Goddesses are both happy, joyful, bountiful... AND can be angry and spiteful. This is a time to honour them in all their humanity. It's also a reminder to embrace our own Light AND Shadow.
“…but Jaz, what’s an Equinox?”
The Equinox marks the time of the year when the amount of daylight is equal to the amount of darkness. If my Latin is right (and I make no claims at being a savant, here)… equi = equal, and nox = night. Daytime is the same duration as night time. On September 22nd in the Northern hemisphere, it marks the official beginning of Autumn, while down-under, it’s the official start of Spring. And that’s the scientific explanation.
“…so, Jaz, don’t you typically write about spiritual feel-good themes? What does the Equinox have to do with this?”
The way I celebrate my spirituality is informed not only by my intuition, but also by the cycle of Nature and by history. These are the three most important aspects of my inner life, and what I LOVE sharing with you. I turn to these elements when I try to understand what the heck is going on in the world around me, and within me.
And at this time, “what the heck” is a very mild way of putting things. Haven’t you noticed your computer going haywire for the weirdest thing? Have you not felt a rise in your anxiety, stress, anger or state of confusion? Do you not feel that “something’s gotta change” - but you don’t know what, or when, or how? All this jittery energy is right on cue with the Equinox, believe it or not. The Equinox marks a change in season, a change of mood, a change in self-care, and time for introspection.
The Cycle of Nature
At this time of year, the squirrels in my backyard are literally going nuts (yes, I went there!). The birds, insects, all forms of critters are busy building their food cache and putting on weight either for the upcoming hibernation, or their migration to warmer climate. As for the farmers, they are deep in harvesting time. And so many homemakers and kitchen witches are busy drying herbs and canning preserves for the year ahead. The natural world is abuzz with activity. With this in mind, reflect on your life:
- Look at how you’re dealing with work, family, projects. Do you feel there’s too much on your plate? What can you save for later?
- Take a good look at your daily activities: are you just being busy for the sake of keeping busy - or are you being productive?
- In your energy, health, and wealth: what are you keeping in reserve?
- This is also a time of balance. Daylight and nighttime are equal. Take time to center yourself and mirror the balance of the equinox in your life. Remind yourself to play as hard as you work and love your Light as much as you embrace your Shadow.
History
Traditionally, our ancestors have marked this time of year with a harvest festival and a time to reflect on the past season’s abundance. They celebrated the second harvest and the start of winter preparations. They made plans to care for the tribe during the winter months, and decided on how the harvest would be shared. Several tribes made preparations to change from their summer hunting grounds to their winter grounds, often following their source of food. With this in mind, reflect on your life:
- When you feel the jitters and you want to move, change scenery, go somewhere warm for the winter - you are vibing with the migratory animals. If you’re not moving for the winter, see if you can do a day trip or a weekend getaway. Maybe you’d like to redecorate one room in your home, or take out the Fall decorations to change the scenery and feel of your environment.
- Give thanks for your many blessings and reflect on how you can improve yourself and your community.
- Celebrate your business and personal successes. Make an inventory of the seed-ideas you want to keep, those that need time or research before growing, and those that you want to release. Clutter clear your office.
Spirituality, Intuition, and the Goddess
In Greek mythology Autumn is associated with the return of the goddess Persephone to the underworld. Just the thought of loosing her beautiful daughter, even for only a few months, caused Persephone’s mother Demeter to act out in grief, anger and sadness: she created winter and her sorrow caused snow to cover the land and it was impossible to grow food. Demeter went as far as making a pact with the Lord of Darkness and the underworld, Hades, to ensure that her daughter would be able to emerge to the surface for a few months every year - but how she grieved the absence of her daughter!
- To celebrate Demeter: acknowledge what gives you grief and anger at this time. Write it out. Yell it, cry it, dance it. Keeping it in will only make matters worse, not only for yourself, but for the other people in your life who still depend on you. Let it out, get the help you need… and know deep down that “this too shall pass”… Call upon Demeter’s energy to give you courage and strength to face your darkest fears.
- To celebrate Persephone: she was taken to the underworld against her conscious will. Others decided her fate, and she had very little to say. Acknowledge those things in your life where you feel lost, confused, and not in control. Call upon the energy of Persephone to help you get out of the victim or martyr mode. Ask her to keep your imagination and your curiosity open - so if Destiny brings you to a dark place… what can you discover there that could be brought back up to the Light at a later time? If you’re not in control of the situation, you can still be in control of yourself, your emotions, your reactions, and your fears. What can you learn from your darkness? Persephone can help light your way.
Can you see how tapping into the cycles of Nature, History and Spirituality can give sense to your every day life? Does it help you understand the subtle energies that are currently influencing your mood, sleep patterns, choices and behaviours? Do you need help navigating your darkness? Would you like to learn to leverage your grief or deal with your jitters? Let's talk.
I am wishing you an enlightened, joyful, and spirited Equinox. May the Goddesses shower their gifts of wisdom upon you.
