Purpose of the Autumn Equinox Celebrations:
Click here to see the Report for the Autumn Equinox Celebrations
The Autumn Equinox is a particularly appropriate time of the year for a “completion” ritual, with its rich symbolisms of the good harvest, of preparing to gather the mature fruits at the end of the season, a time of reckoning and giving thanks for the abundance of life received.
And as it is time for rejoicing and enjoying the mature fruit, it is also time for rest and preparation: it is time for getting the fields and our gardens ready to be replenished and fertilized with new energy in preparation for the renewal of spring.
Nature Points The Way
Just as manifested in Nature, the ritual reinforces in us the need for reflection, to reflect on the experiences of the past, with the intention to become clearer on the lessons we have learned, and the wonderful insights gained over the year, through our experiences.
It is a moment when we make a conscious statement of completion of how we have lived and interpreted the events of the past, before embarking on a new phase of our journey, ready to embrace the fruits and go towards our our future, free from regrets and binding ties, and with new vitality.
In short, the role of a ritual is to help us bring into our conscious mind “unfinished business”, so that we can make peace with our memories and make space for the future, with greater resources than before: the lessons we have learnt are the treasure we add to our reserves: that is how we reach a level of maturity and independence and confidence in manifesting more of who we are. It is also a way of rekindling our vitality and renewing our energies.
In line with this intention a ritual always contains the following phases:
- Reflecting on the past;
- Transforming memories from regret, anger and revenge into acceptance, peace of mind and forgiveness;
- Give thanks for the lessons learnt, for the gifts and talents we have received and the abundance that surrounds us.
A very important way to clarify our way of thinking/feeling and seeing the world is to become aware of our metaphors that frame our reactions and our actions.
I encourage you to choose a metaphor connected with the season, and with the solar position “the autumn Equinox”.