The Autumn Equinox
Have I made too many plans for my favorite season? Likely.
Tomorrow, at 2:50am apparently, autumn begins.
This, if I may be so bold, is my season. I was “supposed” to be born in September, but I said—no—October is the month for me! It was a good call. At some point in the last decade fall established itself as my favorite season too.1
And so, if there is any season I consistently have grand plans for, it’s fall. I wanted to share with you some of those plans and my thoughts for this season. I’m digging into some of the associations and history too because I think that can show us something about this portion of the year.
Let’s get into it.
The Name
To start, why do we call it two different things? It’s the only season that, at least in English, as two names.
“Autumn” comes from the Latin autumnus, which Etymonline.com tells me is of unknown origin. All in all, the root of this word seems a bit murky, which feels very autumnal to me. There does seem to be some connection to words that mean “dry” or “cold.” Before the 16th century, autumn seems to be more widely called “harvest,” which I get. That’s what people were largely engaged with at this time. With the move to a less agrarian society, language changed and the terms “autumn” and “fall” became more prominent, while “harvest” meant less the time of year and more the actual act of reaping. “Fall” can be traced back to Germanic languages, mainly Old English fiæll or feallan. It seems the word came into common use in the 16th century as an idiomatic contrast to spring (plants springing up vs. leaves falling). Fall, it seems, is now more of an American word and autumn is more British.2
The Turn
The equinoxes seem to be treated as a sort of woo, pagan thing. That’s certainly how I thought of them growing up. But in truth they are literal astrological events that have physical manifestations.
On both ends of the year, the equinoxes are a time of balance. There’s an equinox to mark the start of spring and to mark the start of fall. On that day, the night is equally as long as the day. Onward then, the balance is upset and either night or day gets to rule.
In this case, of course, the nights start to claim more and more ground.
The Vibe
In older, land centered traditions, all the seasons have associations elemental, emotional, and more. My understanding of these frameworks is limited but my appreciation is not. As soon as I learned about them it felt quite satisfying and gave clarity to some of the ways I experience the seasons.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, autumn is associated with the metal element. In Celtic tradition, I believe the association is stone, but you can see the similarity there. Psychologically, I’ve seen fall being understood as a time for animal instinct, embodied knowing and intuition.3 Again in TCM, the emotion here is grief/sadness. In many traditions and frameworks, autumn is viewed as a time for shadows and unseen things (however you want to interpret that). In the northern hemisphere this is literally a time where the days are getting darker. This could be understood as literally a darker time, but I think that can often influence our experiences, emotions and perceptions—perhaps lending to the association of this time with night, decay, the yin, or “feminine” energy.
Fall is of course the time of many holidays, but the biggest of them I oddly have no connection with. I wasn’t allowed to celebrate Halloween growing up and I haven’t found my way into it as an adult.4 Halloween has roots in the Celtic tradition of Samhain (pronounce both SAH-win or SOW-in) which has gained wider recognition in the past few years. As for Thanksgiving, I appreciate the thoughts of Oglala Lakota Sioux Shawn Sherman.
Regardless of what you call it, many of the celebrations within fall are connected to gratitude and freely giving. Just as the land gives the last of its bounty and color for the year.
The Plans
It’s a big year. This autumn child is entering autumn during my own inner autumn.5 The autumnal energy is strong with this one.
But, like the equinox itself, I’m equal parts excited to make plans and hesitant to create expectations. If there’s anything this summer taught me it’s hold it all loosely.
Some of my goals are practical, end of season care. Wash and air all cold weather garments and accessories. Make sure the garden and patio is tucked in for the season. Finally get a hose holder so that it’s not flopped on the ground. Hang up and fill the bird feeder. I’ve already migrated my carefully curated sweater collection to my closet.
