Autumn equinox. Day of the spring and autumn equinox Day of the autumn equinox

Only twice a year are the lengths of day and night the same. This happens in autumn and spring. In September, the sun moves from the northern hemisphere to the southern, and in March - vice versa. Every year these days come on different dates, and all because the astronomical year is 6 hours shorter than the Julian year. Each time the equinox falls at a different time of day. In 2018, this day will come tomorrow. What can and cannot be done on this day?

Astronomical autumn

In 2018, the autumn equinox in Russia will take place on September 23, 2018 at 03.54. After this, the day will gradually decrease and the night will increase. This will happen until December 21st. On this day it will be possible to observe the longest night and the shortest day. After the autumnal equinox, the real golden autumn really begins. The leaves turn yellow and fall off, and the birds fly south. A few more days after the equinox, the warmth continues - Indian summer. Sometimes it can drag on until mid-October.

Of course, all this applies only to residents of the northern hemisphere. In the south, the spring equinox is celebrated on September 23, since now their days will be longer and their nights will be shorter. Some religions and peoples even celebrate this day along with the New Year:

• Kyrgyz.
• Azerbaijanis.
• Afghans.
• Uzbeks.
• Iranians.

But according to the Old Slavic calendar, it was the autumn equinox that coincided with the new year.

What can you do

Our ancestors also attached special significance to this day. It has long been equated with the new moon. The autumn equinox is an energetically very strong time. On the first day of astronomical autumn, you can think about the future and upcoming plans. This is especially true this year. At the moment of crossing the equator, the Sun will be in the sign of Libra. This means that this period is great for meditation and reflection. According to some myths, at the autumn equinox an invisible gate opens between heaven and earth. This means that all prayers, desires and desires will be heard and fulfilled.

It is believed that on this day it is necessary to get rid of old and unnecessary things. If possible, you can simply burn them. Also, by the autumn equinox, all work in the garden should have been completed. Then on this day they often held a harvest festival and thanked nature for the gifts it brought them. The Eastern Slavs called this holiday Osenina. In turn, this day is dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which falls on September 21.

Rituals

This day is perfect for various rituals. For example, it is believed that single women can attract a lover into their lives. To do this, you need to put a second pillow next to it, and put another toothbrush in the bathroom.

The water on this day is also unusual. Early in the morning you need to wake up and be sure to wash your face with cool water. According to legend, the girl who does this will always be a beauty. You can also pour water on your child - then he will be happy and healthy all year. It is believed that swimming on the day of the autumn equinox helps to cleanse yourself of negative energy. Our ancestors visited the bathhouse on this day.

Be sure to ask forgiveness from your family and friends. This will help you clear away bad thoughts. It is also important to forgive your offenders. Free yourself from all the feelings that weigh you down. On this day, it is important not to be offended by others, not to swear. Negativity will scare happiness and luck away from you. On the day of the autumn equinox, you need to protect your home from dark forces. Previously, for this they laid out rowan or wormwood around the perimeter of the entire home. You can simply light a candle and read a prayer over it.

The onset of astronomical autumn is also celebrated in other countries. The most interesting and exciting takes place in Mexico. In one of its cities - Chichen Itza - you can see a masterpiece of Mayan architecture. This is a pyramid that is built in such a way that on the spring and autumn equinoxes the sun rises exactly above its top. In addition, on the stairs of the pyramid you can see a beautiful stone balustrade. It starts at the bottom, near the serpent's head, and continues all the way to the top. Thanks to this, you can see the “Feathered Serpent” on the spring and autumn equinoxes. This is a unique spectacle during which the shadow from the steps falls on the balustrades and creates the impression that a snake is crawling.

Attracting wealth

Autumn itself is rich in various fruits. It is for this reason that rituals to attract money are so popular on the autumn equinox. The following customs exist:

1. You should take all the bills out of your wallet and count them 3 times.
2. Then you need to thank the Higher Powers for what you already have and ask for what you want.

It’s not for nothing that delicious round pies are baked on this day. It is very important that they include products that were collected this year. This is a kind of ritual that will also attract prosperity to your home.

