Summer is coming to an end and fall is approaching! September is a time of transitions. We're moving from the peak solar energy of summer into the more introspective season of autumn. Pagans are celebrating the harvest. The veil between worlds hasn't yet thinned to its October peak, but it's definitely becoming more permeable.
September is a month of change. Kids go back to school, summer “ends” and the days keep getting shorter. For many pagan paths it is a time of harvest, a time when the fruits of our labor are gathered and celebrated. It is a reminder that hard work and perseverance bring forth abundance in our lives.
This article looks at September pagan celebrations, magic spells, moon rituals, symbolism and ways for you to do to get in touch with your spiritual life.
The harvest is a big part of September celebrations from many pagan cultures.
September is fundamentally a month of balance and transition. It teaches us how to release and prepare. Just as trees begin to withdraw their energy from their leaves, preparing for winter's rest, we need to examine what we've cultivated through the year and what we're ready to let go of.
Just as trees begin to withdraw their energy from leaves, preparing for winter's rest, we need to examine what we've cultivated through the year and what we're ready to let go of.
September Correspondences
Symbols: Balance, gratitude, gathering, preparation, and harvest
Gender: Masculine
Color: Brown, gold, yellow, dark green, maroon (Candle Color Importance)
Elements: Earth, air
Animals: Deer, Owl, Squirrel, starlings
Nature Spirits: hobgoblins, faeries
Plants: Asters, milkweed, Morning Glory, Rye, Wheat
Herbs: Bay, copal, Rosemary, Skullcap, tobacco, witch hazel, and valerian,
Trees: Apple, Hazel, larch, and Oak
Crystals: Sapphire, citrine, peridot, lapis lazuli, and yellow agate
Birthstone: Sapphire
Divination: Tarot (The Hermit) Numerology (#9)
Deities: Demeter, Freyr & Freyja, Ma’at, Persephone, Pomona, Thoth
homegrown is the best! Grapevines
September 2 - 29: Celtic Month Vine
We start with the Celtic month of Vine. The vine’s ability to thrive and produce abundant fruit even in challenging conditions teaches us resilience and adaptability, qualities that are essential as we prepare for the darker months ahead. Celebrate with friends and family to celebrate the harvest. Prepare a meal using seasonal produce, and perhaps include some homemade wine or grape juice to honor the vine.
The vine symbolizes interconnections and communications. The winding vine is often seen in artwork and religious symbolism from Celtic history.
Its a fabulous month for protection and fertility spells as well as divination.
An Apple Fertility Spell for the Dark Half of the Year
This spell uses an apple, which shows up across cultures as a fertility symbol and, when cut a certain way, reveals a natural five-pointed star at its core.
Fertility here doesn't only mean pregnancy. It can mean whatever you want to come to fruition later: a creative project, or a relationship.
Materials:
An apple
A knife
A small jar with a lid
The apple's own seeds - remove from apple
A candle in deep orange, red, or brown
Optional: a small piece of paper and pen
Steps:
Set the apple, jar, and candle in front of you and light the candle.
Hold the apple and think about what you want to protect and carry forward into the coming year. If it helps, write it on the paper in a single clear line.
Turn the apple on its side and cut it crosswise, through the middle rather than top to bottom. Open it to reveal the five-pointed star formed by the seed chambers. Sit with that for a moment. This is the fertility already inside the fruit.
Remove the seeds and set them aside. Eat a slice of the apple, or share it with someone else, as a way of taking that fertility into yourself.
Speak your intention aloud, plainly. For example: "I carry this forward. It is protected and it will ripen in its own time."
Place the seeds, and the paper if you used one, into the jar. Seal it. This jar represents your intention resting through the dark months, protected rather than exposed.
Snuff the candle out and put the jar somewhere meaningful: an altar or windowsill. When the season turns, you can plant the seeds, burn the paper, or simply open the jar as a way of releasing what you've been carrying.
If you work with a harvest or underworld deity such as Persephone, Demeter, or Hecate, you may wish to leave them an offering and ask that they watch over what you've sealed away.
1: Pet Rock Day
Rocks hold a significant place in paganism and embody the Earth’s energies. In many traditions, rocks are seen as the bones of the Earth, ancient and wise, carrying the stories of the land within them.
Rocks are used in rituals and altars to ground energy, protect spaces, and connect practitioners to the Earth. Each type of rock or crystal has specific properties—such as protection, healing, or strength. For example, amethyst is used for spiritual protection and clarity, while obsidian is often used for grounding and shielding against negative energies.
3: Roman Festival of Bacchus
The Roman God Bacchus, on September 3. Bacchus is the god of wine, ecstasy, freedom, fruitfulness, and vegetation and was always up for a party. In some ways, Bacchus was way ahead of his time. His priests were women. His festivals were open to all people even if they were slaves, outlaws, or non-Romans.
