Beautiful people, 21 March is the day we traditionally celebrate the High Holy Day of Mabon in the Southern Hemisphere! Brightest Blessings and welcome to Mabon season, the final Sabbat on the Great Wheel of the Year!!
Woohoo! 🤸♀️🤸♂️🤸♀️ We're officially in the home stretch!
Hang on a minute . . . Mabon??
"Don't we celebrate Mabon at the end of September? Isn't it Easter, now?" 🤔
Yeah . . . nah and nah.
I mean, yes, those living in the Northern Hemisphere celebrate Mabon at the end of September, because that's when they celebrate their Autumn Equinox. But for us, that's now. The Autumnal Equinox was about ten days ago, here in the Southern Hemisphere. The days and nights are again equal. But at this Equinox, we have just entered the dark half of the year. We are now heading towards the Winter Solstice. With each new day, the light will steadily give way to the mysteries of the darkness.
Mabon will stretch from 21 March to 5 May, this year. And then, Samhain, Witch's New Year, will be celebrated on 6 May, and the Great Wheel will re-commence its journey for yet another year. (Remember, rather than simply being a one-day celebration or festival, each Sabbat is an entire season that lasts for roughly 6 or 7 weeks.)
If you pause and think about the energy and psychospiritual focus of Mabon, can you see why it is aligned with the Autumnal Equinox? It celebrates the final harvest at the end of a long year of hard work. Mabon is steeped in imagery of falling leaves, pumpkins, and workers with scythes in the golden wheat fields, gathering in the harvest. It's aligned with the notion of offering our thanks and gratitude for all the year has brought us. It is absolutely NOT aligned with images of bunnies and eggs and new life springing forth. That's Ostara, Mabon's Sister Sabbat on the other side of the Great Wheel.
As we explored in my earlier article on Samhain, the eight Sabbats are not celebrated on specific dates on the calendar. They're not like a birthday that is recognised on the same day every year, no matter where you happen to be on the planet. Instead, they each celebrate one of the eight major astronomical or seasonal events that we experience each year: the March and September Equinoxes, the June and December Solstices, and the four cross-quarter days in between them.
The dates we celebrate the Sabbats will vary slightly each year (by up to three days, dependent on the dates of the astronomical events) . . . but, more significantly, they will change depending on the hemisphere we're living in. 'Cause, as we all know, when it's Autumn here in Australia, it's Spring in France, or Japan or Canada. Right??
Let's energetically align with the magic and energetic cycles of Life where we actually live, rather than unquestioningly adhering to a calendar that is created for the Northern Hemisphere.
Infographic: The Eightfold Cycles
I created the infographic, below, to show how the eight Sabbats, the eight lunar phases, and the eight seasonal events of the year align with the astrological wheel.
I hope it's helpful. Let me know if you have any questions or lightbulb moments. I'd appreciate your feedback on it! 🙏
The Deeper Meaning and Challenges of Mabon
How are you feeling? Excited and grateful for all you've accomplished this past year? Are you relishing the harvest you're gathering? Or are you feeling a bit overwhelmed with all that still needs to be done? Or defeated, even? Is it beginning to feel impossible?
Otherwise known as the second Harvest Festival for the year, Mabon marks that great push to complete your year's projects. There is a pressing need to bring your projects to a close, now; to bring in your harvest. And this can be really demanding work, right?? Picture the field workers working in the hot sun with their scythes, doing the hard yakka of harvesting the wheat.
You may feel like stopping . . . but don't. You're so close the finish line!
And you don't want to leave your harvest rotting in the field, so to speak.
So, head down, tail up, for a bit longer. Stay focused and committed to the projects that you've been pouring your heart, soul, and energy into over the past year. This is it!
And soon it'll be time to celebrate your wins! 🎉
All around me, I'm witnessing people putting the finishing touches on their projects; and others doing those critical final steps to get their project across the line. One of my soulpreneur clients, for example, has just announced the rebranding of her Subscription Box business. After spending the past year trying to find her footing with the look and feel of her business, she'll be excitedly revealing the new look on 14 April. Such a huge and thrilling moment for her!!
Another of my clients is in the final stages of her accreditation process in becoming a professional meditation teacher. She has just put out the call for volunteers to join her over five sessions that she'll record and then submit to her school, in order to finish the course.
All perfectly in alignment with the energy of the Great Wheel of the Year.
Further, one of my older clients has been steadily typing up her journals over the past few years (to give to her children after she dies). Her stated goal for this past year was to type up her journals from 1969-1971, the years of her European Travels.
