Autumnal Equinox (Mabon), the Gateway to the Autumn Season

and Its Harvest Festivals

 

The Autumnal Equinox (also called the Fall Equinox or September Equinox) arrives in the Northern Hemisphere on Sunday, Sep 22, 2024, 5:43 AM PDT and 12:44 UTC . The equinox occurs at the same moment worldwide and marks the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Autumnal Equinox marks the first day of fall (autumn) in what is called "astronomical seasons." During an equinox, the Sun, moving from north to south, crosses what is called the "celestial equator"—an imaginary extension of Earth’s equator line into space. The equinox occurs precisely when the Sun’s center passes through this line. The word "equinox" comes from Latin aequus, meaning "equal," and nox, "night." Thus, on the two equinoxes, day and night are  approximately  equal in length (approximately, depending on where one lives, but the total lengths may differ by only a few minutes). On the equinox, the center of the Sun is above the horizon for 12 hours. After the Autumnal Equinox, days become shorter than nights as the Sun continues to rise later and nightfall arrives earlier. These longer nights end with the Winter Solstice, after which days start to grow longer once again.  

The Autumnal Equinox has been a day celebrated with harvest festivals in many cultures since ancient times, when astronomers tracked the transitions of the Earth’s journeys around the Sun and built megalithic structures  with the equinoxes and solstices in mind (one of the most famous being Stonehenge in England).

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 The Autumnal Equinox for the ancient Celtic peoples and for modern Wiccans ("Mabon") was and is traditionally an important turning time of the cycle of the year, which usually lasts from three days before to three days after the equinox. Traditionally, the Autumnal Equinox celebration is observed with a harvest feast to celebrate and share the abundance of the past season.  It is a time when the plants are setting their seeds; making themselves ready for their new cycle. According to neopagan traditions, such as Wicca, the equinoxes are times to balance yourself and your life, setting yourself and your life to be ready for your new cycle of being. Thus, rituals are enacted to assist in creating and maintaining that balance. The Autumnal Equinox , according to Wicca, is a time to plant the seeds making yourself ready for your new cycle.

To access the special page for MABON, the Wiccan "Autumnal Equinox" and "Second Harvest" festival, click link button below.