Autumnal Equinox – Saturday, 23rd September

The autumnal Equinox occurs in September each year.  This year, the autumnal equinox occurs on 23rd September at 7:50am BST.

At the time of the autumnal & spring Equinoxes – the Sun will illuminate the northern and southern hemispheres equally. It is a time of balance – to discard the unwanted and take on the new. 🙂 Deciduous trees undergo huge transformations by shedding their leaves. They trust that this needs to happen in order for renewal and more growth. Letting go is necessary and important in order to sustain life. There can be a sense of loss during this season too, so it’s important for families to spend more time with each other and develop closer, stronger, more loving and supportive bonds.

For many, this Equinox marks the end of summer and the beginning of autumn.  However, there are three main different ways of defining autumn: astronomical, meteorological and phenological.

  • Astronomically, the four seasons centre around the equinoxes and solstices. However, there is disagreement between those who see the equinox or solstice as the start of the season, and those who hold that it represents the middle of the season.
  • By contrast, meteorologists tend to divide seasons into periods of three whole months based on average monthly temperatures, with summer as the warmest and winter as the coldest. On this basis, for most of the northern hemisphere the autumn months are usually September, October, and November.
  • The third way of defining autumn is to use what are known as phenological indicators. These cover a range of ecological and biological signs, such as the leaves falling off the trees and the migration of birds to warmer climates. These events of course are greatly influenced by weather and climate, and so changing climate could cause autumn to start earlier or later than the standard astronomical or meteorological definitions.

Mabon is a modern Pagan ritual marking the autumnal equinox. The ritual gives thanks for a plentiful harvest and recognises the need to share the Earth’s fruits in the coming winter months.

In Japanese culture, the autumn equinox is celebrated with the tradition of Higan. It is a time to remember deceased relatives, as well as mark the passing of the seasons.

Harvest MoonThe Harvest Moon is the name given to the Full Moon that occurs nearest to the autumnal equinox. The Full Moon this month falls on Friday, 29th September.
Historically the light of the Harvest Moon was said to enable farmers to work late into the night, helping them to bring in the crops from the fields.

 

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Full Moon – Saturday, 10th September

Rising just after 8pm on Saturday evening, the Full Moon will brighten our skies. While September’s Full Moon is usually known as the Harvest Moon, if October’s Full Moon happens to occur closer to the autumnal equinox (September 23rd) than September’s, it takes on the name “Harvest Moon” instead. In this case, September’s Full Moon is referred to as the Corn Moon.

A transitional time between summer and autumn – many of the names (with the associated tribe) for this Full Moon reflects this:

  • Autumn Moon (Cree)
  • Falling Leaves Moon (Ojibwe)
  • Leaves Turning Moon (Anishinaabe)
  • Moon of Brown Leaves (Lakota)
  • Yellow Leaf Moon (Assiniboine)

Other Indian tribes would refer to this moon as:

  • Moon When the Plums Are Scarlet (Lakota Sioux)
  • Moon When the Deer Paw the Earth (Omaha)
  • Moon When the Calves Grow Hair (Sioux)

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Full Moon – Tuesday, 21st September

The Full Moon is at 00.55 hrs on Tuesday 21st September. The most popular name for this Full Moon is the Harvest Moon. You only have to look at the new What’s On pages to see the many harvest lunches and suppers taking place within the parish.

Also referred to as the Corn Moon or Barley Moon. Most of the names for the Moons come from the Native Americans and colonial times and tracked the seasons.  Other Indian tribes would refer to this moon as

  • Moon When the Plums Are Scarlet” by the Lakota Sioux.
  • Moon When the Deer Paw the Earth” by the Omaha.
  • Moon When the Calves Grow Hair” by the Sioux.

The first Super New Moon of the year takes place on November 4th/5th.   Like all New Moons, it won’t be visible from Earth, but the dark night skies will provide great opportunities for some great night sky watching 🙂

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Full Moon on Thursday, October 1st

The first of two Full Moons this month, this is the Harvest Moon.

Most years, the Harvest Moon occurs in September but approximately every 3 years it occurs in October. The majority of sources state that the Full Moon names originate from ancient Native American tradition. There are others who point out that Harvest month was recorded as early as in the 700’s in both Anglo-Saxon and Old High German languages.

As the Moon rises from the horizon around sunset, it may appear larger and more orange which is quite apt for the season. It’s the location of the moon near the horizon that causes the Harvest Moon – or any full moon – to look big and orange in colour.  For several evenings, the moonrise comes soon after sunset. This creates an abundance of bright moonlight early in the evening, which was a traditional aide to farmers and crews harvesting their summer-grown crops. Hence, the ‘Harvest’ Moon.

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