Autumn has officially arrived. 🍂
There’s something about this time of year that always feels a little different. The light starts to change, the mornings feel cooler, and we can sense that the energy of summer is beginning to fade.
The Autumn Equinox, also known as the September Equinox, marks an important turning point in the year. It’s the point when day and night are almost equal in length, before the nights gradually become longer and the days shorter.
For many of us, the Autumn Equinox feels like the true beginning of autumn. It is also an important point in the Wheel of the Year, traditionally associated with Mabon, a time of harvest, gratitude, balance and letting go.
What is the Autumn Equinox?
The word equinox comes from the Latin meaning 'equal night', referring to the time of year when daylight and darkness are almost equal.
The Autumn Equinox usually falls around 22nd or 23rd September, although the exact date and time changes from year to year. This is because Earth takes approximately 365 and a quarter days to travel around the Sun, while our calendar year is normally only 365 days long.
That extra quarter of a day works out at roughly six hours, meaning the exact moment of the equinox moves later by around six hours each year. Eventually, those hours add up enough to push the equinox into the following calendar day, which is one of the reasons our leap year system helps to keep our calendar aligned with Earth's journey around the Sun.
So while we mark the seasons with dates on a calendar, the Earth itself follows a much older and more natural rhythm.
Perhaps there is something comforting in remembering that.
The spiritual meaning of the Autumn Equinox
The spiritual meaning of autumn is often closely connected with balance, reflection and release. At the Autumn Equinox, light and darkness meet in almost equal measure before the balance begins to shift, inviting us to think about our own lives and where we might need to find greater harmony.
Nature gives us a beautiful example of this. The trees begin to release their leaves, seeds return to the earth and the landscape slowly changes colour as the energy of summer fades. Nothing in nature tries to hold onto a season that has passed. Instead, there is an acceptance that change is simply part of the cycle.
As we move into autumn, we can take inspiration from this and ask ourselves what we might be ready to release. Perhaps there are old habits, expectations, thought patterns or things we've been carrying that no longer feel right for us. We don't have to make dramatic changes or have everything figured out; sometimes simply recognising that something has reached the end of its season can be enough.
Mabon and the season of harvest
Within the Wheel of the Year, the Autumn Equinox is traditionally celebrated as Mabon, a time to honour the harvest and give thanks for what has grown throughout the year.
Harvest isn't only about what we grow in the garden or gather from the land. We can also look at the things we've grown within ourselves, whether that is confidence, resilience, creativity, understanding or simply the strength to keep going through a difficult season.
This makes the Autumn Equinox a wonderful opportunity to pause and acknowledge how far we've come. Before we rush towards the next thing, we can take a moment to appreciate what has already been created, learned and experienced.
A simple Autumn Equinox ritual
You don't need anything elaborate to honour the turning of the season. You might simply take a walk and notice the first signs of autumn, collect a few fallen leaves, light a candle in the evening or spend a little time sitting quietly with a cup of tea.
If you'd like to create a more intentional Autumn Equinox ritual, you could write down three things you're grateful for from the season that is passing, followed by one thing you'd like to release as we move into autumn.
It could be something very simple, because the ritual itself isn't what matters most – it is the intention behind it. By taking a little time to acknowledge the changing season, we can create space to reflect on where we are, what we've learned and what we want to carry forward.
Welcoming the darker half of the year
As the nights begin to draw in, you may naturally find yourself wanting to slow down and spend more time at home. There can be something deeply comforting about embracing this change rather than wishing the lighter months back, whether that's curling up with a good book, spending an evening by candlelight, getting creative, connecting with loved ones or simply allowing yourself more time to rest.
The darker months have their own beauty and their own purpose, just as spring and summer do. The Autumn Equinox reminds us that light and darkness are both essential parts of the natural cycle, and that there is wisdom in allowing ourselves to move with those cycles rather than constantly trying to push against them.
So, as autumn settles around us, let's take the opportunity to slow down and notice what is changing. We can give thanks for the abundance of the season, celebrate what we've grown, make space for what is still unfolding and gently release the things we no longer need.
The leaves will fall when they're ready, the evenings will continue to draw in and the wheel will keep turning, just as it always has.
Perhaps this autumn we can allow ourselves to do the same: to let go a little more easily, rest a little more deeply and trust that every ending is simply part of another beginning.
🍂 Blessed Autumn Equinox. 🌙
