September’s Ritual for the Autumnal Equinox

On September 22nd we have the Autumnal Equinox.

The time when we shift from summer to fall. A shift in seasons, a shift in energy, a shift in chapters. Fall is one of the most important seasons. It's a softening, a slowing down, a surrendering, after the fiery, active, often overwhelming, exciting energy that summer brings to us.

If you want to hear about the roots of the Autumnal Equinox - the meaning, the history, the traditions - tune in to the podcast. There we go deep into the past and present embodiment of the Autumnal Equinox. We talk about what an Equinox is, the Pagan celebration of Mabon and how other cultures celebrate this time. We also go into the Human Design gates present during the Equinox and how that will impact us.

Knowing the history, grounding ourselves in the traditions, embodying this energy, that is what allows us to intentionally engage in this ritual and season fully - so head to the podcast to hear it all.

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for now, let’s get into the ritual …

Fall is connected to the earth element. If there is one thing you take away from this ritual - it is to get connected to nature. If the only thing you do is step outside and breathe in the fall air and smell the fresh fall smell, that is enough. That is all the ritual you need.

This is a time to get rooted in nature. Let that be your foundation moving forward.

altar suggestions -

It is time refresh our altars. What we once dedicated and devoted to the summer sun and energy, we now dedicate and devote to the falling leaves and transforming colours. We want to start by clearing our space. If you already have an altar, clear it completely. even if there are some items on there that you are going to put back on. This is a time to start fresh with new energy and new intentions. If you don't have a designated altar yet, that is totally fine. You can create one by choosing a space in your home that is - whether it be a table, a corner of your room, a tablecloth, or a piece custom made for an alter, it doesn’t matter. What is important is to have a space where you can conduct your ritual, and place your altar items to cultivate and connect you to your intention. We are going to go through each of the elements to create our altar.

ether - the space in which you create and contain your alter. You can enhance your space with the colours of fall by placing a cloth or crystals containing the colours of red, yellow, gold, brown…

earth - choose a physical symbol from nature that represents fall for you. This can be going outside and finding a leaf that has fallen from the ground and placing it on your altar. You can also create a piece of art that represents fall or put a picture that represents fall or create a vision board. I also recommend picking a designated vase for your altar and regularly placing fresh or dried plants in there that embody fall for you.

water - the Grounded Elixir from the Intuitively Wild Apothecary. The Grounded Elixir connects us to ourselves - it's here to soothe your anxiety and support your mental health. It also connects us to the earth. These are both important aspects to lean into during the shift in seasons. Even though we're moving into the Earth element, which is very grounded, the shifting of seasons can be ungrounding and unsettling. The Grounded Elixir contains apple cider vinegar and cinnamon - which are perfect for fall and apple is associated with the water element. So this is the perfect option for not only your altar, but also to use to enrich your daily autumnal ritual.

air - incense. our scents for the equinox are lavander and sage. Both are associated with the air element, and with autumn and will really help you ease into and embrace this seasonal shift.

fire - a candle. I don't think an altar is complete without a candle. Choose a smell that symbolises fall to you, whatever that may be. Maybe it's a scent from your childhood or one that embodies the energy you want fall to hold. Fall scents are actually some of my favourite and that's partially because I only use them during the fall season. Find one that holds significance and magic for you.

As I will always remind you, setting up for the ritual is part of the ritual. So, clearing out your old altar and putting the flowers in the vase and going outside and collecting a leaf from nature and placing it on your altar and lighting your incense and lighting your candle, smelling the smells around you, watching the smoke billow around you and putting your crystals on your altar, and really setting up for the day - that is part of the ritual.

All of this is part of the ritual. Do it with intention and presence. Really take time to arrive in your space and arrive into your ritual.

yoga therapy tools -

the lighthouse meditation - can be found on this episode of Ritual, Root and Reconnect - our weekly reflection and intention setting ritual on substack. This meditation takes you on a journey within yourself, to the core of who you are. It is my favourite meditation to date.

Pushpaputa Mudra - this mudra is created by placing your hands together so your pinky fingers and outside edges of your hands are touching and palms are facing up, as if you're creating a cup with your hands.

Energetically, this symbolizes both receiving and giving, it opens you up to receiving abundance and giving abundance. It's the perfect symbol of balance for this equinox. You can do this at any time in your ritual - maybe after or during your meditation. Maybe as you open and close your ritual. You can use this mudra throughout the autumn season to reconnect you to your intentions. Find what works for you and utilize the mudra in that way.

herbal companions -

cinnamon - brings in abundance, protection and magic. strengthens your heart, provides circulation throughout your blood stream and makes everything taste good

rosehips - Rose is the ultimate self-love plant and Rosehips are the seed from which the flower blooms. This herb promotes self-love and helps you treat yourself with gentleness and compassion. It deepens your ability to connect with and feel love towards others and let yourself be loved. It also nourishes and strengthens all the systems in your body.

ginger - stabilises your energy, strengthens your immune system, it's a root so you strengthens your sense of groundedness and connection to the earth

fire cider - nothing screams fall like fire cider. If you're interested, I can go into more detail about fire ciders and how and why to make and use them in next months solo. If there is one remedy to have in your herbal medicine cabinet from fall through winter it is fire cider.

journal prompts -

what did your summer harvest bring you?

what was this summer season for you?

what lessons did you learn?

who did you become? in what ways have you grown?

what are you ready to let go of?

what is your association with autumn? what memories, feelings and emotions does it bring up for you?

what are you ready to embrace this season?

what does nourishment mean to you?

what does it look and feel like for you to be nourished - in every aspect of your life?

setting our intentions -

To prepare for setting our intentions, we are going to gain a little more clarity on our internal state by making time for an Nourishment Assessment.

We are starting to prepare for winter - we are slowing down, we are releasing any excess and nourishing ourselves from the inside out with more focus and intention. Summer is a more external time and may having taken us away from an internal focus. Fall is a time to slow down and come back to ourselves, check in with where we're at internally and provide for our needs.

Nourishment Assessment -

Write out the core components of your life - you can designate these in any way that feels good for you, but here are some suggestions for categories -

work, relationships, physical health, mental health, creativity, spirituality

Under each, write about how it looks and feels for you to be nourished in this area of your life. Write where you may be feeling depleted and where you are feeling nourished.

Write 1-3 things you can focus on to nourish yourself in each category throughout this season.

Use the clarity and insight gleaned from this exercise to ground you into your Autumn intentions…

words for Autumn -

nourishment, play, grounding, discernment, stability, abundance, connection, creativity

mantras for Autumn -

I prioritise nourishment for my mind, body and soul.

I am grounded within myself.

I am surrounded by abundance in every area of my life.

I am protective of my energy and generous with my spirit.

the intention -

From there you may have guessed our intention for Autumn is NOURISHMENT.

On a piece of paper write down —

Autumn is for Nourishment

Choose a mantra and state it here.

Write down your action steps that will help you lean into nourishment for this season of your life.

Sit with this piece of paper throughout your daily rituals during Autumn to reconnect you to your intention.

I’d love to hear how this ritual goes for you - what comes up for you and what you are looking forward to in this Autumn Season of our lives.

Until next time, stay intuitively wild 🌙

xx,

~ Rachel

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