Autumn Equinox
September 21
The Autumn Equinox
Recognizing Abundance in the Autumn Equinox
The autumn equinox is a time of continued thanks for the abundance and harvests in your life. It is a time to come together, to create balance, and prepare for the coming of winter.
Earth Cycle and Workings
September 21st (19-22nd) is the autumn equinox.. It is the midpoint between the two solstices when the halves of the earth receive equal light, warmth, and darkness.
The autumn equinox shows the fulfillment of the promises made back in the spring which have come to fruition through our hard work in the the past months. Our days are beginning to get shorter, harvests are full and will soon be coming to a close. This is the time to work together and store up for the winter ahead.
How the World Celebrates
Throughout history and cultures, we as humans choose to mark time and important events with celebrations. They are moments for us to pause from our daily activities and take time to reflect on the larger world. While there is no universal thread or experience that we all share, it is meaningful to understand how others celebrate so we can learn truths that we have in common. Learning lessons from all, while curating our personal celebrations from our own experiences and ancestors.
Mabon - modern Pagans
Mabon, the name many modern pagans know the autumn equinox as, is not actually an ancient holiday, but a modern construction from older ideas and practices.
When making the wheel of the year for modern pagans, Aidan Kelly set the four Celtic fire festivals as the seasonal days (Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain). He decided to use Saxon holidays for the solstices and equinoxes (Ostara, Litha, and Yule), but was unable to find one to fill the autumn equinox spot. While there was evidence of harvest celebrations at this time, there wasn’t a specific story or deity that was known to be worshiped. In looking for a name, Kelly reflected on the Persephone equinox story and other parallel tales of deities who experienced a death and rebirth process, the major themes of the equinoxes. He settled on calling it Mabon after a Welsh god from a similar story who was stolen from his mother, the Earth goddess, Modron who then let the earth become desolate until her child was returned. The story parallels that of Persephone and many others and demonstrates the need for sacrifice through the coming winter so rebirth and growth can happen again in the spring.
People celebrate this holiday with many of the traditions of Harvest Home and other harvest festivals that were popularized in England and around Europe for centuries.
Harvest Home – Celtic and Saxon
Harvest Home (also known as Ingathering) is festival with roots in ancient Celtic and Saxon traditions focused on giving thanks for your harvest and preparing for winter. It was (and still is) celebrated in late September and was a combination of work and play, having fun while preparing for winter. Games and rituals like driving evil spirits from the crops and creating corn dollies (little deities made with the husks of grain) were popular especially among young people.
This was also a time of negotiating wages for the crops the farmers grew. Typically, a “Lord of the Harvest” was nominated to negotiate wages with the landowner and was celebrated at the large harvest feast they held.
Today the season is celebrated as Harvest Day, and people have festivals throughout the end of September, but officially on the full moon nearest to the autumn equinox. It is celebrated with singing, feasts, decorating homes and churches, and sharing food with their community.
Other European countries have a history of similar harvest festivals at the same time like, Gulaþingslǫg in Norway, Erntefest in Germany, and Dożynki from Slavic traditions. It is believed this is also likely the origin for many of the American Thanksgiving traditions that were brought over by English colonists.
Mosaic of the Archangel Michael at the Church of Saint Spyridon, Trieste, Italy
Michaelmas - Christian
Michaelmas is a Christian holiday in celebration of Michael the Archangel. It has been celebrated in England and elsewhere on September 30th since at least the 11th c. and is a time of harvest celebrations, paying debts, and taking stock. It is one of the four Christian quarter days (Lady Day in March, Midsummer in June, Michaelmas in September, and Christmas in December), and is thought to have replaced earlier pagan harvest celebrations.
Michaelmas is traditionally celebrated with a goose dinner (a tradition which at some point moved to Christmas) and processions of townsfolk carrying a large, decorated wreath or garland, representing the harvested crops. It is celebrated with regional traditions typically based in pre-Christian harvest festival ideas, like in Latvia, where Miķeļi is a Michaelmas thanksgiving feast with roots in celebrations to the god Jumis.
