equinox

Autumn Equinox 2025

~ Ashley ~ 44 Comments 

The autumn equinox;
A festival of thanksgiving,
A gateway into winter.

Hokku and photographs by Ashley

Can you believe it’s the autumn equinox?  It’s that time when day and night are of equal length and the earth is in perfect balance, but from today, daylight reduces and the nights grow longer.

The flowers in our garden are showing their autumn colours, and some are already closing down.  Winter is before us, and I am stepping back from blogging for a while, taking some time to reflect on my next steps.  I’m sure I will still publish at Samhain (end of October/beginning of November) and at the winter solstice (21st December), so until then, thank you for following my blog and making all your wonderful comments.

Here’s a short verse I found on the internet, which says so much about celebrating this ancient festival:

Blessed be the turning wheel,
Blessed be the waning sun,
Blessed be the harvest of soul and soil.

Ashley 🙏

Autumn Equinox 2024

~ Ashley ~ 57 Comments

20240921_114212

Night and day,
Near perfect balance;
Equinox.

The equinox, simply put, is when the sun is positioned exactly above the equator, so for a moment both night and day have equal length.  A moment of harmony.  Here in the UK that moment will be at 01.43 pm today, Sunday 22nd September.

From today, here in the northern hemisphere, the days will grow shorter, as the earth transforms towards a new season.  The autumn equinox opens the doorway to winter.  Are you preparing for the change of season: to rest, recharge and dream?

Happy autumn equinox.

Ashley

Spring Equinox 2023

~ Ashley ~ 50 Comments

blackthorn 1

blackthorn 2

Delicate white blossoms
Cluster around dark needles -
Blackthorn in flower.

It’s the Spring Equinox, when day and night are of equal length.  A celebration of balance, of light and dark, inner and outer, of female and male.

I’ve written about the flowering stems of Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa).  Hidden by the small, dainty white flowers are sharp needle-like thorns on dark branches: light and dark, beauty and armour.  This small native tree has far-reaching roots which produce many suckers creating impenetrable wide thickets, a natural guardian tree from which we learn to respect boundaries.

I give thanks to Mother Earth: in my hands, my heart, and my mind, are all the elements of the Universe.

Ashley