The Autumn Equinox – Mabon & the Wheel of the Year

 
One way that I like to connect with the seasons and cycles of the earth is by tuning into The Wheel of the Year. The Autumn Equinox, sometimes called Mabon, is the third of the quarter days, which marks the second of the fall holidays (the mid-point between Lughnasadh and Samhain). Read on to discover how you can connect more deeply with the distinct energies of the Autumn Equinox in your spiritual practice. 
 

 
Similar to the Lunar Phases (but on an annual scale rather than just monthly), the Wheel of the Year is a guide for living in alignment with the earth's natural cycles. When you harmonize with the seasonal ebb and flow of nature, you can lead a more soulful life, cultivate a deeper understanding of yourself, and better recognize your role in the world around you.
 
By helping you stay in energetic flow with the seasons, the Wheel of the Year allows you to internalize the outward changes in nature as reflections of the growth and evolution you experience in your own life.
 



 
So what is the Wheel of the Year?
Separated into 8 main holidays, the Wheel of the Year is a representation of seasonal cycles that focuses on the 4 Solar Holidays of the year (also known as the quarter days). This stems from the Anglo-Saxon cultural observations of the solstices and equinoxes, with the addition of the 4 Gaelic, agrarian, seasonal celebrations (the mid-points between the solar holidays known as the lunar cross-quarter days or fire festivals).
Although some of the holidays observed in the Wheel of the Year are quite old, The Wheel of the Year as a whole is fairly modern (being developed in the late 1950s). Though I don't personally follow the tradition that created the contemporary Wheel of the Year, I do find it a helpful way to think about the passage of time and what's happening in the world at each time of year.
 



 
I tend to identify more with the Gaelic Cross-Quarter Days, as they stem from my ancestral heritage, than I do with the Anglo-Saxon solstices and equinoxes, but I do find value in these quarter days because they more closely align with the seasons as I observe them where I live in Madison, Wisconsin. For example, though my ancestors in Ireland and Scotland celebrated Lughnasadh as the beginning of autumn, I don't quite feel the seasonal changes until the time of Mabon, the Fall Equinox, here in the United States. For this reason, these seasonal markers are important for helping me feel connected to what's happening in nature all year long, while the cross-quarter days hold more spiritual significance for me in other ways.
 
An Introduction to the Autumn Equinox:
The Autumn Equinox, sometimes called Mabon, is the third of the quarter days, which marks the second of the fall holidays (the mid-point between Lughnasadh and Samhain). Mabon is traditionally celebrated on the day of the Autumnal Equinox, determined by when the Sun is directly over the earth's equator (this date may range from September 21st through September 24th each year depending on the Sun's position).