And she's done it!
She finally finished typing them up just a couple of days ago. It's been such a mammoth task, especially considering that she journals every single day . . . so that was a lot of journals she had to type up for that three-year period! It's taken all of her focus, and has necessitated very strong boundaries to ensure her time wasn't usurped by others' demands.
She's beyond thrilled to be sending her work off to the printers to be published this week!
How wonderful to see people following through on their goals!
And such beautiful, meaningful harvests! 🌾
Having said that, it's quite common to feel weary or disheartened by this time of the cycle. And while some of us are out there kicking goals, some of us may be questioning whether or not all our hard work has been worth it? We could even be feeling totally defeated . . . resigned to the "fact" that it's just not going to work out for us. It may not feel like it's worth putting any more effort into our projects.
Please don't give up. Please don't put your tools down just yet. The game ain't over until the final whistle blows. And there's still time for a powerful comeback. 💪 So, bring it!! Finish strong! Maintain your dedication and perseverance for a little bit longer. And realise that you could be on the verge of a major breakthrough or victory.
As Steven Forrest has said of this phase, if we succumb to these feelings of defeat and resignation, we could "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory!"
Mabon's Crisis of Consciousness
Do you remember Ostara, the fourth Sabbat on the Great Wheel of the Year? In my earlier article, we explored how Ostara is the first Crisis Point on the Wheel. It's known as the Crisis of Action. Well, Mabon is Ostara's Sister Sabbat, falling on the opposite side of the Wheel. And Mabon is our other Crisis Point during the year - the Crisis of Consciousness.
This term was originally coined by astrologer Dane Rudhyar, and it refers to the challenges we're likely to face in the final quarter of any cycle. In fact, during this phase, intense crises may arise in order to liberate our hearts and minds from old beliefs and old patterns of behaviour . . . serving as a catalyst for our evolutionary journey. Embracing these challenges can lead to transformative growth, above and beyond achieving our goals.
There are a number of different possibilities for why we may experience this Crisis of Consciousness. Let's explore a couple of them, together.
1. Harvest Size: Acceptance and Growth
We may find ourselves feeling disheartened about the size of our "crop." Perhaps we didn't harvest as much as we had envisioned? Our harvest will often depend on the amount of love, care, and dedication we've poured into it our project through the year.
The resolute wisdom of Number 4 reminds us, "Don't be upset by the results you didn't get from the work you didn't do." Oof. (And it also reminds us to finish what we start. Again, the Wheel of the Year hasn't finished yet. Keep grinding, beautiful people!)
To be clear, though, any shortfall may not be due to laziness or procrastination. Instead, it could be because we didn't fully address the emotional challenges that emerged during Ostara (Mabon's Sister-Sabbat). Without allowing the necessary time and space for self-reflection and our deep inner work, we may have found ourselves hindered by subconscious beliefs, fears, and old patterns.
Experiencing a smaller harvest than expected could be a compassionate nudge from the universe to embark on a more meaningful inner journey.
2. Releasing Inner Obstacles
Mabon encourages us to bring things to a close.
Naturally, we might immediately assume this refers to finishing our projects. And while that's definitely true, Mabon is also encouraging us to address anything or anyone hindering our progress. In fact, this seeming "side work" could actually be the greater purpose of the goals that we've set for ourselves.
For as the old saying goes, "Whatever blocks your work, is your work."
Or as Marcus Aurelius (Stoic Philosopher and Roman Emperor) originally said, "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."
(And now I'm thinking of the Mandalorian . . . This is the Way. 😁 )
In other words, your project is not merely about the end goal, but about the personal growth and inner work necessary to achieve it, as well.
In order to reach any goal or dream, you must first become the person who is capable of doing so. Remember? All the way back at Yule, we explored Jim Rohn's quote, "Set a goal so big that in the process of achieving it, you become someone worth becoming."
Our goals challenge, inspire, and support our Soul Work.
Let's look at this through the lens of your numerology chart.
Let's imagine that the Number 2 is prominently placed in your numerology chart (e.g. in your Birth Path Number/Life Path Number; on your Planes of Expression; or as a Karmic Lesson).
As you may be aware, one aspect of the Number 2's evolutionary work involves learning:
to assert appropriate boundaries;
to not prioritise others' desires at the expense of your own needs;
to recognise when you're being taken advantage of; and
to realise when you're falling into the trap of people-pleasing.
