Celebrating Autumn Equinox and the second harvest
Celebrating the Autumn Equinox and Mabon: a point of balance and a shift towards darkness. Journal prompts, reflection and a playlist.
When? 20th - 23rd September
Direction/Element: West and the element of Water: emotion, intuition, healing, and the subconscious
Themes: balance, gratitude, resourcing for winter
At the Autumn Equinox, known to some pagans as Mabon, day and night once again reach equal length. The arrival of this season always feels like a soft turning inward and a practice of gathering in what the year has taught us so far. I find the energy of this moment deeply contemplative, a weaving of gratitude and release. It’s a time that invites us to pause at the threshold between light and dark, to honour the harvest of our labours, and to prepare the heart for the descent into the quiet mysteries of winter.
If you’re new here I’m Laura, a counsellor, nature therapist, somatic therapist, meditation teacher and space holder. My work is centered around gently guiding people back into relationship with themselves, with their bodies, and with the wider natural world. My offerings weave together counselling psychology, embodiment, nature connection and ritual to support deeper alignment with our inner and outer cycles. Every season brings the chance to reflect. For me, this happens through music and I curate playlists inspired by the Celtic Pagan Wheel of the Year , updating them as the cycle continues.
In this post you’ll find an overview of this celebration and it’s themes, reflections, a somatic journey that you might want to explore, and a playlist and journal prompts.
Celebrating Autumn Equinox: the dance of equilibrium. A playlist, reflections and journal prompts.
The Autumn Equinox, which is also referred to by some pagans as Mabon, happens on the 21st September. The name Mabon, in the context of this celebration day, was adopted in the 1970s and draws on the Welsh deity Mabon ap Modron. As I mention in my post about The Wheel of the Year, many of the English neo-pagan celebrations draw upon the spirituality and culture of Ireland, Scotland and Wales and the colonisation of those countries by the English meant that they weren’t legally able to speak their own languages or take part in their own spiritual traditions. I believe that it’s important to hold this in awareness if you’re celebrating The Autumn Equinox as Mabon.
This season is all about balance and the meeting of opposites and we honour the convergence of light and dark, God and Goddess, Shakti and Shiva, masculine and feminine, yin and yang. It is a moment to reflect on the interplay of energies that exist within and around us. As always, it’s important to remember that these archetypes need aren’t confined to gender binaries. Each of us carries both masculine and feminine energy, constantly shifting and flowing, in the same way the cycles of nature are never static.
Observing seasonal rhythms reminds us that change is the only constant. Autumn arrives with cooler evenings, leaves change to fiery reds, oranges and golds and we can notice the soft light of the sun illuminating the landscape (when it’s not raining, of course…). There is a crispness in the air and a strong sense of transition. The Autumn Equinox invites us to pause and notice the world turning, to reflect on what we have gathered and to think about what we might release as the darker months approach.
The Foundations of the Autumn Equinox
The Wheel of the Year not only honours the changing seasons but also the four sacred directions and their elements. Mabon sits in the West, aligned with the element of Water, which is the realm of emotion, intuition and reflection. Water teaches us how to move with change, to flow with what is, and to soften into the cycles of release and renewal. At this point in the year, the fiery drive of summer begins to cool, and we are invited to rest, digest and feel.
This celebration marks the second harvest, when fruits, nuts and grains are gathered in, before the quiet descent into winter. It’s a time of gratitude and reckoning; an opportunity to ask what we have received, what remains unfinished and what must be released back to the Earth. Water’s wisdom reminds us that harvest is as much about letting go as it is about gathering in.
Archetypaly, this festival aligns with The Guardian, The Healer and The Elder. The Guardian watches over what has been cultivated, ensuring that resources are preserved and shared wisely. The Healer brings compassion and care, helping us to tend to what has been wounded or overextended during the growing season. The Elder offers perspective, guiding us to integrate the lessons of the past and prepare for the descent into darkness.
These archetypes embody the wisdom of Water; deep feeling, reflection and emotional truth. They invite us to slow down and listen to the quieter currents beneath the surface of our lives.
Finding balance and the second harvest
As we continue to gather in our resources, his is a moment to pause, to give thanks for the Earth’s generosity and reflect on our relationship with the natural world. How can we live in reciprocity with nature, honouring the cycles that sustain life while taking only what we need? This season is a reminder that gratitude is as important as celebration and that mindful harvesting, in all areas of life, creates harmony and balance.
