Autumn Equinox: Balance

Fall Equinox, Goddess, Seasonal Greetings

The Equinoxes are the points in the year when all parts of the planet receive the same amount of light from the Sun. It is a moment of planetary balance. And, it is the one day of the year that the sun rises and sets at exact east and west. Here in Albuquerque, the Equinox is on Friday 9/22 at 2:02 pm (find your time here or here).

My daily-life calendar and the solar/earth calendar don’t always match up. For earth, this is a time the harvest winds down; it is the height of autumn, moving us on the path inward for winter. For me instead of winding down, this is the time that things get very busy. School starts, classes are full, and this year I have new projects coming into being.* Finding balance seems an elusive dream.

But this year, I’ve marked out time on Friday afternoon to sit and let the sun and the earth hold me in their balance. Just as plants die away and leaves fall, I’m figuring out what I’m leaving behind to bring myself into balance.

Take a moment to find out when the Autumn Equinox happens in the place where your feet will connect to the earth (find your time here or here) and mark your calendar. Give yourself even just a few minutes, outside if possible. Feel the gravity of the earth pull you towards Her, and sink into Her embrace. Breathe in the moment of balance and allow clarity to wash over you. Give thanks for the beauty and bounty of our lives.

Historical and Astrological Tidbits on Mid-Autumn: Mid-Autumn is the Fall Equinox. Equinox means “balance”, and this is the point when the dark and light of the day are most at balance. On a global scale, the equinoxes are at the points of the year when the entire world is in balance, with both Southern and Northern hemispheres receiving about the same amount of light. The equinox has another important feature as well: it is the only point during the year that the Sun rises in exact east and sets in exact west. For while the Sun “stands still” at the solstices, the Sun moves very rapidly across the horizon at the equinoxes, leaving only one day to calibrate to the east and west. The Fall Equinox festival is also called Mabon (derived from Welsh mab meaning “son” or “boy”);Harvest Home (in British Isle traditions the time when the harvest is complete); and the Witches’ Thanksgiving. Astrologically, Mid-Autumn may be calculated as the date the Sun is at 0° Libra, which usually occurs between September 21-22.

Award winning writer Anne Key is the author of two memoirs. The first, Desert Priestess: a memoir, relates the three years she spent as Priestess of the Temple of Goddess Spirituality Dedicated to Sekhmet, located in Nevada. Her second, Burlesque, Yoga, Sex and Love: A Memoir of Life under the Albuquerque Sun, recounts her time in Albuquerque performing under the stage name Annie O’Roar. She is co-founder of Goddess Ink.

*Her newest collaboration is the Jade Oracle deck, featuring deities from Ancient Mexico.

Autumn Equinox

Fall Equinox, Goddess, Seasonal Greetings

Los árboles nos están apunto de mostrar cuán hermoso puede ser dejar ir el pasado.

The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let go of the past.

Thursday September 22 is the Autumn Equinox. It is the point of balance, when all parts of the planet receive the same amount of light from the Sun. It is a moment when inward and outward balance is possible.

However, I feel the exact opposite of balanced. The fall brings new classes, new students, the rush of work. While the Autumn Equinox is at the apex of the fall season when growth is finished and readying for winter begins, my work is just beginning. I already feel behind.

And, just like in the picture above, this fall I am wrapped in leaves of my past. They seem embedded in my very pores, and I am not sure how to let them go. Will I feel naked without them?

But, if I am ever going to dig my toes in the rich compost of my life, the leaves must fall. The equinox provides us with a day of balance, a moment of clarity. Let’s take stock and see what we need to release.

Bright Blessings of the season to you.

Historical and Astrological Tidbits on Mid-Autumn: Mid-Autumn is the Fall Equinox. Equinox means “balance”, and this is the point when the dark and light of the day are most at balance. On a global scale, the equinoxes are at the points of the year when the entire world is in balance, with both Southern and Northern hemispheres receiving about the same amount of light. The equinox has another important feature as well: it is the only point during the year that the Sun rises in exact east and sets in exact west. For while the Sun “stands still” at the solstices, the Sun moves very rapidly across the horizon at the equinoxes, leaving only one day to calibrate to the east and west. The Fall Equinox festival is also called Mabon (derived from Welsh mab meaning “son” or “boy”);Harvest Home (in British Isle traditions the time when the harvest is complete); and the Witches’ Thanksgiving. Astrologically, Mid-Autumn may be calculated as the date the Sun is at 0° Libra, which usually occurs between September 21-22.

