Autumnal Equinox 2019
by Regina Gradys
Above: "Stonehenge Autumn (Mabon) Equinox 2015" by The Stonehenge Stone Circle Website. Licensed under CC BY 2.0
Greetings from the normally broiling hot Southern California Inland Empire! I am so excited about fall, I had to write about it. On the fourth of July several neighbors commented that I should not be doing yard “work” on a holiday. I explained I enjoyed what I was doing and assured them I would be partaking of a barbecue later on. I made a mental note: If I see anyone doing yard “work” at the autumnal equinox, I will approach them the same way. (And will be guaranteed funny looks – but heck, it would be a blast to get their reaction.)
I have looked forward to fall for as long as I can remember. We may not have clear-cut seasons in California, but there is a subtle difference in the quality of light and temperature as we approach the equinox. The new (long sleeved!) coolness in the mornings is an energizing start to the day, even though afternoons are quite warm, even hot. It is said the earth exhales at the equinoxes. Just today, my pumpkins said “Oh my, what a relief!”
In celebration of the upcoming equinox (Monday, September 23, 12:50 a.m., PDT), I have collected some links explaining the science behind the phenomenon, and descriptions of how it has been celebrated throughout history.
Above: Chichen Itza at the autumnal equinox. Image credit: "_DSC0111" by John L is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Broad Overviews
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox
Farmers Almanac: https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-fall-autumnal-equinox
Cultural Custom Overviews: https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/september-equinox-customs.html
Read about Chichen Itza (“The Castle” structure in Mexico): http://www.exploratorium.edu/ancientobs/chichen/HTML/castillo.html
Lastly, for those wanting to go down the rabbit hole of equinoctial satellite reception disruption: http://geosats.com/solaroutages.html
Above: A Mabon ceremony. "20070923_0951" by Siannan13 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
As Bob Dylan famously sang: “The Times They Are A-Changin'” HAPPY FALL!
