The Gift Of The Autumn Equinox

An invitation to pause, reflect and reset

This voiceover is an audio version of my Slow Sunday Letter below. It is unedited, so may have some stutters, imperfections, and background noise. I hope you enjoy listening to it anyway!

Welcome to Generosity of Spirit, a gentle community for YOU. We find pockets of time for slow & gentle living, books, writing, journaling & life affirming work. You are so welcome here in our cosy space, grab a cuppa & stay a while... 🐢🙏📚☕💌

Welcome back to another Slow Sunday Letter! I hope you have had a slow and gentle week.

Welcoming Autumn - Equinox - Sun, 22 Sept 2024, at 1:43 pm

Today we welcome the Autumn Equinox and/or the celebration of Mabon. The second harvest festival on the Wheel of the Year – a nature-based calendar.

During the equinox, the sun is positioned exactly above the equator – meaning day and night are theoretically of equal length all over the world. In the Northern Hemisphere, the September Equinox marks the end of summer, and the start of Autumn.

Whether you are a lover of Summer or a cosy Autumn soul, I hope you will find some time to celebrate this passing of the season today. You can celebrate however you wish, make some seasonal food, watch a film reflective of the season, or take a walk in nature. The beginning of Autumn, marks the start of the colder months and is an opportunity to look inwards, move gently and embrace a slower pace.

So grab a cuppa, get cosy and let’s do some soul searching inspired by the Autumn Equinox.

---

A Fresh, Crisp New Day

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Autumn Equinox, is a momentary pause when day and night are in balance before night slowly gains over day. From here, we will lose a few more minutes of light each day. This gentle transition is a chance to catch our breath after a busy and active summertime, and refocus on what truly matters to us. To bring balance and harmony into our lives, it is important to give ourselves time to be reflective over the year so far. To consider what we would like to let go of as we progress through the final four months of the year, and what we would like to continue or begin. There is plenty of magic in Autumn, and it is up to us to notice it and harness this gentle power as nature starts her gentle transition to winter.

This Autumn Equinox feels like a welcome invitation to do some soul searching- to look inward, embrace change and connect back with the spirit.

---

Lunar Living

“The moon doesn’t consider one phase better than another; she just glows, equally stunning at each turn. Why should we be any different?“ - Cristen Rodgers

This year, I am paying more attention to the moon, and the passing and changing of the seasons alongside the moon cycles. I love how the ritual of this has guided me and helped me really notice and feel influenced by the natural world around me.

I have been using a moon journal this year designed my Moon Phase Studios, and it has been a beautiful companion this year. This journal doesn’t follow the usual diary format; it begins with the last new moon of the year, and follows through all thirteen Moon cycles. It is a constant reminder of the influence of lunar cycles and the opportunity to use that power in our lives.

I cannot recommend Moon Phase Studios highly enough and you can pre order next year's journal now… and it is beautiful!

Strengthen your relationship with the universe by journaling through the 13 moons of the year, in harmony with nature's rhythm

Moon Phase Studios... Click here !

---

Time To Reflect & Set Intentions

As we stand at the beginning of a new season, I think it is important to acknowledge and take time to be grateful for what you have achieved this Spring/Summer, and then move into Autumn/Winter with a gentle spirit with intention and focus. The colder, darker, shorter days can be challenging, and it's important to give yourself the best chance to continue to live slowly and gently whilst also achieving your goals.

September has a ‘back-to-school/work’ vibe, I can never shake that feeling that I need to go out and buy some new notebooks and ‘academic planners’ and turn over a fresh new page. Autumn/Winter are traditionally times when we should slow down and look inward, a time to let go of things (physically and spiritually) that are no longer serving us. To mark this Autumn Equinox, I took some time to set some affirmations, intentions and answer some journal prompts for the coming season, and I would like to invite you to do the same...

---

Affirmations

Take a moment to read through the affirmations below… if any resonate with you, jot them down. I like to write affirmations at the top of my journal. Sometimes it acts as a journaling prompt, or it serves as a positive jolt when I need it.

---

Intentions

Take some time to think about what Autumn represents, the invitation to change, and the beauty that comes with it.

As the leaves begin to change colour and fall to the ground – I like to see it as a symbol of all that flourished and grew for you over the Spring and Summer. As the leaves fall, those accomplishments act as a foundation to support your rebirth into the latter part of the year.

How do intentions differ from goals?

• Led by dreams and expansive thinking

• Focussed on the now, in the present

• Driven by inspiration

• Open to manifesting

Consider what intentions you would like to make for the coming season. Think about what values you would like to live and be guided by. Focus on positives, what you would like to encourage, what you would like to make time for. Write down your intentions somewhere you will see them often. Remember, you can regularly review and change your intentions whenever you choose, to make sure they still align with your life and aspirations.

My Autumn Intention:

To allow my creativity to give me energy, guide me and shape the work I do.

---

Autumn Equinox : Journal Prompts

What are the biggest changes you have been through so far this year? What have you learnt from them?

What areas in your life need greater balance, and what actions can you take to achieve it?

What change in direction might you be about to embark on?

What do you need to trust more of to allow this season to unfold?

Where do you want to focus your energy for the rest of the year?

---

Autumn Equinox Prayer

For the light-filled days behind us and the darkening days ahead, we give you thanks.

For the harvest, learnings and the beauty of life that still surrounds us in fading vibrance, we give you thanks.

For the turning of the wheel, the wisdom in decrease, the liberation of release, and the promise of winter's rest, we give thanks.

For this brief repose, a sacred pause in the turning of time, the balance between light and dark, we give you thanks.

- Jessica Cudney

I hope you have enjoyed this week’s Slow Sunday Letter - I am so looking forward to Autumn and the colder months, and I hope you are too. Autumn provides us with an invitation to slow down, let’s accept it! The more we can flow with the natural cycles of the seasons, the more balanced and connected we become.

I would really love to know your thoughts and if any of this resonated with you - if you feel able, please do share in the comments.

Thank you for being here,

My content is completely free, but you can buy me a coffee following this link!

If you enjoyed this post, found it useful or want to help me spread the word about how enriching Slow & Gentle Living can be, please do like/leave a comment or share/restack to help others discover Generosity of Spirit. Thank you for reading!