The leaves are turning

The Autumn Equinox is here on Wednesday 22nd September, this is the day where we have equal day and night and along with this, we move into Libra Season. The autumn equinox in the divine feminine phase represents stillness, With this time of balance coming in the veil between the world of the living and spirit is starting to thin, and with each passing day between now and 1st November the veil was still start to get thinner and thinner.

In the tree calendar this month is viewed as the Vine Month however next month (October) is the month of the Ivy, these two trees happen to both grow spirally. This double spiralling of the Vine and the Ivy is a symbol for reincarnation/rebirth, which I always see the autumn equinox as, a rebirth. The leaves and plants are dying away, some animals go into hibernation, the sun is lower in the sky, the temperature changes, yet its no less beautiful than spring. The change in the season shows us there is beauty in change, in letting go and in starting again. In folk tradition in England, it was said that we should not eat blackberries (which incidentally grow on the vine) because after September they became property of the devil. For me I feel this ties in with the story of Hades and Persephone. Persephone is the Greek goddess of Goddess of the underworld, springtime, flowers, and vegetation. As she is identified by the spring season, the return of spring marks ger return from the underworld. Persephone is most known from the story of how she was abducted by Hades, God of the Underworld, Zeus had permitted Hades to abduct her as they knew Demeter would not allow for Persephone to go to the underworld. Persephone was gathering flowers with the Oceanids along with Artemis and Pallas, in a field when Hades came to abduct her, bursting through a cleft in the earth. Demeter, when she found her daughter had disappeared, searched for her all over the earth with Hecate's torches. During this time Demeter forbid the earth to produce, and in the depth of her despair she causes nothing to grow. Helios, the sun, who sees everything, eventually told Demeter what had happened and at length she discovered the place of her abode. Finally, Zeus, pressed by the cries of the hungry people and by the other deities who also heard their anguish, forced Hades to return Persephone. Hades indeed complied with the request, but first he tricked her, giving her some pomegranate seeds to eat. Persephone was released by Hermes, who had been sent to retrieve her, but because she had tasted food in the underworld, she was obliged to spend half the year there, and the remaining part of the year with the gods above. Obviously in the story of Persephone it was Pomegranates but there are similar themes.

The bird for the autumn equinox is the Swan, this bird represents immortality and grace, self-love, trust, and loyalty. This bird shows us that we need to trust the process of change, because we’re always evolving, but we need to love in ourselves in these moments of change. We need to prioritise our needs and listen to what we need and trust that the universe has our back.

Autumn Equinox marks the completion of the harvest, and thanksgiving for abundance with the emphasis placed on the future for the return of the abundance. So this is a perfect time to release any of our attachments towards taking action, so we can use this time to set our intentions of the return of abundance, but allow things to flow on their own.

On Thursday I am running a Autumn Equinox meditation circle, we will be setting our intentions for the return of the abundance. This meditation is taking place face to face but will have an online option to join us via zoom, all for £5.

Autumn Equinox Meditation

Now I’m going to move onto the Tarot, I thought this would be a great opportunity to weave the tarot into this as the cards are so much more than what we see on the surface.

The suit of pentacles (or coins as some decks show it) represents the element of earth and the season of Autumn. Pentacles is associated with the world of material, money, and potential. Every brilliant idea that started within the imagination of the suit of Wands, must pass through the Pentacles to become a reality. Giving our ideas substance is the realm of the Pentacles. The symbol of the Pentacles is a coin, the symbol of the material world, it has a five pointed star engraved on it, symbolising the potent magical powers of the earth itself. The Pentacles also tell us about our talents, or lack of talent, also how the very real world around us makes us feel safe or is reliable and how we can be of service to others. This suit also represents the things which define and shape who we are. This suit also shows us how we identify with work, other people, what gives us a sense of purpose or defines the roles we play in our relationships. This suit helps us to see if our views of life are realistic and if we want wealth or a better a connection to nature.

The following major arcana cards have strong ties to Autumn.

The Wheel of Fortune is the tenth tarot card in the major arcana.

Upright Keywords: Inevitability, luck, timing, turning point, destiny, karma, life cycles, fate, change, unexpected changes

Upright Love Meaning: Relationship changes, navigating change with partner, making adjustments

Upright Career meaning: Luck in career, opportunities present, adapting to changes at work

Upright Finances Meaning: Changes in material situation, being flexible with finances

Reversed Keywords: Bad luck, resistance to change, breaking cycles, lack of control, clinging to control, unwelcome changes, delays

Reversed Love Meaning: External events affecting relationship, love life out of control

Reversed Career meaning: Failure to adapt at work, forcing past solutions

Reversed Finances Meaning: Unexpected financial changes, preparation

Key Phrases: There is no certainty in life except uncertainty, Each moment is a new beginning, The only constancy is change itself, Synchronicity, and coincidence, Seeing patterns and cycles repeating in life, feeling you are being swept along with the tide, taking advantage of chance, opportunity knocks, open the door, unpredictable events.

Astrology: Jupiter

Yes/No Interpretation: Yes

Element: Earth

Stones/Crystals: Amethyst and opal

Numerology: Ten - The number 10 is a divine number, 10 means a return to unity, the fusion of being and non-being. The number 10 denotes the completion of a cycle.

