Saturday, September 23, 2023, marks the Autumnal Equinox, one of two times during the year when the hours of day and night are balanced. Traditionally it marks the final harvest of the summer, when farmers knew how successful they’d been with their crops, and households began preserving the bounty for the lean times of winter. In modern days, we are more likely to mark this time with pumpkin-spiced lattes and new pillows for the sofa, but there still remains a primal sense that nature is undergoing a transformation.
Celebrating the Transition to Autumn
The celebrations that happen at this time of year take many forms depending on where you’re from and what tradition you adhere to. In the 1700s, Bavarians celebrated the last week of September by launching Oktoberfest with plenty of drinking and feasting. Across the Northern Hemisphere, wine harvesting peaks at this time bringing a plethora of festivals. In Pagan circles, the equinox is known as Mabon or the Witches Thanksgiving. What all these festivities have in common is appreciating the bounty of Mother Nature and spending time with family and friends.
Here are some meaningful ways to mark the changing of the season.
Adorn your house with the colors of fall
I feel like many of us already instinctually do this by decorating our homes with flowers, sheaves of wheat, gourds, and warm textiles in oranges, rust, browns, and copper accents. On my block we’ve already got lots of porches festooned with welcoming signs, wreaths, and piles of pumpkins. After the intense brightness of summer, it’s nice to relax into a softer cozy aesthetic. I love woody fragrances, so these are the candles that go in every room: Baltic Amber by Voluspa, Fog by Ash & Fir, and Whiskey Sweet by Freres Branchiaux. For more fall decorating inspiration, check out my Pinterest board here.
Commune with nature
Fall is my favorite time to be outdoors. There is a poignancy in watching Mother Nature shed her old skin in ostentatious displays of foliage. I love taking long walks in the hills around my house in the crisp morning fog, smelling the leaf mold and noticing the heavy, drooping branches of the trees. The ground holds many treasures: pinecones, acorns, crispy leaves, interesting branches, flinty rocks. Stuff your pockets then bring everything home and fill up wooden bowls or glass containers with the bounty.
Rearrange your closet
Even though Southern California doesn’t have wide swings in weather like other parts of the nation, I still like to shuffle things around in the closets to have warmer things ready to go. September is a good time to pack away summer’s skin baring pieces like sundresses, swimsuits, and sandals, and to rotate in chunky sweaters with classic boots and loafers. I like to combine this with a deep cleaning of the master bedroom closet, wiping down all the shelving and walls, and refreshing the laundry hamper. Here’s a great how-to maximize your wardrobe for the season.
Go within with meditation or ritual
The equinox is a time of balance and taking stock. Maybe take advantage of the early morning stillness to journal about what is and isn’t working in your life. Meditation can be a way of deepening your spiritual life, even if you do it while still in bed, snug under the covers. Concentrate on inhaling good energy and exhaling what no longer serves you. Many people find that rituals can aid in personal development. An easy practice for releasing a burden is to write your issue down on a piece of paper or sage leaf, close your eyes and imbue the missive with the negative thoughts, and then burn it over an open fire or in your kitchen sink. As the fire transforms the words into smoke, the path is cleared for you to experience new growth.
Embrace the flavors of autumn
For me, fall is all about apples and cinnamon. I still haven’t gone apple picking, though it is on my bucket list, but every grocery store is stocked with delicious varieties right now. This year I’m experimenting with brewing various types of apple cider starting with these recipes from Grandbaby Cakes and Give Me Some Oven. For my Virgo husband’s birthday, we’ll be making this Churro Cake with Spiced Chocolate Sauce which is simply bursting with cinnamon goodness and a little bit of heat.
Convene the Coven
If at all possible, I like to get together with the girls in late September before all of the craziness of the holiday season gets started. This year, we’re celebrating the nuptials of my friend Chelsea with a bridal brunch at the delectable Poppy & Seed restaurant. But even if there isn’t a special occasion, this is a great time to give thanks for your friendships by watching Practical Magic and drinking Midnight Margarita’s at someone’s house. If you’re crafty, take advantage of this time to make candles, wreaths or corn husk dolls for your mantel.
I’ll leave you with these lovely words from the poem September by Helen Hunt Jackson:
By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer’s best of weather,
And autumn’s best of cheer.
But none of all this beauty
Which floods the earth and air
Is unto me the secret
Which makes September fair.
‘T is a thing which I remember;
To name it thrills me yet:
One day of one September
I never can forget.
Main image by Allyson Beaucourt at Unsplash.
