A Sacred Pause: Embracing the Wisdom of the Fall Equinox

As the light slants a bit lower and the air carries a new whisper, we approach a moment of balance in a world that feels so very out of balance. On September 22nd, the sun will cross the celestial equator, activating nearly equal parts day and night. The Fall Equinox. 

In the rhythm of the Earth, this isn't just an astronomical event; it is a sacred threshold. It is a time of awareness and release, of gathering in and letting go. It invites us into a sacred conversation with the world around us and the spirit within us.

The Spiritual Balance of the Equinox

An ecospiritual lens invites us to see that our inner landscapes mirror the outer world, and vice-versa. The equinox is a powerful invitation to find equilibrium within our own lives. Where are we over-extended or too much in our heads (too much "day")? Where are we resting in the unknowing or checking out (the "night")? This moment asks us to honor both—the light of our action and the dark fertile soil of what is yet to come. To honor even the too-muchness.

Even as we can get caught up in the chaos and destabilization of the collective right now, the equinox opens a doorway for us to withdraw our consent, and our energy, from what is imbalanced, dysfunctional, and fear-based. Instead, we can come into coherence with the turning of the earth’s cycle and our own bodies and hearts. To feel the alive patterning of earth’s autumnal energies within us. To invest in love.

And by “balance,” I don’t mean a flattening of ourself, a toning down or some buzzword for wellness. It’s not a domestication of our aliveness, emotion, or power, but instead a radical acceptance of all the parts of who we are into a synthesis. Nature has her own imbalances that eventually comes into new arrangements. It’s part of being an evolving species on an evolving planet. Times of “imbalance” can bring big break-throughs, re-arranging our lives and enlivening possibilities for what has not been. A threshold time. And now, we re-balance what has been emerging, what is fading away.

Practices for this Threshold Season

Here are a few ways you might engage with this seasonal shift on your own or with loved ones:

1.  Create a Gratitude & Release Altar: Find a spot in your yard or other outdoor nook, perhaps with a willing large stone or tree trunk. A small table outside is okay too! Place on it any symbols that echo your gratitude for this time, and some symbol or artwork representing what you may be called to release that no longer serves you, or  that integrates those ‘dark’ places within you, those banished subterranean parts, with the light that is you. (examples could be a beautiful black stone, a poem that moved you, a tealight candle, home-grown food that has sustained you, photos or artwork of archetypes or family or friends who have offered their support in difficult times). Then, write down on small pieces of paper what you wish to release—a worry, a habit, a judgment. Offer them to the altar before composting or burning them in a mindful ritual.

2.  Walk in Equilibrium: Take a silent wander in a place that draws you. As you walk, simply notice. Notice the balance of light and shadow. Stand on one foot, then the other, feel the imbalance (if you can do so safely!) Then feel the equal weight of your feet on the earth. Offer gratitude, bow to a tree, fallen leaves, or a tiny more-than-human one. Let it in that you are a part of self-organizing living whole, interconnected and purposeful. Take some deep breaths and notice your embodied self, giving thanks to the trees for your very breath. Your nervous system will thank you.

3.  Sit in the "Both-And": Spend 15-30 minutes sitting outside at dusk or at dawn on the 22nd (or any time) in the fading light, holding a space for the "both-and" nature of life—joy and sorrow, activity and rest, giving and receiving, holding on and letting go, perhaps what you consider “good” and what you consider “bad.” Feel how the world holds these opposites in a seamless whole.

A Blessing for the Equinox

May you walk in coherence with this turning earth.

May you give thanks for the light that has nurtured your growth.

May you trust the necessary dark that invites your rest and deeper knowing.

May your releases be gentle, and your perception clear.

And may you feel the unwavering presence of the Sacred, humming beneath the surface of it all - inviting, repairing, healing and holding.