The autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere occurs on 23 September at 2:50 AM ET, which marks the end of one season and the beginning of another across the world. Equinoxes happen twice a year, during the initiation of fall and spring. Simply put, this shift commences when the Sun crosses the Earth’s equator. It is the time in which the North and South regions of Earth experience equal daylight and nighttime hours at the same moment in time. When the Fall Equinox commences in the Northern Hemisphere, the Spring Equinox takes place in the Southern Hemisphere (and vice versa).
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Marshall Wsl, author of Cunning Words: a Grimoire of Tales and Magic, says, “The summer months are all about growth and bringing our endeavours to their fullest potential and the Autumnal Equinox is all about taking stock of what you've grown, harvesting it and choosing how to best utilise it, magically and physically". The apples, pumpkins and leaves decaying are abundant, showing us how delicate and beautiful the cycle of life truly is.
With autumn arriving, we’ll relish in ordering pumpkin spice lattes, lighting cardamom scented candles that have mouthwatering essences of vanilla, wearing cosy sweaters, reading intriguing new books by the fireplace, gazing at the colourful foliage ranging in shades of aubergine to orange, and embracing every ghostly thing that spooky season has to offer.
Like nature, we are going through our own personal changes at this moment in time. We are beginning to spend more time indoors, as we temper the ever-evolving weather and lean into cuffing season (the autumnal months when people are wanting to couple up). Friendships, communication and companionship are extremely important to all over the next several months (23 September to 21 December).
There are many different ways to celebrate the Autumn Equinox. One of the best ways is to connect with your local community. Whether you decide to host a feast, have a car boot sale with your neighbours and give the profits away, or pay it forward by doing a nice gesture for a friend, you’ll find that giving back in some capacity allows you to feel connected to others.
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You might also choose to take a hike and revel in nature. Honouring the light and darkness within us all can be done through mediation. Or, decorating your dwelling for the first days of cosy season and journalling your dreams for the days ahead while augmenting old visions. There is no right or wrong way to honour the Equinox — it’s up to you to find the best activity that suits your interests and spirits.
September 23 not only introduces us to a new season — but also marks the Sun’s movement into Libra. This transition helps us find balance and peace in our day-to-day lives, as well as reason our way into our feelings. We aren’t wanting passion — only relationships that are meaningful and equal partnerships.
Making sure that we find our centre and maintain it at all costs will be key. Nothing shall come between our quest for happiness and calmness. Extreme emotions won’t help us in understanding situations or others — which is why a moment of chillness will do us a lot of good.
Another holiday occurring the same day is the pagan celebration of Mabon. It is the sabbat that occurs on the Wiccan Wheel of the Year, that starts during the Fall Equinox and honours the harvest of the year, as well as the blessings and bounty brought to us by Mother Earth. Marshall states: “The Fall Equinox is one of my favorite sabbats because in Texas the heat finally gives, the cicadas stop singing and we can finally experience the wheel of the year turning after such brutal summers. It's such a magical time to be present with the seasonal shift".
During Mabon, we eat produce from the harvest, make a cornucopia and wear seasonal shades of red, orange, brown, or green. It’s a wonderful opportunity to dispel negative energies and bring in positive vibes by cleansing the home with intention and releasing bad relationships from our lives. The time to let go and start fresh is now.