Harvest festivals were actually a pagan holiday steeped in ancient rituals of honouring a fertility goddess for the bounty of the harvest. In the medieval era, autumn was celebrated by a festival called ' hærfest' in Old English, which literally means 'harvest fest'. In Britain, no ancient written records survive so we have to rely on later material. We get most of our information on the traditions and rituals of the fall equinox from medieval sources. The autumn equinox has a rich history both in the Neolithic and pre-agricultural ages. Once we understand these lessons in autumn, we can be sustained through winter. This day of the year reminds us to release what is not needed and to be grateful for what nourishes us. This makes autumn a time of reflection - where we look back at the blessings from the summer months and give gratitude for what we have. Our ancestors would have had their last harvests of the year around the September equinox and this would need to sustain them over winter. The pagan festivities of the fall equinox were centered around giving thanks for the abundance they were receiving. Change is a mystical time for everyone because it signals the end and beginning. Even before the agricultural tradition of the Neolithic era, our hunter-gatherer ancestors needed to know when the decay of autumn was upon them.Īround this time, the food would slowly dwindle until the coming of the first frost, and this was important for survival. In our ancient past, our pagan ancestors noticed the subtle changes of the season. The equinox is thoroughly a pagan tradition. We can see autumn as a time to see what is needing to be released in our own lives, in order to move forward and rest in winter. In autumn, the leaves crinkle up and change colour, they fall to the ground and decay. Winter is on the horizon and summer is not yet a distant memory. The autumn equinox is the first equinox to take place after the summer solstice. It is a stark reminder that the winter solstice will soon be here, so there is a call to reflect on the past summer. Although it is still warm, it’s a signal that from here on, the days will become shorter and shorter until the frost of winter is upon us. The autumn equinox occurs in September in the northern hemisphere and marks the first day of fall. It’s not just a change of season, but a change of consciousness too. The time of the equinox marks a turning point. The pagan rituals during this time focus on shedding what we don’t need, and expressing gratitude, as we head into winter. Our ancestors were so attuned to the seasons and the changes that took place that they developed rituals to honour this change. The equinox is a time when the length of night and day are equal.
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