The Autumn equinox—also known as Mabon, the September or Fall Equinox—is the astronomical start of the fall season in the Northern Hemisphere. Day and night are balanced and approximately equal in length. This beautiful balancing energy brings a sense of equilibrium to the places in our lives that really need it this month. From this day forward until the Winter Solstice the days get shorter and the nights get longer.
We can reflect on and honour this seasonal moment of dualities: the balance between day and night, doing & being, productivity and contemplation, action & surrender, hot & cold. Our soul state is in transition and our energy is shifting significantly.
Summer is an intense season. Its hot, fiery, outward-focused energy can tire us. It’s usually a super active time. We’ve grown in so many ways over the summer season, whether we realize it or not. It’s normal to feel run down, overwhelmed or anxious for the return of routine at this time of year. Autumn balances this energy out. We look forward to the feminine, Yin, grounding, energy of being.
Autumn is a time of coming home, grounding and returning to ourselves after the height and frenzied energy of the summer season. It’s time to reflect on what our inner selves need to feel balanced and aligned. It’s a good time to check in and bring some ritual and routine back into our lives. Leaving behind the season of doing and action, we slow down and act more deliberately.
The Equinox is an invitation to turn within: nights will start to become longer than days, bringing us into a period of darkness. As the daylight decreases, our focus turns further and further inward. Physically we want to be home more. The cooler days have us spending more time inside. Mentally & emotionally, we are drawing more deeply inward.
At this time of year, plants surrender their vegetation in response to shorter days and cooler temperatures. Their leaves change colour in response to less sunlight and eventually return to the earth. We can interpret these environmental cues as a reflection of our own internal seasons and follow the Earth's natural wisdom by also letting go, slowing down and taking time for regenerative practices. Take the opportunity to reduce your commitments. Get more rest and develop a fall rhythm. The heightened energy of summer is pacified by steadiness and consistency.
This season is represented by the Earth element. The Earth element symbolizes protection, nurturing, wisdom, stability and grounding. This grounding, rooting and returning home is also associated with the 1st chakra energy centre at the base of the spine, known as the Muladhara chakra. “Muladhara” in Sanskrit means “foundation.” This chakra is associated with our sense of safety and security, family, and roots. With a balanced Root Chakra we have the potential to plant beautiful seeds and grow.
This is a great time of year to clean our emotional and physical house, harvest our good habits, and prune or shed anything we don’t want to take with us into the coming months of darkness and hibernation. Think of it as having limited space in your hibernation space (your mind-body space, and your physical home). Contemplate what do you want to carry with you, and what do you want to put down? This is the time of year to ground, stabilize, clear house & make space; and from that grounded spacious place start nurturing, cradling, and dreaming new seedlings and ideas – whatever it is you want to manifest in the coming year!
Happy Autumn Equinox!
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