Autumnal equinox

Today is the autumnal equinox. The word itself has deep roots [Middle English, from Old French equinoxe, from Medieval Latin aequinoxium, from Latin aequinoctium : aequi-, equi- + nox, noct-, night.], reflecting the long held fascination our ancestors had with celestial matters. From now until the winter solstice the days will be shorter than the nights as the sun continues moving north, a procession sure and comforting in its cyclical reliability.

This time of balance is curiously energizing, even as the lengthening nights draw us inside, both physically and metaphorically. But these opposite tugs are oddly compatible. The coming days, shorter but awash with golden autumn light, offer opportunities to enjoy the lingering good weather to get the garden ready for winter. The coming longer nights, chilly and pungent with wood smoke, are perfect for slowing down, reading and thinking.

To honor this instinctual response to the seasonal change feels right. Our modern world negates the need for many winter preparations. But it seems likely that shifting our balance, once physically necessary for conservation of energy, still serves another purpose, more spiritual or psychological, but just as necessary.

It is just this kind of woolgathering that longer nights encourage.

Every milepost in the year’s progression is special, with its own unique gifts. But autumn has always been and will remain my favorite. Its offerings are at once sensual and cerebral, another appropriate dichotomy that celebrates the equinox.