Thoughts composed on the autumn equinox 1996
It was early afternoon today that the sun was directly over the equator and indeed the light seemed to change. This afternoon, I noticed a certain slant of light that was so very distant from the mid-summer mid-days of only a few weeks ago. The slant of the light will continue to slide until it comes at an angle that even at noon seems to flow sideways, like the rain in hurricane force winds.
We are half way between the longest day/shortest night and the shortest day/longest night. We are half way between max-light and max-dark. We are at the equal point between light and dark. It is a good time to rediscover balance.
A sure sign of the autumn is the blooming of the Golden Raintrees. This is the tree that brings the gold and yellow and reds of autumn, but it is not from dying leaves but from blossoms that rain down and fill the spaces between the bricks of the Estate's walkways followed by the birth of seed pods.
The autumn, when some think of death and the dry crunch of fallen leaves, I think of rejuvenation, of re-energizing, of a calm before the sleep before the rebirth. It is harvest time, a time to think of the benefits that come from our labors. It is a time to rejoice at the fruits of our labor.
I have just walked in from outside where the moon is bright in a star-bright sky and the air has a chill noticeable only to those of us here in the upper sub-tropics. My hope for you this season is that with the fresh air comes fresh thoughts and fresh starts.
(Note: autumn starts @ 17:18 EDT today)