Eleusinian Mysteries – ancient Greece
Once every four years leading up to the autumn equinox, some in ancient Greece practiced the Eleusinian Mysteries, a cult initiation honoring Persephone and Demeter. The mysteries and rites represented the phases of loss of Persephone, Demeter’s search for her, and finally, her ascent and reunion of the two. This process symbolized the renewal of life in seasons and generations.
The Persephone myth at its core is a story of death and renewal, one which we see repeated in other traditions like the tales of Mabon, Freya, Jesus, Adonis, and Osiris. It’s believed some of these were influenced by The Descent of Inanna, a Sumerian tale they may have had in common. Either way this theme of death, a period of waiting, and a rebirth clearly resonates – especially during the equinoxes.
Ludi Romani – ancient Rome
The ancient Romans celebrated the time leading up to the autumn equinox as Ludi Roman. Starting around 500-300 BCE they held processions with priests waving incense through the streets followed by chariot races and other games in honor of the god Jupiter and Ceres, goddess of the harvest.
Equinox Celebrations at El Castillo - Mexico
Each spring and autumn equinox crowds gather in El Castillo, Mexico at the Chichen Itza pyramid to watch the shadow of the Mayan snake-god, Kukulcan, descend down the stairs. The pre-Colombian city and pyramid were built by the Mayan and Toltec cultures who created the pyramid as an astronomical wonder harnessing the light for the equinoxes. Ancient Mayans celebrated with rituals, feasts, and thanks to Kukulcan for the harvest and asking to be sustained through the winter months. Today people still gather to watch the phenomenon and at night the site turns into a light show with images of Mayan history and culture projected on the pyramid.
Huey Atlixcáyotl Festival - Puebla
Near the end of September, the people of Puebla, Mexico celebrate the pre-Hispanic traditions of their region with music, dance, food, authentic dress, and beauty pageants to choose the Xochicihuatl (flower woman). The holiday is in celebration of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent of the Nahuatl, Aztec peoples.
Harvest Festival of the Eastern Woodland American Indians - Ohio
Native American groups in northwest Ohio host the annual Harvest Festival of the Eastern Woodland American Indians, in celebration of the harvests and agricultural background of the indigenous Eastern Woodland people who lived in the area. It is hosted around the third weekend in September and includes indigenous history, dancing, food, games, art, and a powwow.
Mid-Autumn Festival – Asia
The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated throughout China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand between mid-September and early October each year. The holiday honors the harvest and the full moon. It is a time to acknowledge work in agriculture, to give thanks for the harvest and to give offerings to the ancestors to create continued blessings of the food cycle. Although celebrations are different depending on the region, common themes are a large meal with family, ancestral offerings, and eating beautifully decorative mooncakes. Other names for the holiday include Chuseok in Korea, Tsukimi in Japan, and Tet Trung Thu in Vietnam.
Navratri – Hindu
Navratri is a celebration marking the end of monsoon season and the beginning of the harvest, it is typically held around the end of September or beginning of October. It honors the Hindu mother-goddess, Durga, for overcoming the demon, Mahishasura, and asks her for a good harvest and celebrates the divine feminine and good triumphing over evil. The celebration takes place over nine days of both fasting and feasting on a diet of primarily fruits and vegetables like pomegranates and grapes. The holiday also includes festivals, dances, flowers, and festive clothing.
A Banquet of Song and Dance - Ibrahim Jabbar-Beik
Mehregan – Ancient Persia and Iran
Mehregan is an Iranian and Zoroastrian festival with its roots in ancient Persia, celebrating the deity, Mehr. It is a time to celebrate light and kindness and the autumn season, to give thanks for harvests and blessings and to share with your community. In the past it was celebrated with feasts, tributes collected for the rulers, and gifts for the less fortunate. Today it is considered to mark the beginning of autumn and it is traditional to give new clothes, gather with community and celebrate with traditional food, music, and dances.
