Finding Balance in the Turning Season: A September reflection for the Autumn Equinox
1 September 2026 • Balance • Mabon • Seasonal Living
There is something about September that invites us to pause.
Perhaps it's the subtle shift in the air, the shortening evenings or the first golden leaves beginning to appear. Perhaps it's the return of familiar routines as summer draws to a close, bringing with it a sense of rhythm after the freedom - and sometimes chaos - of the summer months.
For me, this September feels particularly significant. After weeks of having the children at home, changing routines and embracing the busyness of summer, I'm finding myself ready for a little more structure and a slightly slower pace.
It has reminded me that balance isn't something we find once and then hold onto forever. It is something we continually move towards, notice, lose and gently return to.
And perhaps that's exactly what this turning point in the year is here to remind us.
The balance of the Equinox
The Autumn Equinox marks a moment of balance between light and darkness. Day and night are almost equal, before the balance begins to tip towards longer nights and shorter days.
There is something beautiful about this natural pause.
We don't see the trees resisting the changing season. We don't ask the hedgerows to remain in full summer bloom. Nature simply responds to the rhythm of the year - growing, flourishing, releasing and resting when the time comes.
Perhaps we can learn something from that.
We live in a world that often encourages us to keep going. To be productive. To make the most of every moment. To keep growing and achieving, even when what we really need is to pause.
But nature doesn't flourish by remaining in one season forever.
There is a time for expansion and a time for retreat.
A time for doing and a time for resting.
A time for holding on and a time for letting go.
Perhaps true balance is not about staying perfectly in the middle, but about learning to recognise what we need as the seasons of our own lives change.
What does balance really mean?
We often imagine balance as a perfectly even set of scales - everything receiving exactly the same amount of our time and attention.
But life rarely works that way.
There will be seasons when work needs more from us. Times when our families need us. Periods when our own wellbeing needs to become the priority.
Balance doesn't necessarily mean giving everything equal attention.
Sometimes it means recognising what needs more of us, and what can wait.
It might mean saying no when your instinct is to keep giving.
It might mean allowing yourself to rest without feeling that you've somehow earned it first.
It might mean making space for something that brings you joy, even when there are still things on your to-do list.
And sometimes, balance means accepting that you simply cannot do everything.
The balance between giving and receiving
This is one I'm particularly drawn to at this time of year.
So much of our lives can be centred around giving - our time, our energy, our care and our attention.
We give to our families, our work, our friendships and our responsibilities.
But how comfortable are we with receiving?
Receiving help.
Receiving kindness.
Receiving rest.
Receiving without immediately feeling that we need to give something back.
The natural world offers us a beautiful example of reciprocity. The hedgerow gives berries, flowers and shelter, while pollinators, birds and animals contribute to the continuation of the ecosystem.
There is a constant exchange.
Giving and receiving are not opposites. They are part of the same cycle.
Perhaps this autumn we can become a little more conscious of where we are giving too much, and where we might allow ourselves to receive a little more.
What are you ready to release?
The Autumn Equinox also marks the beginning of a gradual letting go.
Look around you and you'll see it happening everywhere.
Leaves will eventually fall. Flowers will fade. Seeds will be scattered. The abundance of summer will slowly transform into the quieter landscape of autumn.
Nothing in nature clings to what has finished its purpose.
And yet, letting go can be difficult for us.
We hold onto old expectations, routines, relationships, habits and versions of ourselves because they are familiar - even when they no longer fit.
Perhaps September is an invitation to ask:
What am I carrying that I no longer need?
It doesn't have to be something dramatic.
Maybe it's the expectation that you should be doing more.
Maybe it's guilt around taking time for yourself.
Maybe it's a habit of always putting everyone else's needs before your own.
Maybe it's simply the belief that you need to have everything figured out.
You don't have to release everything at once.
Sometimes simply recognising what you're ready to put down is enough.
A little September reflection
If you have a quiet moment this month, perhaps with a cup of tea, a candle burning beside you or while walking outdoors, take a few moments to sit with these questions.
You might like to write your thoughts in a journal, or simply allow them to come and go.
What feels balanced in my life at the moment?
Where am I giving more than I am receiving?
What is asking for more of my attention?
What could I gently let go of?
What would nourish me as we move into autumn?
And finally:
What small act of balance could I offer myself this week?
Perhaps it's something very simple.
An early night.
A walk without your phone.
Saying no to something you don't have the energy for.
Asking for help.
Making time for something you love.
Or simply sitting quietly with a cup of tea and doing absolutely nothing for a few minutes.
Small things count.
A Mabon Moment
Mabon, celebrated around the Autumn Equinox, is traditionally a time to honour the second harvest, express gratitude for what the earth has provided and acknowledge the changing season.
It is a beautiful opportunity to pause and recognise what has grown - not only around us, but within us.
Before the year turns further towards winter, we can take a moment to appreciate the abundance we've experienced, the lessons we've learned and the things we've nurtured.
Then, with gratitude rather than regret, we can begin to release what is no longer needed.
If you'd like to create your own simple Mabon ritual, gather a few seasonal treasures - perhaps a fallen leaf, an apple, a blackberry or a seed head.
Light a candle.
Take a few slow breaths.
Think about the things you are grateful for.
Then choose one thing you are ready to release and write it down.
You don't need to make a grand ceremony of it.
A moment of intention is enough.
Returning to balance
Perhaps the greatest lesson of the equinox is that balance is not a destination.
The light will continue to fade. Winter will eventually arrive. Then, slowly, the days will begin to lengthen again.
The wheel keeps turning.
And so do we.
There will be times when we give more than we receive, times when we need to retreat, and times when we feel ready to step forward again.
We don't need to get it perfectly right.
We simply need to listen.
To notice.
To adjust.
And, when we find ourselves pulled too far in one direction, to gently find our way back.
This September, may you give yourself permission to slow down, honour what you have nurtured, release what you no longer need, and make space for what comes next.
Balance · Gratitude · Release · Renewal
Warm wishes,
Faye x
"Take gentle care of yourself."
Continue Your Seasonal Journey
Autumn Rituals Guide
If you've enjoyed this article and would like to explore the season a little more deeply, my Autumn Rituals Guide is filled with gentle rituals, journal prompts and nature-inspired wellbeing ideas to help you embrace the beauty of autumn.
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