The Fall (Autumn) Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere is September 23rd, 2019, 3:50AM EDT, marking the beginning of Fall in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of Spring in the Southern Hemisphere.  It represents a shift of energy both in the physical (natural world) and the spiritual world.  

Its rhythm is a time of “reaping” the seeds we have sown in the past nine months of the year.  Whether it is a real harvest of things planted in your garden or the harvest of intentions on your life path that you set earlier in the year. On the equinox, day and night are approximately equal length all over the world.  This roughly 12-hour day and 12-hour night occurs only on the two equinox days of the year.  Equinox is derived from a Latin word and means “equal night.”  In scientific terms, the earth’s rotational axis is neither titled away nor towards the Sun as it is stationed above the celestial equator and marks the moment the sun crosses it

Spiritually it sets the stage for you to take an individual journey within yourself. What does this mean?  It’s about looking and creating balance, as well as acknowledging the abundance in your life.  We have forgotten how we are tied into the natural rhythms of the seasons of earth.  While we are stationed here on earth, we should look at reconnecting with the natural rhythms of our planet.  There are 4 days that mark the beginning of a new season (2 equinoxes and 2 solstices) throughout the earth.

Many indigenous cultures have long recognized earth-based wisdom and understood that the four focal points of year (The Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, and Autumn Equinox) serve as illuminated states of an inner spiritual journey—a spiritual cycle that each individual takes within themselves.

Before, I get to some practical guidance, let’s take a look at the world we live in.

Balance… Balance… Balance!  
We live in a fast-paced world and often the speed of which we consume news, entertainment, social media, and otherwise, out paces a sustainable lifestyle.  How do we harness the energy and make the most of our life?  It is an individual answer for each of us.  But first and foremost is self-care, self-love, and nurturing what you love and lights you up.  Often, we feel out of sync because we are out of tune with the energy and the natural rhythms of the earth.  Our internal mechanisms have not been prepared to keep up with the level of intensity as it exists today.  

The Fall equinox represents a mid-harvest.  Give yourself permission to take time to pause, reflect, and to look forward to where you wish to put your energy or life flow during the final three months of the year.  It is giving yourself a time to celebrate your accomplishments thus far, and gain clarity to harmonize and restore and create choices that are sustainable to your lifestyle.  You may want to shift your consciousness to honor the abundance the Fall Equinox brings by acknowledging your gratitude for all that you have and all that you are.

Allow yourself to become conscious of what your body is telling you and to assess what you can adjust in your day-to-day life. Clear the mental field of the harvest to understand what seed ideas you will plant in the year ahead.  This is about restoring and finding balance as you continue to move into the Fall and the holiday season.

Often, we move in such a fast-paced environment we take little note of what we have accomplished in the last nine months and this can lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed.  We stay stuck in the patterns of overdoing, overworking and eventually burn out.  Why?  Because we don’t take the time to receive and look at what has happened.  If you don’t take the time to see what you’ve accomplished or have become, you’ll keep pressuring yourself to do more.  When you stop and reflect on accomplishments and successes, you stop making your choices from a place of stress.

Look with a sense of clarity on what really matters and where to focus your attention for the remainder of the year. What are the things that are really important to you?  What will yield the highest return?  And the most nourishing and satisfying harvest?  

The heart of your spiritual practice is individual as you internally create space and make room for what’s to come. 

Enjoy the Fall Equinox and beyond!