Mabon Altar & Decorations: Autumn Equinox Harvest Setup

Introduction: Creating Sacred Space for Second Harvest

Mabon—the autumn equinox celebrated around September 21-23—is a time of perfect balance between light and dark, a moment to honor the second harvest and prepare for winter's approach. Your Mabon altar becomes a focal point for celebrating abundance, expressing gratitude, and honoring the turning of the Wheel toward the dark half of the year. Rich with autumn's bounty and the colors of falling leaves, a Mabon altar captures the essence of harvest, balance, and the bittersweet beauty of letting go.

This comprehensive guide will help you create a beautiful, meaningful Mabon altar that honors the autumn equinox, celebrates the harvest, and creates sacred space for reflection, gratitude, and preparation for the coming darkness.

Understanding the Mabon Altar

Purpose and Significance

A Mabon altar serves multiple sacred functions:

• Honoring balance: Equal day and night, light and dark
• Celebrating harvest: Second harvest of fruits, vegetables, wine
• Expressing gratitude: Thankfulness for abundance received
• Preparing for winter: Acknowledging the coming darkness
• Honoring sacrifice: What was given so we may live
• Reflection: Assessing the year's growth and harvest
• Letting go: Releasing what no longer serves

Mabon Themes and Symbolism

Your altar should reflect Mabon's core themes:

• Balance and equality: Light and dark, giving and receiving, life and death
• Harvest abundance: Fruits, vegetables, grains, wine
• Gratitude: Thankfulness for blessings received
• Aging Goddess: Crone wisdom, the Mother's transition
• Dying God: Descent into the underworld
• Autumn beauty: Falling leaves, changing colors, crisp air
• Preparation: Storing food, gathering resources for winter

Choosing Your Altar Location

Best Placement Options

West-Facing:

• Direction of sunset and autumn
• Associated with water element and emotions
• Perfect for reflection and letting go
• Ideal for honoring the waning year

Dining Room or Kitchen:

• Center of harvest and feasting
• Where food is prepared and shared
• Connects altar to daily nourishment
• Perfect for gratitude practice

Outdoor Space:

• Direct connection to autumn's changes
• Can include fallen leaves and natural items
• Weather permitting
• Powerful for nature-based practice

Central Living Space:

• Makes harvest celebration part of daily life
• Easy for family to interact with
• Becomes focal point of home
• Shares seasonal energy with household

Essential Elements of a Mabon Altar

Altar Cloth and Base

Color Choices:

• Burgundy/Deep Red: Wine, apples, autumn leaves, blood of sacrifice
• Orange: Pumpkins, autumn leaves, harvest abundance
• Gold: Grain, late summer sun, prosperity
• Brown: Earth, soil, grounding, harvest
• Deep Green: Late vegetation, evergreens, enduring life
• Purple: Wine, grapes, spirituality, the Crone

Layering Options:

• Brown base with burgundy runner
• Gold cloth with autumn leaf overlay
• Orange and brown plaid or check
• Natural burlap with colorful accents

The Cornucopia: Symbol of Abundance

The horn of plenty is the quintessential Mabon symbol.

Traditional Cornucopia:

• Woven basket in horn shape
• Overflowing with harvest abundance
• Place as altar centerpiece
• Fill with fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains

What to Fill It With:

• Apples (sacred to Mabon)
• Grapes and grape vines
• Pumpkins and gourds
• Corn (dried or fresh)
• Nuts (walnuts, acorns, hazelnuts)
• Pomegranates (Persephone's fruit)
• Autumn squash
• Wheat or grain stalks

DIY Cornucopia:

• Use large basket or bowl
• Arrange harvest items spilling out
• Create abundance display
• Symbolism matters more than perfect horn shape

Autumn Leaves and Natural Elements

Fallen Leaves:

• Collect beautiful autumn leaves
• Red, orange, yellow, brown
• Scatter on altar
• Press between books to preserve
• Represent change, letting go, beauty in death

Acorns and Pinecones:

• Symbols of potential and protection
• Oak (strength) and pine (endurance)
• Scatter around altar
• Fill bowls or jars
• Paint gold or leave natural

Branches and Twigs:

• Bare branches showing winter's approach
• Branches with colorful leaves
• Arrange in vases
• Create natural sculpture

Dried Corn and Wheat:

• Indian corn (multicolored)
• Wheat sheaves
• Corn stalks
• Represent grain harvest
• Tie with raffia or ribbon

Candles: Balanced Light

Color Correspondences:

• Burgundy/Red: Wine, apples, life force, sacrifice
• Orange: Autumn, harvest, abundance, joy
• Gold/Yellow: Grain, late sun, prosperity
• Brown: Earth, grounding, harvest
• White and Black: Balance of light and dark (use together)
• Purple: Spirituality, wine, the Crone

Candle Arrangements:

• Two candles: One white, one black (balance)
• Three candles: Maiden/Mother/Crone
• Four candles: One for each element or direction
• Multiple autumn colors: Celebrating harvest abundance

