The Autumn Equinox . . . Some Thoughts from a Wiccan

The Autumn Equinox, this year falling on September 23, is a very special day. Not only does it mark the changing of the seasons from Summer to Fall, it is also one of two days in the entire year where daytime and nighttime are equal; the other being the Spring or Vernal Equinox which occurs in March. In the nature religion called Wicca, this is the time when the God and the Goddess have equal power over the universe. But, after this day, the power of the God, represented by the sun and light, will wane as the days become shorter and shorter. The Goddess, represented by the moon and nighttime, gains power after the Equinox as the nights become longer and longer.

Around the time of the Autumn Equinox, the fun of Summer draws to an end, and the routines of Fall begin. Children start back to school, and picking them up again at three o'clock. Farmers are harvesting in full swing, bring in their crops of corn and wheat to be packaged and sold at market. Many of these Fall routines involve preparation for the Winter months. People make fruit and vegetable preserves to get them through the long Winter. Animals, like squirrels and chipmunks, are gathering their own crops of acorns and other nuts to help them endure the cold. Trees, too, prepare for the freezing weather. The leaves change from vibrant green to different shades of gold, red, and brown as the sap drains into the trees' roots, allowing them to survive the Winter and grow new, green shoots in the Spring.

The Greek myth of the abduction of Persephone represents this time of changing seasons and the Autumn Equinox. Persephone is the daughter of Zeus, the father of the Gods, and Demeter. Hades, the God of the Underworld, falls in love with Persephone and gets Zeus's permission to marry her, but Demeter is reluctant. So, Hades kidnaps Persephone while she is picking wild flowers. Demeter becomes very distraught at the loss of her daughter, and being the Goddess of nature and agriculture, caused all of the plants to die, making the earth a desolate place. Zeus then sends Hermes, the messenger of the gods, to return Persephone to her mother, but before she leaves, Hades gives her some pomegranate seeds to eat, which compels her to return to the Underworld for one third of each year. It is said that when Persephone is reunited with Demeter each year, the world flourishes. In the Spring, the plants begin to turn green once again, and by Summer, there are flowers and crops growing rapidly. But, once Autumn begins, we see the trees change colors, the plants die, and the earth becoming dormant as Demeter becomes uneasy in anticipation of Persephone leaving her side at the beginning of Winter.

The spiritual sense of the Autumn Equinox is that of thanksgiving, meditation, and introspection. This time of year is a perfect time to look back at all the fun and exciting things that we did during the past Summer and over the course of our lives. Be thankful for everything that you have now: the garden that you grew this year and the jar of strawberry jam that you will savor throughout the next few months, the invaluable time spent with your children while they were not in school, and even the natural beauty that Autumn brings with it. Think about the moths ahead, even though we don't have to store all our food for the Winter like the squirrels and chipmunks, there are other issues that humans need to prepare for. How do we handle ourselves when it is freezing outside and we can't go into the sunshine to play? Will we become depressed with the consistent cloudy sky that doesn't let much sunlight reach our faces? Harvest your mind as the farmers harvest their fields, and think of ways to get you through the Winter months: start a new craft project, investigate new hobbies, buy a new exercise video, get a library card, or make a list of improvements that need to be made on the inside of your home. Most of all, stay healthy, and stay happy.