Autumn Equinox

"The first breath of autumn was in the air, a prodigal feeling, a feeling of wanting, taking, and keeping before it is too late." Autumn leaves shower like gold, like rainbows, as the winds of change begin to blow. I can smell autumn dancing in the breeze.” DODINSKY September 22,2023 marks the autumnal equinox, the first day of fall in the Northern Hemisphere. It's the day when Earth is perfectly angled sideways to the sun and so day and night are of equal length. While the September equinox usually occurs on September 22 or 23, it can very rarely fall on September 21 or September 24. The word “equinox” comes from Latin aequus, meaning “equal” and nox, meaning “night.” On the equinox, day and night are roughly equal in length. What Is the Spiritual Meaning of the Autumn Equinox? The beginning of each season offers us a blank slate on which we can project our vision for the next three months — and autumn, with its cooler, darker days, feels like an especially auspicious time to do just that. It's a time of year when we reap the fruits of our labor from past months, gain clarity around preserving the things we want to hold close, and allow aspects of life that aren't serving us any longer — be that unhealthy habits or problematic bonds — to fall away before closing out the year. The moment has also inspired various spiritual celebrations around the world. In the UK, the traditional harvest festival falls on the Sunday of the full moon closest to the equinox, and druids gather at Stonehenge to mark the occasion. And a traditional Buddhist custom called Ohigan stems from the belief that the land of the afterlife is due west, and during the equinox, the sun sets directly west, so people visit their dearly departed loved ones' graves and gather with family Autumn is at once symbolic of plenty, ripening, harvest, and abundance; and, at the same time, a symbol of decay, decline, old age, and even death, with associations of things being past their prime. Fall is associated with the Lungs and Large Intestine and Metal. These two organs are paired together because their functions compliment each other and facilitate communication. The Lungs are considered a “delicate organ” as they are able to connect the exterior and internal environments. Curiously, the full Moon that occurs nearest to the autumnal equinox is always called the ”Harvest Moon!” it has to do with farming! Around the fall equinox, the full Moon rises around sunset. For several nights in a row, which traditionally provides farmers with just enough extra light to finish their harvests. Around the time of the fall equinox, the angle of the Moon’s orbit and the tilt of the Earth line up. The Moon’s orbital motion (combined with the larger orbit of the Earth around the Sun) carries it farther eastward among the constellations of the zodiac from night to night. At any one moonrise, the Moon occupies a particular place on the celestial sphere (the great dome of the heavens), but when the Earth turns toward that point 24 hours later, the Moon has moved off to the east about 12 degrees. This takes an average of 50 minutes longer for the Earth to rotate toward the Moon and for the Moon thus to “rise.” Think of it as a giant Slinky in which each loop, representing one lunar orbit of the Earth, this advances the orbit a bit farther along the spiral path. The result of all this is that the Moon doesn’t rise at the same time every day. However, around the date of the Harvest Moon, the Moon does rise at about the same time for several days in a row. Remember that the zodiac is the band of constellations through which the Moon travels from night to night. The section of the zodiac band in which the full Moon travels around the start of autumn is the section that forms the most shallow angle with the eastern horizon. Because the Moon’s orbit on successive nights is more nearly parallel to the horizon at that time, its relationship to the eastern horizon does not change appreciably, and the Earth does not have to turn as far to bring up the Moon Embracing The Energy Of Autumn The energy of Autumn is about creative expression, introspection, and harvesting. Many people have mixed feelings about autumn because the days get shorter and colder but this has its place in our busy lives - finding a place to rest and reflect so that actions going forward are informed by wisdom. The autumn leaves show us how letting go can be a beautiful thing. Autumn is the season that prepares us for the longest night of the year, the winter solstice. As you prepare for shorter days and more introspection, what can you beautifully shed so that you can lighten your load, and feel amazing while doing it? This is an ideal time for meditation and retrospection; as the days grow shorter and colder, we can look within and continue to grow. Autumn is also a season of harvest. This can be a literal harvest from your garden or harvesting wisdom from the experiences of the year thus far. What does harvesting look like for you? As you reflect on the past seasons of spring and summer, what do you want to carry with you into winter? Connect with the energy of Autumn……As the tree leaves and the temperature falls, use that energy in your yoga routine. Take the time to breathe and connect with the earth. Ground yourself as you reflect on your experiential harvest, and nurture yourself with mindful reflections and self-love. Autumn marks a time of reflection and winding down as we prepare for the excitement of the end of year – and perhaps also the psychological challenges that winter brings (such as shorter, colder days), which is why now is a great time to take seasonal inventory on where you are at (mentally, physically, emotionally) Autumn reminds us of the impermanence of life. It reminds us that change is inevitable! You'd think we'd get the hang of dealing with change yet it brings with it such fear that we can go to extraordinary lengths to avoid it. Autumn shows us that far from shunning change natures achieves this transition effortlessly. Autumn is the season of the soul. It is a time for letting go and releasing things that have been a burden. Fall is the right time to practice getting out of the way and letting Spirit take charge of our lives.