It's not just a pagan thing.
On 22 and 23 September, Heritage Malta will once again have its special event at dawn at Mnajdra and Hagar Qim for the occasion of the Autumn Equinox. People from around the world will travel to Malta for this special phenomenon experienced at the temples, a moment when the sun will shine in with incredible accuracy on the huge 5,500-year-old stone slabs, which act as a massive stone calendar. The ancients in Malta evidently considered the equinox a big deal. And why don't we?
You don’t have to be a pagan to appreciate the natural cycles of the earth moving around the sun nor the significance this may have on the natural rhythms of the human make-up. Even science today acknowledges that everything is connected and has an interdependent relationship. Let’s look at some of the ways the equinox marks a change in the course of human lifestyle.
Daylight hours
Prepare yourself for the darker time of the year. Days get longer after the spring or vernal equinox in March, whereas they get shorter after the autumn equinox. Eventually, you’ll be experiencing nightfall by 5 pm on the shortest day - the winter solstice on 21 December - instead of 8.30 pm in the height of summer.
Weather
With the movement from summer into autumn marked by the equinox, the weather is quickly changing to become cooler, windier and wetter. You can no longer assume that the weather will be fine and your day-to-day activities will become more defined by the weather. So will the clothes you wear.
Lifestyle
All those outdoor things you liked to do when your workday is done are replaced with indoor activities or simply staying in because it’s dark, cold and wet outside! The vibrant everyday activity synonymous with summer becomes limited to perhaps one day in the weekend. Social life is probably also more personal as random meetings are replaced with get-togethers planned with your inner circle of friends.
Mood
You may have noticed that you tend to spend more time with yourself and might even enter a reflective mood come autumn. This so-called 'hibernation period' is a natural process. The ancients recognised that the autumn equinox marks the beginning of a period of inward journeying and self-nurture, like seeds germinating in the darkness of soil preparing for budding life and vitality.
Food
Light and darkness, drought and the rains naturally affect what can grow when. Autumn marks a change in the kind of crops that farmers will grow during the coming period of reduced sunlight hours and increased rain. If you eat locally grown vegetables, you may also notice that what you eat will also affect how you feel.
It’s beneficial to recognise these natural cycles in the flow of time. Change is a natural process of life and to be aware and equipped for these changes places you ahead - you welcome and make the most of them instead of resisting and crying over the inevitable. Simply settle into it and enjoy the coming of winter with its own special character.
If you would like to experience the amazing Autumn Equinox phenomenon at Mnajdra and Hagar Qim on 22 and 23 September, book in advance via the Heritage Malta website.