Autumn Equinox
The Equinox happens twice a year, in March and September, due to the earth’s orbit around the sun and the tilt of the earth’s axis. At Equinox, both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres experience equal amounts of daylight and night, roughly 12 hours. It marks the turning of the light and season, in September the Northern Hemisphere enters into Autumn with longer nights and the Southern Hemisphere enters into Spring with longer days.
Equinox falls midway between the Summer Solstice, the longest day and Winter Solstice, the shortest day. In the Celtic wheel calendar the September Equinox, also known as Mabon, marks the start of Autumn. Meteorological Autumn is marked on 1st of September, which feels too soon to end summer for me, when it is warm and the flowers are still blooming. At Equinox the light is about to change and nature responds because she is reliant on the sunshine for her sustenance and growth. I am learning to tune my body and soul back into the rhythms of the earth, sun and moon as my ancestors would have done. It is easy to live unaware of our reliance on the planetary systems and seasons when we go to the supermarket to get our food from all over the world. When we had to hunt, forage and grow, paying attention to the seasons was essential for survival.
Autumn is a time for harvest and abundance, collecting the fruits of Spring and Summer, feasting, sharing and storing up food for the winter. Yet it is also a time of letting go of what is no longer needed, returning those nutrients to the soil. Autumn Equinox is a time of opposites, of both growth and decay. Autumn is a season full of colour as things come to an end in a beautiful crescendo.
Equinox Reflections:
What has grown up in your life since Spring? What has bought life and nourishment?
What needs to be released this season to make your life sustainable?
What intention do you want to set for this coming season?
Equinox Activity:
Get creative and draw inspiration from artist Andy Goldsworthy to mark this seasonal moment. Choose different colour leaves to create a temporary art installation in the woods.
