Mabon - balance, gratitude, and the quiet teachings of Amanita muscaria

Mabon, the autumn equinox, is the second harvest festival. A moment of balance - day and night in equal measure - before we tip fully into the darker half of the year.

It’s a time to pause and ask:

• What am I harvesting now?
• Where in my life do I feel balance - and where do I long for it?
• What can I offer back in gratitude before the winter comes?

If you’ve been walking with Amanita muscaria, you may feel her rhythm echoing this turn of the wheel. She often appears in abundance at this time - bright, bold, unmissable - yet her teaching asks for stillness and deep listening.

Mabon invites us to honour both light and shadow, joy and grief, what is gathered and what must be let go. Amanita too can hold us in these paradoxes, reminding us that wisdom often lives in the in-between.

When you meet her in the woods, notice not just the mushroom herself, but the whole ecology she arises within: birch and pine roots, the damp moss, the unseen threads underground. The teaching is not only in the red-and-white cap, but in the web of relationship that makes her possible.

We’re sharing a lot on our social media about recognising Amanita safely, ways to connect without harvesting, and reflections on how to honour what she stirs in us. For now, simply notice: what is in balance, and what is asking for your care as the year turns.

For those beginning your path - our free Introductory Course is always there to guide first steps. If you feel called to deeper healing, our Inner Child Short Course may be the next doorway. And for those already walking with Amanita who hear the call to guide others, our 2026 Facilitator Training intake is open.

Updates:
Festival season is finally over for us, leaving us with a host of beautiful memories, and an even greater appreciation of our own beds. We rounded out the summer with the brilliant All Things Fungi festival, where Elle ran a somatic mushroom workshop, and performed her new song ‘Amanita Rise’. Over the next week she’s leading a pilgrimage along the Camino way. Tracey and her facilitator students are nearing the end of our 2025 facilitator training, so watch this space for further updates on photos in our next newsletter.

Testimonial:

‘This workshop was a beautiful experience and a lovely opportunity to take time out of the festival to connect deeply with our mushroom friends’ AnnMarie - workshop attendee

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Warmly,

The Amanita Rising Team