Celebrate the harvest with a backyard gathering. Lively discussions where people speak their minds openly and honestly are also part of the Bacchanalia
Read my article Roman Festival Of Bacchus
4: Third quarter moon
Septembers third quarter moon is good for releasing emotional baggage, banishing bad habits, and cleaning up clutter. Plan a cleaning day.
Yemaya is a lunar, water goddess, the Mother of All, and a gifted diviner. Yemaya originates in Western Africa with the Yoruba people. Learn more about her and how we can honor her in this video.
7: Feast Day for Yemaya
The Mother goddess of the Yoruba
Celebrate Yemaya and the Feast of the Starfish on September 7th This special day commemorates the connection between Yemaya and the starfish, which symbolizes resilience and adaptability.
Yemaya is an Yoruba moon goddess governing providence, luck, water, and fertility. She is symbolized by the fish, the color blue, and the crescent moon.
She is often portrayed as a beautiful mermaid. Motherly and protective she watches out for fishermen at sea. It is said that humans were created when her water broke creating the rivers and human life.
Yemaya is seen as a goddess of balance and helps those who struggle with mental health. Yemaya was very gifted in divination. As a patron goddess, she can help you to explore and excel at divination arts.
Dilogun
Are you looking for a new form of divination? Dilogun divination is an ancient practice deeply rooted in African spirituality, specifically stemming from the Yoruba religion. Known as Dilogun or Cowry Shell Divination, this method allows practitioners to communicate with the African ancestral spirits.
Cowrie Good Luck Spell
Step by step directions for this good luck spell are in my Yemiya article which Ill link below. Start by placing a bowl of water in the center of your altar and light a blue candle just behind it. You can anoint the candle with a bit of coconut oil if you like.
Set 7 cowrie shells around the bowl in a crescent or circle. Hold them for a moment, breathing slowly and imagining them filling with gentle, flowing good fortune. Gaze into the water’s surface and say:
“Hail Yemaya, Mother of Waters, keeper of life, compassion, and protection.
Bless my path with good fortune that harms none.
Let sweet waters flow where I have felt blocked, and carry away misfortune.
With gratitude and respect, I make this offering.
11: New Moon
The September new moon is a powerful time, focused on grounding, fresh starts, and aligning with the transition from summer into autumn. Spend some time outside barefoot if you can. Connecting with the earth.
Grounding
Grounding can be a meaningful part of a spiritual practice especially for green witches or modern pagans. Calming the mind and seeking that connection with the earth. There are many ways to practice grounding. One thing I like to do is sit on the ground and lean into a tree. You can really feel that intertwined connection and energy between the earth and tree.
14: Egungun Festival
©Celebrate Pagan Holidays
Yoruba festival that honors the ancestors and spirits of the dead
The Egúngún Festival, celebrating and remembering the ancestors. During this time they revisit their community from the spiritual world. The Egúngún festival features masqueraders in elaborate, colorful costumes who represent the spirits of the departed. The Egúngún bring blessings, protection, and prosperity to the living, with the festival providing an opportunity for communication between the dead and the living.
The celebration involves drumming, dancing, and rituals for community blessings and protection. Dancing and feasting and expressions of joy are important.
22: Autumn Equinox
Tuesday, September 22, 2026, will be the autumn or fall equinox. On this day, the sun crosses the celestial equator, , giving both the Northern and Southern hemispheres nearly equal amounts of daylight and darkness. It marks the official beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere, a time when the days start to shorten, and the nights grow longer.
The fall equinox is a moment of balance and transition, symbolizing the gradual shift from the warmth and abundance of summer to the cooler, introspective season of fall. The equinox's theme of balance resonates deeply in pagan practice, reminding us of the importance of harmony within ourselves and with the natural world. It's a time for introspection, giving back to the community, and recognizing the cyclical nature of life.
We celebrate the harvest. You may have your own garden to harvest or take the time to visit a local farmers market. Practice gratitude. When I am harvesting from my garden I like to lift up a simple prayer of thanks to the gods.
While we're harvesting fruit and veggies, we're also gathering seeds for next year's plantings. Collect seeds from your garden or forage responsibly for seeds in nature. Look for native flowers in green spaces in your area, gather seeds, and plant your own native flower garden. This connects you to the eternal cycle of death and rebirth. It also greatly helps wild birds and insects.
22: Mabon /Alban Elfed /Autumn Equinox
One of the eight major annual sabbats in the Wiccan calendar.
Mabon is the pagan or Wiccan harvest festival that honors the Earth’s bounty and the balance between light and dark. We use this time to give thanks to farmers and the fruits of their labor, both literal and metaphorical, and to prepare for the coming winter.
A fun craft to do is make a corn doll from the husks of the corn cob. In many ancient agricultural societies, the final sheaf was believed to contain the essence or spirit of the grain, and crafting it into a doll was a way to honor and protect this spirit through the winter months.
Corn dollies serve as a physical representation of the harvest's energy and the cycle of life and can be used as offerings to deities or as a symbol of protection for their homes.
Check out my Etsy store for lots of resources!