Autumn Equinox Celebrations – ancient Egypt
I was unable to find a specific celebration surrounding the autumn equinox, but it is clear this time was important and commemorated in Egypt and throughout other parts of northern Africa. Astronomy and time keeping was greatly valued and there are several examples of astrologically aligned architecture to highlight the equinoxes such as, the Great Sphinx and Pyramid of Khafre, or the Great Pyramid of Giza. There are also stories like Nut, goddess of the sky, whose light and darkness illustrates the balance of the equinoxes. And although none seem to be closely aligned to the equinoxes, there are also harvest festivals from August through October like the Opet Festival, and Beautiful Festival of the Valley where thanks is given to deities for the blessing of another harvest.
Equinox Architecture
Looking through history we see the solstices and equinoxes celebrated in our architecture, creating calendars and measuring the seasons. The care and purpose that it took for these to be built in incredible and it’s clear this tracking of time and seasons is something fundamentally important to us as humans. Here are a few of the structures around the world that were constructed specifically with the equinoxes in mind.
Photo credit: Atlas Obscura
Rujm el-Hiri – Syria
Rujm el-Hiri is an ancient megalithic structure in the Israeli-occupied portion of Syria in the Golan Heights near the Sea of Galilee. Its name means “mound of the wild cat in Arabic. (Hebrew translations suggest it means ‘the wheel of spirits”. The megalith is a mound with basalt rocks containing tombs and arranged into concentric circles the largest of which is 520 feet in diameter. The structure was believed to be created in the early Bronze Age (3000-2700 BCE). It is believed the site was used as an ancient calendar as the sun is marked at points for the two equinoxes as well as the entrance opening to the summer solstice.
Photo credit: Wikipedia
The Giant’s Churches – Finland
Near the western shore of Finland are 40-50 large, neolithic (3000-2000 BCE) stone structures called the Giant’s Churches. The structures are sizable (around 200 feet long) and generally rectangular with walls about 3-6 feet tall. The churches have several alignments including three points at the equinoxes. It is unknown what the churches were used for, but some speculate they could have been temples, fortresses, housing, or storage for hunting.
Machu Picchu – Peru
Machu Picchu is an Inca city-complex from the 15th c. located in southern Peru. It is estimated that around 750-1000 people lived there until it was abandoned not long after the Spanish conquest of Peru. The city was self-sustaining with tier-gardens and ancient plumbing and irrigation systems. There are several points at Machu Picchu that align with the equinoxes including the Intihuatana Stone (meaning- where the sun gets tied), a stone calendar and sundial that doesn’t cast a shadow on either equinox.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Pizzo Vento – Sicily
In Sicily, about an hour north of Mt. Etna, is Pizzo Vento, a prehistoric site in Fondachelli Fantina. It is located on a plateau in the Peloritani mountains at 3,200 feet. The rocks there are positioned so the sunlight falls into a hole in an eagle-shaped rock which creates a beam of light at sunset on the two equinoxes.
Jantar Mantar - India
Jantar Mantar is a series of five stone structures in India built as observatories during the 18th c by Maharaja Jai Singh II, an advocate of mathematics and astronomy. The observatories have 19 measurement instruments that are designed to be used with naked eye and observe celestial movements. The structures have many alignments to mark various points throughout the year. One of the alignments for the equinoxes is the Nadivalaya dial plates which face north and south and are used for telling time based on the sun and the equinoxes. The south plate is lit by the sun and used over the winter from the autumn equinox to the spring equinox, while the north plate is used over the summer.
