The autumn equinox is a threshold moment in the year.
It’s a brief pause when day and night stand in perfect balance before the scales tip toward the dark.
For many, this season is rich with symbolism.
It’s a time of harvest, gratitude, letting go, and preparing for the inward journey of winter.
From an astronomical standpoint, the equinox is a precise and measurable moment.
But its deeper significance is as old as humanity itself, rooted in myth, ritual, and the mystery of change.
In this guide, you’ll learn about the autumn equinox through multiple lenses: From cosmic mechanics to cultural celebrations, from metaphysical meaning to shamanic and alchemical resonance.
When is the Autumn Equinox this year?
Let’s start from the top!
In 2025, the autumnal equinox falls on Monday, September 22 — at 18:19 UTC (that’s 2:19 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time).
This marks the exact moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator heading south.
A Moment of Perfect Balance
The word equinox comes from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), meaning “equal night.”
Twice each year — around March 20 and September 22 — the Earth’s axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the Sun.
At that moment, the Sun crosses the celestial equator, and the length of day and night are nearly equal everywhere on Earth.
From a scientific perspective, this is the point where the Sun’s apparent motion shifts from the northern to the southern celestial hemisphere.
After the autumn equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, daylight hours gradually shorten, bringing earlier sunsets and longer nights until the winter solstice.
In agrarian societies, the equinox has always been an indicator.
It means harvest time is here, and the gathering of grain, fruit, and seed must be completed before the first frost.
Ancient Monuments Aligned with the Sun
Many ancient sites are aligned to track equinox sunrise or sunset.
At Chichén Itzá in Mexico, the feathered serpent god Kukulkán seems to descend the pyramid on the equinox as the sun casts a serpent-shaped shadow down the staircase.
In England, the standing stones of Stonehenge and Avebury are thought to mark solstice and equinox sunrises, creating a solar calendar in stone.
These monuments remind us that our ancestors were keen sky-watchers.
The equinox was more than a curiosity.
It was a signal for planting, harvesting, and ritual observance.
Harvest Festivals and Thanksgiving Traditions
Cultures worldwide mark this season with harvest celebrations.
In Europe, Lammas (Lughnasadh) and Mabon (the Autumn equinox) are points on the wheel of the year associated with the grain harvest and thanksgiving.
The Jewish holiday of Sukkot celebrates the ingathering of crops and the impermanence of life with temporary harvest shelters.
In China and Vietnam, the Mid-Autumn Festival honors the full moon closest to the equinox with lanterns, mooncakes, and family gatherings.
The Axis of Balance
Spiritually, the equinox invites you to contemplate balance.
That means between light and dark, action and rest, outer work and inner growth, etc.
It’s a potent time for setting intentions that bring harmony into our lives.
Metaphysically, the equinox represents a pause in the cosmic breath.
If the solstices are the in- and out-breaths of the year, the equinoxes are the still point between them, when you can more easily align with cosmic order.
A Time of Release
As leaves fall and fields are cleared, the season speaks of letting go.
Old patterns, unfinished business, and lingering emotional burdens can be acknowledged and consciously released.
Many practitioners use this time for cord-cutting rituals, journaling, or burning symbolic offerings in a fire ceremony.
Journeying into the Dark
Shamanic traditions often view the autumn equinox as the beginning of the inward spiral of the year.
It’s a descent into the underworld.
This is the time when nature begins to die back, and you’re called to meet your own shadow with courage.
Ancestors and Spirit Guides
As the veil between worlds begins to thin on the approach to Samhain (Halloween), shamanic practitioners honor their ancestors, seeking wisdom from those who have gone before.
Drumming journeys, guided meditations, or rituals around a sacred fire can facilitate connection with spirit guides.
Working with Animal Totems
Animal allies associated with this season can serve as teachers.
Think of the bear (preparing to hibernate), the owl (seer of the night), and the deer (liminal walker).
They remind you to store energy wisely, cultivate insight, and move gracefully through transitions.
Alchemical and Esoteric Dimensions
In alchemy, the autumn equinox corresponds to the process of coagulation.
Coagulation is the final stage where spirit fully embodies matter.
After the purifications of summer’s fire, what is essential becomes solidified.
Symbolically, this is the season to integrate what we’ve learned and bring our spiritual harvest into form.
The element associated with this time is often the element of Earth — grounding, nourishing, stabilizing.
Some esoteric traditions also link it with the element of Water, since it’s a time of descent into the emotional depths.
Either way, the equinox calls us to bring spirit and matter into union.
Mabon and the Witch’s Wheel of the Year
In modern Pagan and Wiccan traditions, the autumn equinox is celebrated as Mabon, one of the eight Sabbats on the Wheel of the Year.
Mabon is often called the “Witches’ Thanksgiving.”
It’s a time to honor the second harvest and give thanks for the abundance of the season.
On the Wheel of the Year, Mabon sits opposite Ostara, the spring equinox, mirroring the balance of light and dark.
But where Ostara heralds new life, Mabon marks the descent.
It’s the waning of the Sun’s power and the approach of the inward, mystical season.
Rituals at this time often focus on gratitude, balance, protection, and release.
Altars might be decorated with apples, acorns, wine, corn, and autumn leaves, symbolizing the fruits of labor and the turning of the cycle.
Many practitioners also use Mabon as a time of personal reflection, reviewing the intentions set at Imbolc or Beltane and assessing what has come to fruition.
It’s a moment to pause before the deeper work of Samhain.
To harvest the years’ lessons, prepare spiritually for the dark half of the year, and celebrate the beauty of the turning Earth.
Rituals for the Autumn Equinox
Here are some simple but practical (and potent!) ways to celebrate the turning of the season:
- Harvest Feast: Cook a meal with local seasonal ingredients — squash, apples, grains — and offer thanks to the land.
- Balance Meditation: Sit in stillness at sunrise or sunset and visualize light and dark within you coming into harmony.
- Release Ceremony: Write down what you’re ready to let go of and burn the paper in a fire-safe container.
- Decorate an Altar: Add autumn leaves, acorns, candles, and crystals like carnelian or smoky quartz to honor the season.
- Divination: Use tarot, runes, or scrying to seek guidance for the inward journey of fall and winter.
Crystals, Herbs, and Natural Allies for the Autumn Equinox
Try working with these allies to tune into the energy of the season:
- Crystals: Smoky quartz (grounding), labradorite (intuition), carnelian (creative fire)
- Herbs: Mugwort (dreamwork), rosemary (clarity), sage (purification)
- Seasonal Foods: Apples, pears, pumpkins, nuts, seeds (each with its own symbolic resonance of fertility and renewal)
Finding Balance in a Busy World
In today’s fast-paced, digital culture, the autumn equinox is a HUGE invitation to slow down.
(Slowly is holy <3)
It’s an opportunity to realign your schedule, your home, and your energy with the natural cycle of contraction.
For example, you might:
- Adjust your sleep schedule as nights lengthen
- Declutter your home as a physical metaphor for clearing mental space
- Reflect on achievements so far and set goals for the rest of the year
The Autumn Equinox is Both an Ending and a Beginning
It’s the closing of the light half of the year and the opening of the dark.
Rather than see this as a loss, you can approach it as a sacred invitation.
To harvest the fruits of our labor.
To restore balance.
And to prepare for a season of gestation and inner work.
When you honor the equinox (whether through ritual, reflection, or simply mindful observation) you reconnect to the great turning of the Wheel of the Year.
And you step more deeply into the cosmic dance of light and shadow, growth and decay, life and death — and find your place within it.
These are absolutely stunning images for the season. Deep gratitude to you for creating and posting such inspiring content.