Crystals and Stones

Carnelian:

• Orange like autumn leaves
• Courage, vitality, creativity
• Sacral chakra, life force
• Grounding and energizing

Citrine:

• Gold like grain and late sun
• Abundance, prosperity, success
• Solar plexus, personal power
• Gratitude and joy

Amber:

• Fossilized tree resin
• Ancient wisdom, protection
• Golden autumn color
• Grounding and healing

Smoky Quartz:

• Grounding, protection, letting go
• Brown like earth and autumn
• Transmutes negative energy
• Root chakra

Tiger's Eye:

• Gold and brown bands
• Confidence, grounding, protection
• Balance and harmony
• Manifestation

Obsidian:

• Black like coming darkness
• Protection, grounding, truth
• Shadow work
• Scrying and divination

Harvest Foods and Offerings

Apples:

• Sacred to Mabon and Avalon
• Cut crosswise to reveal pentacle
• Display whole or sliced
• Red, green, or golden varieties

Wine and Cider:

• Wine harvest time
• Pour in chalice or goblet
• Red wine for sacrifice and abundance
• Apple cider for autumn

Bread:

• Grain harvest continues
• Fresh baked or artisan loaf
• Represents sustenance
• Staff of life

Honey:

• Sweetness of harvest
• Bees' final gathering
• Preservation and abundance
• In jar or drizzled on bread

Nuts and Seeds:

• Potential and future growth
• Winter stores
• In bowls or scattered
• Walnuts, acorns, sunflower seeds

Deity Representations

The Crone Goddess:

• Hecate (Greek): Crossroads, magic, wisdom
• Cerridwen (Celtic): Cauldron, transformation, rebirth
• The Morrigan (Celtic): Sovereignty, prophecy, death
• Persephone (Greek): Descending to underworld
• Demeter (Greek): Grieving mother, harvest goddess

The Dying God:

• Mabon ap Modron (Welsh): Divine son, harvest
• Dionysus (Greek): Wine, ecstasy, death and rebirth
• The Green Man: Vegetation spirit, cycles
• Osiris (Egyptian): Death, resurrection, grain

Representation Ideas:

• Statues or images
• Symbols (cauldron for Cerridwen, grapes for Dionysus)
• Colors associated with deity
• Written names or invocations

Step-by-Step Altar Setup

Preparation

1. Cleanse the space: Physically clean, then energetically cleanse
2. Cleanse yourself: Ritual bath or hand washing
3. Gather materials: Collect all items you'll use
4. Set intention: Clarify altar's purpose
5. Choose timing: Set up on equinox eve or morning

Building Your Altar

1. Lay the altar cloth: Smooth with intention, creating sacred space
2. Create levels: Use boxes or risers for visual interest
3. Place cornucopia: Central focal point, overflowing with abundance
4. Position candles: Arrange safely, considering balance symbolism
5. Add autumn leaves: Scatter or arrange artfully
6. Include harvest foods: Apples, wine, bread, honey
7. Place deity representations: Statues, images, or symbols
8. Arrange crystals: Place stones with intention
9. Add natural elements: Acorns, pinecones, branches, corn
10. Personal touches: Photos, meaningful objects, gratitude lists
11. Offerings: Food, drink, or gifts for deities
12. Balance check: Step back, ensure visual and energetic balance

Activation Ritual

1. Stand before your altar
2. Light candles from center outward
3. Light incense (cinnamon, apple, autumn spices)
4. Speak dedication: "I dedicate this altar to Mabon, the autumn equinox, the second harvest. May it serve as sacred space for gratitude, balance, and preparation. May it honor the abundance received and the darkness approaching. Blessed be."
5. Invite deities to bless the space
6. State your intentions for the season
7. Sit in meditation before the altar
8. Thank the elements and deities

Mabon Altar Ideas by Style

Traditional/Rustic Harvest Altar

• Natural burlap or linen cloth
• Woven cornucopia overflowing
• Real vegetables and fruits
• Dried corn and wheat
• Beeswax candles
• Natural wood and earth tones
• Handmade or found decorations
• Earthy, abundant feel

Elegant/Formal Autumn Altar

• Rich burgundy velvet cloth
• Polished brass or silver cornucopia
• Formal flower arrangements
• Fine china or crystal vessels
• Taper candles in elegant holders
• Polished crystals and stones
• Sophisticated autumn palette
• Refined, beautiful aesthetic

Colorful/Vibrant Harvest Altar

• Bright orange or multi-colored cloth
• Rainbow of autumn produce
• Colorful gourds and pumpkins
• Vibrant fall flowers
• Multiple colored candles
• Cheerful, celebratory energy
• Bold autumn colors
• Joyful abundance

Minimalist/Modern Autumn Altar

• Simple brown or cream cloth
• Few carefully chosen items
• Clean-lined vessels
• Single type of fruit or vegetable
• Minimal decorations
• Focus on intention over abundance
• Monochromatic or limited palette
• Zen-like simplicity

