Even though they aren’t exactly equal, it appears that way due to the angular size of the sun and atmospheric refraction. All in all, on the day of an equinox, daytime and nighttime are approximately equal duration all over the planet – about 12 hours each. This event only happens twice a year, around March 20th and September 23rd. An equinox is basically the moment when the plane of the Earth’s equator passes through the center of the sun’s disk. It's an opportunity to look back at personal achievements.Īnd it's also a time to finish off projects, clear out unwanted clutter and plant the seeds of new ideas which will emerge in the spring.In order to fully understand the reason why pagans celebrate the equinox, you must first understand the astronomical relevance of the equinox. The sun god dies in this battle of dark and light but will return in the spring.īelievers see the equinox as a time not just to celebrate the physical harvest of fruit but to look at what has come to fruition in their own lives. It's a turning point where we begin to see darkness dominate over light as we head into winter. We have seen it getting darker in the evenings and at the equinox, night and day are of equal length.įor pagans, this is a time when dark and light, male and female, and other contrasting elements, are in perfect balance. Modern pagans regard Mabon as a sun god - a child of light who is son of the Earth mother goddess Modron. Symbols of the festival are the apple and the horn of plenty. Mabon is seen as the second harvest of the year, when fruit is gathered for a great feast of thanksgiving. The Autumn Equinox celebration was Michaelmas, the feast of the Archangel Michael."Īpples are a symbol of the pagan festival of Mabon at the time of the Autumn Equinox (Image: Surrey Advertiser) What does the equinox mean for pagan worshippers? "During Medieval times, the Christian Church replaced pagan solstices and equinox celebrations with Christianised occasions. However, at the North Pole they will be preparing for six months of darkness. "At the South Pole they will be celebrating the first appearance of the sun in six months. Mabon was when livestock would be slaughtered and preserved (salted and smoked) to provide enough food for the winter. "The full moon nearest to the Autumn Equinox is called the Harvest Moon and farmers would harvest their crops by then, as part of the second harvest celebration. It is the time of the year when night conquers day. "After this celebration the descent into winter brings hours of increasing darkness and chillier temperatures. "This is the point of the year when once again day and night are equal - 12 hours, as at Ostara, the Spring Equinox. It added: "This is the third of the four 'sky points' in our Wheel of the Year and it is when the sun does a perfect balancing act in the heavens. There will only be a handful of people at the Equinox."ĭruids, pagan worshippers and other New Age revellers gather at Stonehenge to see the sun rise for the solstices and equinoxes (Image: Getty Images Europe) "Anyone who has witnessed the crowd become silent as the sky begins to brighten can attest to that. "For many the impulse to arrive at Stonehenge in time for the Solstice and Equinox is a little like all those people drawn to the strange rock in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Stonehenge Tours said "It's an ad hoc celebration that brings together England's New Age Tribes (neo-druids, neo-pagans, Wiccans) with ordinary families, tourists, travellers - usually about 100 people. It's been suggested that Mabon is derived from the ancient Celtic god Maponos, who was the equivalent of sun god Apollo in Greek and Roman mythology.ĭruids, Wiccans and other modern pagans usually gather at Stonehenge to witness the sunrise on the day of the Autumn Equinox.īut people hoping to watch the sunrise to mark the first day of autumn were told not to go to Stonehenge this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.Ībout 800 people usually gather at the monument for the equinox.Įnglish Heritage said it had cancelled the event this year in the interests of public health but offered access to a "small number" of pagans and druids. The name comes from Welsh mythological figure Mabon, son of Modron. Mabon is the celebration of the Autumn Equinox for pagan worshippers. Druids, other pagans and revellers gather at Stonehenge to observe sunrise at the two equinoxes and two solstices each year (Image: Getty Images Europe)
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