How To Prepare Yourself for the Fall Equinox

This year, the fall equinox is on Monday, September 23. I absolutely adore the equinoxes and solstices. There’s a palpable energy and things shift in noticeable ways. The year is set up like a wheel, where spring is about birth, summer is tending and blooming, fall is harvesting, and winter is an exploration inside.

This season, we’re focusing on harvesting; that’s what the autumn equinox is all about. You’ve taken the time this year to plant, cultivate, and tend. Your dreams are vivid and your beliefs are strong.

There’s a balance at the fall equinox. The days and nights are the same length. There’s light and shadow, but neither overpowers. It’s all in balance and all is equal.

Coming into the fall harvest is when you can reap what you’ve sown. All those dreams, all those plans…it’s time to bring them into the light.

So how do you harness this energy and make the most use of this powerful time (because anything having to do with rhythms of the world are powerful indeed)?

Celebrate, note your achievements, be content in the knowledge that you’ve created something big this year.

There’s an air of completion at this time of year. You may be taking stock and deciding what you want to preserve for the winter months. You may also be clearing out some fields, literally and metaphorically, so next year’s harvest can be even more bountiful.

Along with that completion comes great gratitude. Be grateful for what you’ve cultivated, of course, and also for the transformation you’ve undergone throughout the wheel of the year. There’s much abundance to gather and store for the winter as well as things to let go of that you don’t need to drag into that time of reflection, dreaming, and stillness.

I find that it’s very useful to refresh my self-care practices at this time of the year. I like to make note of what I want to carry from one season to the next. I also will notice where something feels forced, stuffy, or too seasonal to carry on for more than a few months. Anything that feels completed with me will be moved to the side as I make way for new, supportive rituals.

You may want to consider adding a new habit to your routine so that it’ll be rote by the time winter comes and you need to lean on nurturing, nourishing energy. Or possibly you could decide to alter how you’re treating your mind and body. Perhaps a friendship has come to a close; you have harvested all you can and it is not necessary to bring that into the darker months.

I also like to change how I nourish my body. The summer had lots of green, fresh veggies. The fall does, too, especially as we harvest the garden. And I’m also incorporating some heartier meals as we prepare to go into the fall and winter seasons. Lots of root veggies and things that feel soothing, warm, and filling.

As we enter the fall equinox, it’s important to think about giving gratitude for all we’ve harvested and experienced this year. Nourishing your mind is just as important as fortifying your body.

What nourishment do you need for your wellbeing this season?