If you find your personal projects flailing or stagnating, it may be helpful to ponder where you are allowing others too much leeway and influence? Or where you haven't set clear boundaries around others' involvement in your projects?
If you're working with 2 energy, it is highly likely that boundary issues are going to show up in nearly everything you do until you figure this out. And this includes how you work towards achieving your personal dreams and goals.
Remember, your projects (and, ultimately, your Great Work) are not just about reaching the end goal, but also about the personal growth and inner work necessary to achieve them.
I'm offering an example here of how the Number 2 could play out, but each archetype (aka: each Number) would have its own way of impacting your path, and encouraging you to step into your inner work. The more familiar you are with your numerology chart, and the significations and meanings of the different archetypes, the more numerology can serve you by making your evolutionary work crystal clear.
Let's consider a real life example of someone with the Number 2 on the Physical Plane of Expression in their numerology chart.
One of my clients is a project manager with a huge firm in Sydney. They've been working on an enormous project all year long. Unfortunately, the primary engineer that had been contracted to the project by the CEO (i.e. not by my client) had been repeatedly ignoring and disrespecting most of the agreements, boundaries, and project timelines regarding product delivery.
As you can imagine, my client has been feeling intensely frustrated and stressed by the whole ordeal, especially as they've been feeling powerless to directly address the situation in the face of pressure by the CEO to "stay the course" with this particular engineer.
They've been feeling utterly defeated and like simply giving up . . . like so many of us can feel by the time we reach Mabon.
But . . .
Blessed Mabon has energetically brought this whole matter to a head.
Over this past week, the final testing process (that was meant to be organised months ago) slipped onto the critical path. And at this crucial juncture in the project timeline, the engineer-in-question incredulously announced that he was taking his annual leave. Without any notice at all. And without making any arrangements for the critical testing to be undertaken by someone else . . .
He simply didn't care about the project or the team, nor the implications of his sudden decision to go on holiday.
This was the absolute final straw for my client.
They felt so exasperated by the whole situation, and their Number 2 erupted!
(It's kinda like that line from the 1976 movie Network, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this any more!!!" Can you feel it??? Have you been there, too??)
Importantly, remember, this has all happened within this first week of Mabon!
My client was finally compelled to face their inner challenges about setting boundaries (2), head on. And in that moment, they reclaimed their sense of agency. My client severed ties with the problematic engineer, and then brought a recently-identified alternate engineer onto the project. Hallelujah!!
The new engineer is already proving to be a tremendous asset to the team, and is bringing a far greater level of respect and professionalism to the project. So much so, the project is steaming ahead, and the whole project team has a renewed momentum and enthusiasm to keep pushing through! 👏
Again - all within the first week of Mabon.
My client has shared with me how tremendously grateful they are for this newfound understanding of Mabon . . . and they're grateful to Mabon, itself, for energetically bringing this situation to a breaking point; whilst simultaneously presenting the new engineer, thus providing the essential pathway forward.
In my client's own words, this whole experience has brought to light their reflexive tendency to simply keep the peace; and to cater to other people's preferences. The very thought of landing in this kind of situation, ever again, is deeply distressing to my client. And as a result, they are committed to addressing and amending their relationship with the Number 2 archetype and its signification of boundaries . . . which, in turn, impacts their approach to leadership, project management, and to Life, in general.
Certainly, they'll now be far more assertive from the outset of any project or collaboration they head up—particularly around team composition, let alone all other project management matters.
Such a beautiful example of how working in alignment with the wisdom of the Sabbats supports both our Soul Work, and our Great Work.
In Summary
Thank you for taking the time to find out more about Mabon and the Great Wheel of the Year. I hope you've enjoyed this deeper level of insight of what Life is currently asking of you.
If you have any questions or stories you'd love to share, I'd love to hear from you! And if this has been helpful, please feel free to share it with your circle. Engagement supports my li'l business to grow, and it helps to increase the general archetypal literacy in our shared community.
As always, thank you so much for journeying with me on this Path.
May your harvest be abundant, this Mabon.
May your hearth be warm, and filled with with love and gratitude.
Thank you all for contributing to my own personal Harvest this year. I have had some amazing growth as a person, as a teacher, and as a soulpreneur. Not one Like, Comment, or Follow goes unnoticed. Every laugh, conversation, and beautiful interaction has been cherished.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. 🙏
I feel so grateful for you!
Deepest blessings for this Mabon season. 🍂🍁🍂
And remember . . . You've got this!
Peace Juliette xo
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