Equinox Blessings To You – September 23
Today is one of the two days each year of harmony and balance, when the sun is directly above the equator and there are twelve hours of light and twelve hours of dark.
Ostara Wishes!
The spring or vernal equinox, also known as Ostara, is celebrated between September 20 and 23 in the southern hemisphere and March 20 and 23 in the northern hemisphere, and marks the midpoint of spring. This year it falls on September 23 in the south. It’s one of only two times in the year when the length of day and night is exactly equal, as the sun sits directly above the equator on its journey north or south, creating equal light and dark in both hemispheres. At Ostara it is heading towards the southern hemisphere, so our days are lengthening and the heat of summer is approaching.
It’s a time of growth and fertility, when crops are sown, the buds on the trees open, birds build nests and lay eggs and new life is celebrated. Thanks was traditionally given to the fertility goddess Ostara, whose symbols were an egg and a hare, and who is still honoured around the world today, albeit unknowingly, in the form of chocolate eggs and the Easter bunny. Energetically it’s also a very fertile time, as the seeds you previously sowed of your goals begin to sprout and gain momentum. Paint some hard-boiled eggs or buy or make the chocolate version, meditating on your own metaphorical fertility and your ability to manifest dreams into reality. Choose an affirmation relating to your desired outcome, write it down and pin it up where you’ll be able to see it every day.
Go outside during the day and breathe in the fresh spring air, filling your heart with new inspiration as you fill your lungs with oxygen. In many ancient cultures, including the Romans whose calendar ours is based on, the spring equinox was the first day of the year, and the sense of new hope and optimism reflected in this time remains today. It’s a celebration of new life, hope, passion, growth and energy.
On a personal level it’s a time of balance and harmony, of union between the physical and spiritual, which can be harnessed to anchor your dreams in reality and enhance your own inner harmony as the balance of universal energies is reflected within. Relationships are harmonious too, making it a good time for healing rifts, and for weddings. [Juz and I got married on the equinox on September 22 – it was Mabon because our wedding was in New York, followed by a honeymoon in Glastonbury, but our anniversary is at Ostara because we live in the southern hemisphere, so we always celebrate with a little of each sabbat energy…]
Mabon Blessings
In the northern hemisphere today is the autumn equinox, which falls on September 22 in Hawaii and Alaska, and September 23 in North America and Europe. [You can check times for your area here and here.] This means that from this day forward, the nights will be slightly longer than the days, and growing longer. It’s the middle of autumn, and the crisp chill in the air should return soon, along with the beautiful autumn colours.
The autumn equinox, known as Mabon and celebrated between March 20 and 23 in the south, is characterised, like the spring equinox, by the length of day and night being equal as the sun travels back across the equator to the other hemisphere. From this point on the days will become shorter and the weather will get cooler, but today is the moment of balance in nature and within – a time of harmony and gentle calm.
Mabon is the time to honour your achievements, experiences and wisdom, and to ensure balance in your life by integrating all the parts of your self. On this day, when all is balanced, witches traditionally renewed their magical commitments, and you can renew any vows you’ve made or pledge a new one, be it to do with magic, love, friendship, career or anything else. It’s also a harvest festival, a time to further celebrate your achievements and feel fulfilment from each one, releasing what no longer serves you in order to move forward. In the wild, old growth is cleared. In your life, cut out anything that’s holding you back, draining you or preventing new life and love from flourishing, whether it’s work, people, a belief system, regret or the past.
As the shadows lengthen, it’s also a good time to scry if you want insight into your future. If you can, light a fire and stare into the flames, allowing your mind to go blank and your vision to blur a little. Note any images you see. Or go outside and watch the clouds scuttling across the sky and analyse the shapes you see within them. Without thinking about it too much, write down what they mean to you.
Pyromancy (fire reading) and nephomancy (cloud reading) are forms of divination that have been used for millennia. You should eventually develop your own dictionary of symbols, because you know better than anyone else what each symbol means to you, but you can begin with standard readings, such as a heart indicating new romance, a cat referring to the need to trust your intuition, a tree meaning you’ll make new friends and a plane foreshadowing travel. You can also use oracle cards or any other form of divination, tapping in to your intuitive powers in the most effective way you know how, and letting the truths of your heart and soul reveal themselves to you.
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