It seems like just recently we were rejoicing at the arrival of summer and warmth. But summer is fleeting, and now autumn has already arrived. The leaves on the trees seem to be woven into a red-yellow-crimson carpet, and the sun is getting less and less day by day.
It is at this time that we celebrate the Autumn Equinox - what date will it be in 2018 and how is it celebrated? Read about all this in the article.

What happens on this day?
First, let's define what the autumn equinox is. The answer is very simple, because it is contained in the word equinox: day is equal to night, that is, the duration of light and dark time of the day is the same.
There is an autumnal equinox, which is celebrated in September, and a spring equinox, which is celebrated in March. Some also talk about the autumn solstice, but this is wrong. After all, solstices occur only in summer and winter - in June and December.
The date of the holiday falls on different days in different years: September 22 or 23. The exact date depends on the year, it's all about the calendar shift due to leap years.
In 2018, the autumn equinox will occur on September 23 at 04:54 a.m. Moscow time. If you live in another region, you can calculate the time yourself, knowing Moscow time.
On September 22 or 23, the Sun moves from the zodiac sign Virgo to the sign Libra, and astrological autumn begins (the period of the signs Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius).
Since the sign of Libra is associated with harmony and prudence, at this time you should impartially evaluate your life. What have you achieved, what goals have you achieved? It's time to take stock.
On the day of the autumn equinox there is no place for passions and adventures. On the contrary, it is important to take a sober look at the present moment and thank the Universe for the blessings it has given you.

Rituals
The day of the Autumn Equinox is a time of powerful energetic influences. It's a great time to start rituals.

Leaf fall
Prepare everything you need for the ritual: a pile of bright autumn leaves, a heat-resistant pan and a marker (black or blue). Let's get started:
Calm down and tune in to contemplation. To do this, you can listen to music with sounds of nature or meditate.
Think about what you would like to get rid of.
Write each such point with a marker on an autumn piece of paper. Keep it short – just one or two words. The main thing is that you understand.
When you write, try to think about it detachedly, as if what you are writing is not happening to you.
Set the leaves on fire one by one and let them burn in the fire. Burn them in a saucepan. Remember safety. When the leaf burns, mentally say goodbye to the bad event or character trait.
Once completed, scatter the ashes from the burnt leaves in the wind.

Abundance
There is a wonderful ritual that can attract blessings into your life. It consists of expressing gratitude to those people who helped you this year.
You need to bake pies and distribute them to selected people with words of sincere gratitude:
meat pies will attract good luck in your career;
cabbage - monetary abundance;
fruits and berries - happiness in family life.
Give some pies to the poor, as well as relatives and neighbors, even if they did not help you. In the new year, goodness will return to you in triple size.

To get married
Girls who can’t find a groom turn to this ritual:
you need to wear a red dress or skirt;
write a wish on a piece of paper;
bury the leaf under a rowan tree;
pick a branch from that rowan tree and bring it home;
put it under your pillow at night;
take it out in the morning and dry it;
keep until the groom is found.

Raising money
Since the Autumn Equinox holiday is associated with abundance in every sense of the word, money rituals become important. Here is one of them:
We will need a large sum of cash. One that you can live on for at least a week. If you don't have that much cash, withdraw money from your bank account in advance.
On a holiday, take the money in your hands and count it. Take your time, enjoy the feeling of money in your hands. You need to count the bills three times.
Don't ask for anything. Just thank the Universe, which gave you this money so that you can provide yourself with everything you need. Perform the ritual, and in the new year your income will increase.

Folk signs
There are a great many signs for the Autumn Equinox. Here are some of them:

Whatever the weather will be like on this day, such will be the whole autumn.
If there are a lot of berries on the rowan tree, the autumn will be rainy and the winter will be harsh.
If there are few berries on the rowan tree, autumn is expected to be dry and there will be little rain.
To ensure wealth, you need to celebrate for a whole week.
If birds fly away in flocks on this day, the winter will be cold.
Whoever met the wedding procession will be happy for a whole year.
Folk signs contain the wisdom of generations. Therefore, perhaps, it is worth listening to them.

Food on this holiday is plentiful and appropriate to the season:
pumpkin and zucchini;
corn;
apples;
grape;
beans.
It is customary to bake bread and cakes from corn flour, and prepare various dishes from beans.

