Poem: Autumn Equinox

Autumnal Equinox

Rising wood smoke, burnished leaves,
Grey mist and earthen air.
A spell descends at summer’s end,
And for darkness we prepare.

So comes a time of balance,
Of equal night and day,
From then we make our harvest,
And from within, we light our way.

We merrily gather to frolic and feast,
In the dwindling of the light,
We give thanks for all that is well and good,

And longer grows the night…

Paterson, New South Wales
March 2022

We were filled with joy to connect with others who celebrate these milestones throughout the seasonal year, upon moving further up the valley. It is a beautiful time of the year with misty mornings and warm evenings. A time to be thankful and also to harvest the fruits of our labour over increasingly difficult summer conditions.

In terms of reading the landscape, we have entered a period of diminishing sunlight hours, long shadows, and also a shortened arc of light across your garden.

It also presents an opportunity for greater introspection. What will we shed like fallen leaves? What will we allow to wither away? The dwindling is a time to reflect and regather for ourselves.