Change is in the air! Mabon, the Autumn Equinox, marks the moment when night and day are of roughly equal length once again. In the Celtic Wheel of the Year Mabon is the modern Pagan name for the Equinox, but versions of this harvest festival have been celebrated for thousands of years as an ancient time of balance. This year Mabon is on 23 September. It is sometimes called the fruit harvest and is often symbolised by the apple - keep reading for my apple crumble cake recipe at the end! I don’t know about you, but in the last week or so I’ve found I’m starting to reach for my knitwear, craving hot chocolate, and my thoughts are turning to cosy baking and soup season…
The Equinox is extra exciting this year, as it means it’s now just one month until my new book, Gloaming, is out in the world! Gloaming is a warm, restorative guide to Autumn and Winter filled with cosy crafts, soul-nourishing recipes and mindful activities inspired by Scottish folklore to nurture creativity and connection. Preorders are vital to the success of books these days, so thank you very much to those who have already messaged to say you have done so - this signals to the publishing industry that there’s demand for Gloaming, which means it can hopefully reach more people.
That’s especially important to me because I wrote it for you: conversations on my last book tour inspired me to write more about this time of year that you said you wanted the most help with. To find the light and embrace the darkness when it comes. I had so much more to say about Autumn and Winter, and I sincerely hope that Gloaming helps you to navigate the darker seasons - writing it certainly helped me.
In other news before I get to my main post, tickets for my Gloaming Gatherings are live! So far I’ve shared tickets for my Book Launch in Edinburgh - an immersive Autumn Workshop at Elliott’s Studio with cookery demos, crafting with Autumn leaves and seasonal food and drinks from Mara’s Picklery - and my Paper Craft Workshop at East End Press with hot chocolate from Bare Bones, readings, a Q&A and 10% off EEP all night. I’ll be sharing further events soon, so if you’re in Scotland make sure you’re signed up to hear first over on my website! If you live further afield, scroll down for a wee offer to join my paid community where we’ll be celebrating Gloaming and I’ll be sharing lots of behind the scenes in the coming months.
Slow Living Activities
And now, here are some ideas for ways to celebrate Mabon, including a suitably seasonal cosy recipe to make to mark the Equinox this coming week!
Autumn Reset
It’s officially the time of year for blankets, throws and candles and I’m excited by the prospect of cosy season finally being here. I know that not everyone is though, and I appreciate the darkening days can take their toll (as I said at the start, it’s why I wrote Gloaming!). Shifting your mindset around Autumn can be helpful. I try to see it as a time of letting go - it’s often a time I clear out my wardrobe - and preparation - deep cleaning and making the house all cosy so it’s a safe space to retreat to. This shift helps me to embrace rather than resist the darkness. So this is your permission slip, if you need one, to buy that candle or get the fairy lights out of the Christmas box early. Finding joy in any small ways we can is even more vital as the days get darker.
Crafting Circles
One of the ways that I find such joy is by making something with my hands. Recently I’ve taken up painting again and it’s doing wonders for my brain. I’ve also found - through hosting my seasonal gatherings - that it’s even more powerful to make something together with other like-minded people, which is why I’m so excited for the Gloaming Gatherings. There’s something magic about making something in circle with others who share your interests. Why not organise for a group of friends to make something together? It holds you gently accountable, and I think we’re all craving community and connection right now.
Autumn Foraging:
The hedgerow is ripe with nature’s bounty as Summer turns into Autumn, even earlier than ever with the extremely hot Summer we had this year. A walk outside is extra special during this transitional time and I find taking my basket on country walks and looking out for ripe berries makes me pay extra special attention to what’s in front - or indeed above me. On a walk in East Lothian last weekend we found lots of sloes, rosehips and elderberries, and along with the last of the brambles I made the hedgerow jelly on page 154 of Slow Seasons. It’s a handy recipe to have up your sleeve as it adapts and scales to what you can find, plus the apples help with easy setting.
Nature Connection
It’s no news that being outside helps our brains, but sometimes a reminder is necessary - especially with many of us working from home and in cities! There are a couple of things I do to take mindful notice of my surroundings. The first is taking photos or sketching - for example capturing a golden hour walk on my camera. I’ve been trying to use our film camera more and am very much enjoying the results of this experiment! Collecting nature’s treasures is another way I slow down and engage with my surroundings - especially now I have a little one, we’ve been collecting conkers, leaves and seedheads such as honesty to decorate the house with. It’s helped me connect with my inner-child - no pocket, bag or basket is without a treasure or two!
Visit an Orchard
The apple of Mabon was thought to represent beauty, youth and longevity. Apple picking makes for a lovely wholesome, celebratory activity at this time of year, even if you don’t live in the countryside - there are a surprising number of orchards to be found in the city! Orchard gatherings and feasts often took place in these very special settings, a reminder of the bounty that can grow from the potential of Spring’s blossom. Look out for community apple picking and pressing events where you live. Here in Edinburgh I’ve been picking apples at Craigie’s Farm for years. Otherwise you could seek out interesting varieties at your local farmers’ market and make something special with them. I posted a pic of my apple crumble cake on Instagram recently and had several requests for the recipe so I thought I’d share it here:
Apple Crumble Cake
To make the cake, you will need:
100g unsalted butter
200g soft brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2 large free-range eggs
200g self-raising flour
100g yoghurt
200g apple, chopped into small cubes
For the crumble topping:
50g unsalted butter
25g Demerara sugar
30g self-raising flour
20g porridge oats
1/4 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160C fan. Grease and line a 20cm baking tin.
First, make the crumble topping: mix the flour, sugar and oats and lightly rub in the butter using your fingertips until you have a crumble consistency. Set aside.
Make the cake: cream the butter, cardamom and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time with a little flour, then fold in the rest of the flour along with the yoghurt.
Fold in the apple pieces then pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and top lightly with the crumble mixture.
Bake for 55 mins to one hour, until golden on top and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. You might need to cover the cake for the last 10-15 minutes so it doesn’t burn so keep a wee eye on it.
Serve with yoghurt or you could even have it warm with custard for a deliciously autumnal dessert.
Do you have a favourite apple recipe? Let me know if you make this crumble cake!
If you enjoy my seasonal newsletters, do consider joining us in my paid subscriber community for more regular posts. Together in this wee corner of the Internet we are creating a beautiful community of like-minded old souls who want to slow down, simplify and connect with the seasons. As my Substack is four years old this week, I’m giving new subscribers 20% off annual subscriptions to my paid community for the next 48 hours! The discount is automatically applied when you sign up - taking it from £50/year to £40/year.
Here’s a flavour of what I’ve been posting over there recently:
Chocolate and Plum Upside-Down Cake
Seasonal Reflections: Journaling Prompts
Harvest-Inspired Hand-Decorated Enamelware
Thanks so much for being here and all your support! See you again for Samhain xxx
This cake was delicious!! I made a few minor adjustments to suit my husband and I, but stuck to your recipe pretty closely! Loved it 🍎
Thank you for this inspiration! Happy Equinox!