How to Celebrate the Fall Equinox, According to a Wiccan High Priestess

Vivianne Crowley is a Wiccan priestess, psychologist, and spiritual teacher, whose books offer practical advice on how to harness the energies of the natural world. Here, her guide to marking—and making the most of—the fall equinox on September 22.

The fall equinox refers to the point in the year when the number of hours of light and darkness is exactly the same, and takes place around September 22. This date also marks the transition from the earthy sign of Virgo to the airy sign of Libra, which is associated with the creative arts. It’s a moment when our engagement shifts from the outer world to the inner world—just as spring energizes the body, fall energizes our mind, emotions, and spirit. It can be a time of significant change, intellectual curiosity, and creative reawakenings. Here’s how to make the most of the equinox’s powerful energy this year.

Attune yourself to nature

Around the autumn equinox, the leaves begin to turn and fall, while the silhouettes of branches reappear. Birds migrate, with swallows beginning their journey to Africa and geese flying in from the Arctic to overwinter in Europe. Mushrooms sprout up, and flowers give way to nuts and berries. Go out into a garden, local park, or woodland, and take note of all of the signs of transition around you. Then, see what you can find to bring home to create a decorative seasonal display: conkers, berry-laden twigs, chestnuts… Arrange your treasures on a surface along with two candles—a dark one on the left, and a pale one on the right—to symbolize the balance of light and dark during the equinox tide.

Feast on the bounty of the harvest

September is a time when we all need warming and nourishing, making it an opportune moment to invite friends to join you for a bountiful, autumnal meal. You could serve a rich mushroom soup with nutritious bread to start, a main course of seasonal game or nut roast, and a blackberry and apple crumble with damson wine to finish.

Declutter, physically and metaphorically

When we discard clutter, we release trapped energy and make psychological space for growth. Go through your cupboards and clear out what you don’t need; put away your summer wardrobe; and resell or donate anything you haven’t worn this year. From a psychological standpoint, too, this is a moment for letting go of the past. Are there people or patterns in your life that are no longer serving you? You can shed them, just as a tree sheds its dying leaves.

Deepen your knowledge

Take advantage of the longer hours of darkness to enrich yourself culturally and spiritually. Studying in this period is much easier than the summer, when the sun naturally draws us outside. Follow your curiosity and feed your mind, whether that means learning a language, brushing up on your history or playing an instrument.

Do some autumnal magic

Take a leaf-covered branch and a pair of scissors or secateurs. Slowly cut off the leaves one by one, allowing them to fall into a fire or a bowl of water into which you’ve thrown a handful of salt, the great sterilizer. With each cut, say what you are releasing—the pain of a divorce or redundancy, guilt, anger, grief. Whatever it is, let its energy drop away from you along with the leaf. You are returning this energy to the elements, so it can be broken down and released. Now that you’ve let go of what you no longer need, ask yourself: what next? Consult a good astrologer or tarot reader for guidance.