Equinox Deities
Deities are an important lens to understand culture through. They are physical representations of the forces and energies we see interacting in our world. They give human, relatable images for spiritual ideas and are often imbued with stories and traditions that tell the history and culture of a people. Deities give us something to interact with and enact energy upon. Depending on your background and culture, deity worship could include more solemn expressions like closed rites or could be as casual as putting up a picture of your hero to invoke their energy in your life.
Chang'e – Chinese
Chang’e is the Chinese goddess of the moon who rose to the sky after drinking too much immortality potion. She is celebrated during the Mid-Autumn Festival as her lover, the sun god, leaves offerings and sweets to honor her and show his continual love. The holiday continues an ancient festival for the moon and shows the balance between light and dark, the moon and sun.
Demeter/Ceres – Greek/Roman
Demeter (Ceres) is the Greek (and Roman) goddess of agriculture and harvest, and mother of Persephone (Proserpina). It is her sadness at losing her daughter that is said to cause the death cycle of plants through the winter and her anticipation of Persephone’s return which brings the first signs of spring again.
Durga – Hindu
Durga is the Hindu mother-goddess associated with protection, strength, and destruction. She is celebrated near the time of the fall equinox at Navarathi which commemorates her victory over darkness (and the god Mahishahura).
Freya – Norse
Freya is the Norse goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, sex, and war. She is married to Odin, ruler of the Underworld and spends part of the year there before she returns brings warmth back across the cold land.
Hades/Pluto – Greek/Roman
Hades (Pluto) is the Greek (and Roman) god of the dead and ruler of the Underworld. He is associated with the equinoxes because his desire for Persephone led him to take her by force to the Underworld. She now remains with him through the winter months and returns to earth for the summer, with the change happening on the equinoxes.
Mabon & Modron – Welsh
Mabon is a Welsh god and son of Modron, the mother goddess. He was stolen from his mother for three days following his birth causing light to go into hiding. He was eventually reborn to his mother and the light returned.
Ishtar (Inanna) – Mesopotamian and Babylonian
Ishtar is the Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is most closely associated with the spring equinox and return of growth and fertility because, and is similar to Persephone and other deities, as she spent time in the Underworld looking for a lost love. While she was there, fertility and growth on earth stopped until she ascended again creating a basis for the seasonal changes.
Isis – Egyptian
Isis is the Egyptian goddess of fertility, motherhood, healing, and the moon. She is celebrated twice a year, at the spring equinox, and later in the autumn. Like Persephone she followed her love Osiris, into the Underworld where he became god of the land of the dead, and they ruled there together.
Marzanna (Morana) – Slavic
Marzana was a Slavic goddess associated with winter, rebirth, nature, and death. She is the ruler of the Underworld and it is believed she helps in times of transition. She is associated with the equinoxes and changing of seasons because, much like the story of Persephone, she traps the god of the sun in the Underworld to spend the winter with her.
Mehr (Mithra) – Persian and Zoroastrian
Mehr is a Persian and Zoroastrian god of light, vitality, and illumination. He is celebrated at Mehregan, an equinox celebration marking the beginning of autumn.
Nut – Egyptian
Nut is the Egyptian goddess of the sky, mothers, and universe and mother of Isis. She is depicted as a woman, arching over the Earth, covered in stars. Nut stretches herself out to protect her husband, the Earth from the night sky and swallows Ra, the sun god every night and gives birth to him again each morning.
Persephone/Proserpina – Greek/Roman
Persephone (Proserpina) is the Greek (and Roman) goddess of fertility, the cycle of seasons, spring, and queen of the Underworld. She is associated with the equinoxes and change of seasons because she spends half the year (winter) in the Underworld with her husband, Hades. The other half of the year (summer) she spends with her mother, Demeter, encouraging growth and fertility here on earth.
Quetzalcoatl (K’uk’ulkan) – Aztec, Mayan, and Toltec
Quetzalcoatl is a god of the Aztec, Mayan, and Toltec peoples. He is associated with vegetation, culture and literature, and is often depicted as a feathered serpent. Quetzalcoatl is associated with death and resurrection and the change from light to dark as he spends half the year in his cave before crawling out and bringing light to the world. Each year on the equinoxes K’uk’ulkan (the Mayan expression of the god) descends down the El Castillo pyramid (via a stream of light) to energize the earth and bless the crops.
