Welcome to the (late) August issue of the Bone Garden monthly newsletter, gearing up for the upcoming autumnal equinox! As always, you can scroll straight to the end for shop updates and upcoming events, or read on for the true history of Mabon, a spell to restore balance, some more herby thoughts, and a Spotify playlist as crisp as the almost-autumn air!

Mabon & The Autumnal Equinox | September 22, 2025

WTF is Mabon?

If you've ever stopped by our tent, you've probably heard us talk about our sweet tabby-calico-tortie cat, Mabon. She's the star of our logo, one of our top roll-on scents, and the namesake for the shop itself (one of her nicknames is "The Bone")! When she first wandered into Erika's lap off the mean streets of Philly at the height of autumn with her brown and orange coloring, Erika named her Mabon after the pagan holiday that coincides with the autumnal equinox. But what actually is Mabon? And what, if anything, does it have to do with autumn?

Our answer begins with a brief history of Wicca, a modern pagan religion created by Gerald Gardner in the mid-twentieth century. Gardner's Wicca is based largely on the work of anthropologist and folklorist, Margaret Murray, who proposed that there had been pagan, nature-based, pre-Christian "witch cults" in Western Europe. This premise has since been discredited, but Gardner took the idea and ran, creating a new religion based on the "witch cult" theory and drawing from a variety of Celtic, Germanic, and Norse traditions.

It's important to note that though most Wiccans identify as witches and practice witchcraft, the two are not synonymous; witchcraft refers to a broader scope of magickal practice. Not all witches are Wiccan (we aren't) or even pagan, for that matter (Erika is pagan-curious, I'm... agnostic? idk we both just really like nature). That said, many beliefs and practices from Wicca have been adopted by the wider witch community over the years, including the Wheel of the Year. The Wheel is a cycle of eight holidays (or sabbats) that occur throughout the year, coinciding with the equinoxes, solstices, and cross-quarter days between each. Some of these holidays can be traced directly to ancient traditions in Western Europe to varying degrees (the Celts did celebrate fire festivals on each of the cross-quarter days, like Lughnasadh/Lammas, which Erika talked about last month, as well as Imbolc, Beltane, and Samhain); others, not so much.

The sabbat of Mabon is the invention of Aidan Kelly, a prominent Wiccan jointly responsible for creating the Wheel of the Year in the early 70s. The name is derived from the Welsh god Mabon or Mabon ap Modron, who appears only in a story written some time between the 11th and 14th centuries known as the tale of Culhwch and Olwen. This story has... absolutely nothing to do with autumn. Kelly's inspiration actually came from the Greek myth of Persephone (not familiar? scroll down!), but he wanted the names of the solstices and equinoxes to match the Gaelic-derived names of the other sabbats. Part of Mabon ap Modron's lore is that he was stolen from his mother as a baby and hidden away underwater; Kelly determined that this resembled parts of Persephone's mythology enough to fit the bill, and thus, the autumnal equinox was reborn as Mabon.

So, what does this mean? Should we not celebrate Mabon? Eh, not necessarily. Just because something isn't ancient doesn't mean it doesn't have spiritual value, and if the Wheel of the Year feels meaningful to you, then rock on. But many mistakenly believe that the Wheel of the Year is based on a "truer" pre-Christian religion, and that simply isn't the case. In truth, the sabbats are an amalgamation of traditions and myths stolen from existing, individual cultures in Western Europe and frankensteined into a single calendar to honor the changing seasons. And whether you call it Mabon or simply the autumnal equinox, September 22nd is a spiritually significant day worth celebrating!

Um, also, a quick note on pronunciation. Aidan Kelly called the holiday "MAYb'n". The actual Welsh god is pronounced "MAH-bon". Our cat (and the roll-on we named after her) is called "MAY-bon"... oops. We know better now but Erika named her, like, eight years ago and we're not going to start pronouncing her name differently just because the early Wiccans didn't know Welsh. :)

xo, Hannah

Autumnal Equinox

Due to the Gregorian calendar and the time it takes for the Earth to revolve around the Sun, the Autumnal Equinox can occur anywhere between September 21-24. This year it falls on September 22nd in the Northern Hemisphere. Just like the Spring Equinox, this is a time of equal night and day, so we honor the inner and outer balance of life. We continue to welcome in the waning time of year and the descent into darkness as the Winter Solstice grows closer each day. It also ushers in the start of Virgo Season!

