The Meaning Of The Fall Equinox Will Help You See Beauty In The Darkness

Do you feel the energy shifting already? Maybe it began as a subtle chill in the air, slowly overtaking the heat that summer has been radiating. Perhaps its the cold and refreshing scent billowing through the wind, filling your lungs with clarity. Have the leaves started falling from tree branches? Have the colors altered from their natural greens to pale oranges, soft yellows, and calming browns? If so, then you don't even need to know the meaning of the fall equinox 2018 to recognize that autumn is upon us. However, these changes are only the start of something beautiful, essential, and new, so give the poetry a chance to permeate your heart before making any final judgments.

If you ever needed a reason to believe in the cycle of death and rebirth, look no further than the four seasons. Spring is a new beginning; a chance to start fresh, plant new seeds, and rise from the ashes. Those seeds grow and prosper through the nourishing time of summer, thriving under the sun's care and bursting with life. Autumn harvests such abundance, taking stock of all that has grown and saving it for the frozen, lifeless winter. However, nothing stays dead for long, because spring returns once more to wipe the slate clean, starting the natural process all over again.

Occurring on September 22, 2018, the autumn equinox is an important tipping point in the ceaseless cycle. Without it, something integral would be missing.

A Reminder That Everything Must End Eventually

All throughout history, summer has never been an easy season to say goodbye to. After all, our ancient ancestors lived as hunters and gathers. They relied heavily on the abundant ease of summer as a time to revel in life and enjoy the most abundantly growing period of the natural cycle. No matter how bittersweet it might be to watch summer be replaced by the steady process of death that autumn is known for, it's a clear and very much needed step in the seasonal journey that we embark on each and every year.

Even when beautiful things come to an end, it's important to remember that another beautiful thing begins. Although summer may be lively, energized, and exciting, it's only human to let that intensity go eventually. However, autumn makes sure you won't be left empty-handed, because the fall equinox is all about reaping what you've sowed and harvesting your accomplishments.

The Balance Between The Light And The Dark

According to Merriam-Webster, the term "equinox" is rooted in the latin word aequi, which means "equal". The latin word nox is responsible for the rest of its significance, meaning "night". The essence of the autumn equinox comes from the fact that it takes place on a date in which the day lasts just as long as the night. Balancing two separate extremes, this seasonal transition is about finding harmony within yourself.

The bright and hot sun blots out your shadows during summer, asking you to tuck your private world away. Instead, summer is about overwhelming expression, participating in the outer world, growing externally, and doing it all with the utmost energy. However, we're all mere mortals and we grow weary eventually. During the autumn equinox, the balance between your shadows and your light is a chance to reacquaint yourself with everything that you've been repressing, perhaps even hiding. It's a time to tend to the things that you've left behind; a chance to take a long look at how good you've been to your soul.

A Chance To Honor Yourself And How Far You've Come

Autumn is when our ancestors harvested all the crops that they spent all summer tending to. Collecting all the abundance that they've worked so hard for in preparation for a long and difficult winter, the autumn equinox is also a moment in which you're meant to celebrate the harvest within yourself.

Think about where you were back in spring. What intentions did you set? What projects did you begin? What realizations were you having? Did anything change? Now, think about how far you've come from that person you were all those months ago. As a reflection of the seasonal cycle, you were just a seed back in spring, freshly planted into the earth and waiting for some water and sunlight to reawaken you. Since then, the amount of growth and expansion you've undergone is something you should thank yourself for. Take note of how much you've accomplished. Remind yourself of everything you've survived. If you made mistakes along the way, remember how much you learned from them. No matter what, you are always advancing.