Let’s celebrate the Coming of Autumn, Mabon

Looks like the Summer is leaving us; mornings are getting darker (I wake up now at

stupid o’clock, so I know the time of sunrise. Not info I’m desperate to know, but my

body thinks differently) And Autumn is on her way.

Officially, this year the equinox is the 22nd September. An equinox, of course, is the

start of the time when the sun is directly over the equator – so we get equal daylight

and darkness. An auspicious day for me – my youngest starts University, I have an

MRI, my Mum has a medical appointment…some days are just like that, don’t you

find? Everything happens at once. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed on those days. So,

when I’ve got through all that, I’ll be ready for some reflection on the summer and

preparation for the winter to come.

That is, of course, what the celebration of Mabon is all about. Gratitude, balance,

and preparation. Not as exciting as Samhain, perhaps (Halloween) but without the

commercial aspect. I like Mabon. I like the idea of having a specific time to relax and

enjoy what we’ve accomplished. We don’t do that enough. Somehow the list of

things to do almost always eclipses the things we’ve achieved. The to-do list erases

the ta-da! list. Taking some time to feel the satisfaction we’ve earned, praise

ourselves for it, is important.

The other aspect of Mabon I like is the preparation. Getting ourselves mentally ready

for the challenges ahead. We know darkness and winter are coming. Into our heads

– dark mornings and evenings and worsening weather meaning we are cooped up

inside. And into our lives - fuel bills, rising costs, the late budget, the illnesses of

winter… all have an impact on our mental state.

We can’t plan for everything. My Dad is a planner – always thinking about

possibilities (almost always dreadful ones) and how to overcome them. Sometimes

this slips over into catastrophising. We can miss what is happening around us if we

are always worrying over the future.

But I am keen on the aspect of Mabon that suggests it is time for ‘Releasing what no

longer serves’ a gorgeous phrase from the Pagan Grimoire.

With all its connotations of a mental or physical clear out. We all hang on to things

and ideas that we no longer need. It is so hard to banish the feelings that are holding

us back when they feel so present to us; injustice, unfairness, hopelessness. In this

special time, let’s do something to interrogate those thoughts. Calmly investigate the

impact they are having on us and see them for what they are – and then let go. Allow

ourselves to get clean and clear, ready for new challenges with a lighter load.

So, let’s look at what the cards have in store for us this Mabon…

I used a basic past-present-future spread here, in honour of the reflective element of

the season. It’s a fairly weighty spread, 2 out of the 3 cards being from the Major

Arcana, and our final card being a King. Take a few moments to look at the cards,

see what you notice first; particularly be aware of any moments of recognition and

don’t dismiss them. (Note these images are from the Rider-Waite deck, mine are

slightly different).

The Fool is the first card of the Major Arcana; ground zero. We can all remember

starting out, our dreams huge but our actual resources very little! Striding out into the

mountains perhaps not really knowing how hard those mountains are to climb. Note

the rose clasped in one hand. What are you proud of? Even if that younger you was

a little naïve, or inexperienced, they have, grown, adapted, tried, failed and endured.

Think about your hopes and dreams, and the things you have kept with you, as well

as the things you have lost along the way. And be kind to that person who was once

you. Some of them is still you.

The Hanged Man is number 12 in the Major Arcana. It can look a little unsettling, like

some sort of medieval punishment, but his face is calm. You might think about the

things that have turned your world upside down this year, but the word suspended

also holds the meaning of stopped, a pause, a break. In our present, right now, we

should give ourselves some time to think, perhaps, and really analyse your

perception or view of your life. Give yourself that time, or you might be finding that

the universe does it for you. We all push ourselves beyond our limits, sometimes.

This is time to ask if it is worth it. Is your energy well spent? Is this the way you want

to feel and think?

And finally, the King of Wands for our future. In my deck, the king looks directly at

me, like the Fool. It feels like a smiling, knowing challenge. He’s seated but he looks

like he could get up at any point necessary, even if he needs the stave to help him

do it (although that might be me, feeling my age!) I’m really grateful that the cards

turned out this way. In many ways, I expected a less positive card because the world

seems like a scary place right now. But I explained how I select the cards in the

previous blog post, and I always read what I’m given.

The King of Wands is about leadership and vision. We could reflect on the kinds of

leaders we have, and the kind of leaders we want. Certainly, the card speaks of

resilience, overcoming the obstacles that will come, but I don’t suppose any of us

would have believed a happy ever after card at this point! Whatever your thoughts on

the leadership of the wider world, though, when you apply the card to your own

future, think about the leader you want to be. You can’t hand responsibility for your

life completely to others, you have to take charge of your own life, if no-one else’s.

You might not feel ready, so this Mabon, make the decision to get ready. Get help if

you need it. Even if you feel no-one is watching, be the leader you want to be.

The King of wands tells us we have power, and it is important what we do with it.

Happy Mabon, everyone.

Janie