Angela Lindvall Enters the Equinox
Dakota and Sebastian with their cousins in Kansas City, enjoying the fall leaves. Photo: Angela Lindvall.
We are approaching the autumn equinox. This is the time when there is equal amounts of day and night. Traditionally it is a time to reflect balance in our lives. We are in the sign of Libra, the scales. What are we putting our emphasis on? Where do we need to give more attention in our lives?
Balance is key to keep us feeling centered. No matter who we are or where our people came from, our ancestors had many ways of honoring the autumn equinox, when the day and night are of equal length and the world finds balance for a breath of time. After this equinox the nights grow longer than the days, so it is traditionally a time to look inward, take stock, give thanks, and prepare for the time of dreaming.
This is also the time of harvest. After many months of planting and tending to our seeds, we enjoy the fruits of our labor—literally or metaphorically. It’s a time of gratitude for all the abundance in our lives. Its also a time to prepare the soil for next year’s crop. A good time to put forth new intentions! Taking the time to honor our own inner harvests–all the things we have achieved and felt and learned from, over the past year.
In a world that is often so terribly out of balance, it can be both healing and heartening to celebrate this special time. Plan an autumn dinner party with friends and family, featuring delicious autumn vegetables. It’s a great way to celebrate!
I love to combine purple and red potatoes with sweet potatoes, beets, and butternut squash. I cut them all up put all these beautiful colors in a baking dish with oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and lots of rosemary…. Serve with a salad, beautiful! Light candles, and have a nice glass of wine.
A fun thing to do at this time of year is to take a piece four pieces of paper and
1) write what you have achieved and give thanks to
2) write what you would like to let go of
3) what you would like to carry forth
4) The things you would like to achieve in the coming year….
Then make a big fire and burn them.
Some fun things to do with the kids can be to make dream catcher, create an autumn nature table, or rake and jump in a big pile of leaves like Dakota and Sebastian did with their cousins in Kansas City this week.
The Autumn equinox is also a good time to tell your children the story of Michaelmas. The Archangel Michael is one of the principal angelic warriors, seen as a protector against the dark of night, and the administrator of cosmic intelligence. Another great story for this time is Saint George And The Dragon. Story telling is a great way for children to connect with their inner archetypes. May we all find ways to let our inner light shine!
Love & Light,
EcoStiletto’s exclusive EcoCelebrity blogger Angela Lindvall has been a cover girl for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and the face of brands from Valentino to DKNY, but for the past 10 years this supermodel’s mission has been to bring a personal interest in sustainability to her professional career. Angela founded the non-profit Collage Foundation to bring national awareness to environmental issues, co-hosted “Alter Eco” with Adrian Grenier, and is on the founding board of Natural Resources Defense Council’s Clean by Design Initiative.