Dark/Crone-Focused Altar

• Black or deep purple cloth
• Emphasis on coming darkness
• Crone goddess statues
• Black candles alongside autumn colors
• Obsidian and dark crystals
• Pomegranates (underworld)
• Symbols of death and rebirth
• Shadow work focus

Mabon Altar Offerings

Food Offerings

Traditional Mabon Foods:

• Apples and apple dishes
• Wine (especially red)
• Bread (grain harvest)
• Honey and mead
• Nuts and seeds
• Root vegetables
• Grapes and grape juice
• Pomegranates
• Autumn squash
• Corn

Other Offerings

• Fresh flowers (marigolds, chrysanthemums, asters)
• Handmade crafts or art
• Poetry or songs of gratitude
• Acts of service (food bank donations, volunteering)
• Monetary donations to harvest-related causes
• Seeds saved for next year's planting

Incense and Scents for Mabon

Autumn Scents:

• Cinnamon: Warmth, prosperity, autumn spice
• Apple: Harvest, Avalon, autumn fruit
• Clove: Protection, prosperity, spice
• Nutmeg: Luck, prosperity, autumn baking
• Sage: Wisdom, cleansing, the Crone
• Cedar: Grounding, protection, endurance
• Patchouli: Earth, grounding, abundance

Mabon Incense Blend:

• 2 parts cinnamon
• 1 part clove
• 1 part nutmeg
• 1 part dried apple pieces
• 1/2 part sage
• Few drops apple or cinnamon essential oil

Working with Your Mabon Altar

Daily Practices

• Light candles: Each evening as darkness comes earlier
• Speak gratitude: List three blessings daily
• Refresh offerings: Replace food as needed
• Meditate: Sit before altar in quiet reflection
• Journal: Record harvest reflections and gratitude
• Balance work: Assess what needs balancing in your life

Equinox Rituals at Your Altar

• Balance meditation: Honor equal day and night
• Gratitude ceremony: Express thanks for harvest
• Letting go ritual: Release what no longer serves
• Apple divination: Cut apple to reveal pentacle, scry
• Wine blessing: Consecrate wine and share
• Harvest feast: Share abundance with loved ones

Maintaining the Altar

• Keep it clean and dust-free
• Replace wilting flowers or rotting produce
• Refresh food offerings
• Relight candles as needed
• Add new autumn finds (leaves, acorns)
• Adjust as season progresses toward Samhain

After Mabon: Transitioning Your Altar

How Long to Keep Your Mabon Altar

Options:

• Just through equinox (September 21-23)
• Through entire autumn (until Samhain, October 31)
• Year-round with seasonal updates
• Until produce naturally decays

Transitioning to Samhain

As autumn deepens toward Samhain:

• Add more dark colors (black, deep purple)
• Include ancestor photos and mementos
• Add skulls or death symbols
• Transition from harvest to honoring the dead
• Keep what still resonates, release what doesn't

Disposing of Offerings

• Return food to earth (compost or bury)
• Feed wildlife with appropriate items
• Never trash sacred offerings
• Dried items can be saved for next year
• Photograph altar for your Book of Shadows

Common Questions

What if I can't find fresh autumn produce?

Use what's available in your region, artificial decorations, or focus on other elements (leaves, candles, colors). Intention matters more than perfect items.

Can I use Halloween decorations on my Mabon altar?

Some overlap (pumpkins, autumn leaves), but Mabon focuses on harvest and balance while Halloween/Samhain focuses on death and ancestors. Choose items that feel appropriate for Mabon's energy.

Do I need a cornucopia?

No! While traditional, any vessel overflowing with abundance works. Use a basket, bowl, or simply arrange harvest items on your altar.

What if produce rots on my altar?

This is natural and can be part of the symbolism (decay, letting go). Replace when it becomes unpleasant, or use artificial items for longer-lasting displays.

Can I eat the food from my altar?

Yes, if it's been properly stored and is still fresh. Some traditions say to leave offerings untouched, others say to share the blessed food. Follow your intuition.

Conclusion: Your Sacred Harvest Space

Your Mabon altar is more than decoration—it's a sacred portal to autumn's magic, a focal point for gratitude and balance, and a beautiful expression of the harvest season. Whether elaborate or simple, traditional or modern, what matters most is that it resonates with your heart and serves your practice.

As you create your Mabon altar this autumn equinox, remember that you're participating in an ancient tradition—humans have been marking the harvest with altars of abundance for millennia. Your altar joins countless others around the world in celebrating the eternal truth: what we plant, we harvest; what we give thanks for, multiplies.

May your Mabon altar overflow with abundance, may it inspire deep gratitude, and may it serve as a beautiful reminder of balance, harvest, and the turning of the Wheel. Blessed Mabon!

Continue your Mabon celebration with our Lughnasadh Gratitude Rituals and explore more sabbat traditions in our Wheel of the Year series.