The Autumnal Equinox

The Autumn Equinox, also called the first point of Libra, is the calculated point within the year when the Sun can be viewed directly above the Earth’s equator, occurring between September 21 and September 23. The term equinox is derived from the Latin terms aequus (equal) and nox (night); while the term autumn is derived from the Latin term autumnus. On this date, day and night are of equal length, twelve hours devoted to the daylight and twelve hours devoted to night, according to the Gregorian Calendar, which is a calendar based upon the rotation of the Sun around the Earth. However, if you do not live near the equator you will observe more or less than twelve hours of daylight with the sun rising directly in the east and setting directly in the west in the northern hemisphere. Before the autumnal equinox, the sun raises more to the north, and afterwards, the sun rises and sets more to the south.

The term “Mabon” was invented by Aidan Kelly in the 1970’s as part of a religious study to refer to the birth of Mabon, the son of Mordon, the Goddess of the Earth and has only recently been applied to the neo-pagan festival of the autumnal equinox. The term “Mabon” was taken from Welsh mythology and is commonly used in America than in Britain to refer to the autumnal equinox. In fact, in Gardnerian Wicca and Traditional Wica, the festival is referred to as the Autumnal Equinox and the term “Mabon” is dismissed by British neo-pagans as inauthentic. With the increasing number of American publications sold in Britain, such as Llewellyn, this misleading term has been adopted by some British as the authentic term to refer to the Autumn Equinox.

Historically, the Autumn Equinox was the time of the second harvest and was considered a time of balance and Mystery. It was also considered a time to honor the Goddess as the aging Deity from Mother to Crone, and to honor the God as he prepares for Death and Rebirth. In Traditional Wica the altar is decorated with the symbols of the season, which include oak sprigs and acorns, that remind us that within the seed life is dormant and when placed within the womb, it is the place where the mysteries of Life, Death, and Rebirth are understood. The altar is further decorated with ears of corn, pine cones, and usually some form of fire is present upon the altar.

This article applies to neo-pagans who live in the Northern Hemisphere and not to those who live in the Southern Hemisphere. Neo-pagans who live in the Southern Hemisphere would celebrate the festival of the Vernal Equinox.