22: Haustblot
Norse Autumn Fest
Haustblót is the Norse fall equinox feast. Also referred to as Winter Finding, this feast celebrates the beginning of autumn.
It is typically held mid - September however, the holiday is somewhat fluid based on the location and harvesting calendar.
It’s a time to give thanks for what the land has yielded, to ask for a peaceful, well-provisioned winter, and to strengthen bonds with gods, ancestors, and land wights. Bonfires, dancing, feasting, and honoring the Gods were all important during the Haustblót celebration and things we can do as well.
A god to honor during this time would be Freyr the Nordic god of sunshine, rain, and prosperity. I am working on deity guides which will be available on my Etsy shop and on the website. Ways I honor Freyr include an offering of apples and mead. Freyr cares about the environment. Plant natives that support local wildlife and stand up for environmental issues.
Read my article Haustblot: Norse Fall Feast
24 -26 Chuseok
Chuseok, the Korean Harvest Festival, also known as Hangawi, falls in mid-September. This is a time to celebrate the harvest and honor the ancestors. Many people travel to their birthplace or ancestorial homes to connect with family. Chuseok is often compared to the American Thanksgiving but they are quite different in origin and customs.
26: Olojo Festival
The Olojo Festival honors Ogun, the deity of iron, warfare, and technology, who is the first son of Oduduwa (the ancestor of the Yoruba race). Ogun cleared the path for other deities to live on earth. The festival celebrates the grateful heart of humanity toward God for creation and existence.
The Yoruba word 'Olojo' means The Day Of The First Dawn. A large public festival is held in Nigeria each year that welcomes tourists. This ten-day spiritual and cultural re-enactment of the Yoruba creation with traditional music and dancing.
Astarte, a fierce warrior goddess from Mesopotamia and the eastern Mediterranean sea region. She served as a chief protector deity of many Phoenician city-states and was also known for her healing and as a fertility goddess.
27: Festival of Astarte
Mesopotamian Goddess of fertility and healing. Day of Willows
The fierce warrior goddess Astarte from Mesopotamia and the eastern Mediterranean sea region. She is often depicted on horseback and wielding weapons to grant victory in battle.
Her symbol and spirit animal is the lion, tied to her strength and her role as a warrior
September is full of Pagan Celebrations and magic spells to celebrate the harvest season. September is fundamentally a month of balance and transition. It teaches us how to release and how to prepare. Some of the pagan holidays I explore are the Celtic Month of Vine, Mabon, Hausblot, Yemaya, and a Good Luck Spell.
26: Full Moon
Corn Moon / Harvest Moon
The theme of this month is all about balance and harmony. Here is a simple yet powerful spell to restore balance in your life and harmonize energies.
Balance spell
You will need Two candles (one black and one white), a small bowl of water, a pinch of salt, and a small stone or crystal. I use amethyst but a carnelian or tigers eye would also work well.
Place the black and white candles on either side of your altar or workspace, symbolizing the balance between light and dark.
In the center, place the bowl of water and the crystal.
Light both candles and take a moment to reflect on areas in your life where you feel unbalanced.
Sprinkle the pinch of salt into the water, visualizing any negativity or imbalance dissolving.
Hold the stone in your hands and speak aloud your intention to restore balance and harmony in your life.
Place the stone in the water and let it sit overnight to absorb the balancing energies.
The next day, carry the stone with you as a talisman of balance.
Care of Animals
One of the things that our ancestors would have done during this time is to care for their livestock. Animals would have been brought down from summer grazing areas to be closer to shelter and safe from winter storms. Taking care of your own pets during this time can honor that tradition. Make sure your four-legged friends (or no legs if you have snakes) are in good health.
September Spell work
Prosperity Spell: Place several of these item in a small pouch to attract abundance: cinnamon sticks, a coin, bay leaf, cloves, holy basil.
Harvest Spell: Write down a goal you’ve accomplished and bury it beneath a tree to honor your growth.
Free download - quick guide to Bobcat Spirit Animal includes symbolism, why is the bobcat appearing in your life, and how to connect with your bobcat guide.
Check out my deep dive article The Bobcat as a Spirit Animal: Wisdom of the Wild Sentry
2 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches (21.59 x 27.94 cm) PDF file.
For best printing use high-quality paper. Colors may differ due to monitor/printer variations. Final quality depends on your printer and paper.
This is a digital download, no physical item will be shipped. Instant download items don’t accept returns, exchanges, or cancellations. However, please contact us if you have any issues.
© 2025 Celebrate Pagan Holidays LLC
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used in any manner without the expressed permission of the author. You may not reproduce, duplicate, or transmit the contents. This listing is for personal use only. These files cannot be used commercially.
Transparency statement: Materials were made by me in the graphic design program Canva. Some photos were taken by me, some are stock photos, and some were purchased from Creative Fabrica. To my knowledge illustrations were hand-drawn. Coloring pages may be AI-generated. Garden designs created using GrowVeg Garden Planner software.