Autumn Equinox: Releasing and Letting Go

The Autumn Equinox is one of the most sacred turning points in the wheel of the year. On this day, the sun rises exactly in the east and sets exactly in the west, creating a moment of balance when day and night are equal in length. From this point forward, the nights begin to grow longer than the days, ushering us into the darker half of the year.

Across cultures and spiritual traditions, this seasonal shift has been honored as a time of harvest, gratitude, and preparation for winter. In Celtic tradition, the equinox is celebrated as Mabon, the second harvest festival, a time to gather what has been sown and give thanks for abundance. Ancient Greeks marked the descent of Persephone into the underworld at this time, symbolizing the cycle of death, rebirth, and the thinning veil between worlds. Many Indigenous cultures also hold ceremonies of gratitude for the harvest and for the balance of life, honoring both light and dark.

For empaths and highly sensitive souls, the Autumn Equinox is a potent invitation to align with these ancient rhythms. It reminds us to release what is complete, to balance our inner energies, and to prepare for the inward journey that winter brings. Just as the trees shed their leaves in graceful surrender, so too can we let go of what no longer nourishes us.

Rituals for Releasing and Letting Go

Here are a few practices to help you shed what no longer serves you and restore harmony in your energy field:

• Candle Release Ritual

  Light a white or black candle. On a piece of paper, write down emotions, habits, or energies you are ready to release. Speak them aloud with gratitude for the lessons they brought. Burn the paper in a safe bowl or cauldron, symbolizing release.

• Nature Walk & Leaf Offering

  Take a mindful walk outdoors. As you find a fallen leaf, hold it in your hands and breathe your release into it. Offer the leaf back to the Earth, asking nature to compost your burdens into wisdom and growth.

• Salt Bath Cleanse

  Prepare a warm bath with Epsom salt, Himalayan salt, or sea salt. Add herbs or essential oils like rosemary or sage for purification. As you soak, imagine the water drawing out stagnant energies and washing them away.

Rituals for Balance and Renewal

Since the Equinox is a moment of equal day and night, it’s also the perfect time to call balance back into your life.

• Balance Altar

  Create a small altar with representations of light and dark (a white candle and a black candle, sunstone and obsidian, flowers and pinecones). Meditate in front of it, asking for harmony between your inner light and shadow.

• Breathwork for Balance

  Practice alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana). This technique helps bring balance to the nervous system, clears energetic clutter, and restores peace to the empathic heart.

• Gratitude Journal

  Reflect on the harvest of your summer—projects completed, lessons learned, joys experienced. Write them down with gratitude. Then, note what you wish to cultivate through autumn and winter.

The Autumn Equinox is not about rushing forward—it’s about honoring where you are and creating spaciousness for what’s to come. Allow yourself to slow down, to find joy in small moments, and to trust that releasing is a sacred act of love.

As empaths, when we honor these seasonal cycles, we deepen our connection to both the Earth and our own inner rhythms. May this Equinox bring you peace, clarity, and the balance your soul craves.

✨ Reflection Prompts for Your Journal:

• What am I ready to release with gratitude?

• Where in my life am I seeking more balance?

• What do I want to nurture as the days grow shorter?

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About the Author:

Bhadra is one of the healers of Bhadra's Healing Haven. She is a psychic reiki master, empath counselor, and crystal healer. Her goal is to help empaths understand their sensitivity, manage excess emotions and energies they accumulate from being in the world, and create and maintain a more balanced and peaceful life so they can go out into the world and live life to the fullest!