Traditional drinks:
compotes;
homemade wines, especially cherry wines;
barley beer;
apple cider

(at 01.54 Universal Time) The Sun will once again cross the celestial equator and move from the northern hemisphere of the celestial sphere to the southern and the autumn equinox will arrive.

The autumnal equinox compares the length of day and night throughout the Earth, and after the Sun passes into the southern hemisphere of the celestial sphere, the night in the northern hemisphere of the Earth becomes longer than the day, astronomical autumn begins, and in the southern hemisphere of the Earth - in short, astronomical spring begins there.

On this day, at all latitudes, the Sun rises exactly in the east and sets exactly in the west. At the poles, exactly half of the solar disk moves in a circle exactly along the horizon.

An interesting fact is that autumn and winter in the northern hemisphere are a week shorter than the autumn-winter season in the southern hemisphere: the number of days from the spring equinox to the autumn is 186, and the time interval from the autumn to the spring equinox is 179 days. In the winter of the northern hemisphere, the Earth moves around the celestial body faster than in the winter of the southern hemisphere. In January, the globe passes the point of its orbit closest to the Sun - perihelion and its linear speed increases.

On the day of the autumnal equinox, the second half of Indian summer begins and, according to popular belief, what the weather will be like on this day, so will autumn. People also say: the drier and warmer September is, the better the autumn will be, the later the real winter will come.

In Rus', the day of the autumn equinox was considered a holiday and was always celebrated with pies with cabbage, lingonberries and meat, as well as folk festivities. On this day, rowan tassels along with leaves were inserted in the evening between the window frames, believing that from that day on, when the sun began to weaken, the rowan tree would protect the house from the forces of darkness.

The pagans celebrated the harvest festival on this day. In Japan, the Autumn Equinox Day is considered an official holiday and has been celebrated since 1878. On this day, the Japanese celebrate not so much a unique astronomical phenomenon as they perform the ancient rituals of the Buddhist holiday Higan, when, according to tradition, it is customary to remember deceased ancestors. Before the holiday begins, they thoroughly clean the house, especially the home altar with photographs and belongings of departed ancestors, refresh flowers, and display ritual food and offerings.

On this day, exclusively vegetarian dishes are prepared from beans, vegetables, mushrooms, and plant-based broths, as a reminder of the Buddhist prohibition to kill a living creature and eat the meat of the killed one. On Higan days, Japanese families go to worship the graves of their ancestors, order prayers and perform the necessary ritual honors.

In Mexico, on the day of the autumnal equinox, many (in the Mayan language, “feathered serpent”) in the ancient city of Chichen Itza. The pyramid is oriented in relation to the Sun in such a way that it is on the days of the spring and autumn equinox that the rays project the shadows of the platforms onto the edge of the main staircase in the form of alternating triangles of light and shadow. As the sun sinks lower, the shadow takes on the increasingly distinct contours of a writhing snake. Her tail is on the upper platform, her body stretches along the stairs and ends with her head near the ground. The light illusion lasts exactly 3 hours and 22 minutes, and according to legends, during this time you need to be at the top and make a wish.

On the most magical day of autumn, you can change your destiny, beg the Higher Powers for mutual love or the fulfillment of your cherished desire. On the night of Monday, September 23, 2018, at 4.55 Moscow time, the astronomical starting point for a new period in our lives will come. When will it come autumn equinox 2019 The Sun will be in the sign of Libra, and the Moon in the zodiac sign of Pisces, which contributes to the harmonization of relations between a man and a woman.

What is the day of the equinox?

On a special day in the off-season, the Earth will take a position perpendicular to the Sun, day will become equal to night, and the daylight will move from the northern hemisphere to the southern for the next six months. After the autumn equinox 2019 passes, the night will begin to grow, and the day will rapidly decrease. On the eve of the autumn solstice, the energy of the Sun transforms into a softer sphere, forcing men and women to be more loyal to each other. With the beginning of autumn of the Year of the Yellow Dog, the balance of good and evil will normalize, events will become more constructive, and more opportunities will appear for the implementation of plans.

On the Day of the Autumn Equinox 2019, there will be a powerful release of cosmic energy, charging all living things, when you can remove negative programs from the past and tune in to favorable changes. A personal consultation with a psychic or astrologer will allow you to find out exactly how your horoscope fits into the day of the equinox and what you should pay attention to first: health, personal life, or changes in finance and business.

