The 2013 September equinox comes on September 22, at 4:44 p.m. EDT. It is a time of nearly equal day and night and for the moment nature is in balance.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is rising later now, and nightfall comes sooner. This is our autumn equinox, when we enjoy the cooler days of fall even as preparations for winter are underway. South of the equator, spring begins. Wherever we are, equinoxes are times of balance, reminders of the ever-changing ebb and flow of life, opportunities to reflect on where we have been and where we are going.

For those in the North, this is a season for gratitude, a time to complete the process of harvesting whatever is ripe in your garden and your life, a time to give thanks for the bounty the Earth provides and for the gifts, opportunities and challenges in our lives. This season reminds us to finish up old projects and prepare for shorter days ahead.

Equinox Reflections

“Autumn is the hardest season. The leaves are all falling, and they’re falling like they’re falling in love with the ground.”
― Andrea Gibson

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.”
― George Eliot