Equinox: A Slow Start to Autumn

There's a moment each year when the light changes its mind. Not all at once, not with drama, but quietly. The sun rises a little later, sets a little sooner, and suddenly dusk is creeping in soon after the workday ends. If you've been feeling that shift this week, you're not imagining it. We're at the autumn equinox, and the whole world is leaning into the slower half of the year.

For some, especially those in the northern hemisphere, the beginning of autumn feels like a beginning. We do not need to mourn the summer - this year it was (too?) hot and dry. Are you feeling ready for the coming months and the change in weather?

What actually happens at the equinox?

The word "equinox" comes from Latin: aequinoctium, meaning "equal night" ("equal" - aequus and "night" - nox). On this day, Earth's axis tilts neither toward nor away from the Sun. The Sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west. It's one of only two days a year when day and night are essentially the same length all over the globe. The sun crosses directly overhead at the equator, and for a brief, balanced moment, light and dark stand evenly matched.

After the equinox, the nights officially win. From here on, the dark stretches longer and the light pulls back until the winter solstice. It's a natural invitation to change pace. To gather in, rest, and tend to ourselves the way the land does as it prepares for winter.

What is Mabon? 

In the old Celtic calendar, this time of year was marked as a harvest festival. In modern pagan practice, it's called Mabon, named after a figure from Welsh mythology. How do you pronounce Mabon? Apparently it's MAH-bon (like "mah" as in father, and "bon" as in gone).

Here's the interesting bit: "Mabon" as a specific holiday name is actually quite recent, coined in the 1970s. But the thing it points to - celebrating the second harvest, giving thanks for the fruit and the final crops before the lean months - is genuinely ancient. People have feasted and given thanks at this exact turning of the year for centuries.

So what's the difference between the equinox and Mabon? Think of it this way: the equinox is the astronomical event, the measurable moment of equal light and dark. Mabon is the human celebration wrapped around it. The gratitude, the gathering, the feast, the pause to take stock of the year. One is science, the other is culture, and they share the same day.

How to celebrate Mabon in the UK?

Traditionally it's a gentle, grateful festival. Apples, berries, nuts, the fullness of the autumn table. There's a lovely old habit of cutting an apple crossways to find the five-pointed star formed by the seeds at its core and finding a small sense of magic in ordinary things. We love September and its light. It's a joy to get out in nature and see the changes in the trees and leaves and find acorns, pinecones and conkers. 

Why now is the right time to slow down

The Celtic traditions treat this period as a point of balance and reflection. The idea isn't to rush toward winter; it's to honour the turn, to weigh up what's come good this year, and to make space so the darker months feel restful rather than overwhelming. Finishing off projects, clearing out clutter, letting go of what no longer serves you. These were all part of the old understanding, so that winter could be a season of genuine rest.

That wisdom translates into everyday life. You don't need a ritual or an altar to honour the shift. Sometimes the most meaningful thing you can do is change your evening routine. Did the spring and summer seasons mean getting outdoors and socialising, maximising the light and doing? Then now it’s time to swap out the frantic for the gentle, and allow yourself to move more slowly.

Nourishing your skin as the air turns crisp

As the temperature drops and the heating kicks on, our skin often feels the change first. Drier air, colder water, longer indoor hours. All of it can leave skin feeling tight, dull, or a little thirsty. This is a great time to rethink what you're putting on your body, especially in the shower, where we spend a few minutes every day.

If you've been reaching for harsh, stripping cleansers, the equinox is a perfect excuse to switch to something kinder. Look for bars made with nourishing oils and botanicals that cleanse without robbing your skin of its natural moisture barrier.

A few things worth seeking out:

• Shea butter and olive oil for deep, lasting softness
• Gentle botanicals like calendula or lavender for a calming effect

And because we love keeping things simple and low-waste here, a plastic-free bar means your gentler routine doesn't come with a stack of bottles to guilt you about later. Just a solid bar, a splash of warm water - that's the whole ritual.

A small equinox routine to try

You don't have to overhaul everything. Try layering in just one or two of these over the next few weeks:

🍂Start your morning with a cup of water with lemon and ginger and a few slow breaths before the day gets loud.

🍂Take ten minutes to tidy one small corner of your home - a shelf, a drawer, the kitchen worktop. We know well about the spring clean, but this time of year it's good to have the space ready for our retreat indoors.

🍂Swap one harsh product in your bathroom for a nourishing alternative, and savour the scent instead of rushing through. Can you end your evening earlier than usual? Screens dimmed, and lean into the cosiness of the darker nights? 

None of this is about perfection. It's about noticing the season changing outside your window and choosing, deliberately, to change with it.

The light is pulling back, the air is getting crisper, and the year is asking us to slow down. And maybe that's exactly what we need? Allow yourself to gather in and meet the quieter months.

Happy equinox.