September brings with it a much clearer indication of imminent change – whether it is the light softening at both ends of the day, mornings arriving a little mistier, a bit cooler underfoot, condensation on the windows, and a “nip” in the air. We are struck by a sudden impression that something in the air has changed and we know we need to prepare for colder months ahead. As we say in Scotland, the nights start “drawing in”. We may still see the odd bramble if the birds haven’t got there first, and the hedgerows are still humming, but something has tipped. If we are lucky, and we hit the right light on an early morning walk, we could be treated to beautiful displays of silken spider webs adorning the heather on our ancient moorlands and heaths.
Like many people, autumn and everything it brings is so rewarding for me, but as someone who is deeply invested in nature, I can see something beautiful at the start of every month. That’s partly the reason that I started this monthly almanac as part of Bracken and Blossom, so that I could share the wealth of the month to month, ever changing wheel of the year. This is the month the wheel properly turns: summer’s last warmth giving way, gently and then not so gently, to autumn proper. Let’s explore what September holds for us.
September: What’s in the name?
September was named by the Romans, meaning “seventh month“, relating to a time when the year started in March. The celtic languages tend to name more in relation to the agricultural year, with the Scots Gaelic Sultain meaning “pleasant, pleasing or fat” indicating the good fortunes of a successful harvest. Meán Fómhair in Irish Gaelic translates as “mid harvest“, this is similar to Mean-Fouyir in Manx.
Mabon: The Autumn Equinox
The month’s centrepiece arrives on 23 September, at 00:06 GMT — the Autumn Equinox, known to many modern pagans and witches as Mabon. Prior to its naming by the Wiccan Aidan Kelly, it was simply known as the Autumnal equinox. Kelly was inspired by a Celtic tale of an infant child (Mabon, the Welsh god of light) being stolen away from his mother (Modron), culminating in a dying of the land.
This is the second harvest, the point of perfect balance where day and night stand equal before the dark begins to draw ahead. Harvest, Harvest home, or In-gathering traditionally took place on the Sunday closest to the Full Harvest Moon. Where Lammas was about the first gathering, Mabon is about the fuller reckoning: you could ask yourself – what have you grown this year?, and what are you ready to store away for the months of rest ahead?
It’s traditionally a festival of gratitude and equilibrium, when day and night are roughly even, a moment to acknowledge both the light you’ve lived in and the dark that’s coming, without rushing to favour one over the other.
Here is a simple ritual for the equinox: gather something from each — a token of the summer just gone (a pressed flower, a photo, a shell from a warm-weather walk) and something that speaks of the season ahead (a conker, a fallen leaf, an orange candle for the darker evenings). Set them side by side and simply sit with both for a while. You could even make an autumn altar to return to for moments of peace or meditation throughout the season, include the conker, leaf and candle, and add a few rosehips, an apple to represent the orchards harvest, and some wheatsheafs plaited together loosely. The sheaf, or sometimes corn, as in “corn dollies” has a symbolism seen through many harvest festivals, representing the spirit of the harvest.
Another way to celebrate could be to gather family members and/or loved ones together for a harvest meal, choosing vegetables and fruits associated with this time of year to include. I know myself and my family can often start to feel ready for slow cooked comfort foods after the salads of Summer. Squash, apples, berries, pomegranates, root vegetables and herbs and spices such as sage and cinnamon can be beautifully and mindfully incorporated into symbolic recipes to make and enjoy. Serve some spiced apple cider drinks that can have alcohol added, or not.
Mabon doesn’t ask you to choose between light and dark — only to hold them in balance.
29 September: Michaelmas
Michaelmas (the Feast of St Michael and All Angels) falls on the 29th, marking one of the four old English quarter days — alongside Lady Day, Midsummer, and Christmas — when rents fell due, farm labourers were hired for the year ahead, and local officials such as mayors were elected. It’s a day of settling up and starting afresh, timed to the point in the calendar when the nights are visibly darkening and the harvest is all but gathered.
The feast honours the Archangel Michael, long regarded as a protector against darkness, which suits the season well. Tradition calls for a roast goose on the table — a fattened bird was once the customary way to pay a landlord around this date, and eating one was thought to bring good luck for the year to come. Blackberries, meanwhile, are best left alone after Michaelmas: folklore has it that the Devil, cast out of heaven, landed in a bramble bush and cursed the fruit on his way down. They are not wasted though, and provide a bounty for birds and mammals alike.
Look out too for the Michaelmas daisy, the aster that takes its common name from flowering right around this time — a fitting late splash of colour before Autumn properly sets in. This flower has consistently been tied to the harvest and fittingly symbolises a departure or a goodbye.
And if the word rings a bell from elsewhere, it’s because several UK universities (Oxford and Cambridge among them) still call their autumn term “Michaelmas term.”
