It’s officially autumn! September 20th to 23rd mark the Autumn Equinox, also known to witches and pagans as Mabon. This is a very popular time of year—not just because of the infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte—but it’s traditionally a time to reap the benefits of the summer harvest and enjoy the Earth’s bounty. But truth be told, savoring PSLs is part of that—enjoying the harvest of this season and practicing gratitude for the produce we can feast on.
During this time of year, the amount of daylight and darkness is at equal points. This is true not just in the Northern Hemisphere, where we’re experiencing fall, but also in the Southern Hemisphere, where it’s the Vernal Equinox.
We’re also entering Libra season (represented by the scales), so you might notice a newfound emphasis in your life on balance. Even if you’re not a Libra, during each astrological season we’re each affected by different attributes of that sign. It’s not meant to be a scapegoat, but it can help explain why you might be feeling a certain way or notice those attributes in other people and their actions.
Back when people tilled their own farms, this would be a time of year to prepare for the coming days of winter. People would begin to preserve their fruit in the form of jams, pickle vegetables and fish, cure meat, mull spices into wine or vinegar, and store their harvest from summer.
If people lived in areas where it snowed heavily and nothing grew in the winter, they’d be storing food that would last them for over six months. In the meantime, they could also enjoy seasonal produce such as apples and pumpkins. But the space of food stores were limited, so not everything would last and not everything could be stored.
This is a good time to take stock of your current situation and notice how far you’ve come. What did you harvest over the summer season? That was a rough few months of retrogrades and eclipses back to back to back, and Venus in Scorpio is going to have us reflecting on our relationships for the next month or so. The planets are starting to move forward, which feels like a weight has been lifted. But the planetary shifts are still getting us to dig deep and focus on ourselves.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t take a break, look back on your accomplishments, and enjoy yourself a bit with those seasonal dishes made with apples, cinnamon, and pumpkin.
To help you through this transition period as we finish up summer and prepare for the coming days of winter, I’m offering an Autumn Equinox Tarot Reading. This focuses on an accomplishment or achievement of yours from this summer, what you need to store for the winter, what needs to be released before winter comes, and something to savor in your life right now. The reading is $90, and if you’re interested, simply email me at kajoralovely@gmail.com.
Happy Autumn!
Blessed Mabon!
