Creative Writing

Journaling Ideas to Celebrate the Equinox

Prompts and exercises for writing about the fall or spring equinox

As I write this in September of 2021, those of us in the northern hemisphere are reaching the autumn equinox; meanwhile, our friends in the southern hemisphere are reaching the spring equinox. For all of us, this is a time of (approximately) equal day and night — and an opportunity to turn to our journals and explore ideas inspired by seasonal changes, from the celestial to the down-to-earth.

Earth, Sun, and Sky

On this day, no matter where we are, the sun rises exactly due east and sets exactly due west “because we all see the same sky.” Do you ever stop to think about the position of the earth in relation to the sun? Why not spend a few (or more) minutes writing about the sun, the earth, and the ways we can mark the passage of time by looking at the sky?

Do you have any memories of learning about or experiencing the earth and sun from your childhood, or any past time in your life? What about the positions of the constellations, their names, and the stories linked to them?

Days and Nights

Another idea would be to write about the changes in daylight: the lengthening nights and shorter days, or the lengthening days and shorter nights. You could jot down plans or dreams for what you’ll do (or what your fictional characters will do) with the extra hours of nighttime or daylight.

How do you feel about the change in the hours of light? What comes to mind when you think of the evenness of day and night at the equinox? Also, consider how darkness and light are intermixed — where do you find light in the darkness of winter when it comes, and where do shadows appear even on the brightest or longest days? Do day and night feel different to you at different times of year?

Weathering Change

How do you feel about the changes in weather — or is the weather changing yet where you live? What effects of the shortening, cooler days — or longer, warmer days — are you seeing around you?

Think about changes in people as well as in plants and animals. Shifting into fall, we might see people pull out their flannel shirts or flannel sheets, and more spiders hurrying into the warmth of our households. Maybe our parched lawns start to turn green again as leaves fall into the garden. As spring arrives, schoolkids walk home in short-sleeved t-shirts while businesspeople shrug out of their blazers. Cats stretch out on warm picnic tables, and grass takes over the flowerbeds. Be specific in describing what you see all around you.

Symbols and Signs

The equinox also tends to symbolize the idea of a period of rest (fall) or renewal (spring) for the natural world. What specific images represent rest or renewal of nature to you?

Growing up, my mom always taught me to look for the first crocus as a sign of spring. In the fall, we gathered leaves at the park to make collages and leaf rubbings. Did someone in your life teach you to watch for particular signs of fall or spring?

Have you lived in or visited different regions during the transition into fall or spring, and if so, what different signs of the equinox have you noticed in those different places, in contrast to where you live now?

If someone asked you to draw a symbol for the equinox or to represent a particular season, what would you draw?

Finding Balance

Therapist and author Michelle Minero describes another perspective on the equinox as a launching point for writing. She says, “Instead of thinking of things in terms of good or bad, I want you to consider them on an equal footing. There may be light and shadow sides to something, but neither are good or bad; they equalize each other… Life is rich and is full of joy, as well as sadness…. Experiencing sadness doesn’t have to be labeled ‘bad.’”

She has a great idea to write about the equinox by exploring the idea of what balance means to you personally in your own life: “What does it mean to be in balance? And does taking away the categories of ‘bad’ and ‘good’ change how you view balance?”

Establishing Rhythms

In Waldorf schools, children and their families celebrate traditions and festivals that have become rare in everyday life, at least in the United States (where I live). I learned about the Waldorf community because my former partner is a longtime Waldorf teacher. Understanding her work helped me become more mindful of ways that we can notice and celebrate the seasons in our daily life, and this led me to write more intentionally and mindfully about these ideas.

Near the fall equinox, Waldorf school communities celebrate the festival of Michaelmas, pausing deliberately at summer’s end and as the fall begins in order to gather strength for the darkening winter months and bring light with us into the darkness. The article “Why Do Waldorf Schools Celebrate Michaelmas?” on waldorflibrary.org is a thoughtful overview of this festival and how we can look at the equinox as “the time we establish our rhythms for the year.”

If you think of the equinox as a moment to pause and reflect, what do you wish to bring with you into the new season as it begins in your part of the world? What rhythms do you want to maintain from the season that is just ending, and what rhythms will need to change with the new season?

Seasonal rhythms can also connect us to larger cycles of time. How might your ancestors have witnessed and experienced seasonal change, not just in terms of their work and family lives, but also in terms of how they chose to participate in creative activities like arts and crafts at different times of year? What is similar and what is different in terms of what your ancestors could then and what you can now observe on earth and in the skies? The differences are maybe obvious, but what similarities can you find?

I hope you enjoyed these ideas for writing and that they provide some inspiration for your journaling and creative writing this week and in the future.

I’ve been a writing teacher for over 20 years, and I’m working on sharing a series of prompts and exercises for writers here on Medium. My recent exercises include how to use a bumper sticker as the starting point for a story or poem, how to write about the pandemic, and how to write a letter poem.

Thanks for reading this, and I hope you find time to write today!