“We cling to our own point of view,
as though everything depended on it.
Yet our opinions have no permanence.
Like autumn and winter,
They gradually pass away.”
Chuang Tzu

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Welcome fall, my favorite season of the year. Although I’m a fan of evergreen trees, deciduous trees with their spectacular burst of color is always a welcome site.

The autumnal equinox, also called the September equinox or the fall equinox will arrive on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. Not only do temperatures drop, but plant life slows down, and so do we. The autumnal equinox is an astronomical event that marks the start of autumn or fall. In the Northern Hemisphere, the autumnal equinox occurs every September whereas in the Southern Hemisphere, it occurs every March. 

During an equinox, the Sun crosses what we call the “celestial equator”, an imaginary extension of Earth’s equator line into space. The equinox occurs precisely when the Sun’s center passes through this line.

Surrounding the autumnal equinox is the relationship with the full Moon. Curiously, the full Moon that occurs nearest to the autumnal equinox is always called the Harvest Moon. Why is that?

Well, surprise, surprise the name has to do with farming. Around the fall equinox, the full Moon rises around sunset for several nights in a row, traditionally providing farmers with just enough light to finish their harvests during the arrival of the Harvest Moon.

Shine On Harvest Moon