Seasons change and so do we.

Nature gently shifts into another guise, giving us a great opportunity to notice, observe, and honour the turning of the wheel.

Stars re-balance during the Fall Equinox on September 22nd-23rd, an event marked astrologically by the sun moving into Libra, which is the seventh zodiac sign.

0º Libra: Autumn Equinox

This signals a shift in energy, as the Sun appears in the sign of the Scales (at the initial 0º point), balanced Libra, fair, just, cool and diplomatic.

Libra is a Cardinal Zodiac Sign (like Aries, Cancer, and Capricorn).

These are the turning points of the Zodiac Wheel that instigate, with motivation to take action; Aries with a fresh start and the intrepid passion for a new beginning, Cancer with the inclination to find security and place, Libra with the impetus to connect on an intellectual level, Capricorn to move towards longevity, sustaining tangible builds over time.

Day and night are of equal length at this time.

In fact, the word equinox actually means ‘equal night’, and the duration of the day and night are now the same.

We are at the point that harmonizes the long days of summer (and light) and the long nights of winter (and darkness)…

This is a great time for a mid-year check-in, not only for you but for reaching out to others, too!

Libra Season makes for an ideal month for reflection around our personal relationships, to show awareness and extend courtesy and kindness to another.

Look at your own behaviour towards all individuals you come into contact with, not only a spouse or business partner (or work wife) but how you treat an arch rival, frenemy or competitor, too.

This is an opportunity to change.

Shift Gears!

Just as the leaves change their colors we can move into a different gear, and come into alignment with a better way of being…

Acknowledge the dark and light within, taking inventory, taking stock of what’s good and bad, prepared to be impartial, fair and just…

It’s interesting that in the astrological system of Planetary Dignities the Sun in Libra is considered in its ‘Fall’ (while the Sun in Aries is Exalted or in its Exaltation, strong and vibrant).

The Sun is falling away now, while Saturn is Exalted in Libra – the darkness creeping in, as Saturn represents finality…

Significant Sites For The Equinox…

• Machu Picchu

In Machu Picchu, the City of the Incas, there is an archaeological site perched atop a mountain overlooking the Urubamba Valley.

Here, a giant stone sits at the top of this sacred mountain called Intihuatana, which means “the place when the sun gets tied.”

The stone is perfectly positioned so that each corner sits at the four cardinal points (north, south, east, and west), and at exactly noon on the date of the spring or fall equinox, the Sun’s shadow disappears.

The stone is a precise indicator of the date of the two equinoxes.

• The Great Sphinx and Pyramid of Khafre

The Great Sphinx and Pyramid of Khafre in Egypt also mark the spring and fall equinox, with a peculiar phenomenon.

If you stand directly in front of the Sphinx at sunset on the date of either equinox, you’ll observe the Sun setting on the Sphinx’s right shoulder.

At this angle, the Sun also sits at the southern corner of the Pyramid of Khafre, located behind the Sphinx.

Quarter Days…

The Autumn or Fall Equinox (mid autumn) is one of the quarter days in the calendar, the other quarter days being:

• the spring equinox (or vernal equinox),
• the summer solstice (or mid summer),
• and the winter solstice (also called mid winter).

Mabon – The Second Harvest Festival!

Each of the four quarter days has a Solar Festival: Ostara (spring equinox), Litha (summer solstice), Mabon (autumn equinox) and Yule (winter solstice).

The start of Autumn-time or the Fall Equinox coincides with Mabon, the second harvest (the first being Lughnasadh, the last being Samhain or Halloween).

In ancient cultures this was a time to store food for winter (namely the farmers gathered hearty foods like gourds, pumpkins, grapes and apples).

The Cornucopia…

The Cornucopia–or Horn of Plenty–is a traditional symbol for Mabon, a symbol for an abundant harvest but also a balance of male (phallic) and female (receptive) that can be used at this time…

Seasonal Changes…

This is always such a wonderful point in the calendar to acknowledge, when we see visible shifts all around us in the colours of nature.

Bring it home with a feast for you and yours!

Honour the time of year eating foods that are seasonal; corn, beans, squash, apples, pumpkins, root vegetables etc. and use herbs of this season too: rosemary and sage.

Harmony & Equality!

Most of all we can celebrate with a moment of balance in our own lives, taking the day for stillness, appreciation, and honoring the passing of time with gratitude.

Christian Festivity…

The Christian festival Michaelmas (or the Feast of Michael and All Angels, the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Feast of the Archangels, or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels) is celebrated on the 29th of September every year, a day associated with the beginning of autumn.

Here a ‘T’ for temporibus (latin for phases, or periodically), with Archangel Michael, holding scales to weigh the souls at the Last Judgement and spears a dragon below his feet.

The name Michaelmas comes from a shortening of “Michael’s Mass”, in the same style as Christmas (Christ’s Mass, at Yule) and Candlemas (Candle Mass, at Imbolc – the middle of Aquarius Season).

Note that the fall equinox in the northern hemisphere is the spring equinox in the Southern hemisphere (Australia, South Africa, South America, New Zealand and other places south of the equator), and vice versa.