The Fall Equinox on September 23rd is a time of harvest, gratitude, and deep internal spiritual reflection. It’s also the first day of fall, so break out the cute layers and funky hats.

This day marks the beginning of autumn, a time when we start to slow down and gather our reserves for the winter. This allows us to see how far we have come in a year and to reap the rewards of the projects we have been pursuing.

This subtle internal process can be seen if we look at each year and see how things are slowly changing. Day by day, we are shedding our fear, getting closer to our spiritual self and further away from the fear-based ego that runs us into the ground. If you look back at the year, you’ll realize how far you’ve come in such a relatively short time.

Today is a day that marks a moment of accomplishment and it’s good to spend some time in nature to thank Mother Earth and the Universe for supporting you in your internal growth process. Thank it for the challenges that allowed you to grow, the prayers that were answered, and the blessings that seemed to have shown up out of nowhere.

The Ancient Wisdom of the Fall Equinox Is Still Alive

Before the rise of Christianity when the world was more deeply connected to the energy of nature, the Fall Equinox was a key moment in the year to thank the Earth for all it provides and a time to begin to recover from all the work we’ve put in over the year. This time of giving thanks does not mean just being thankful for the food that we have on the table, but a heartfelt realization and gratitude for the gentle guidance that nature gives us and how the larger cycles of the Universe allow us to manifest and reap what we sow.

As people continue to open up spiritually in the present day, they are finding that same wisdom of the ancients: we are all connected to everything. The path of the spiritual seeker is internal, and that internal space is the place we can go to find solace and truth. The ancients knew the energies of nature are alive in us; they knew that we feel as humans what nature is going through as well.

As the leaves begin to change, the temperatures begin to cool, and the animals begin to prepare to hibernate, we can give ourselves time to let our bodies relax and put our minds at ease. It’s as if we are moving from the yang (output) to the yin (receiving), where we can hear the voice of our soul and allow its wisdom to nurture and replenish us after working so hard for the first three quarters of the year.

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A Season of Rest & Reflection

The Fall Equinox means that day and night are the same lengths. Equinox marks the time when we begin to experience more darkness than light over the 24-hour cycle of the day. This means instead of feeling overly optimistic, we may be seeing more of our own darkness or pain reflected in the world around us. Each time our focus is drawn to what we may perceive as negative as we dive into our shadow self, we can embrace this and look for the positive expression of that energy. Even the toughest emotion can be expressed in a loving way. Greed could be expressed as self-love in its healthy version, for example.

As we begin to see our own shadows, the emotions we experience may feel a bit darker perhaps and those emotions hold the biggest potential healing because as we choose to rewrite any stories of lack, fear or limitations, we are seeing the last chains that hold us back from stepping more fully into the light. Use this season to embrace all the negative thoughts as a clue for an area of your own life that you can re-work to be loving and limitless.

An At-Home Ritual for the Fall Equinox:

This day is an ancient Pagan holiday called Mabon. It was named after a Welsh god who was the son of the mother of Earth. Pagans stopped at this time to celebrate the harvest and feast. Take the time to make a special meal today to help you connect to the natural cycles and thank nature for supporting you. Meditate on a meal that will help you feel nourished and loved. Perhaps you can incorporate some healing herbs, spices, and seasonal vegetables into a special stew.

When we cook with the intention of nourishment for our mind, body, and soul, we get closer to being in tune with our own body and what it is telling us. Try going to the grocery store and seeing what plants call to you. This can help you with ideas of how to nourish yourself through the fall and winter and allow you to sense what your body is craving to bring balance after the busy summer months.

Go home and cook with intention, being mindful that you’re infusing your food with energy. This is a gift to yourself for all your hard work and you are symbolizing your own connection to nature.

As the seasons change, we want to listen to our body if it wants to slow down or eat warmer foods.

How the Fall Equinox Can Help You Heal

In nature, there is a process of birth, growth, death, decay, and rebirth. We see this with the changing seasons and if we pay attention, we can see it in ourselves and foster our own growth through it. We have an opportunity today to allow ourselves to see that we can continue to grow at any point in our lives. Today can be a day of great inspiration and motivation. When you embark upon the season of rest and reflection, where curling up with a journal and cup of tea is idyllic, it’s a time that allows us to enter the inner world of our emotions instead of being extroverted and engaging all the time with the world.

This process we are going through is not just in nature but also in our Universe. The Sun will transit Libra from today until October 23, when it moves into deep and intense Scorpio. We will slowly transition into this season over the next three to four weeks when it will be time to face our shadows and see what lies beneath the surface for us that needs attention. We can begin to welcome in the more cozy habits of the home now, not just with making a fire or cooking, but with spending time alone to get clear with what we want instead of what other people want. Start a new journal today that is just between you and your soul.

Sometimes we read about a spiritually significant day and it feels somehow outside of us, like a concept but not a tangible experience. If you want really want to make an effort to sense just how much your energy is connected to everything and glean the wisdom that can come from tuning in to this pivotal event, sit quietly in nature and allow yourself to expand your consciousness to feel the subtle changes initiated in nature at this time. Feel the heartbeat of the Earth and know that everyone is a part of everything together.

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