5 Ways Series: Observing the Autumn Equinox

This year the Autumn Equinox arrives on September 23, 2022 – a time of transition from Summer to Autumn, from longer days to longer nights, the welcome arrival of cool refreshing days after the salacious heat from the prior months. The perfect moment to gather with your friends, family, loved ones, to reconvene with nature and yourself.

Below you will find five simple ways to honor and connect with this momentous transition.

Traditions from all around the globe celebrate the Equinox with a glorious and abundant shared meal with family and friends. Most of the time the setting is outside under the night sky on the eve of the Equinox. Bringing the prosperity of family, friends, food and wine together. It is key that each guest brings something. Think in-season foods, and even those that you can forage for yourself. A hearty pumpkin soup, brussel-sprouts and cranberries, anything apple like a crisp, and or course anything rice or wheat based. If you can use fire to light the feast or cook a dish this too will add to the honoring of the Equinox.

Equinox comes from the Latin words “aequi” and “nox” translating to equal night. This is when the earth finds balance between the moon and the sun. To honor this sacred moment, rise with the sun on the day of the Equinox and get your body moving with the rays of the harmonious energy. This could be an easy stretching session, a deep yoga class or even turning on your favorite tunes and dancing in rhythm with the new season.

At the origin of the Autumn Equinox for thousands of years it was all about giving thanks to the Gods for the copious and fruitful year of harvest. Whether you were a farmer or not it was nearly obligatory to do this act of gracious gratitude. To give thanks to the four directions and all areas of our lives you can do this simple ceremony: face north and give thanks for your health, finances and home; face east and give thanks to all the experiences and knowledge you have gained in the past year; face south and thank the gods, source, sky whoever or whatever you believe in for your accomplishments and growth; face west and give thanks for your spiritual and personal development in the past year. You can do this with friends all together in a circle.

As it is a time for closing one season and opening another; it is the ripe moment to begin something new as well. Think of one thing that you have been wanting to pursue, a passion, an idea, a curiosity and on the day of the Equinox set-out and write-out a plan of action to bring it to life and fertility. Don’t be afraid of when, where, how you will do it, just get it on the paper, this is one of the first steps to starting something new and feel the supportive energy of the Autumn.

Mandala is the Sanskrit word for “circle” and this special circle holds great power, it is said to represent the universe in perfect form. To transform pain to joy, dark to light and so on. Anyone can make a mandala by collecting objects and in this case: stones, leaves, and other natural Autumn objects… Placing them in a patterned circle. Have a center point then work your way outwards and around it. With each object placed, take a breath and release whatever you may want to transform.

If you are interested in reading my deeper dive into the Autumn Equinox, click here!