A Quiet and Reflective Celebration of the Autumn Equinox

By innergoddesstarot on September 21, 2020 in Equinox, Tarot Tuesday 0

I love Autumn. However, I have to admit that I resist its first coming. I wear sandals as long as humanly possible and I hold out on socks until absolutely necessary. But the autumn atmosphere seeps into my bones, into my heart, and finally I welcome it with open arms.

There is a beauty and a melancholy to this time of year. Bittersweet. We enjoy the bounty of the harvest, but we know that it means many things are also coming to an end. I am most aware of the cycles of life in the Autumn, and my heart aches with gratitude for all the blessings in this world, and I also want to freeze everything as it is now, and hold my loved ones close.

This year is a particularly poignant Equinox, don’t you think? The colder weather brings concerns of how we are going to function, stay safe, and thrive when we have to spend most of our time indoors. We are in the midst of a pandemic, forest fires, an election that will change the course of history, we continue to lose beloved icons. There is so much to be grateful for, to celebrate, but we are all experiencing that undercurrent of uncertainty and grief.

I feel that. I honor that. But I’m tired of feeling heavy and worried.

I’d like to shift myself more in the direction of gratitude and gathering in, and away from that melancholy. Or, at least to strike a greater balance between these forces. Melancholy can be seductive, but I want to put some more nourishing energy into the world, into the earth, so that everything will be reborn in the spring with vigor and new hope. Including me, and you as well.

Here are some nourishing and reflective ways to celebrate the Equinox:

Go for a walk in nature and admire the changing leaves.
Gather in some of those red and yellow leaves to adorn your altar. Add some gourds (they always make me feel cheerful).
Cook a comforting stew with butternut squash, pumpkin or your favorite root vegetables.
Tidy up your garden, show it some love and care before its winter rest.
Clean your home, sweep out any stagnant energy (and dust and cat hair) and make it a cozy and uplifting nest
Express gratitude for everything good that came your way over the past few months, write about it, paint it, collage it, give your gratitude some kind of physical form.
Make a list of everything you want to draw to yourself, everything you want to be harvesting this time next year. As with your gratitude list, write it down, draw it, paint it, dance it, give it tangible form.
Make a list of everything that you want to release, what no longer serves, and then get rid of it in a way that makes sense for you. Burn it, tear it into little pieces and let the wind carry it away.
Set a place at your dinner table for a passed loved one. Invite them to join you for a visit.
Get out that green or black robe (I know you have one) and do a solitary ritual outdoors. Express love and gratitude to the God and Goddess (don’t worry about what the neighbors might think).
Mull some apple cider or wine, pour some on the ground in offering and thanks, and enjoy the rest yourself or with a loved one if you can.

I also invite you to turn to your Tarot or oracle cards, and do some divining for yourself on the day of the Equinox, the day of balance.

The purpose of this spread is to help you to connect with your gratitude, your intentions, and to release what needs to be released. It promotes balance, give and take. Also, it asks you to take action, to do something physical and practical or symbolic to activate those energy shifts and start the momentum of those intentions.