St. Michael the Archangel – Christian
St Michael is a Christian Archangel associated with good triumphing over evil, military, defense, and the weighing of scales. He is associated with the autumn equinox following the dedication of a basilica in his honor on September 30th in the 5th c. Michaelmas, a holiday in his honor was established not long after and replaced other regional harvest and equinox celebrations.
Associations
Through the passing of time and traditions we begin to associate different colors, foods, and other symbols with particular holidays. The meaning of different colors, animals, or plants come from what we observe about each thing and how we have interacted with it over generations. These associations have been built through time in our food, customs & the stories we tell our children, they give us physical methods to carry on tradition.
Colors
Forest Green – hope, well-being, & growth
Burnt Orange – warmth, creativity & change
Ochre – cycle of life, death, & rebirth
Browns – wisdom, stability, & nourishment
Burgundy – passion, intuition, & strength
Animals
Birds of Prey – vision, focus, & freedom, typically migrate during this time
Cows – motherhood, fertility, & life, associated with the Egyptian goddess, Nut
Owl – wisdom, insight, & intuition, often seen as an omen of death
Stag – intuition, balance, & fertility, hunted by Mabon in mythology
Salmon – life cycle, wisdom, & renewal, salmon are known to store up now for winter
Wolves – loyalty, intuition, power & the moon
Stones
Amber – alignment, well-being, carries the energy and wisdom of the earth
Carnelian – vitality, balance, processing the cycle of life and death
Green Aventurine – strength, stability, courage, and reminds of the coming spring
Lapis Lazuli – transformation, self-discovery, inner peace, helps balance darkness & light
Moonstone – intuition, healing, feminine energy, & navigating the change in seasons
Saphire – wisdom, royalty, activation, & is associated with September, Libra & Virgo
Flowers
Chrysanthemum – reflection, helpful in divine connection & meditation
Cornflower – hope, patience, & intuition
Marigolds – the sun, and the cycle of life & death
Poppies – remembrance & regeneration
Sunflowers – the sun, radiant energy, & faith
Thistle – devotion, strength, wards off evil
Experiencing the Equinox through Food
Food nourishes our soul and carries meaning and history. I love that the significance and message of different foods often comes from what it does, how it makes us feel, and the ways it was used in our history. Every culture and home has their own food traditions for holidays and seasons. These are usually based on what is local and fresh around us, and what we grew up with. Food is an important way we bring meaning and history into our celebrations.
Herbs
Cinnamon – protection, abundance, helps prepare for seasonal change
Clove – life, fertility, & protection
Marjoram – love, & happiness, often used at Mehregan
Mugwort – dreaming, visions, & helps with transitions
Rue – brings grace and helps with sorrow, endurance, & purification
Sage – wisdom, immortality, & healing
Yarrow – protection, courage & wards off evil
Edible Plants
Apples – love, gratitude, renewal & the cycle of life
Corn – sustenance, fertility, & growth
Cranberries – peace, gratitude, & appreciation
Grapes – abundance, rebirth, & fertility
Pomegranates – fertility, passion, abundance & associated with Persephone
Root Vegetables (potatoes, carrots, parsnips, & beets) – nourishment & abundance
Traditional Foods
Mooncakes – Mooncakes are eaten and given as gifts at the Mid-Autumn Festival throughout China and Asia and are seen as a way of expressing love and best wishes on your loved ones.
Goose Dinner – Throughout the British Isles it is traditional to have a Goose Dinner to celebrate Michaelmas although the tradition eventually moved to Christmas for many.
Puri – Puri are popular during the Hindu holiday, Navratri, and are delicious light balls of fried dough which you fill with potatoes, herbs, and broths.
