What is Autumn Equinox?
The Autumn Equinox signals the end of the summer months and the beginning of winter. From the Equinox forward, the nights become longer and the days become shorter. The word "equinox" comes from the Latin term that simply means "equal night." The Fall Equinox arrives on the cusp of Virgo/Libra with astrology using the scales as a symbol of this season. Not only does this represent the balance of light and dark but also an important time to cultivate personal balance and inner harmony.
When the Fall Equinox occurs, the universal energy on our planet shifts and all of life begin to turn inward. Accompanying the Fall Equinox is a shift from the more "Yang" masculine, action-orientated self, to a more "Yin" feminine, intuitive, receptive self. We are being invited into the realms of our inner-worlds. Perhaps we are permitting ourselves to sleep a little more and delve more fully into our subconscious. This opens worlds of dreaming, meditation, contemplation, prayer and creativity.
When is the equinox?
Equinox is the term that describes the day on which the Sun's plane intersects with the Equator. This makes the length of night and day equal in all parts of the Earth. This event takes place twice a year, around March 21st and September 22nd, and these dates are referred to as Vernal and Autumnal Equinox, respectively.
In the Northern hemisphere, the vernal Equinox represents the beginning of spring and is traditionally regarded as an auspicious occasion. It symbolises renaissance and renewal, both in the natural and spiritual context.
Similarly, the Autumnal Equinox marks the beginning of fall, another season rich in beauty and suggestive of the perpetual life cycle that exists on Earth. The vernal Equinox also represents the New Year for many past and contemporary civilizations, from ancient Roman to Islamic cultures worldwide.
Autumnal Equinox Celebration
To celebrate the Equinox this year, try sending out free e-cards. You can send e-cards to friends, family, colleagues or anyone else that has a computer connected to the internet.
Free e-cards are gradually starting to dominate the card market, and have never stopped growing since the internet took off. E-cards are environmentally friendly and obviously are free.
Some Autumnal Equinox Facts
- The autumnal equinox marks the beginning of autumn in many places around the world, in the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere, this marks the beginning of spring.
- The autumnal equinox marks the changes of season from summer to fall in the northern hemisphere and the change from the winter to spring in the southern hemisphere.
- When the autumnal equinox is occurring in the northern hemisphere, those in the southern hemisphere refers to it as the vernal equinox
- The autumnal equinox in the northern hemisphere marks the time when the sunrise occurs later and the night begins to fall earlier each evening. Plants begin to die or go dormant for the winter and animals begin to hibernate.
- Just like the vernal equinox, the autumnal equinox has been recognised for thousands of years. Its rituals and traditions are developed in various cultures.
- In the northern hemisphere, the autumnal equinox occurs on September 22nd, 23rd, or 24th each year. This marks the vernal equinox for those in the southern hemisphere.
- The equinox is a very special time of the year when the light and dark periods of day and night are equal and perfectly balanced. In your own life, you can seek a balance between opposites while nature powerfully yet silently mirrors her balance and magnificence to you.
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