5 Ways to Celebrate the Autumn Equinox This Year

A tinge of red and orange dot the hillside banked with a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees. A few big maple leaves have already begun to litter the walkways as the days grow shorter and the evenings become crisper. The wheel of the year has come full circle. Autumn is on its way.

I know for me, the slight chill in the air, the slanting sunlight, and the smell of wood smoke from a home hearth awakens my senses, or as F.Scott Fitzgerald said;

Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.

And with the change of season, we watch as the sunlight wanes, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. Yet, there is one day of balance, transitioning from the summer months and ushering us into fall, the Autumn Equinox.

What is the Autumn Equinox?

The Latin word equinox literally means ‘equal night’. There are two equinoxes in the astronomical calendar, one in the spring and one in the fall.

They mark the change in seasons and during autumn mark the balance of the light shifting from the longer days to darker, longer nights of winter.

On September 22nd, the sun will cross above the Earth’s equator, from north to south, marking nature’s conversion to the new season.

Earlier humans spent more time outdoors than we do now, becoming more accustomed to nature’s processes including those happening in the celestial skies, like the movements of the sun and moon.

A harvest ritual by another name.

The autumn (fall) equinox signifies the turning point when darkness (longer nights) begins to overcome daylight.

Farmers know this time as the harvest season; reaping crops grown all summer, preparing fields for the fallow months of winter, and canning much of their bounty.

Pagans of yesteryear and of today know it as Mabon. One of the three harvest festivals along with Lughnasadh in August and Samhain (Halloween) in late October.

For Pagans, this is the closing of the circle to the wheel of the year. A cycle that begins again with Samhain on October 31st celebrating the Pagan New Year.

As the wheel of the year turns to this time, we take balance into our lives and for a few moments on one day, September 22nd, there will be a balance in our world. No dark overshadowing light, no singular me or you, perhaps even no division between black or white, liberal or conservative. Just one world and one planet.

Right now, more than ever our world deeply needs to find its balance, its central core. We can bring balance into our own lives during this equinox, taking ownership of the direction we are heading in our lives in our country, in our world.

We are reminded this time of year that balance is fleeting. We must strive to create it within ourselves.

Here are 5 ways to celebrate the Equinox.

1. Make a gratitude list.

As a time for harvest, making a list of everything you are thankful for is akin to harvesting gratitude in your life. And like a harvest, it can bring an abundance of pleasure and good.

2. Visit a local farm or orchard.

As we begin to turn our attention indoors, visiting a local farm or orchard is a wonderful way to bring a little nature to our harvest table. A pumpkin patch to decorate the porch with jack-o-lanterns is another excellent way to celebrate the season.

3.Cooking an autumn meal.

Turn all the bounty from a local farm or farmers market into a scrumptious meal of hearty soups, season squash, and sustainable greens. Sharing the meal with loved ones makes it twice the fun!

4.Attend a bonfire.

Sitting around a warm bonfire, singing songs, playing music, or beating a drum is a quintessential symbol of fall. Check all city or county regulations for burn bans and safety requirements.

5. Practices for your inner balance.

As the autumn equinox reminds us of the duality of balance, we can enhance our own inner balance with meditation, prayer, yoga, or journaling. Create a daily ritual for the season and see where it leads.

During this time of seasonal balance, we experience a poised pause as if the earth herself holds her breath for a moment. On her exhale, as temperatures cool and nights lengthen, let us turn inward and replenish ourselves, with the abundance of the season, with rest, and with our dreams. Focusing on the future. The Autumn Equinox is here.

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Here is my best secret for an attitude adjustment during these unprecedented times.

You can also contact me through my website MaryRoseDentonWriter. I look forward to keeping the conversation going.