Virgo Season and Fall Equinox. Altar Ideas

    Fall Equinox is a magical day of thanksgiving for everything material and immaterial that has been bestowed upon us this year.

    Gods of Mabon

    Spirits of Fall

    Bless this harvest and this home

    Let this harvest and this home

    find good fortune and never mourn.

    May we find balance in our lives

    as we find it in our hearts.

    Virgo season begins in late August, beginning the transition from summer to autumn and leading right up to the autumn equinox, Mabon. In the days and weeks before the autumn equinox, we feel a winding down, a sense of returning to normal. Virgo asks us to find clarity, to create routines that facilitate deeper change.

    Mabon is celebrated between September 21 and 24, and represents a descent into darkness, but not in a bad way. The wheel of the year keeps turning, the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer, and Mrs. Winter is already knocking on the window. The orchards are full of apples, the vineyard is full of grapes, and we are celebrating our arrival in Provence at this time (in 2025 it is already the 19 year anniversary). Hunting season starts and pantries are filled to the brim. Fall Equinox is a magical day of thanksgiving for everything material and immaterial that has been bestowed upon us this year.

    In Greek mythology, Mabon corresponds with the story of Persephone descending to the king of the underworld, Hades. Persephone, who was gathering flowers in a meadow, was abducted by Hades as he was enchanted by her beauty. For six long months, all life on earth was extinguished while Demeter mourned her daughter. The Eleusinian Mysteries celebrated this very personification of death and rebirth. At this time, the god Dionysus, the god of wine and pleasure, is also celebrated. However, you don't have to offer him animal sacrifices like in the past, just drink a glass of good wine or grape juice in his honor. Festive drinks were once drunk from a cornucopia, and were also filled with fruits, vegetables and grains.

    On Mabon, we pass from the element of fire to the element of water. The altars are decorated with the gifts of nature, among the most popular decorations are apples, acorns, corn, grapes, pumpkins, sunflowers and wine. Typical colors are burgundy red, orange, dark green, purple, brown and gold. Goddesses and gods celebrated these days are Aphrodite, Dionysus, Persephone, Demeter, and Hekate. Bread should not be missing from the table as well as corn, red meat, dishes from pumpkin, apples and root vegetables.

    Fall Equinox teaches us that without darkness there is no light and without death there is no life. It's time to reflect on what the year has brought us and to delve into ourselves. The family hearth (figuratively and literally) becomes the center of events until the winter solstice, when light and new life come again.

    This simple ritual includes seasonal herbs growing around this time on our medicinal herb farm.

    Fall Equinox Ritual: Balance, Release & Renewal

    What you’ll need:

    • Herbs: sage (cleansing), rosemary (clarity), cinnamon (warmth, abundance), and marigold petals (sun energy).

    • Crystals:

      • Citrine (abundance, joy)

      • Amethyst (intuition, balance)

      • Smoky Quartz (grounding, release)

    • A candle (gold, orange, or deep red — symbolizing harvest fire)

    • A small bowl of water + a small bowl of soil (to honor balance of elements)

    • Paper and pen

      Steps:

      1. Create Your Sacred Space

        • Lay your crystals in a circle around your candle.

        • Sprinkle herbs (or place them in small bundles) around the circle.

        • Place the bowl of water on one side, the soil on the other, to represent balance.

      2. Light the Candle

        • As the flame rises, say aloud:
          “On this day of balance, I honor both light and shadow within and around me.”

      3. Ground & Center

        • Hold Smoky Quartz in your hand.

        • Take three deep breaths, imagining roots reaching into the earth.

      4. Release

        • Write down habits, thoughts, or energies you wish to let go of.

        • Burn the paper safely in the candle flame (or tear it and bury it in the soil if fire isn’t possible).

      5. Invite Balance & Abundance

        • Hold Citrine to your solar plexus and Amethyst to your third eye.

        • Whisper: “I welcome clarity, abundance, and balance into my path.”

        • Sprinkle cinnamon or marigold petals into the flame (or around the candle) as an offering.

      6. Close the Ritual

        Dip your fingers in the bowl of water, touching your forehead and heart, sealing the balance of body and spirit.

      7. Extinguish the candle with gratitude.