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September 4, 2025 • 15 mins

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Join Matt Holloway on The Old Gods and New Pagans Podcast as he explores how various cultures around the world celebrate the autumn equinox. From the Welsh mythology-inspired Mabon to the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and Japanese moon viewing tradition, discover the diverse ways humanity honors this moment of balance. Learn the history and significance of these celebrations and how to respectfully incorporate elements of them into your own seasonal practices. Whether you're drawn to Celtic traditions, curious about global customs, or eager to create a meaningful autumn celebration, this episode offers insights and inspiration.

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So what if I told you that right now, at this very
moment, cultures all around theworld are getting ready to
celebrate the exact same thing,but calling it something
different?
From Welsh myths to Japanesemoon viewing, today we're
exploring how humanity hashonored the autumn equinox.
Hello everyone, and welcomeback to the Old Gods and New

(00:20):
Pagans podcast.
I'm Matt Holloway and todaywe're diving into something
special.
September 22nd marks the autumnequinox, that magical moment
where day and night areperfectly balanced.
But here's what's fascinatingWhile some modern pagans call

(00:41):
this Mabon, cultures worldwidehave been celebrating this event
for thousands of years, eachwith their own beautiful
traditions.
We'll explore the Welshmythology behind Mabon, discover
how different cultures honorthis same time of balance, and
learn how you can create yourown meaningful autumn
celebration that respects thesediverse traditions.

(01:03):
Autumn celebration respectsthese diverse traditions.
Whether you're drawn to Celticpractices, curious about global
traditions or just love learninghow different cultures find
meaning in the same naturalphenomenon, this video will open
your eyes to the beautifuldiversity of human spiritual
expression.
Let's start with the sciencebecause, honestly, it's pretty

(01:24):
magical on its own.
The autumn equinox happens whenthe Earth's tilt lines up to
place the sun directly above theequator.
Day and night are perfectlybalanced, exactly 12 hours each
everywhere on Earth.
For our ancestors, this wasn'tjust an interesting astronomical
fact.
This was a crucial survivalmoment the official transition

(01:47):
from the growing season to thetime of preparation for winter.
What's beautiful is howcultures worldwide recognize the
same themes balance, gratitudefor the harvest, preparation for
darker times and honoring thecycles of life and death.
In modern Wiccan and otherneo-pagan traditions.

(02:07):
We call this celebration Mabon,named after a figure from Welsh
mythology, but here's somethingimportant to understand.
This name is actually prettyrecent, created in the 1970s by
Aidan Kelly, co-founder of thenew Reformed Orthodox Order of
the Golden Dawn.
Kelly was working tosystematically balance the
modern pagan wheel of the yearand he needed a name for the

(02:30):
autumn equinox celebration.
He chose Mabon.
Ap Maud from Welsh mythology,literally son, son of mother, a
divine youth whose story isabout liberation and triumph
over darkness.
Mabon's celebrations focus ongratitude, balance and preparing

(02:52):
for the introspective time ofwinter.
Think harvest seasonal foodslike apples and squash, creating
altars with autumn leaves, corn, practicing rituals to honor
the perfect balance of light anddark.
Now here's something crucialthat I do want to address.
While we're using the nameMabon today, we need to

(03:14):
acknowledge that this isn't anancient, unbroken tradition.
It's a modern creation inspiredby Welsh mythology, and that's
totally okay.
Spiritual practices evolve andadapt.
What matters is approachingthese celebrations with respect
for their origins, while beinghonest about how we're adapting
them.
The autumn equinox has beencelebrated worldwide for

(03:35):
millennia.
Let's honor that beautifuldiversity.
First, let's travel to China,where the mid-autumn festival,
also called the MooncakeFestival, is one of the most
important celebrations of theyear.
This isn't exactly on theequinox, but it's time to the
full moon.
Closest to it, families gatherto admire the full moon, share

(03:57):
moon cakes these beautifullittle pastries, often with a
lotus seed or egg yolk centersand tell stories about Chang Yi,
the moon goddess.
There's something so beautifulabout millions of people looking
up at the same moon, at thesame time feeling connected
across vast distances.
Like Mabon, it's about familygratitude and honoring the

(04:20):
celestial cycles.
The round moon and the roundmoon cakes symbolize
completeness and reunion andreunion.
In Japan, tsukimi literally moonviewing is this gorgeous
contemplative tradition.
People set up moon viewingplatforms decorated with pampas

