Equinox ritual for the fall.
Around September 22-23, the Sun will move from the sign of Virgo to the sign of Libra. That name is no coincidence: day and night are exactly the same lengths at that moment.
In this article, we’ll share a few ways to celebrate this celebration, in your own place, in your own Home Temple, wherever you are, alone or with friends.
Evening twilight of the year
The Equinox, or day and night evening, is the evening twilight of the year wheel. Today we are crossing the threshold from the long days to the short days. We dive into the dark.
For a short time in the year, the day and night are exactly the same lengths. We pause for a moment on that threshold.
How are you going to do that?
Autumn meal – harvest meal – a big party!
This is the moment when plenty of harvests has been brought in. I like it inside, the apples and pears are mostly in, the vegetables from the vegetable garden too, and if all goes well, your grapes are already fermenting, and you have started with elderberry jam, or you have already found the first wild mushrooms. I recently walked past a field with six giant forest mushrooms, those football-sized mushrooms that you can feed an orphanage with. Mmm!
If you have some time, you can prepare an autumn meal and celebrate the joy of a good harvest with your friends and family. Wonderful extended gathering in which you express your gratitude for the rich harvest. Great if you have time for that!
With the meal, drink some drink for the nature beings, who took care of the maturation process.
A small moment of attention
If you’re busy, you may prefer to keep it small. And that is fine. A ritual really doesn’t have to take a lot of time to be effective.
The intention is everything.
When I still lived in the Magische Bongerd, I was usually too busy for an elaborate celebration. Harvest time was still in full swing: picking raspberries today, the new training season started, and apple sauce had to be made in it.
Still, it’s nice to do something. Then you keep the Libra ritual nice and simple.
When: The ideal moment is, of course, sunset (check your calendar at what time the Sun will set exactly), when the day changes from light to dark.
How: A way to consciously switch from white and light to dark and black. In this way, you honor both polarities, because one is no better than the other. When it is dark around you, it is light inside; if it is always light, the inside can become dark. In any case, dark and light keep each other in balance; with a ritual, we can honor and confirm that, and consciously give it a place.
How? That can be done in different ways.
You can make two circles on the ground, a white circle and a dark one, and then switch from light to dark, in full consciousness.
You can put on a white dress, and then put on a dark robe over it with a lot of ceremony at the right time. And then feel what that does to you. Sit in the dark. Feel the heaviness of the dark time and welcome it.
You can also burn a white candle and extinguish it at sunset and light a black candle. This is how you symbolize the dark light. That is a mystical concept, the light that enlightens us within.
Make an autumn wreath or fall table.
If you are handy with flowers and wire, you can make a beautiful fall decoration: a bouquet or a wreath. Look for beautiful coloring leaves, even if there are not very many at the moment. American oak often gives beautiful leaves. Or use the green-colored flowers of the hydrangea, which dry beautifully on the wreath. For color, use ripe red berries from the elderberry, rowan, orange rose hips. You may find sweet chestnuts that you can use in them. Apples that turn a little red are very nice in a wreath. You can put them on sturdy iron wire. Golden yellow corn stalks make it elegant. The golden yellow dried flowers of the yarrow or tansy do not give it a sunny touch.
Inner preparation
The most beautiful intention for fall is, of course, gratitude. It is an era of letting go and accepting that it is what it is. Honor your own efforts. They are valuable! Even if they haven’t quite delivered what you hoped for.
Think about the things you are now harvesting in your life, things that happen to you, that you can receive. Just think while you prepare the festive meal or a nice autumn snack with tea. Inner experience and inspiration plus an outer form that makes it complete.
Are you also participating? Will you let us know how you celebrate the Equinox?
Experiences
Yes, very beautiful, and there is a kind of misty atmosphere in and around me. Light and yet dark. Dreamy and sensitive to sound all day long.
Dancing
Tonight at seven o’clock, we dance with many women in a church, the five rhythms with the theme The Mother.
I make the transition from light to dark (for me also from the outside back to the inside) in the dance.
Winter violets
For now: into the garden and planting winter violets that my neighbor gave me just like that.
Still flowers and cheerfulness. Maybe in the “dark.”
Walk along the water.
I went for a walk with our 13-year-old daughter yesterday before sunset. Her life as a new seventh grader is quite intense at the moment. During the walk, I let her go. There were already quite a lot of autumn leaves on the ground. I think they invited her extra to let go too. When the sun had set, we sat staring into the dark water of the canal together. We came home with an empty head and comfortable in our bodies. Light a candle, a cup of tea. Ready for fall.
Together with the residents, the celebration was not easy.
Until now, there was nothing to celebrate, although I did try. I wanted to do this together with the residents I work with. It turned out differently as it often does in my work, but that is part of the deal. Fortunately, all the tasty snacks that were taken along went in like cake.
Apparently, a number of residents were very bothered by the transition to autumn. There was grumbling, and one was really angry, refused the meal. After all, now that it is dark sooner, they often think that it is the middle of the night.
With a lot of patience and peace, it came to rest at the beginning of the evening.
Just home, in uniform, and wonderfully dressed in a kaftan. Sit down with a cup of coffee now. I don’t often drink coffee. I enjoy our cozy home. Inside warm, light, and cozy, Outside earth dark with the lights in the distance. Immediately snuggle into my chair and retreat to myself for a moment enjoying the idea of not having to think about work for three weeks.
Ritual in the garden
When I got home, I did a little ritual in my garden.
Two chairs next to each other, one white shawl, one black shawl, two candles (white and black), and a fire bowl.
I first sat down on chair 1 with the white shawl and recently had all the actions and results come by. The white candle burned.
Then I got up, made a small fire of dry herbs, and blown out the white candle. For me, this was a symbolic moment of the transition from light to dark, a transformation symbolized by the fire.
When the fire was out, I sat down on chair 2 with my black shawl and lit the black candle. Here I just sat there until it was completely dark…
Forest walk
A walk in the woods on the edge of the day (and the edge of summer) probably also counts. Consciously look at the sky, the fall, and sunset colors. And now at home: light inside, dark outside, with my woolen cardigan (pulled out again yesterday), a cup of herbal tea and a candle. Bring on that fall.
Around 7:36 pm, I blow out an opportunity and go inside with my attention and breathe intensively for a few minutes, light my own fire inside with my attention for the coming moon.