Ways to Mark the Equinox
The autumn equinox is almost upon us. From this point out days are going to be more darkness then light. The sun is loosing its strength and soon the cold and ice will be here. But for now, its wonderfully autumnal.
I’m one of the horrible people that really, REALLY gets into autumn. Its just my time of year. So I really enjoy all the little novelties and rituals that happen around now; Halloween stuff is starting to pack the shelves, everyone starts putting warming spices in everything and nature becomes a blaze of colour.
In the neopagan wheel of the year the autumnal equinox, also called Mabon after a welsh mythological figure, is a time for meditating on balance. To look to see if there are any imbalances within yourself or in your life that could be corrected.
Ritual wise we put time and energy Honoring both ends of the gender spectrum in the divine equally and for those of a Hellenistic inclination, honoring cthonic goddesses like Persephone.
Its good to be out in the world and see how the world is changing. If you have any green spaces near you now is the time to go on walks to enjoy the change in seasons
For me, I like to use this date to start arranging my home for comfort. I get the thick blanket and warm clothes out of storage and start stocking up on candles. I re-design my altar around the themes of Balance and themes of nature for this time of year. I Also stock my cupboards with foods I know I’m gonna start craving as the temperature drops.
It can also be be a nice time to start cooking seasonal indulgences. Hearty soups and stews with squashes and root vegetables, and deserts using blackberries and apples. Warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg go down a treat. A personal favorite from my childhood was my mum’s Apple and blackberry crumble.
Equinox is a good marker to start the wind down process on any ongoing projects. The idea would be to have any extra draws on your time and energy put on hold by Halloween/Samhain as to help with the stresses of winter.
Originally published at https://solarpunkdruid.com on September 20, 2019.
