The autumn equinox in September is one of the two days of the year when day and night are equal, (the other being the spring equinox or vernal equinox in March.) These are days of balance, when daylight and nighttime hours are in perfect harmony.
The autumn equinox has been celebrated all over the world far back into the depths of history. There are monuments around the world built to align with the sun on the autumn equinox, including Chichen Itza in Mexico.
The equinoxes are the halfway points between the solstices. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year and the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year. In the spring and fall we have equinoxes, when the days and nights are equal, (there is no fall solstice.)
From this point onward in the year, the nights will grow longer than the days, all the way until the longest night of the year on the winter solstice. (Click here to check out our suggested winter solstice rituals.)
This is amplified by day light saving time and the time change in November. At the autumn equinox, we are beginning the descent into the darker part of the year, and so we are celebrating the last of the abundant harvest and sunshine.
There is also an astrological significance to the autumn equinox, as the equinox itself occurs when the sun reaches 0° of Libra, the zodiac sign symbolized by the balanced scales. It also always occurs within a few weeks of the full moon in Aries, as Aries and Libra are opposite zodiac signs, also representing balance.
What is the Autumn Equinox?
The autumn equinox is often considered the first day of fall and is celebrated by many witches as part of the pagan Wheel of the Year. We’ve released articles on all seven of the other festivals in the Wheel of the Year, so be sure to check those out!
The autumnal equinox is the first of two fall festivals and actually the second in three harvest festivals. The first harvest festival is Lammas, in August, which is a celebration of the summer harvest of vegetables, grains, and wheat, often celebrated by baking bread.
The autumn equinox is the second harvest festival, when we celebrate the full harvest of fruits and veggies, gourds, and more. In my area, that means celebrating the harvest of grapes in Wine Country as well as apples.
The equinox is sometimes called Mabon, although this is a modern construction inspired by a Welsh god who was the son of an earth goddess. You can think of the autumn equinox as a thanksgiving celebration, when we give gratitude to the earth and to one another for all the hard work we’ve put in so far this year.
The third harvest festival is Samhain, which is the ancient Celtic precursor to our modern Halloween festivities, and is a celebration of the final harvest before winter.
The autumn equinox is determined by astronomical events and the movement of the sun, so it shifts a few days each year, generally occurring around September 20-23 in the Gregorian calendar.
In 2023, the autumn equinox is occurring in the northern hemisphere on September 22. Note that the autumn equinox in the southern hemisphere occurs in late March, when the sun reaches 0° of Aries.
The Symbolism of the Autumn Equinox
The symbols of the autumn equinox are all things fall, sweater weather, pumpkin spice latte! Many of your favorite fall scents, sights, and things to do are perfect for celebrating the equinox.
I always get the urge to start baking right around the equinox, as the weather hopefully turns a bit cooler. You’ll find me whipping up baked pumpkin donuts and my mom’s ridiculously moist pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for a start.
Even before the equinox is officially on its way, in late August, my roommate and I usually hit up all our favorite craft and decor stores to check out their fall collections and get silk flowers and fall-colored leaves for the front door wreath and a few new pumpkin figurines to add to our collection.
Then towards the end of September, a week or two after the equinox, we visit our favorite local pumpkin patch to stroll through the corn maze and load up on real gourds for the front porch and for carving come Halloween with our girlfriends!
And you better believe we’re stopping at Starbucks first for a PSL or, in my non-coffee drinker case, a London fog with almond milk and a shot of apple brown sugar syrup, (OMG TRY IT.)
So why are all of these classic symbols of fall also associated with the equinox? Because these things are all in season this time of year, of course!
Whether it’s seasonal fruits baked into pies, seasonal veggies carved into mazes and lanterns, leaves fallen from the trees outside, or just all things pumpkin, your autumn equinox decor is readily at hand.
