Reimagining Mabon: Alternative Intentions to set this fall
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been setting the same Mabon or Autumn intentions for years. You’ve most likely heard how this is a time for balance, shadow work and grounding but after much of the same for years on in, you may also be feeling uninspired and in search of a richer, more in depth experience. I know I’ve been looking for new ways to take advantage of Mabon’s energy while still keeping its essence intact. In this blog post, I’m going over alternatives to common Mabon intentions to infuse some new life into your seasonal based spiritual practice. If you’re new to Mabon, this is an opportunity to see how you can adapt more of the older ways for a modern lifestyle.
Instead of setting an intention for healing, try this instead…
Set an intention to thrive. Healing suggests something is wrong with you and that’s not always the case. I do think it's irresponsible to say there’s nothing wrong if you’re experiencing things that negatively affect your well-being and goals such as anxiety, lack of motivation, not having enough energy and focus. You probably should address things like that but you don’t have to be on a healing journey 100% of the time. Nor do you need to look for something to heal just because it's fall. If you’re experiencing problems such as anxiety but it's manageable or isn’t impacting you negatively, then consider turning your attention to flourishing rather than healing.
Instead of focusing on intentions like cleansing, banishing, releasing and protection, try setting goals for renewal, uplifting your spirit, energy flow, radiance and light, or nurturing. It has a similar feeling to a healing journey but is much lighter and more encouraging.
Instead of setting an intention for balance, try this instead…
Set your focus on releasing perfectionism. I think balance, especially as it relates to Mabon, tends to conjure up the wrong image. Balance doesn’t always and perhaps rarely means equal. Today, living a balanced life could mean sleeping in until noon, tomorrow it could mean working late until midnight and the next day it could mean leaving work exactly on time. Balance isn’t so much about making sure the parts are equally distributed but adjusting as needed to adapt to today’s needs.
It's a learning process of paying attention and adjusting accordingly and you’re not always going to get it right. You may have to try a few different strategies that will no doubt change over time. So rather than focusing on balance, give yourself permission to be “good enough,” especially when it comes to things you don’t really care about. It's great to strive for excellence but if all you can accomplish today is good enough, then let that be enough. Which is its own form of balance. Sometimes you need to do the bare minimum in one area of your life so that you have more time, space and energy to give it your all in another, more important area. Everything doesn’t need to be perfect to be valuable.
Instead of setting an intention for grounding, try this instead…
Grounding means a lot of things but ultimately, it means being present in the physical world whether that’s being present in your body, present in your tasks or just having your feet on the ground. But doing abstract grounding exercises like imagining roots coming out of your feet aren’t the only way to experience more stability in your life. Training yourself to be observant is a really great way to be more mindful and present in the everyday. Whether you’re noticing how the sunset changes color as it gets closer to fall, how funny your co-worker is or how you feel really good when you drink enough water.
Observing others can lead to more rewarding experiences and deeper connections. People feel seen when you notice things about them like when they’ve changed their hair or seem happier. It goes a long way in fostering meaningful and nurturing relationships. Being observant of yourself is an excellent way to stimulate self-love and self-respect. Noticing things like when you’re tired because you didn’t sleep well last night or certain foods makes your stomach hurt, gives you awareness that allows you to make informative choices; the ultimate form of taking care of yourself.
Ultimately, by being more observant, you are immediately dropping back down to earth which is grounding in practice, every day. No imaginary roots required.
Instead of setting an intention for Shadow work, try this instead…
Somatic release exercises are a wonderful way to release tension, trauma and other forms of stuck energy. Shadow work is amazing and it should be in your practice in one way or another but it can also be really challenging and scary. And while fall is a natural time for shadow work, I find it rarely fits neatly in the space between September and December. Shadow work can last for months or even years. It takes a lot to go to the darkest parts of your soul and I think it tends to be romanticized in today’s world. Fortunately, you don’t always have to confront your shadows head on. Oftentimes a simple but consistent somatic release is enough to heal old wounds and trauma you’re carrying.
Not to mention, sometimes you don’t know what needs to be done, you just know you need to let some things go. Somatic exercises are perfect in this case because it moves energy out of your body, rather or not you know why it's there in the first place. There are many, many people online offering somatic exercises to start your journey.
Instead of setting an intention for intuition, try this instead…
Focus on feeling through your heartspace. Intuition and the heart are connected but not really the same. Intuition is more about learning to “see” with more than just your eyes. Working with the heart is about learning how to feel rather than think. You don’t always need to have a word to describe an emotion to understand it. By focusing on your heartspace, you’re training yourself to understand feelings without needing to apply logic.
To do this, imagine your heart pouring out pink or green light to those around you. Imagine your heart receiving pink or green light from the world around you. Visualize the light surrounding you and fill you with universal love. And when you’re in contact with someone, reach out to them through your heartspace. Energetically send them that ray of love. Others will pick up on that and begin to sense you are a sacred space that has pure and loving intentions. Don’t be surprised if you become more radiant and attractive just by taking a few minutes a day to feel into your heart space. People can sense that openness even if they don’t know what it is.
There you have it; five alternative intentions to set for Mabon and by extension autumn. At the end of the day, this is your practice and you should follow whatever works for you. Don’t feel like you have to take anyone’s recommendations if that doesn’t align with who you are or who you wish to become. The idea of magic and what a witch is is evolving as it should. It's wonderful to keep the old traditions alive but it's also beautiful to use the old ways to spark and inspire new ideas.
