Marking the Big Seasonal Thresholds: Equinoxes & Solstices
One of the most beautiful gifts of ritual is that it anchors us in time. Without intentional pauses, the months can slide by in a blur of to-do lists and routines. But when we stop to notice the big thresholds—the solstices and equinoxes—we give ourselves a chance to mark change, restore our sense of wonder, and deepen our belonging to something bigger than ourselves.
I often remind myself:
✨ Rituals make the ordinary extraordinary.
✨ Rituals amplify the meaning of a time or occasion.
That’s what these four annual thresholds invite: not perfection or elaborate ceremony, but simply pausing to say, this matters.
Equinoxes: The Biggest Energy Shifts
Twice a year, we experience an equinox—moments when day and night balance, before tipping toward either more light or more dark. Equinoxes carry big change energy, balance, and fresh perspective.
🍂 Autumnal Equinox
(around September 21)
Archetypal Energy: The Matriarch-Queen
“Release what drains you. Celebrate what you’ve built. Step back with wisdom.”
Lesson: Autumn is a call to let go of what no longer serves, celebrate harvests (literal and symbolic), and prepare for the coming quiet.
Possible Ritual Menu (using the 5-step template):
Create space with a candle—especially in brown or red or gold, seasonal leaves, or an apple.
Set intention: “I release what drains me and celebrate the fruit of my labor.”
Attune: Take a mindful walk through falling leaves.
Practice: Journal what you’re ready to release; write gratitude for your harvests; visit a pumpkin farm or go apple picking, make a bonfire
Seal: Speak your affirmation: “I now release whatever is unnecessarily draining me of my vitality.”
🌱 Spring Equinox
(around March 21)
Archetypal Energy: The Maiden
“Try something new, loosen up, bloom with curiosity and delight.”
Lesson: Spring is a threshold of beginnings—fresh shoots, new energy, and renewed aliveness.
Possible Ritual Menu:
Create space with flowers, seeds, eggs (decorated or not), or a light scarf in spring colors.
Set intention: “I welcome renewal and invite curiosity.”
Attune: Breathe deeply outdoors, noticing birdsong and blossoms.
Practice: Start a garden, declutter a room, or try something new (a recipe, possible hobby, or a travel adventure), make a mandala using small items (twigs, petals, leaves, & pebbles) from your yard, visit a botanic garden.
Seal: Speak your affirmation: “I enjoy trying new things and feeling alive with life’s buzz.”
Solstices: The Deepest Experiences of Light & Dark
Solstices mark the longest day (summer) and the longest night (winter). They invite us to honor the extremes—the deep dark that teaches us to rest, and the abundant light that calls us into joy.
❄️ Winter Solstice
(around December 21)
Archetypal Energy: The Crone
“Tend to what is essential. Rest, restore, and transform at the roots.”
Lesson: Winter calls us inward. It’s the season to conserve energy, tend to foundations, and dream quietly for the year to come.
Possible Ritual Menu:
Create space with evergreens, a warm beverage, a blanket, and candlelight.
Set intention: “I rest into the dark and trust what roots are forming.”
Attune: Place a hand on your heart and belly; breathe slowly.
Practice: Journal reflections on the past year, light candles for what you want to release, read quietly by firelight, create a backyard “seed station” for all the small creatures who might visit, craft pine wreaths, collect a bowl full of pinecones to display.
Seal: Affirm: “I tend to my foundations and expand my dreams.”
☀️ Summer Solstice
(around June 21)
Archetypal Energy: The Mother
“Invest your energy where it matters most. Nurture, connect, create.”
Lesson: Summer invites us into full bloom—long days, outward energy, community, and creation.
Possible Ritual Menu:
Create space with sunflowers, honey, citrus, or bright fabrics.
Set intention: “I offer my energy to what matters most.”
Attune: Feel the sun on your skin, grounding into the earth.
Practice: Host a picnic or barbecue, move your body outdoors (swim, hike, dance, sun salutation), create something vibrant (garden, art, playlist), walk a labyrinth (especially at sunrise/sunset), collect a jar’s worth of seashells to display
Seal: Affirm: “I persevere in creating a life I love, filled with meaningful work and relationships.”
My Well-Seasoned Ritual Staples
No matter the season, I tend to weave in a few personal touchstones:
Journaling—using A Well-Seasoned Woman’s Field Guide & Journal as well as a deck of oracle cards to capture reflections and intentions
A Threshold ceremony to honor the shift by leaving behind what’s no longer needed & then stepping forward with intention into what’s unfolding now
Creating or revising my seasonal playlist
Updating my Midlife & Beyond Checklist of Symptoms
Adopting a fresh seasonal affirmation (see above)
Closing Thought
These four turning points—solstices and equinoxes—are more than calendar markers. They are invitations to pause, honor where you are, and sync your life with the wisdom of the seasons.
Rituals don’t need to be complicated; they only need to be intentional. When we pause at these thresholds, we remind ourselves that we belong—to the earth, to one another, and to the unfolding story of our own well-seasoned lives.
