6 Ways to Celebrate the Autumn Equinox

Image by MabelAmber

     The Autumn Equinox (Sept. 23, 2019) is one of the times of the year where the hours of daylight are nearly equal with the hours of darkness.  In the Northern Hemisphere, it represents the transition between seasons. The growing season has ended and harvest is nearing.  We understand this to also mean winter is around the corner.  But instead of focusing on the coming darkness and cold, remember to be in balance by taking a more thoughtful view on the equinox.
     See the seasonal shift as a parallel opportunity for a shift in your inner life.  What have you been working on that should be coming to fruition soon? As harvest approaches, what hard work have you done in the previous months that you can now reflect on and honor?  Celebrate all the season has to offer with the suggestions below, and when it's time to turn inward in the winter, thoughtfully consider how you will hold the light throughout the season.

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1.  READ (and write) POEMS ABOUT AUTUMN !  Annie Finch's Mabon has a wonderfully pagan sensibility with the "winding of the vine" that "pulls our curling voices --
Glowing in wind and change."    

I love its haunting, ancient feel.

​While Emily Jungmin Yoon's Between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice, Today is decidedly contemporary, and mindful about this day. "I read a Korean poem
with the line 'Today you are the youngest
you will ever be.' Today I am the oldest
I have been. Today we drink
buckwheat tea."​

Challenge yourself to write an equinox poem, a poem about balance, a poem about light and dark, a poem about today.
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2. MAKE SEASONAL ART out of natural elements found this time of year: leaves, twigs, vines, rocks, dried corn, etc.  Look up outdoor nature mandalas, cornhusk dolls or acorn people for ideas.  Build a  rock cairn.  They are a natural way to celebrate the change of seasons.   

Image by gravelpit@pixabay

Or try your hand at being an urbansketcher. I've belonged to the Chicago chapter for two years now.  Being outside and sketching, on the spot, what you observe, is a mindful way to  record a season, a city, a landscape.

River Point, Chicago | Image by Colossal Bean

​3. VISIT A LOCAL FARM OR ORCHARD to gather foods for a fall dinner that celebrates the arrival of the season. As an extra challenge, try eating foods throughout the season that would only be available regionally. See how it changes your appreciation for food and where it comes from.

Sunflower Farm Mendota, IL | Image by Colossal Bean

4. GET OUTSIDE & CONNECT with what matters on the equinox.  Attend a bonfire to "cast a light into the coming darkness." Campfires often encourage introspection and fellowship.

Image by Pexels

Or watch the sunset, and if you live in an urban area that experiences the "henge" effect, photograph it!  ​

Get Neil deGrasse Tyson's official word on the "henge" effect, a term he coined, in the video below about "Manhattanhenge."

 
5. RESTORE BALANCE in the home by getting rid of anything you no longer need to make space for the new season, new opportunities, and new ideas.  Even better, donate your extra bounty to places where they are needed.

​6. MEDITATE AND/OR PRACTICE YOGA On the equinox day and night, dark and light become balanced. Meditation or yoga can create inner balance. ​

One more poem for the road by Orrick Johns

How about you?  What does the equinox mean in your location?  How do you mark the change of seasons?