon to those who celebrate any form of Paganism or witchery, is a day for honoring both the darkness and the light within us and in this existence! You cannot have one without the other, they are two halves of a whole, the darkness is just as important as the light. Without darkness, we wouldn’t have something brighter to strive for, something that allows us to appreciate the light! We wouldn’t be human. Honoring and accepting our darkness is important for our personal transformation, it allows us to go within and see when something is off, when something is not right.

Mabon is a celebration of gratitude as the harvest season is coming to an end—it is a time to take stock of all you have before the long winter, and express thankfulness for your abundance! Gratitude is a huge part of the Mabon celebration, taking time to thank the Mother for all she provides is an important part of the cycles of life, we are nothing without her love and generosity. My favorite way to show my gratitude is to make a Mabon altar. I usually do this with colorful leaves and acorns, gourds and baby pumpkins, and handwritten affirmations of gratitude and abundance, such as “I am so grateful for the Mother and all she provides!” or “I am so grateful for the wealth flowing joyously into my life!” You can even incorporate black, red, orange, yellow, and green crystals for the season, like Citrine, Carnelian, Jaspers, Aventurine, and Obsidian. Set the intention for a peaceful, abundant, and balanced Autumn!

Since Mabon is a celebration of abundance, it is also a great holiday for purging what is no longer serving you, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Physical purging is the easiest—go through your closet and donate of all those clothes you don’t wear, clean out your junk drawers, trinkets collecting dust…. Donating your excess possessions allows you to share your abundance with those less fortunate, and opens up your space physically to allow room for bigger, better things to come into our lives!

Now, cleansing all other types of purging is a bit trickier… how does one clean out the dark, dusty corners of your brain? My favorite way of purging outdated thought patterns, beliefs, emotions, and habits is by writing it all down, in all its deep, dark, sticky glory. All the negative things you tell yourself, any beliefs that you are not good enough or that you don’t deserve the best, any beef you have with people you love, any attitudes toward life that are no longer serving you… Get that shit out of your brain and onto paper. Now, read it aloud to yourself, and take note of how it makes you feel… How these emotions and beliefs manifest physically in your body as tightness in your chest, accelerated heartbeat, or a sinking feeling in your belly… Accept it for what it is, honor this darkness—allow yourself to not only feel these negative emotions, but to LOVE them, for we cannot change without first accepting and loving our flaws!

Now, on a separate sheet of paper, write down everything in this beautiful world that you are grateful for, things that makes you smile and feel warm on the inside. I like to look at my negativity list and write opposite affirmations, for example change “I don’t deserve to be happy” to “I deserve to live my best life!” Read your gratitude paper aloud to yourself and revel in the feel-good-feels. Once you have your gratitude list all written down, comes my favorite part…. BURN YOUR PURGE LIST! (note: burning outside with some water on hand is ideal) Watch the paper go up in flames, your outdated beliefs transforming into smoke and ash… feels good, doesn’t it? Now read your gratitude list again, savoring each word and how it makes you feel… the lightness in your chest, the tingles in your fingers, the smile creeping on your face… Hang your gratitude list somewhere you will see it every day, ideally on your new Mabon altar!

Since Libra season is all about finding balance, you can use the entirety of the next month to work on purging what you have outgrown, things that are throwing you out of balance. Libra season also emphasizes the importance of maintaining relationships with the people in your life. Observe your relationships with your friends, family, and lovers. Are there any areas where you can improve on setting boundaries? Or times where you could open your heart and be more vulnerable? Find a healthy balance between making sure everyone’s needs and wants are taken care of, including your own. Look at your daily interactions to see where you can be more compassionate to everyone you meet—the woman who holds the door open for you, the truck driver that lets you over on the highway, the gas station clerk, EVERYONE! We are all in this life together, spreading the love will make you and everyone around you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

All in all, use this next month to cultivate love and gratitude in all that you do. Take stock of the beliefs you have that are not in line with your Highest Divine Self, and think of ways to replace these beliefs, behaviors, and thoughts with ones that are unapologetically, authentically YOU. Rewrite the script in your brain to be one of positivity, acceptance, love, and abundance. And spread the good vibes to everyone you encounter. There’s plenty to go around in this abundant, loving Universe. Why not let it flow?

Thanks for reading, and happy Autumn! Leave me a comment if you liked what you read, have any questions, or want to share your Mabon rituals with me!

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