Timing the 2021 Autumn Equinox
Wednesday, September 22, marks an equinox, a time when the Earth's equator tilts directly toward the Sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is the autumnal equinox and the spring equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. The Autumnal (Southward) Equinox marks the entry of the Sun into the Sign of Libra (Sun at 0° Libra) for both hemispheres. The word equinox comes from the Latin words aequus, meaning equal, and nox, meaning night. Although the equinox happens simultaneously worldwide, the clock time will depend on your time zone. It occurs on Wednesday, September 22, 2021, at 17:20:57 PM UT/GMT (rounded up to 17:21). The time is earlier moving west.
The Equinox in a few time zones with example locations:
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
UT/GMT 07:21 PM
UK/BST 08:21 PM—London
EDT 03:21 PM—Washington, D.C.
CDT 02:21 PM—Chicago
MDT 01:21 PM—Denver
PDT 12:21 PM—a high noon event in Los Angeles
HST 09:21 AM Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time—Honolulu
UT / UTC / GMT is the basis for local times worldwide
UTC, Universal Time Coordinated / Universal Coordinated Time
Successor to: Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Military name: "Zulu" Military Time
Longitude: 0° (Prime Meridian)
Earth's equator extended into space is the celestial equator. From our earthly perspective, the Sun appears to orbit annually. The Sun's path is the ecliptic. Twice a year, the Sun's rays shine directly over the Earth's equator. When the Sun on the ecliptic seems to cross the celestial equator, we get equinoxes. At the equinox, the Sun shines directly on the equator, and there are nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world.
The first day of Fall is the Autumnal Equinox in the northern hemisphere, and the first day of Spring, the Vernal Equinox, in the southern hemisphere. The Sun rises and sets exactly due east and due west on the equinoxes. Instead of the Earth tilting away from or toward the Sun, its axis of rotation becomes perpendicular to the line connecting the centers of the Earth and the Sun. From Autumnal Equinox to Winter Solstice (December 22), the nights get longer.
At the (Southward) Autumnal Equinox, the Sun enters Libra (Sun 0° Libra). In religious and spiritual tradition, it is a holy day. Solstices and equinoxes determine four points. The midpoints between those, called "Cross Quarter Days," are recognized and utilized for celebration and ritual. Those are the eight equidistant solar gates in the ancient Wheel of the Year. Maybon is a "name for the Autumnal Equinox, also known as the Second Harvest Festival, Festival of Dionysus, Wine Harvest, Cornucopia, Feast of Avalon, etc. The first Thanksgiving was held on or near this date, and it is from these early harvest festivals that the modern Thanksgiving feasts developed." - Kristin Madden (Llewellyn Publications)
For the northern hemisphere, the wheel of the year turns toward darkness. The poetic approach sees the energies of the dark gods and goddesses begin to increase and gain attention. The balance described by the Taoist symbol of Yin and Yang reflects the Equinox moment. Still, an imbalance starts at the point of Equinox as night begins to overtake daylight. The processes of inward-turning gain significance. Persephone returns to her throne with Hades in the Underworld, or Inanna and Ereshkigal decide to play fair with power.
Because night and day are nearly in balance, the equinox is a great time to work on personal balance. Equinoxes are perfect times to re-evaluate where you are and take the steps necessary to get your emotional and spiritual lives in order.
Adapted from Nasco [Not sure who or what Nasco is. The suggestion makes sense to me.]
Reminder: in a few weeks, on November 7, 2021, Daylight Saving Time ends – lose one hour, 2:00 AM becomes 1:00 AM. Contact Personnel about payment for the lost hour.