Greek Mythology

Persephone, Goddess of Spring, Queen of the Underworld

The daughter of Demeter and Zeus, Persephone is stolen away to the Underworld by her uncle, Hades. The two are eventually wed, naming Persephone Queen of the Underworld.

Demeter searched high and low for her missing daughter with the help of Hekate's torches. During this time, due to the weight of her sorrow, Demeter forbade the Earth to grow (or she neglects it, depending on the tale), ushering in the autumn months. After hearing news from Helios, the Sun, as to where Persephone resided, Zeus demanded Hades return Persephone. Hades agreed, but first tricked Persephone into eating pomegranate seeds, the fruit of the Underworld, forcing her to stay a third of the year below with Hades, thus causing the distress of her mother and the dying of the Earth, until her return to the land of the gods at the Spring Equinox.

Tarot Magick

Altar Magick

Things to add to your altar:

apples
pumpkins/gourds
sunflowers
corn/harvest grains
candle colors: yellow, orange, red, brown
offerings to Persephone: pomegranates, honey, wine, bread, objects that represent both her dark and light aspects

“No tree can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell.”

-Carl Jung

Earth and Air, Water and Fire
Grant to me my heart’s desire.
Balance now my troubled life
Wash away confusions strife.
Even out the high and low
Gently soothe the ebb and flow.
Dark and light in balance be
From extremes please set me free.
Calm, serene and peaceful I
With ease and grace my days will fly.
As above and so below
Balance to my life bestow.

xo, Erika

August Spotify Playlist

The first half of this playlist is meditative music that you can use during the ritual above.

The second half is early-fall vibes to get us in the mood for spooky season!

𝔄𝔲𝔱𝔲𝔪𝔫𝔞𝔩 𝔈𝔮𝔲𝔦𝔫?..

A Calling Home • Ann McDonal...

PREVIEW

Herbal Journal

Disclaimer: I only started studying and working with herbs in earnest last year. My goal for this section of the newsletter is not to teach you herbalism but to share what I'm discovering along the way so we can explore plant medicine together! If you're looking for stronger resources to enhance your herbal knowledge, I recommend doing your own research to find a teacher or herb school that speaks to you -- the teachers I've been learning from lately are Katja and Ryn with Commonwealth Holistic Herbalism; Ayelet Hashachar with Doll Herbalism; Brunem Warshaw with Well Deep Remedies; and Khadija Khansia with Ayni Herb Farm

I got a little carried away writing about Mabon so I'll keep it short and sweet! Here are my biggest takeaways this month:

Lemonbalm elixir is delicious and I really feel the elevating effects almost instantly! As a hotheaded Aries I am very grateful for its cooling and mood-boosting qualities.
Motherwort is truly lion-hearted -- I gifted some to friends who I thought could use a little extra help in the anxiety-diffusing and boundary-setting department and asked them to let me know how it felt.
Linden is and will always be my girl for a gentle, hydrating focus boost to get through the day.
Fresh ginger is stronger than you think

More next month! xo, Hannah

Upcoming Events

Lunar Faire 9/7

MYTHICAL CREATURES

We're back, Vasa Park!!! Gather ye cryptids, fae, monsters, and deities, cus the theme is MYTHICAL CREATURES and we are so amped. We'll probably have some cool themed pocket altars, too!

Get your tickets here!

Lunar Faire 9/21

FAIRY/TALES

That's right, we are happily hauling ass to Exit 0 all the way from Manhattan to see y'all down in Cape May at the Historical Cold Spring Village. This is one of our favorite venues -- can't wait to see ya there!

Get your tickets here!

And as always...

You can find all of our regular products and order custom spell kits and pocket altars at our Etsy shop!

Or want to book a virtual tarot reading without those pesky Etsy fees?

Just DM us on Instagram at @bonegardenapothecary!

Bone Garden Tarot & Apothecary

✨Bone Garden Monthly Newsletter - August 2025✨