Autumn Equinox Correspondences to Help You Celebrate
Autumn Equinox Colors: Orange, Red, Yellow, Brown
Autumn Equinox Crystals: Citrine, Clear Quartz, Ametrine
Autumn Equinox Plants: Gourds, Pumpkins, Wheat, Mums, Rosehips
Autumn Equinox Foods: Apples, Pears, Pumpkin, Fall Spices
How to Prepare for the Autumn Equinox
The weeks before the equinox can have a hustle and bustle of energy to them. Whether you have kids or are in school yourself or not, I think we all just feel like it’s back-to-school in early September.
Over the summer, we tend to let our rituals and routines slip as we get busy with other things. But come September, it’s time to shift gears, realign, and start a different chapter.
Preparing for the autumn equinox is very much about the spiritual equinox meaning of self-reflection. Here are a few prompts to reflect on as you prep for your autumn rituals. You might journal on these or even pull tarot cards on them:
- What intentions did I set, (or seeds did I plant, if you will), at the beginning of spring?
- How have my intentions come to pass? Or, how have they shifted?
- What work did I put in to create my intentions and tend to my goals over the last six months?
- Did any lessons come up around how I can take more aligned action towards my goals in the future? (This includes needing to rest more!!!)
- What abundance have I received into my life in the last six months?
- What do I have to be grateful for right now in my life?
Reflecting on the six months since the spring equinox is a powerful exercise because it can show us how much we’ve really grown and shifted in that time, often so much more than we realize.
Shifting into this energetic frequency of gratitude is an excellent way to transition into the new season, the darker half of the year, and into your autumn equinox rituals.
Autumn Equinox Celebration Ideas For Abundance
There are so many different ways that we can celebrate the September equinox from candle and bonfire rituals to practicing divination to sharing feasts with those we care about. I really believe that the simplest, most down-to-earth celebrations are the most nourishing in this case.
The core themes of the autumn equinox are abundance and gratitude, as well as reflection and sharing our resources and love with others. Here are fifteen ideas for celebrating the equinox in big ways and small ways:
- Do some fall baking and take cute little bundles of cookies around to all of your neighbors.
- Have a potluck feast with all of your friends on or around the equinox.
- Get a nice big pumpkin from the store and have everyone write what they’re grateful for on it with a black or gold marker.
- Donate canned goods or volunteer at a food pantry.
- Harvest vegetables from your garden, (or pick some up at the farmers market), to make a delicious, seasonal meal.
- Bake a loaf of bread to share with loved ones – literally breaking bread as you sit and talk about your lives.
- Visit a pumpkin patch or apple orchard where you can pick the fruits yourself.
- Decorate a fall wreath for your front door or gate – Joann Fabrics often has the best deals on good quality faux flowers that will last all season even in the elements!
- Harvest herbs from your garden, (or pick some up at the farmers market), and hang them up in a window in your house to dry – it’s aesthetic, Practical Magic-esque decor AND functional as you’ll have dried herbs to use in your cooking all season long.
- Plant fall flowers like chrysanthemums to have in your kitchen window or on the patio for a little color even as summer winds down.
- Read up on the harvest rituals and equinox practices of your ancestors, as this festival has been celebrated all over the world for millennia.
- Collect leaves that have started to fall and press them in wax paper placed inside heavy books for a few weeks – then turn them into placemats, works of art, or garlands!
- Light a white, yellow, or gold candle while you reflect and journal on the prompts above. Burn the paper in a fire-safe container, then light a black candle to represent the darker part of the year and pull some tarot cards on what is to come in the next six months.
- Get a metal or concrete firepit that you can safely have in your backyard or patio and sit around it the night of the equinox with your friends and family, roasting marshmallows and sharing your gratitudes. Perhaps with a gratitude list?
- Attend the 4th annual Empowered Modern Witches Summit! I host an annual virtual summit the week of the autumn equinox with over 15 amazing speakers sharing their wisdom on the seasons, moon phases, magick, and astrology. It’s totally free to join us live and you’ll even get access to the replays for several days afterwards. Click here to sign up for free and come and celebrate the equinox with me!
We’d love to hear in the comments how you decide to celebrate the Autumn Equinox! Or better yet, take a photo of your celebrations and tag @thewhimsysoul on Instagram for us to see/share!