The Fall Equinox Is Start of a New Season and a Chance for New Beginnings

If the cooler temperatures and falling leaves aren't giving it away, it's time to acknowledge that summer has reached its end. With that end comes many things that people look forward to in the fall, including Halloween and pumpkin spice season. Ultimately, though, the arrival of fall also means the arrival of the fall equinox, and many people don't actually know what that means.

We all know that the days are longer in the summer and shorter in the winter, but the fall equinox is the point at which the day and the night are exactly the same length. It signals the official beginning of fall, although it also has a deeper meaning for some groups of people. The holiday is also known as the "witches' Thanksgiving," which is because it aligns with an ancient Celtic holiday known as Mabon.

Wiccans used the holiday to celebrate the recent harvest and pay tribute to the Earth by honoring the food and life that it provides. That celebration often involves exploring nature, cooking for loved ones, or taking a moment to reflect on your past and your future.

Those who believe in the metaphysical may also find that the fall equinox is a fertile time for harvesting deeper spiritual connections or insights.

The equinox is on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 9:04 p.m. ET.

According to Refinery29, the fall equinox may lead some to yearn for a connection with their family and may lead others to think through old relationships. It's also a time when you should be able to make connections with spirits and receive "psychic downloads" from them if that's the kind of thing you're into. Headed into fall, you may find yourself realigning and digging deeper to find the things you're most passionate about.

The Libra sun and Mercury retrograde also align several hours after the equinox, which should allow us to attain new insights into our relationships. This, coupled with the equinox and some other business on the spiritual calendar, means that this week is a great opportunity to realign your priorities and reevaluate where you are in life.

Regardless of how much you embrace the spiritual side of things, you should know that the fall equinox is a great time to take stock and embrace the opportunity to kick off a new season by jettisoning the parts of your life that don't work. Even if you're totally indifferent to astral signs, you can acknowledge that the changing of the seasons is a good time to reevaluate.

Ultimately, the fall equinox is what you make of it. If you want it to pass without changing anything, that's certainly an option you have. If, however, you think it would be advantageous to make some changes or improvements in your life, then the fall equinox can serve as a great excuse to do exactly that.