“Mabon’s second harvest is where gratitude stops being a feeling and starts being a practice.”
Mabon arrives with the autumn equinox on September 22, 2026, at 8:05 PM Eastern — the exact moment light and dark stand in balance before the Harvest Moon rises full on September 26. This week’s episode is a Mabon meditation on the second harvest, the threshold between light and dark, and hawthorn — the old hedgerow guardian of doorways — plus a folk-method walkthrough for a simple hawthorn haw cordial to carry you into the dark half of the year.
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In This Mabon Episode
— The exact astronomy of the 2026 autumn equinox and why “equal night” isn’t quite exact
— Mabon’s roots in Welsh myth, the English harvest home, and the wider world’s autumn thanksgivings
— Why the second harvest asks something different of us than the first
— Hawthorn: the folklore of a threshold tree, and its old reputation as a heart plant
— A folk-method hawthorn haw cordial, start to finish
— A simple Mabon ritual for the equinox evening and the rising Harvest Moon
🍂 Carry Mabon Forward
Find this week’s companion reflection in the newsletter and the full seasonal walk on YouTube — both linked below. And if this episode gave you something worth keeping, pass it along to a fellow gardener who might need this week’s pause too.
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If you’d like to know me a little more personally, a letter arrives from the garden each Friday — seasonal stories, herbal wisdom, the quiet rhythms of the Celtic year, and personal videos from the Herbary I’m building by hand.
You’ll be the first to hear about new offerings, upcoming classes, and hands-on workshops. And each month, subscribers receive the topic and the link for our free Zoom circle, where we gather to learn and linger together.
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🌿 Mabon Herbs & Favorite Tools
(affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work)
Herbs featured in this Show:
1. Dried Organic Hawthorn Berries
2. Hawthorn Berry Tincture
3. Organic Hawthorn Berry Powder
My favorite tea-making tools:
BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker,
Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar,
Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars
📚Bookstore – Brenda J. Sullivan Books
https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com
🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids
Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity.
My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey.
Inside you’ll find:
- Simple planting guidance
- Space for drawings, photos, and notes
- Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden)
Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants.
✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey.
🌿 Work With Me
🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open)
Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars.
My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening.
👉 Learn more here:
https://mailchi.mp/351efb18cd6b/one-on-one-consultations-landing-page
☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea
If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here:
https://buymeacoffee.com/thompsonstg
🎶 Music Credits
A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story.
I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work.
🎼 Song: Planning – 320bit – September 5, 2021
🔗 https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/
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The New England Herbary is a project of Thompson Street Farm LLC.
https://thompsonstreetfarm.com/