Mabon is the pagan holiday marking the Autumnal Equinox and the Second Harvest, and is a celebration of the balance of light and dark, as well as a time to be grateful for the gifts bestowed upon us throughout the year. It’s a time for rest and reaping what you have sown, and also to begin preparing for the cold and dark months that are breaching the horizon. While the term Mabon is a relatively recent term coined for this point on the neo-pagan Wheel of the Year, similar traditions of the equinox can be traced back to many cultures lost to the past.
Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.
~ Lauren DeStefano
The onset of Autumn marks my personal favorite time of year – no, not for the pumpkin spice everything or the approaching of my birthday (definitely a bonus, though), but I’ve always viewed this season as a catalyst for change. It’s a time of reflection, to address the desire for a fresh start, and prepare for a new year. As the leaves on the trees advance into their final stages of growth, and transform from greens to hues of red, orange, and gold, you can’t help but appreciate the beauty and majesty of life. Cool, brisk breezes heralding the winter months counterbalanced by the warm, bright sun, leaves serenely cascading from tall trees, the scent of fireplace smoke drifting through the air – what’s not to love about this season?
There’s something truly spellbinding about this time of year, and I find myself craving enchanting and fantastical tales that are more suited to being told around a campfire than anything else. It’s the perfect point in the year to dive into something that will force you to suspend your disbelief and finally consider the magic that surrounds us. While our world is cloaked in beauty, traversing the pages of tomes created by incredible authors and experiencing their magnificent worlds is just sheer perfection.
I’m honored to have been invited to participate in this year’s Mabon Celebration hosted by Parliament House Publishing, as all in the northern hemisphere welcome the autumn months. Today, prepare for a social media blitz of all things witchy and fall-related from people all around the world. Be sure to keep an eye on the #PHMabonCelebration tag across all platforms, and feel free to join in! This is, after all, the BEST time of year!
In addition to sharing what I love about this season, Parliament House has also provided me with a complementary copy of one of their magical titles, A Wild and Unremarkable Thing by Jen Castleberry to read, review, and share with you all. This book is a gorgeous account of kindness and togetherness, longing, and defying the norm. It follows the lives of four individuals of varied backgrounds as they all converge for the celebration of the Emerging, when dragons take to star-strewn skies and Champions fight for glory. I urge you to check out the full review, and give this novella a try – its poetic, singsong prose and beautiful characters make this a stunning read.
Come join me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and let me know your favorite things about the season!
Happy Reading!
🖤