For most of the year, the Earth’s axis is tilted either toward or away from the sun. That means the sun’s warmth and light fall unequally on the northern and southern halves of the planet. During the equinox, the Earth’s axis and its orbit line up so that both hemispheres get an equal amount of sunlight.
Not only do temperatures drop, but plant life slows down and so do we.
The fall equinox and the first day of autumn arrives on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at 02:50 A.M. EDT in the Northern Hemisphere. The equinox occurs at the same moment worldwide.
The word “equinox” comes from Latin aequus, meaning “equal,” and nox, ”night.” On the equinox, day and night are roughly equal in length.
Persephone (Greek) is the goddess of the equinox. Fall Equinox mythically marks the time when Persephone returns to the underworld. She is the daughter of the harvest goddess Demeter and was kidnapped by Hades to become his wife.
The fall equinox is about finding balance and manifesting abundance. This time of equal day and night is marked by the peak of harvest season, which can be interpreted as the physical harvest of food or the energetic harvest of the fruits of your spiritual labor.
The Autumn Equinox inspires us to reflect upon and feel gratitude for the abundance in our lives. It’s a beautiful time to share nature’s plenty with friends and loved ones, with dishes built around seasonal ingredients like apples, pumpkins, squash, grapes, and grains. For ten rituals to celebrate the equinox read more here on The Outdoor Apothecary.
