Body, Mind & Spirit 4 Rituals for the Autumn Equinox Published on September 19, 2018 Article by Justine Amodeo for Bodhi Tree On Wednesday September 23rd, we celebrate balance, when the day and night share equal time. Starting on the Autumn Equinox, those living in the Northern Hemisphere will begin to experience longer periods of darkness, a time to go within and clarify intentions. This is the time to re-envision yourself for spring, when the seeds that have been planted now can incubate, harvest and take root. Here are 4 rituals to help you celebrate this season: 1. Clear Your Space If clutter has gathered in your home, this is a good time to start donating unwanted items, organizing papers and letting go of thoughts and people that no longer serve. Clean your space well and when you think you’ve made room for fresh energy, smudge each room with sage or palo santo. As you smudge, invite clarity into your space and speak your intentions out loud for what you want to clear out. Read more on The Science and Spiritual Benefits of Smudging. 2. Enhance Your Dreams Your dreams are the path to your unconscious, where hints of creativity and wisdom are revealed upon awakening. The longer nights of fall and winter are the perfect time to take advantage of your own deep knowing. Help your dreams along with a crystal, a lavender-scented candle, or essential oil, and keep a dedicated pen and journal next to your bed to write them down upon waking. Healer and psychic Judy Hall, author of six volumes of Crystal Prescriptions, writes that amethyst is a crystal that can help you to recall and interpret your dreams. Put one under a dream pillow and let your unconscious speak. Read 10 Things To Do to Improve Your Sleep Now. 3. Set Your Intentions What do you want to achieve in the next year? Make a list of the things you’d like to manifest or improve, then light a dedicated candle, surround it with sacred objects such as crystals, a photograph of a teacher, or statue of a deity, and announce what you’re grateful for and what you’d like to change. One of our favorite rituals for releasing fear-based beliefs is from Dr. Mick Hall’s book Let’s End Illness Now, where he recommends jumping on a rebounder and stating, “Whatever or whomever activated the fear I have held onto, I now forgive, release and let go, allowing for the expansiveness of life to flow freely throughout my entire body.” Read Using Candles for Intention Setting and Manifestation. 4. Restore Your Health Start the fall equinox with a cleanse. With your doctor’s permission, try a gentle juice cleanse or an activated charcoal cleanse for an internal and external detox. Take up a yoga or meditation practice and focus on improving your breathing and core strength. You can create a meditation sanctuary at home with crystals, a fountain, an oil diffuser, candles or anything else sacred to you. There’s a lot of science behind the health benefits of a daily meditation practice, including a lower heart rate, decreased anxiety, weight loss and stress reduction. Find a meditation that works for you and practice it daily. Read A Guide to an Activated Charcoal Detox. Published on: September 19, 2018 Tags: autumn, Candles, charcoal, cleanse, crystals, deity, EDITED, equinox, essential oils, intentions, Journal, Meditation, palo santo, Pen, sage, Smudge, Statue, wand Previous Journal Astrology The Cosmos Bring Volatility, Positivity & Release This Week Next Journal Astrology A Supercharged Full Moon in Aries Brings Radical Awareness, Change & Release