As the hours of daylight wane and the nights grow longer, we observe a moment of balance and equilibrium. The Autumnal Equinox - when night and day are each twelve hours long - occurs Wednesday the 22nd of September this year, marking the beginning of Fall and the halfway point between the Summer and Winter Solstices.
Let us take time on this day to be thankful for the abundance of summer, and to make peace with the coming season of darkness. Let us rejoice in the bountiful harvest and remember to embrace our part in the symphonic cycles and patterns of this universe.
Here's how we're celebrating this cosmic occasion:
Honor the Harvest
Bring the outside in
It's a tradition as old as time to adorn your dwelling with the most beautiful offerings of the season! Now is the time for reds, oranges and golds, pomegranates, autumn leaves, pinecones, apples, and gourds.
Spice up your life with seasonal favorites like cinnamon, clove, cardamom, ginger, and nutmeg. Simmer cinnamon sticks and cloves in a pot on your stove to fill your house with cozy aromas, or light a stick of Quoth the Raven!
(Bid adieu to the Queen of the Underworld and get warm and toasty with our Farewell, Persephone Gift Set!)
Feed people
‘Tis the harvest, no? Who needs to be fed? Now is the time to share the bounty, to spread the wealth and balance those scales. Consider who in your community may be struggling to access the kinds of comforts you enjoy, and remember to pay it forward.
Make a gratitude list
What are you thankful for? It turns out that taking the time to simply name things we are grateful for can substantially improve our overall happiness. So, do it! Put pen to paper and start writing down things you're thankful for, or take turns speaking them aloud, and savor that feeling. Intentionally enjoy feeling thankful for what you have.
Next, ponder this: What does gratitude inspire you to do?
Meditate on Balance
The word equinox comes from aequus, the Latin word for "equal," and nox, the Latin word for "night", referring to the occasions upon which daylight and darkness take up equal parts of the day. On equinoxes, it is fitting to meditate on the idea of balance and how it comes into play in all facets of your life.
It is highly appropriate that the equinox falls on the first day of Libra season, a sign concerned primarily with balance and justice, whose symbol is The Scales. Let the balance-seeking energy of this season inspire us to cultivate genuine fairness and equality!
A Rune exercise for the Fall Equinox & Libra Season
Consider the Edler Futhark rune Tiwaz (ᛏ) and how it relates to the idea of balance. This rune is named for the Germanic deity Tyr, god of justice and the formalities of battle: namely, honoring treaties.
Tyr is a deity concerned with honor before glory; Invoking his authority over victory in battle with dishonorable intentions would be a mistake.
Balance isn't just a question of equilibrium, but equality. Not only stasis, but justice. In your meditation on balance, ponder beyond your personal life, past ecological symbiosis, and consider the importance of social and racial justice in achieving true balance in this plane of existence.
Whose land are you on? What people groups have been taken advantage of, disregarded, disposed of? Whose cultures have been destroyed? Whose rights have been trampled?
And what are you compelled to do about it? Will you be a light in the dark?