When are day and night equal?

On Sunday, September 23, the Wheel of the Year will make a decisive turn towards winter, and the day will temporarily become equal in length to the night. The autumn holiday is traditionally associated with the mysterious world of the dead and the opportunity to receive a hint from the inhabitants of the Subtle World. The sky opens for people three days before the autumn equinox and each person’s Guardian Angel hears prayers three more days later on September 23, 2019. indicates that a significant event will occur under the waxing Moon two days before the Full Moon in the sign of Aries.

This magical seven-day period was created by nature to realize our deepest desires, transformation on the internal level, as well as general cleaning of our home and preparation for winter.

In Japan, on this day, the rituals of the Buddhist holiday Higan are performed without fail, honoring the memory of ancestors and bringing them gifts as a sign of respect and an invisible spiritual connection. These days it is forbidden to kill living flesh for personal saturation, so a vegetarian lifestyle is preferable.

The Zoroastrian religion celebrates the Sedeh holiday on Sunday, September 23, 2018, when the Sun makes the transition to the first degree of the Zodiac sign Libra. Along with Nouruz and Mihrgan, the day of the autumn solstice is included in the triad of the greatest holidays of the year. Day is equal to night, life is balanced by death, and all three generations of one seven gather at one table: grandfathers, fathers and grandchildren.

But in Russia, the day of the autumn equinox always coincides with the beginning of the “Indian summer”, when the weather again pleases with sunny days, but without the sweltering summer heat. During this magical week, as a rule, there is no rain or wind; nature seems to give people the opportunity to enjoy the sunshine before the onset of prolonged cold weather. If on the day of the autumn solstice, September 23, 2018, you are lucky and a spider on a cobweb falls on your head, this is a sign of heaven’s blessing and great financial profit. It is very good on the day of the autumn solstice to hear birds singing or see autumn flowers blooming - all living things willingly give up their energy on a subtle level, allowing you to become richer and luckier in life. If you find a pebble of an unusual shape, color or structure on the road, be sure to save it as a talisman. In difficult moments, take it out of the secluded place where you will store it, rub it so that your hands and the stone heat up and ask the Higher Powers for help.

Autumn equinox rituals

On a special day of autumn, the main symbols of the Wheel of the Year on the table are sunflower seeds, pomegranate juice, and milk. With their help, you can activate a powerful ritual on the day of the autumn equinox 2018 for wealth and prosperity. Eight candles are lit on the food table: two large green and red wax candles, symbolizing the alliance of love and prosperity, as well as six more candles consecrated in the temple.

A vase with fruits, nuts and vegetables is placed nearby. Sprinkle the table with bay leaves, as well as high-denomination banknotes. To make the year successful and stable for you, read the spell: “My table is hospitable, under my right hand is success, under my left is prosperity. The power of light and the power of darkness, you are equally equal, give a house full of goodness, a lot of gold and silver. To live richly and for the joy of people. True. Let it be so. Amen!"

Next, all edible products, including bay leaves, must be used for cooking and treating children, friends and those in need. The more fun the feast is, the faster all your cherished dreams, desires and requests to your Guardian Angel will come true. Be sure to save the candles purchased for the Autumn Equinox 2018 and light them when you need a hint from the Higher Powers in a difficult everyday situation.

Equinox 2019: folk rituals, signs and customs

Use magic on September 23 to seek help from clairvoyants and psychics, since it is on this day that cards tell the truth and fortune-telling definitely comes true. Particularly effective on this day are rituals for love, harmonization of relationships between a man and a woman, requests to conceive a child, as well as the removal of destructive programs, the evil eye and generational curse.

In order to cleanse the body from the inside, on the day of the autumn equinox 2019, viburnum and red dogwood berries are prepared. You can make tea using them, fruit juice or jam. Viburnum berries and leaves perfectly clean blood vessels, and dogwood is good at cleaning the intestines from pathogenic bacteria and microbes.

On Monday, September 23, 2018, be sure to bake a big pie of prosperity and good luck pies. As a filling, honey, apples, poppy seeds ground with sugar, and lingonberries are added to a large loaf of bread. But small pies symbolize good luck in business (meat filling), as well as reciprocity in love (cabbage, potatoes and eggs). As a talisman against the evil eye, the house is decorated with rowan branches with umbrellas of bright berries and green leaves. This should be done precisely on the holiday of the autumn equinox, since the Sun and the special energy of this day charges the entire tree with positivity and prosperity.

