Welcome Autumn!
In the Northern Hemisphere, the temperatures begin to cool as the earth’s axis shifts and we begin to see a shift in Mother Nature as she brings out her palate of beautiful fall colors to welcome and celebrate the first day of autumn. The green of summer fades into fiery reds, dazzling yellows, and soft oranges. The flowers of summer bear fruit and we begin to enjoy winter squash, apples, cranberries, and sweet potatoes. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer as the morning sun rises later and night falls earlier. This trend continues until the winter solstice when daytime grows longer again.
The Harvest and Hunter Moons
Mother Nature never fails to disappoint with the changing of seasons. The full moon nearest the autumnal equinox is known as the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is often orange or even reddish - especially when hovering close to the horizon. Around the time of equinox, the full moon provides additional light for farmers to complete their harvests as it rises right around sunset for many nights in a row. Usually, the moon rises around an hour later each night, however, at the equinox the angle of the moon’s orbit and the tilt of the Earth are just such that the moon rises about 20 to 30 minutes later each night for many nights right in a row. The Hunter Moon is the full moon that comes right after the Harvest Moon. This is just one of the neat astronomical phenomena that occurs that we are treated to each year.
Themes of Autumn
Along with the unique astronomical phenomena and the beautiful change in color palette, this time of year often elicits different themes that invite reflection. Themes such as:
Harvest
Gratitude
Balance and Equilibrium
Letting Go and Preparation
Nature and the Changing Landscape
While this is not an all inclusive list, it does give us some ideas. Two themes that stand out at this moment in time are the themes of nature and the changing landscape and letting go and preparation. Mother Nature has evolved so that as winter approaches plants and animals engage in preparations to help them navigate the cold of winter and come back to life in spring. Nature finds a way! What inspiration can we take from Mother Nature?
We are open systems, meaning that we learn and are constantly impacted by the environment around us. Translation - We are constantly changing landscapes. In some ways that may be a scary thought and maybe even a freeing thought. We do not have to be stuck in the same spot and instead are able to adapt and be resilient. Thus, that means we may be able to decide if there are things in our lives that are not serving us and decide if they are things to let go as the leaves of fall in preparation for inviting something new in when the time comes. While these themes may be nothing new to some, it never hurts to be reminded of the sense of agency that we do have. Sometimes our environment tries to trick us into thinking that we do not have a sense of agency. In some cases we may not, and, at the same time, there are many places that we do. So this autumn take a moment to celebrate the changing of seasons and all the possibilities that come with the changing landscape.
A tree with red/orange colored leaves with the sun shining through it. There are leaves on the ground on green grass.
take action today moment:
Take a moment to reflect on your life and see what you notice. Are there things in your life that are helping you be resilient or be your best self? Are there things in your life that are not serving you that allow you to engage with yourself and others the way you want? Simply begin by noticing without judgement. As you take note of your observations, decide if this is the opportunity you have been waiting for to give yourself the gift of letting go and preparing for something different, new, or inspiring in your life. Additionally, acknowledge the pieces that are serving you and say thank you to them.
References
Almanac. (2025, June 13). When is the first day of fall? Autumnal equinox 2025. https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-fall-autumnal-equinox