Some are plans are literary. I’ve been collecting ideas for book that seem aligned with this season. So: Anam Cara by John O’Donohue, Devotions by Mary Oliver, For Small Creatures Such as We by Sasha Sagan, How We Live Is How We Die by Pema Chödrön. I also just made an ILL request for The Flowering Wand by
and Elizabeth Rush’s The Quickening. I think I also need to get back into novels (more on that soon).Then there is the list that seems to be nearly the same each year:
There are also the hopes that are harder to pin down: Settle into the season. Rest more. Find a morning practice that isn’t just groaning, pushing through and maybe eventually landing on my meditation cushion. Cook more. Bake more. Go to bed “sooner.” Be outside more. See friends more. Get quieter.
We’re told this season is so much about going inward and quieting down. But traditionally it would also have been a time of much activity and celebration.
This would have been the season of harvest, historically. And I don’t know if you’ve ever harvested, say, several rows of potatoes but that is not cozy, quiet work. You are sweaty, dirty, achey and hungry by the end of it.
Land-based peoples would have been busy during this time. Harvesting would have been a large community event—all hands on desk as it were. My understanding is that this also would have then corresponded with celebrations of the bounty. Harvest made the year’s work manifest, and gratitude for what would (hopefully) get you though winter seems only right. Parties would logically ensue. After that, perhaps after Samhain for my ancestors, folks would tuck in, like the world outside.
We’re detached from this rhythm now.
I’m trying to find ways to honor this in my life though. How can I celebrate, then cut the noise?
The noise for me is largely the internet world. I’m thinking as an antidote I might craft my own little weird observance: Only Books October maybe (only reading books and few newsletter that come straight to my inbox) or No Content November (basically the same; nothing that constitutes “content” all month)?
The finding celebrations part might be more difficult.
Admittedly, for the autumn equinox itself I have no traditions. I grew up with none and I’m still searching for things that feel right.6 It’s a bit lonely, making essentially a holiday where one the culture around you doesn’t acknowledge one.7 Perhaps this is the year when I start forming traditions of my own.
I would love to hear your thoughts? Do you have a way you acknowledge the turn towards fall?
I do dream of the year it feels right to set a long table for many friends in my backyard with candles and pumpkins and a massive pot of stew to ring in the new season. How many times have I pinned and pined after scenes of many friends wrapped in plaid and woolens around a table piled high with tea, soup and bread? So many.
This is not that year. What will it be though? Can I find my own burst of celebration before quieting down? Or will this be the year of welcoming the equinox perhaps with a lit candle and new journal. A year for something like prayers, maybe? For deep breaths? I think it may.
🌀What are your plans for this season?🌀
🌀How do you think fall might challenge you?🌀
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Happy spring to all my southern hemisphere friends!
Any Brits out there want to confirm this? As an American, I can say that I have been made fun of for calling it “autumn.”
This comes from a woman I owe so much to: herbalist and naturopath Clara Bailey. She is not currently practicing, so I sadly cannot cite her gorgeous work.
Yet! I have dreams of properly dressing up someday. Maybe as a barred owl? Or a monarch butterfly. I want something with wings, basically. Perhaps that would be my thing—each Halloween I dress as a winged creature?
An inner seasonal model of the menstrual cycle is based on the idea of each phase mimicking one of the four or five seasons of the more-than-human world in there experience, energetics, correspondences and, if you prefer, vibe. Menstruation corresponds to inner winter, pre-ovulation is the inner spring, ovulation the inner summer, and pre-menstrual the inner autumn. Some models include a later summer as the post-ovulatory time. If you’d like to read more, go here.
If you are local to southern PA though, may suggest Stevie Storck’s gorgeous events?
Hello!
>Fall, it seems, is now more of an American word and autumn is more British.
Can confirm. I live in the UK and have never heard it called Fall in real life. It’s Autumn here!
I didn't grow up with the word autumn used often- or at all. I like it, feels cozier than fall. The turn towards fall has welcomed itself with sickness sadly. I seem to be pretending to enjoy it from afar. Soups and stews are on the menu though and I am thankful for that as it is warm and nourishing. I look forward some of your book suggestions- thank you for sharing! I am most excited to feel better and make homemade sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls and light some beeswax candles on a slow autumn morning to welcome autumn in.