(04:45):
grass and offer dango thesesweet little rice dumplings to
the moon.
There's something deeplymeditative about Tsukimi.
It's about appreciating beauty,impermanence and our connection
to natural cycles, verydifferent from the harvest focus
of Western traditions, butequally meaningful.
Across Britain, harvest homecelebrations have deep roots

(05:07):
going back centuries.
Communities would gather afterthe final harvest, create corn
dollies these intricate littlefigures made from the last eaves
of grain and hold massivefeasts.
These weren't just decorations.
They were believed to house thespirit of the grain through the
winter, ensuring fertility fornext year's crops.
It's this beautiful blend ofpractical celebration and

(05:29):
spiritual symbolism that's somagical.
In Germany and many otherGermanic countries, the Harvest
Thanks Festival combinesChristian and pre-Christian
traditions.
Churches are decorated withgrain, fruit and vegetables, and
communities hold processionsand feasts.
What I love about this is howyou can see ancient harvest

(05:50):
traditions continuing even asreligious contexts have changed
through the years.
The core human need to givethanks for abundance transcends
specific belief systems.
Indigenous peoples across NorthAmerica have celebrated autumn
harvest for thousands of yearsas well, though it's important

(06:11):
to note that these are livingtraditions, not historical
artifacts.
Many tribes honor the threesisters you know, the corn,
beans, squash and holdceremonies giving thanks for a
harvest.
Now I want to be clear.
I'm sharing this to show theuniversality of harvest
gratitude, not to appropriate oroversimplify incredible,
diverse sacred traditions.

(06:31):
Each people has its ownspecific practices that deserve
respect and understanding.
Continuing in ancient Greece,continuing in ancient Greece,
thesmophoria honored Demeter,goddess of the harvest, and her
daughter, persephone.

(06:51):
This wasn't exactlyequinox-timed, but it celebrated
the same themes of harvest,death, renewal that we see in
autumn celebrations worldwide.
The story of Persephone'sdescent into the underworld
perfectly captures that autumnfeeling, the beautiful, sad
acceptance that abundance mustgive way to the quiet,

(07:12):
introspective time of winter.
What's fascinating is howhumans everywhere developed
similar responses to thisastronomical moment.
Whether it's Mabon, Mid-AutumnFestival, harvest Home or any
other tradition, we see the samecore themes emerging.

(07:34):
The equinox represents perfectbalance light and dark, summer
and winter, abundance andscarcity.
Cultures worldwide use thistime for reflection and
assessment.
Almost every traditionemphasizes gratitude for the
harvest, for family, for makingit through another year, and

(07:58):
they're community-focused.
This isn't a time for asolitary celebration.
There's also this threat ofpreparation physically preparing
for winter, also spirituallypreparing for the introspective
time ahead.
Here's something beautiful andmaybe a little heavy.
Autumn celebrations worldwideacknowledge death as a part of

(08:20):
life, not in a morbid, scary way, but as part of a natural cycle
.
The grain dies to become bread,leaves fall from the tree to
nourish the soil and to feedmicroorganisms.
Animals are harvested tosustain communities through the
winter.
There's this deep acceptancethat sacrifice enables

(08:42):
continuity.
In our modern world we're oftendisconnected from these cycles,
but the autumn equinoxcelebrations remind us that
letting go, endings andtransitions are natural and
necessary.
So you may ask how do we honorthis beautiful diversity of

(09:03):
traditions while creating ourown meaningful celebrations?
First, education and respect.
If you're drawn to elementsfrom specific cultures, take
time to understand their contextand significance.
Do the research you need toappreciate and don't appropriate

(09:25):
.
Learn about those traditions,support the communities that
maintain them and alwaysacknowledge where practices
originate.
Our goal is connection andrespect, not costume party
spirituality.
Not like picking and choosingall these things just because
they're fun.
Like connect with it.
Respect those traditions,whether you follow a specific

(09:47):
pagan path, practice eclecticspirituality or just want
meaningful seasonal connection.
Here are some respectful waysto celebrate Create a
traditional Mabon altar withapples, grapes, autumn leaves
and symbols of balance.
Focus on gratitude rituals inpreparing for the darker half of
the year.
Have a harvest dinner withlocally sourced food.

