Mabon 2022: Harvesting Gratitude
Happy and blessed Mabon, my witchy lovelies! In just a few short days, Fall will officially be upon us and with it comes the chance to join together with others to celebrate the second harvest festival of the year. Mabon is a time to fully reap what you have sown this past year in all senses of the word. It is a time for personal reflection on what went right and what didn’t and how to further your goals in the next season. Most importantly, I feel it is a time focus on all that you have been gifted with this year.
Going forward with a grateful heart
I truly believe that each day we breathe, we are offered the opportunity for blessings. I also am a firm believer that not all blessings look as such at first glace. Throughout my spiritual journey, I have slowly been learning that for better or worse, the universe has it’s own sense of timing (and it’s own sense of humor) and knows exactly when and how things need to happen for our greatest good. With this philosophy in mind, I wanted to make gratitude the cornerstone of this year’s Mabon ritual.
Gratitude is a word that is thrown around a lot, more so now than ever before, but what does it mean to us in the magickal sense? Looking through the lens of life with an eye of gratitude for the sweet gifts we receive, as well as the sometimes harsh lessons we endure, is the absolute heart of all manifestation work. No matter how well we plant the seeds for it, we cannot expect to manifest the things we dream about most if we cannot first show appreciation for what we already have. Honestly, I know how difficult this mentality can be sometimes, especially when we are caught in moments of struggle. Accepting all that life throws at us at times is hard in itself; having to then process and decipher the lesson we are being taught can feel impossible.
What I am proposing is to take a gentle approach with yourself when it comes to all of this. It’s okay if you’re not some perfect being emanating beams of gratitude effortlessly. It’s okay to feel frustrated, angry, and completely exhausted sometimes. You are allowed to feel all of the emotions that come with the lessons you are being given because that is what will allow you to be in the perfect mindset to learn and eventually grow stronger.
Below, I’m going to offer some affirmations that focus on the idea of daily gratitude and will help ease you into a positive mindset for your manifestation goals this Mabon:
I am one with the Earth and the Universe and I am fully open and grateful to receive their blessings and lessons.
I am willing to be patient for those things that serve my greatest good and recognize that they will come at the perfect time for me.
I will overcome all adversity and welcome the opportunity to learn valuable lessons from it to manifest all the good I deserve.
I cherish each and every day as a gift full of opportunities for me to better my life and the lives of others.
Putting in the work: Simple Mabon “Rituals”
I think often when we think of rituals, we think of the longer, more formal rites. This format is so lovely and soul soothing for certain and I do recommend performing them whenever you can. That being said, I know that life can be hectic for most of us and I wanted to suggest a few quick and simple “ritual” ideas that you can do with a group or even by yourself to celebrate the sabbat in a slightly different way.
Visit a local orchard or pumpkin patch and pick your own fruits or veggies. Not only is this a super fun fall group activity, it allows you to easily partake in the bounty and blessings of nature as well as gives you the opportunity to make something intentional with your haul!
Take a walk or hike in a local park or forest and bring a small alter with you. This can consist of crystals, herbs, divination items, a journal etc. (however I would steer clear of candles and other forms of fire for safety reasons). Find a quiet, safe spot for you to set yourself up and cast a circle if you’d like; calling in the elements and a deity if you so chose. Once you are ready and comfortable, quietly meditate/journal/etc. while taking in and enjoying the surroundings with all of your senses. Once you’re finished, you can release the elements/deity and close your circle.
Host a potluck meal for you and your friends where everyone brings a dish that reminds them of a happy memory. Before you eat, go around the table and ask each person to explain what their chosen dish is and what it means to them.
However you decide to celebrate this sabbat, be sure to give gratitude to yourself as well. Be proud of the person you have evolved into over this past year and remember that we are all beautiful works in progress.