Moon Cycles This Month
- 4 September — Last Quarter Moon in Gemini. A restless, mentally busy energy — useful for tidying up loose ends in your thinking, finishing conversations, clearing mental clutter before the equinox arrives.
- 11 September — New Moon in Virgo. Grounded and precise, this is a lovely new moon for setting practical intentions — around routines, health, or the small daily systems that quietly hold a life together.
- 18 September — First Quarter Moon in Sagittarius. A pull between structure and freedom — you may feel the tug to wander just as life asks you to commit. Notice where that tension shows up.
- 26 September — Full Harvest Moon in Pisces. The Harvest Moon isn’t tied to a fixed date — it’s simply the full moon that falls closest to the equinox, so this year it arrives just days after. Dreamy, intuitive Pisces makes this a soft, emotional close to the month: a good night for reflection rather than resolution. Other names for this moon include the Wine moon or Song Moon.
September’s Star Signs
The first three weeks still belong to Virgo (23 August – 22 September) — meticulous, grounded, quietly getting the harvest in. Then, right on the equinox itself, we cross into Libra (23 September onward): a lovely bit of cosmic timing, since Libra’s whole nature is balance and judgement — the same balance the equinox marks in the sky. As Virgo’s precision gives way to Libra’s search for harmony, it’s a chance to notice where your own life is asking for that same temperate approach.
What to Look Out for in Nature
Here in Scotland, September tips the landscape properly toward autumn. One of my favourite things about living here is the clear demarcation of seasons. Keep an eye out for:
- Rowan berries at their deepest red, stripped steadily by hungry blackbirds and thrushes
- Brambles still ripe for foraging, alongside hazelnuts now ready in the hedgerows
- Bracken on the hillsides turning from green to rust and gold
- The first mornings of proper mist and heavier dew underfoot
- Swallows and house martins gathering on wires and rooftops before their long journey south
- The early stirrings of the red deer rut — stags beginning to roar on the hillsides as the season turns
- Fungi pushing up through damp leaf litter, the first real sign of mushroom season
- Ivy coming into flower — an easy-to-miss but vital late feast for bees and pollinators
A Few Journal Prompts for the Month
- What have I harvested this year — not just literally, but in terms of effort, growth, or relationships — and what am I ready to store away for winter?
- Where in my life is asking for more balance between light and dark, doing and resting, Virgo’s precision and Libra’s harmony?
- As the days and nights reach equal measure, what part of myself have I been neglecting that deserves equal weight?
However you choose to mark it — a candle, a walk, a page in your journal — I hope September brings you a gentle turning, and a little quiet magic as the balance tips toward autumn.
If you don’t already have a journal that you have been keeping through the year this is a really good time to start. This doesn’t have to be a January activity. If you are anything like me, and like to see the turning towards autumn as a new start too, you could purchase a new journal to stay mindful of your journey through the darker months. I’ve included some books that I have read and enjoyed too that have really helped me make the most of this Sabbat and time of year.
The artwork and design of this one is simply beautiful:
Autumn Moon Journal (Diary, Notebook): https://amzn.to/4ifWmko
Really beautiful autumnal design for this diary:
Planner 2026-2027, Jul 2026-Jun 2027 Academic Monthly & Weekly Planner: https://amzn.to/3UMMUv6
This is a lovely recipe book with a host of inspiration for comforting meals ideal for a harvest celebration:
Comfort in One: Simple, joyful one pot meals – The Sunday Times Bestseller by Hari Beavis: https://amzn.to/4xfqSPc
The quintessential guide to Mabon from Llewellyn, one of my most trusted sources for learning and inspiration about Witchcraft and the Sabbats:
Mabon: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for the Autumn Equinox (Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials, 5): https://amzn.to/4h8aoT4
Another excellent guide to Mabon, packed with information and some beautiful illustrations:
Mabon: The Autumn Equinox (Witch’s Sabbats) by Amy Cesari: https://amzn.to/4iPPNWb
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. It genuinely helps keep this blog going, so thank you if you do choose to use them. That said, please do also consider supporting small, independent businesses and your local bookshop where you can — it makes a real difference to them, and often you’ll find something lovely you wouldn’t have otherwise.
Here is a link to my Benable page: https://benable.com/brackenandblossom
If you are not familiar with Benable, it’s where I create and share curated shopping lists — a bit like a digital wishlist you can browse, save, and shop from directly. It’s where all my witchy glamour, beauty, and home recommendations live in one place, so you can always find my full, up-to-date picks there rather than just what’s in a single blog post. Again, this includes some affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you shop through them, at no extra cost to you. I only ever recommend things I genuinely use and love, so you can trust these picks are the real deal, not just filler.
Slow down and stay captivated,
Rowan 🍂
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