The Autumn Equinox

Today is the Autumn Equinox, which is a harvest festival in many faiths. The beginning of Autumn is viewed as a time for introspection and balancing. This festival is sometimes called Second Harvest or Harvest Home because it is the time of the harvesting and preparation of the second round of crops. It is a time to store up goods and foods for the coming winter months. The full moon following the equinox is known as the "harvest moon" because before electric lights, the full moon's bright light helped workers in the fields to gather crops.

The Fall Equinox is a holiday that Catholics share with Pagans, Wiccans, and anyone wanting to live in harmony with nature and the seasons. An inclusive way to celebrate the holiday with friends and family of other faiths is to decorate your home and altar with brilliant autumn leaves, ears of corn, stalks of wheat, pine cones, and gourds as an offering of thanks for the harvest, and have a dinner party that incorporates fresh fruit, vegetables, and meats harvested locally by farmers in your area.

Over the next few weeks, make sure that you take time for reflection on your words, thoughts, and actions, as this can help you to analyze your own personal harvest... this is also a good period of the year to take time to bring projects to a close (especially those that are taking many moons and seasons to complete) so that you can accept newness in your life. It is also a time for you to look at areas of your life to see if there is chaff which needs to be winnowed out - fall is a good time to get rid of the old to make way for the new which is to come in future seasons.

Finally, be sure to enjoy the changing of the seasons - appreciate the cooler air, say thanks that soon the hurricane season will be over, praise God that we have a harvest and food, and most of rejoice and praise the beauty of the leaves. If possible, go to a state or national park near you and just spend some time among the trees and nature and thank God for life and the seasons. If you do visit a park, make sure to make a donation to the park rangers and staff in thanks for their work and to support the preservation of nature!

To see where fall foliage is changing in your area, or to see pictures on your computer, click here.