For those who have not yet found their match, we will suggest a very effective ritual for attracting mutual love into life. On the holiday of the autumn solstice, it is recommended to go to the market and buy a couple of things that you already have in your home. This could be a toothbrush, towel, cup or pillow. Tie a new item with a red thread to the thing that you already had, and say a love spell: “I make a beautiful couple, I gain mutual love!” Knitted paired items should lie in this position for three days and three nights, after which they can be used as usual. This magical ritual on the day of the equinox guarantees you a quick date with the person who will make the best marriage proposal.

In contact with

The day of the vernal equinox (Spring Equinox) is one of the most unique natural phenomena, the essence of which, in scientific language, boils down to the fact that “at the moment of the equinox, the center of the Sun in its visible movement along the ecliptic crosses the celestial equator.”

On this day, the Earth, rotating around its imaginary axis passing through the poles, while simultaneously moving around the Sun, is in such a position in relation to the luminary that the sun's rays, carrying thermal energy, fall vertically onto the equator. The sun moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern, and on these days in all countries the day is almost equal to night.

There are spring and autumn equinoxes. Universal time (in other time zones these dates may differ by a day) in the northern hemisphere spring equinox occurs 20th of March when the Sun moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern, and autumn equinox occurs September 22 or 23(in 2019 - September 23), when the Sun moves from the northern hemisphere to the southern. In the southern hemisphere, on the contrary, the March equinox is considered autumn, and the September equinox is considered spring.

The spring and autumn equinoxes are considered the astronomical beginning of the respective seasons. The period of time between two equinoxes of the same name is called the tropical year. This year is today and is accepted for measuring time. There are approximately 365.2422 sunny days in a tropical year. It is because of this “approximately” that the equinox falls at a different time of day every year, each year moving forward by about 6 hours.

On the Day of the Vernal Equinox, the New Year begins for many peoples and nationalities of the Earth: Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan - almost all the countries of the Great Silk Road associate the beginning of the New Year with this natural phenomenon.

The ancient scientists of China, India, and Egypt knew very well about the days of the vernal equinox. In ancient times, the day of the spring equinox was considered a great holiday.

In religion in ancient times, the day of the vernal equinox was also given considerable importance. The date of Easter, which is celebrated every year at different times, was counted from the day of the vernal equinox as follows: March 21 - the first full moon - the first Sunday, which was considered a holiday.

Many peoples have preserved the day of the vernal equinox as a holiday in the calendar. For example, in Farsi it is called , which means “new day.” Rooted in the traditions of ancient farmers of the Middle East and Central Asia, the holiday has become an integral part of the culture of many peoples professing Islam.

In the CIS, the equinox day is celebrated as a national holiday by Tatars, Kazakhs, Bashkirs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Uzbeks and many other peoples. In a number of countries, Navruz has been declared a public holiday, and March 21 is a day off.

On this day, light and darkness are divided equally. In ancient times, when there were no calendars, spring was determined by the sun. It was believed that it was from this day that renewal in nature began: the first spring thunder, the swelling of buds on the trees, the lush sprouting of greenery.

The day of the vernal equinox was especially revered in the pagan faith. It was believed that on this day in the annual cycle, Spring, personifying the revival and rebirth of nature, replaces Winter.

When the Sun moves from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere, the autumn equinox occurs.

When talking about equinox dates, we should distinguish between a date based on universal time and a date for a specific time zone:

if the equinox occurs before 12:00 universal time, in some countries located west of the prime meridian, this day may not yet have arrived and according to local time, the arrival of the equinox will be considered 1 day earlier;

if the equinox occurs later than 12:00 universal time, then in some countries located east of the prime meridian, the next day may already have arrived and the date of the equinox will be 1 more.

According to the creators of the Gregorian calendar, the “official” date of the vernal equinox is March 21 (literally “12 days before the Kalends of April”), since this was the date of the vernal equinox during the Council of Nicaea.

The last time in this century the spring equinox fell on March 21 in 2007 and further in the 21st century it will fall on March 20 or even March 19.