Autumn begins at the fall equinox and during ancient times, this season change was critical for crops and other farming. There are also spiritual meanings to this phenomenon that we speak about in this article.
The fall equinox happens twice a year, depending on where in the hemisphere you’re located. This may occur on September 22nd or March 20th. Spiritually, the fall equinox is about gratitude and thanksgiving for the positive things leading up to the time.
The equinox in fall is the time of year when the sun moves from south to north, which is seen as a spiritual event. The vernal and autumn equinoxes are two times of the year when day and night are equal in length. On one side of the hemisphere, it would be the start of autumn and on the other side, it would be spring, and they would experience “spring equinox.”
The fall equinox is considered to be one of the four holy days in Wicca, with each season having its holy day. This event is also known as Mabon (which means “the son”) or Alban Elfed (meaning “light” or “light of the water” in other interpretations). It occurs on September 22nd or 23rd, depending on which calendar system you’re using.
Fall Equinox & Its Symbolism
The fall equinox happens when the sun crosses the celestial equator. It is also known as the autumnal equinox. The word “equinox” is borrowed from Latin, meaning “equal night”.
The fall equinox has a deep significance in many major religions and cultures worldwide. It is celebrated as a time of rebirth, renewal, and transition to new life.
You can also take this time to examine yourself. Assess your needs from the inside out. Since autumn brings change, trees and flowers die before they bloom and are fresh and reborn in spring. Symbolically, the equinox of autumn also has this meaning, and you can consider things you might not have achieved, but look towards what you want to achieve.
Spiritualty Of Equinox And Gratitude
In spiritual terms, the equinox marks a time of gratitude and joy for what was and lies ahead. Celebrating the end of summer and welcoming autumn is one of the main reasons to celebrate. On a spiritual note, being grateful for life’s achievements and triumphs is another way to show gratitude.
Families often get together to celebrate this time of the year as they welcome autumn and the change in season.
Families can do the following in celebration of this time:
Make lists of gratitude
Just like Thanksgiving, being grateful and even listing these points is a nice sentiment to share with the kids as a family.
Create balance in your home
Sometimes the balance is off in the home as a result of old items stored up or needing to be deeply clean.
Do arts and crafts with the kids tailored to fall
Making cards for autumn is another way to recognize this special equinox. This is also fun for the family, partaking in the arts and crafts activities.
Enjoy a fall harvest meal
Since fall is the last of the crops before the winter kicks in, people often use the crops harvested at this time and cook a feast of gratitude. Enjoy this homegrown and cooked food with family and friends.
How parts of the world celebrate this event:
Higan in Japan
Higan is the Japanese Buddhist celebration of the fall equinox. During this time, the sun sets in the west which is also associated with the land of the afterlife according to the Buddhist religion.
Festival of the moon in China and Vietnam
China and Vietnam celebrate the moon festival or the festival of the moon. This is a celebration of being grateful for the last harvest of the season before fall comes in. You may of heard of moon cake before, if not, this is a delicious cake made especially for the autumn equinox. family and friends share moon cake and celebrate during this important time of the year.
The snake of sunlight Mexico
In Chichen-Itza, Mexico, there’s a famous structure called the “snake of sunlight”. It is a pyramid formation and plays a vital role in the fall equinox. Just like Stonehenge and other iconic places associated with the solstice and other dynamic characteristics and associations if the suns.
Often overlooked were the old Mayan pyramids for the pyramids of Giza. Still, it is unclear just how they came about with such detail and robustness. Besides, the calculations were all bang on.
Mabon in the United Kingdom
Mabon began with the ancient Celtics, who watched the sun and celebrated aspects deriving from there. It is also part of the said Wiccan, pagan celebrations. The Celts practice and observed 6 sabbats of which the fall equinox was one of these important religious days.
It is also part of the said Wiccan pagan celebrations. Mabon is also about thanksgiving for the harvest as the other parts of the world recognize this too.
Who are the Wiccans you may ask?
The Wiccans are a group of people who practice certain traditions based on naturalism. The practice is old and dates to pagan times. The Wiccans also use herbs and natural means for their ritual practices during the fall equinox.
Since it is a pre-Christian religion, Wiccans also associate with druids and have various groups under one umbrella as Wiccan.
Feast of Greener in Poland
Poland is also known for celebrating the changing seasons. The Polish do this by collecting gifts of nature, having it blessed and then giving to a priest as a thank you for all the help throughout the year.
Hinduism in India
In Hinduism, the celebration of Navaratri takes place over several days honoring the god Devi.
Conclusion
How do you plan on celebrating the change in season this year? Have you listed everything you’re grateful for? Celebrating this phenomenon does is not limited to being religious. Some people celebrate it as part of a holiday festival, and others purposefully set the day aside to partake in the events.