(10:11):
Share gratitude, thanks andspend some time in nature.
No specific deities arerequired, just appreciation for
the natural cycles and community.
Combine some of these elementsif they resonate with you, from
different traditions, whileabsolutely maintaining respect
for their origins.

(10:31):
Maybe Chinese-inspired moonviewing with Celtic gratitude
practices might be the thing foryou.
Here are some hands-on ways tocelebrate that honor, using the
universal themes that I'vediscussed.
Cook with seasonal ingredients.
Think hearty squash soups,pumpkin pies, fresh baked bread,

(10:52):
apple pie.
Share meals with others.
Take time to acknowledgeeveryone who made that food
possible the farmers, theworkers, the earth itself.
Create a simple balance ritualLight, two candles representing
light and dark.
Write down what you're gratefulfor on one paper and what

(11:12):
you're ready to release onanother.
This captures that perfectequinox balance.
Spend time outdoors collectingfallen leaves, some acorns,
seasonal items for decoration.
There's something powerfulabout physically gathering the
symbols of autumn with your ownbare hands.
Many traditions emphasizesharing abundance.

(11:34):
Consider donating to food banks, hosting a harvest dinner where
everyone brings somethingthey're proud of, or preserving
foods to share throughout thewinter months.
Are you living in an apartmentin a city?
No access to traditionalharvesting activities?
No problem.
Farmer's market visits, rooftopor balcony celebrations, indoor

(11:58):
gratitude practices and even avirtual community gathering,
like what the Pagan Temple isdoing this year, all work
beautifully.
A simple windowsill altar withseasonal fruits, a gratitude
journal practice, or even justtaking time to appreciate the
changing light throughout yourown day.
What I hope you take away fromthis is the beautiful

(12:24):
universality of human spiritualexpression.
The autumn equinox has inspiredcelebrations worldwide because
it represents somethingfundamental about the human
experience.
We all experience the sameastronomical phenomena, the same
seasonal transitions, the sameneed for community and gratitude

(12:51):
.
How we express theseexperiences varies beautifully
across cultures, but the coreneeds remain constant.
Whether you celebrate Mabon, arecurious about other traditions
or create your own seasonalpractices, approach it all with
respect, gratitude and a genuinedesire to learn.
I'm curious how do youpersonally connect with the

(13:14):
autumn equinox energy?
Are you drawn to Celtictraditions?
Are you fascinated by othercultural practices?
Do you create your own seasonalcelebrations from scratch?
Here's a challenge Research oneautumn celebration from a
culture that you're not familiarwith.
Learn about its history, itssignificance and how it's

(13:34):
practiced today.
Choose one I've mentioned inthis video here.
Share what you've learned inthe comments, some little
tidbits or little bits ofinformation that you thought
were just really cool.
If you celebrate the equinox,share your traditions.
Tag hashtag the pagan temple orhashtag pagan education.
I'd love to see your posts, taghashtag thepagantemple or
hashtag paganteducation.
I'd love to see your posts.

(13:56):
I just love seeing how peoplecreate their own meaningful
seasonal connections whilehonoring that cultural diversity
.
If you want to dive deeper intothese traditions, check out
thepagantemplecom.
Join the community.
We've got some reallyinteresting conversations going

(14:17):
on there, some discussions aboutdifferent things.
Definitely join us for learningabout global spiritual
traditions.
Respectfully.
Again, join the community.
I especially recommendsupporting indigenous or
traditional communities whomaintain these practices.
Learn from authentic sources,not just modern interpretations,

(14:38):
because as we approach thisautumn equinox, I hope you find
your own meaningful way to honorthis time of balance and
transition, whether that'sthrough ancient traditions,
modern adaptations or quietpersonal reflection.
What matters is genuineconnection to the seasonal

(14:58):
cycles that connect us all.
Thanks for exploring thesetraditions with us at the Pagan
Temple, where education buildsunderstanding across all
cultures.
Until next time, may yourautumn be perfectly balanced.
May you be grateful and full ofcommunity.
If you're not doing anything onSunday, september 21st, make

(15:30):
sure you're part of the PaganTemple community and we're going
to do just a meet and greetvideo chat with the Began Temple
community.
Join us, bring a dish, talkabout it, tell us what connects
you to this autumn equinoxseason.
Thank you for joining us againand I hope to see you in the
next one.
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