Autumn Equinox is one of two times in the year when there is equal light and equal darkness. It is when the sun rises and sets closest to the equator. In Australia from this point forward there is more dark than light in our day/night cycle. In the northern hemisphere, they are moving into spring where the light becomes greater each day, therefore they are celebrating the Spring Equinox. The exact time of the equinox in Brisbane in 2023 is March 21st at 7:24am.
An interesting fact about the Equinox in March is that it is used as a guide to determine the dates for Easter each year. Easter is celebrated following the first full moon after the equinox. This is why Easter changes from one year to the next because the moon cycle is different each year.
Actually, in Australia, it doesn’t make as much sense as it does in the Northern Hemisphere because Easter is a celebration of new life and rebirth. In the Northern Hemisphere, because the Equinox marks the beginning of Spring, it makes sense that this is a time for the traditional celebration of new life emerging . The origins of the religious traditions of Easter actually came about to integrate religious holidays in with Pagan festivals (hence the use of eggs and bunnies). However, in Australia, we were colonised by people from the Northern Hemisphere who were then following the religious traditions (not the Wheel of the Year) and they brought their dates for the celebration of Easter with them – hence we have the same date for Easter in the southern hemisphere. As the celebration was all about the religious reasons, rather than connecting in with nature.
Traditionally, the full moon after Autumn equinox was a time of year when people held a festival to acknowledge the abundance of the summer harvest and start planning for the coming winter. There was a reckoning where people living off the land decided what practices, crops and stock were valued: needed to be preserved (for winter and times of scarcity) and what could be discarded. Crops which hadn’t been fruitful were sewn back into the earth and re-evaluation as to whether it was just a “bad” season for that crop or whether it was not the right time/place to be cultivating it. The equinox can be seen as a time to gain perspective and balance: of weighing up what is useful and what would take more energy than it was worth to keep up.
Today the significance of this can go unnoticed in our busy, modern-day world, with resources being available almost all year round. It is, however, useful to take time out of to acknowledge the equinox in a more symbolic way.
Equinox is a time to look at balance in our lives – a time to take stock of what we have and do. It could be that we decide to go the extra mile to complete something that is almost done or decide to stop pursuing something that is taking up too much time or energy and really is no longer beneficial. No matter where you are in your life there is always value in taking time to stop and evaluate what is and isn’t serving you in your life.
I have a list of questions to contemplate for my plans leading into the next 3 months and beyond. These questions are based upon the astrological happenings in our skies, as well as our current feelings here on the ground. Equinox is the perfect time to do this – to look at our lives and find balance in all areas. I encourage you to do this to (Click here to get these sent straight to your inbox).
This year I will be acknowledging this time with a special ceremony as part of our Energy & Sound Healing Event in Norman Park, QLD. If you would like to create more balance in your life and experience the amazing effects of group energy healing whilst bathed in the vibrations of crystal quartz singing bowls then why not book in to the next event. For more details and to book CLICK HERE
Celebrating the wheel of the year pivotal moments and working with nature and associated energies helps us to reduce stress and connect more into the natural world in which we live. It provides benefits to our health and well-being and enables us to respect the natural resources that nature freely gives us. This is an area I have been increasingly called to work in, so watch this space for some natural ways to connect and work with me. Or sign-up to my newsletter – to be informed of all things natural and therapies that can support you.