The Wheel of Fortune Meaning: The wheel of fortune shows a giant wheel, with three figures on the outer edges. Four Hebrew letters – YHVH (Yod Heh Vau Heh), the unpronounceable name of God, are inscribed on the wheel’s face. There is also the letters TORA, this is thought to be a version of the word Torah, meaning ‘law’, or the word TAROT, or even ROTA (which is Latin for ‘wheel’). The middle wheel has the alchemical symbols for mercury, sulphur, water, and salt – these are the building blocks of life as well as the four elements. On the outer circle is a snake, the Egyptian god Typhon, who is descending on the left side, the right side rises the Anubis, and on top of the wheel sits the Sphinx, representing knowledge and strength. The snake also represents the life force falling into the material world. Within the corners of the Wheel of Fortune card are four winged creatures each representing the zodiac, the angel is Aquarius, the eagle is Scorpio, the lion is Leo, and the bull is Taurus. Their wings signify stability amongst movement and change, and each holds the Torah, representing wisdom. When we pull this card in a reading upright it signifies that we are part of a greater cycle, destiny is about taking responsibility for our actions rather than blaming others. It is a reminder that we both have control yet have no control, all at the same time. We have control in that we can take a variety of paths and actions, but we are always treading a thin line of fate and free will. This card often signifies a change in luck or circumstances or indicating a new phase in our lives. If this card is pulled in a blockage position you may feel like life is fated and have no control over your feelings, circumstances, experiences, love life or job. But it is the lack of responsibility that that is causing you the problems. Be the co-ordinator, choreograph and architect of your own life. When you pull the card in the now position this is a sign that you are ready for a fresh start, whatever is happening in this phase of your life is beginning now whether you want it or even if you feel ready or not. The wheel can signify infatuation or a new romance on the horizon, or a sign that you are escaping a difficult relationship or situation. It’s time to leap and take the chances/opportunities that are coming your way. Unexpected events will give you the motivation to change your life for the better. This card acts as a reminder to us that we need to cherish the good times, be grateful, make the most of them while you can as they may be gone quicker than you think. It’s also a reminder to us to be kind, to be aware of how Karma works, if you put good out there it will come back to you, maybe not instantly but it will. Be optimistic, be positive, and have faith that the universe has your back. Meditation and visualisation will help you to affirm and reinforce the good intentions, the abundance and prosperity. If you or the querent likes to have control or stability, then this may be a difficult card to for you as it is a suggestion that events are ahead that are out of your control. Allow yourself to tune into your intuition, allow yourself to be guided, and know when it calls for you to take action. If you pull this card as a reversed card this may suggest that you/or the querent’s look is about to change, or unexpected changes are ahead which may leave you feeling helpless. This card is an excellent opportunity for you to reflect on some of your decisions, not from a point of judgement or obsessive control, look at it how you can empower yourself in the future, and allow you to go on your own journey of self-discovery. In a positive light it could mean you are breaking away from the negative cycles and patterns you have currently been living.

The Death card is the thirteenth tarot card in the major arcana.

Upright Keywords: Transformation, endings, change, transition, letting go, release, new beginnings

Upright Love Meaning: Changes in relationship, changes in romantic life, ending relationship

Upright Career meaning: Job transition, career transition, leaving unfulfilling career

Upright Finances Meaning: Financial loss, adapting to financial loss, changing views of money

Reversed Keywords: Fear of change, repeating negative patterns, resisting change, stagnancy, decay, personal transformation, inner purging

Reversed Love Meaning: Resisting change in relationship, failure to change negative emotional patterns

Reversed Career meaning: Repeating negative patterns at work, remaining at unfulfilling job, lack of growth

Reversed Finances Meaning: Failure to adapt to financial loss, continuing unhealthy financial habits

Key Phrases: The end of an old cycle and the beginning of a new one, let go of the past, don’t fear being true to yourself, one door closes, another options, a parting of the ways, accepting the inevitable, getting down to the nitty gritty, accepting the cycles of change.

Astrology: Scorpio

Yes/No Interpretation: No

Element: Water

Stones/Crystals: Obsidian and Amethyst

Numerology: Thirteen - The number 13 brings the test, the suffering and the death. It symbolises the death to the matter or to oneself and the birth to the spirit: the passage on a higher level of existence.

The Death card Meaning: This card often panics people, but this card is very rarely to be taken literally. This one of the cards in the pack where people’s greatest fears are projected onto. The card shows a pale rider, who is the messenger of death, a skeleton on a white horse. Death carries a black flag decorated with a white, five-petal rose, reflecting beauty, purification and immortality and the number five representing change. A royal man appears to be laying on the ground dead, showing that death escapes no one, regardless of status or power. In the background, a boat floats down the river, similar to the boats escorting the dead into the afterlife. On the horizon, the sun is setting between two towers, the ones which appear in the Moon tarot card, in a sense dying each night and being reborn every morning. The archetypal energy behind this card is transition from one state to another, hence why it is associated with element of water. Something ends, something else begins, this is the ever changing wheel of life, we should be more embracing of this energy of change rather than fearing it. When this card appears in a reading it is typically an indicator that something is coming or has come to an end. Whether it be a job, a relationship etc. In the you now position this card can be indicative of the fact that you are in the process of changing your life, it may also indicate that you are concerned about changes you are making in your life and fearful or anxious about the consequences. You may be wanting to end a relationship or leave a job, but you fear the pain or the upheaval. In a blockage position this can indicate you fear change so much it is becoming suffocating or paralysing. It can also show that you are blocking yourself, you are standing in your own way. In a future position, this simply means change is coming. Death is a sign that you or the querent needs to learn to let go of unhealthy attachments in life in order to pave the way to a more fulfilled life. In a reversed position the death card symbolises he opportunity to embrace change rather than resist it. On a deeper level, the reversed Death card can show that you are going through a massive personal transformation, typically this will be in private, a bit like the hermit. You may also be overcoming limiting beliefs. This card very much determines the outcome by the cards that surround it and/or the question you have asked.

Autumn is a wonderful time of change allow nature to show you the beauty in letting go.

Wishing you all a wonderful Autumn Equinox and I hope you are able to join me for the autumn equinox meditation.

Love and Light

Marie x