Award winning writer Anne Key is the author of two memoirs. The first, Desert Priestess: a memoir, relates the three years she spent as Priestess of the Temple of Goddess Spirituality Dedicated to Sekhmet, located in Nevada. Her second, Burlesque, Yoga, Sex and Love: A Memoir of Life under the Albuquerque Sun, recounts her time in Albuquerque performing under the stage name Annie O’Roar. She is co-founder of Goddess Ink.

Fall, Learning and New Endeavors

Classes, Divine, Fall Equinox, Goddess, Learning, Priestess, ritual

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It’s the fall ritual, thinking about going back to school, getting new pens and paper, figuring out what you want to learn about, what classes to take and what topics are calling to me. Where does your soul want to journey as the seasons change, we nestle down to cooler temperatures, changing colors and Equinox? What are you called to? Goddess Studies? The Divine Feminine? Your own course of Women’s Studies?

There’s so much to learn, so many options available. From the Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary:

learn play

verb \ˈlərn

Simple Definition of learn

: to gain knowledge or skill by studying, practicing, being taught, or experiencing something
: to cause (something) to be in your memory by studying it
: to hear or be told (something) : to find out (something)

I agree, but to me learning is interest driven, interesting, eclectic and at my age, self-directed. This fall I’ve added two courses to my schedule. I’m delighted to be taking a Molly Remer course, and a Visionary Priestessing Course with Priestess and MesoAmerican Scholar M. Veronica Iglesias, and you can learn more about her work here.

Learning has been a passion for me since I was very little. I read every book in the house, pestered my mother to take us to the library on a regular basis and secreted a flashlight in my bed to read after lights were out. I love learning about things that interest me, photography, art, nature, priestessing, music, cooking. I love reading biographies, learning about the knowledge, times, feelings, events and places that I will never experience. I am fascinated by the things people do to earn a living (drive a 18 wheeler, work with women coming out of prison, do surgery…). I love having a new experience, especially with someone who knows about the topic. Learning by yourself is good, learning with a guide can be magical!

I’d like to share with you that there are a variety of wonderful classes offered by Goddess Ink. If that isn’t enough to wet your appetite for new topics, see Kimberly Moore’s Mystery School of the Goddess for some wonderful opportunities.

What are your plans for this fall? New classes? A new book? A new project? I wish your blessings and success in your new endeavors.

May your fall be as beautiful as the fall colors!

Bright Blessings,

Genevieve

Genevieve Mitchell is a Partner with Goddess Ink Publishing. She is a Priestess, a Network Weaver, a Flower Essence Practitioner, a photographer, a socially responsible investor, a mother, a grandmother and a devotee of God/Goddess/Divine/Spirit. You can contact her at genevieve@goddess-ink.com.

For more information and to follow Goddess Ink Blog visit www.goddess-ink.com or visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/goddessinkbooks/. Also, please sign up for the Goddess Ink Newsletter for a monthly dose of inspiration.

Photo Credits: Stock Photos

Fall Equinox – Blessings for Balance

Fall Equinox

Fall Equinox is a time of balance. This year during the day of September 23^rd, all parts of the planet receive the same amount of light from the Sun. It is an excellent day to offer prayers to all parts of the world, that we may feel and know our interconnections. One of my favorite mantras for this day is: Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu: May all beings be happy. May all my thoughts, words, and actions contribute in some way to the happiness of all beings.

The Fall Equinox is at the apex of the autumn season, when growth is finished and readying for winter begins. Just as the trees will let go of their leaves, it’s time for all of us to take stock and see what we need to release. This day of balance provides us a moment of clarity.

It has been a busy last few months, chocked full of all sorts of astral happenings. So today, set aside a few moments for peaceful deliberation. Reflect on where you’ve been and where you are going. No need to make lists or plan; just be. Let yourself be filled with this moment of lucidity as the season gives us a moment of balance. Remember to let go.

Wishing you all the beautiful gifts of the season — Anne

Historical and Astrological Tidbits on Mid-Autumn:

Mid-Autumn is the Fall Equinox. Equinox means “balance”, and this is the point when the dark and light of the day are most at balance. On a global scale, the equinoxes are at the points of the year when the entire world is in balance, with both Southern and Northern hemispheres receiving about the same amount of light. The equinox has another important feature as well: it is the only point during the year that the Sun rises in exact east and sets in exact west. For while the Sun “stands still” at the solstices, the Sun moves very rapidly across the horizon at the equinoxes, leaving only one day to calibrate to the east and west. The Fall Equinox festival is also called Mabon (derived from Welsh mab meaning “son” or “boy”);Harvest Home (in British Isle traditions the time when the harvest is complete); and the Witches’ Thanksgiving. Astrologically, Mid-Autumn may be calculated as the date the Sun is at 0° Libra, which usually occurs between September 21-22.