There are so many crafts/projects that can be done at this time of year using what can be found all around us. Wreathes can be a great magical way to decorate the house inside and out for Mabon. Use fallen leaves, nuts, pine cones, late flowers (roses for love, heather for protection, geranium to banish negativity/protect) and corn to decorate a wreath with autumn colours. Add some deep red, brown or orange ribbon and weave in some herbs such as lovage-protects the house, bergamot-for luck, basil-purification, protection, harmony, lavendar-deflects negativity and brings harmony to families/children and rosemary to bind a home and family together with love. These can become very potent magical items for protection, harmony and good fortune in the darkening days of autumn. Try to combine magical ingredients in groups of three or seven, which are both magical numbers and will help to harmonise your ingredients in this and any other spell working.

Get the family together and go for a foraging walk looking for nuts, berries (never eat anything unless you are 100% sure you know what it is and don’t gather berries or nuts near heavy traffic), leaves and pine cones. Kids love this activity and the fun of making things/decorations from what they find. Mobiles made with nuts leaves and pine cones are an easy, child friendly project and they look great hung around the garden or windows. Another good activity at this time of year is to make bird feeders. There may be plenty around for the birds now but it will soonbe winter so start putting feeders out now. Just add seeds and nuts to old yogurt pots with a piece of string in the middle and fill with melted fat/lard. When hardened turn out and hang in trees or bird feeding stations (well away from cats!).