Equinoxes are moments of equilibrium, a pause where day and night are equal. While the Spring Equinox brings dynamic energy to support new growth, the Autumn Equinox encourages us to slow down and reflect. Summer’s energy drives us forward, pushing us into action, adventure and expansion but we can’t ride that wave forever. How can we move into the gentler, more introspective energies of autumn and winter? How can we honour the need to rest, replenish and recalibrate?
Gratitude and integration
If Lughnasadh is the celebration of effort and reward, this second harvest is about is harvesting understanding. It invites us to gather not only the physical fruits of our labour but also the insights, emotions, and growth that have ripened within us over the year. Gratitude becomes a sacred act of integration, a way to honour both the sweetness and the sorrow of the seasons behind us.
To give thanks at the Equinox is not to ignore the losses or challenges we’ve faced, but to recognise that they, too, have shaped us. Gratitude allows us to carry forward what nourishes us, and to gently release what no longer does. It is the soft power of Water in motion: cleansing, dissolving, renewing.
Autumn Equinox and Mabon Playlist and Journal Prompts
My curated playlist for this season is designed to support your exploration of the themes of balance, abundance and reflection. You can use it as a backdrop for journaling, breath work, or gentle movement, letting the rhythms guide you into a deeper connection with the season. As you listen, think about what you have harvested in your own life, what you might release and how you can bring balance to your body, mind, and spirit in this transitional time.
Prompts for Self-Reflection
Where could you cultivate more balance? Reflect on areas of your life that feel unbalanced. Is it in your work-life balance, relationships, or self-care routines? Consider what steps you might take to create space.
Where can you surrender as we move into the energy of Autumn? Autumn teaches us the beauty of letting go. Is there something you're holding onto that no longer serves you? It might be a mindset, a habit, or even a relationship. How can you release what no longer nourishes your soul?
What is something you have gained by letting go? As you let go of what's no longer needed, take a moment to recognise the gifts that have come from surrender. When we release, we create space for new opportunities and growth.
What have you unexpectedly harvested this year? Life often surprises us with unexpected gifts or lessons Reflect on your experiences and the growth that you’ve experienced this year.
You’ll find a playlist at the bottom of this page, with music to support your Autumn Equinox explorations.
Embracing Autumn through ritual and ceremony
Ritual and ceremony offers a powerful way to connect with both the turning of the seasons and the deeper layers of your own being. It creates a sacred pause, an invitation to step away from the pace of daily life and return to presence. Ritual allows us to mark the passage of time, honour transitions and tend to the subtle inner changes that echo the cycles of the natural world.
Autumn, a season of thresholds and transformation, calls us to slow down, reflect, and release what has fulfilled its purpose. If you’re navigating a time of change, or looking to step into this new season the following rituals might be supportive.
This particular practice comes from my Sacred Somatic Journeys series and explores the myth of Persephone and her descent into the underworld. This myth is deeply connected to Autumn, as Persephone’s descent marks the dark half of the year and when she emerges, she brings Spring with her.
This collection is designed to help you rekindle your connection to ritual and the living Earth, no screens or travel needed. Each journey invites you home: to your body, to the rhythm of the seasons, and to the mythic stories that move through them.
If you feel drawn to ceremonial work, you might also enjoy exploring my Autumn Embodied Ceremony; Honouring the Ancestors. You’ll find this on my Sacred Somatic Journeys page. You can also receive two complimentary practices when you join my newsletter.
Step into the mythic rhythms of the seasons with Persephone’s Descent, an audio-guided sacred somatic journey that explores the thresholds of light and shadow. As autumn deepens and the earth quiets, this journey invites you to embody the story of Persephone, attuning to your body, breath and senses, to meet the cycles of transformation within.
Traditionally, Persephone is taken to the underworld, her voice silenced and her agency stripped away. In this practice, the myth becomes a living initiation, a guide to exploring the dark, discovering inner wisdom, and emerging renewed. Through embodied awareness, reflection, and somatic exploration, you’ll encounter the spaces between life and death, loss and regeneration, and ask yourself: “What is ending, and who am I becoming?”
Archetypal themes in this journey: descent, thresholds, the shadow, the self
Duration: 40-minute guided audio. Additional time at the end is suggested for reflection and integration.
Your practice includes:
MP3 audio of the guided journey
PDF companion with the full script, reflection prompts, and guidance for setting up your practice
This journey is ideal for anyone seeking somatic meditation, seasonal ritual, embodiment practices, and shadow work, offering a deep and transformative experience from the comfort of your own space.