Tokhmeh sharbat – Tokhmeh sharbat is a traditional drink made for Mehregan in ancient Persia made of basil seeds, rosewater, and lime juice.
Teisen y Cynhaeaf – Teisen y Cynhaeaf is a Welsh Harvest Cake made with apples, raisins, & cinnamon and it is traditional to eat during the harvest season.
Recipes
Golden Harvest Muffins
This is a recipe from my childhood that I’ve adatpted over time. I went back to try and figure out which cookbook it origionally came from, but it turns out everyone seems to have a recipe for Golden Harvest Muffins! I didn’t realize they were so popular. Here is my version, (makes about 12).
1 c white flour
1 c wheat flour
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
2 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cloves
1/2 t nutmeg
2 c shredded apples
1/2 c shredded carrots
1/2 c shredded coconut
1/2 c cherries or raisins
3/4 c oil
1/4 c milk
2 t vanilla
1-2 eggs
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl to create a loose batter.
Spoon into cupcake tins and bake at 350°F for 20-25 min.
Smashed Red Potatoes
I love this recipe on a cool night, the potatoes get crispy enough you can pick them up to dip them in some sour cream, or eat them with a fork.
red potatoes
olive oil
flakey sea salt & pepper
other herbs (optional)
Directions:
Boil the potatoes until they are soft enough to stick a knife into
Dry the potatoes off and space out on baking sheet. Fold a paper towel over several times and use it to smash each potato flat.
Take olive oil and brush onto each potato, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and any other herbs you prefer (garlic, thyme, and ranch seasoning our some of our favorites).
Bake at 450°F for 20 min.
Flip the potatoes over, put on a little more oil, salt, pepper, and herbs.
Bake for 20 more min. Serve immediately.
Kentucky Spoonbread
This is another favorite from my childhood, adapted over time. We always called it Kentucky Spooonbread, but I’ve heard it called other things as well. I like adding some thyme and brown sugar in it these days!
8oz Sour Cream
1 can corn
1 can creamed corn
1 box Jiffy Mix
2 Eggs
1 stick of Butter
2 T brown sugar
2 t thyme (or other herb)
Directions:
Melt butter in a 9x13 pan.
Mix all other ingredients together and pour over the melted butter.
Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes
Baked Whole Chicken
This is one of our favorite easy meals over the fall and winter and is great alongside the spoonbread or smashed potatoes.
whole chicken
1 stick of butter
herbs
salt & pepper
Directions:
Rinse and dry your chicken and place on an elevated rack in a pan.
Melt butter and brush over chicken. Rub with salt, pepper, and herbs and place in pan, breast-side up.
Bake at 400°F for 1-1½ hours (until internal temperature is 165° or juices run clear). Brush on butter (or oil) every 20 minutes throughout the baking process.
Let rest 10-15 minutes before carving.
Traditional Apple Pie
This recipe come courtesy of my spouse, Russell. When I met him in college he could make two things; potato soup and apple pie. Since then he has gained many other kitchen skills and still remains the offical pie maker in the family.
Filling Ingredients:
5 medium sized apples
2/3 C brown sugar
1 T lemon juice
½ t salt
1 T cornstarch
1 ½ T cinnamon
½ t ginger
½ t nutmeg
¼ t clove
1 t vanilla extract
Crust Ingredients:
2 C flour
1 C butter or shortening
½ t salt
6 T milk or cold water
1 egg
Directions:
Peel and chop apples into small chunks. Add remaining filling ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined in a medium bowl.
Preheat oven to 450°.
In a separate bowl for the crust, combine the flour and salt. Add butter in tablespoon-sized chunks and cut in the butter with a pastry blender/cutter, until the butter is reduced to pea sized chunks. Add milk and gently combine, pressing together until a rough, shaggy dough forms. Avoid kneading it extensively, the less you work the crust, the flakier it will be.
Divide the dough in two and roll out the bottom crust on a well-floured surface. Gently fold it in half and carefully place in a standard pie dish. Place the filling in the bottom crust, roll out the top crust and place on top. You can seal the top crust to the bottom by brushing a little water between the surfaces and crimping/pinching the edges. Cut of the excess dough. Cut some openings or a design in the top to vent. Wisk the egg in a small bowl, mix with a tablespoon of water, and lightly brush all over the top crust.
Bake the pie at 450° for 10 minutes. Reduce the temp to 350° and bake for an additional 40-45 minutes. The crust should be a deep golden brown, but not burned.
The Actions of Celebrating
Activities, crafts, and rituals are the ways we physically connect and carry on traditions from the past. It is through these physical manifestations that we learn to connect with our ancestors and the meaning of a holiday. Look for ways to acknowledge your history and traditions, while creating some of your own.
Corn and Grain Dollies
Throughout many parts of Europe “corn dollies” were made from the remaining grain or corn to create an effigy of the spirit that lived in the grain while it was growing and providing a home for it going forward. They were signs of continued bounty and fertility waiting to be reborn in the spring.
Cornucopias
In Italy, Greece and elsewhere it was popular to make cornucopias (or baskets) and fill them with harvests to process with and give as gifts. They were seen as a symbol of abundance, balance, and prosperity.
Lanterns
Lanterns are very popular at this time of year both for the Mid-Autumn Festival in Asia and other countries starting to experience the darkness following the equinox. Make or light lanterns to light the way, make wishes, and bring good fortune.
Small Ways to Celebrate
Indoor Activities
Make an autumn simmer pot
Host a dinner and invite others to bring dishes to share
Make leaf or seed art
Eat a pomegranate
Contemplate balance by doing yoga
Traditional Activities, Crafts, & Rituals
Outdoor Activities
Go apple picking
Watch the sun rise or set
Prune back some plants
Go on a hike to see the changing leaves
Take some food or a small gift to a friend or neighbor
Autumn Equinox Ritual
This ritual is an adaptation of the Autumn Mabon ritual in 1001 Spells, by Cassandra Eason and is a lovely way to prepare for the change in seasons as we pare down our lives to sustain through the winter.
Gather a bowl with a mixture of fallen leaves and nuts or berries and go outside.
Pull items out of your bowl and complete these instructions:
For each leaf, name what you have lost or are leaving behind from this year, asking the things that did not flourish to leave you in peace
For each nut or berry, name what is flourishing that you will take with you in the coming months, thanking for growth and asking for help sustaining through the coming winter.
Continue until you’ve named everything you have lost and gained this year and then scatter the remaining leaves, nuts, and berries on the ground.
Release your gains and losses and ask for blessings on both.
Tarot Spread for the Autumn Equinox
Persephone made difficult choices to divide her time between her mother and her lover to bring balance to her life and our world. Use this spread to bring clarity when you’re trying to make decisions in your own life.
What do I love?
What do I want?
What do I need?
Where do I have responsibility?
What do I need to let go of?
How do I bring balance?
Autumn Equinox Meditations
When Persephone ate the six pomegranate seeds fating her to stay in the Underworld for half the year she knew these drastic life changes would affect not only her own life, but the way she impacted the earth as a whole. Restoring balance in our lives brings wholeness to us, and lets us extend that to others as well.
Seeing the seasons change around us is a reminder of how to bring balance back into our lives. In the autumn, we see the fullness of our growth and also the parts that need to be pruned away. We can prepare ourselves for the dark times of winter by pulling back the places we are extending ourselves and focus on nourishing our spirits for new growth in spring.
Autumn Equinox Playlist
I hope you enjoy this playlist, its full of songs that reminded me of the autumn equinox and the songs that invoke harvests, goodbyes, homecoming, and bounty.
To listen, scan the Spotify code in the first image, or follow this link.
