Seeds, Shadows, and the Flame Within.
- Natalia Oganesyan
- Sep 16
- 2 min read
Twice a year, the Earth pauses in perfect balance — day and night standing equal, light and dark sharing the sky. The Autumn Equinox is more than a celestial event. It’s a mirror for our lives, reminding us that we, too, carry both shadow and light, and that wholeness comes not from choosing one, but from holding both.
For our ancestors, this was a time of gathering and gratitude. Fields were full, baskets heavy, and families came together to honor not only the harvest of the land, but the harvest of their choices, their growth, and their endurance. It was also a time of courage — a recognition that the light was fading and that the long winter was coming. Letting go was not loss. It was preparation.
In ancient Armenia, families would gather around a central fire on this night. They would place dried stalks or leaves into the flames, each one representing something they were ready to release — grief, resentment, fear, or simply the old season itself. Then, from the fire, they would carry home a single glowing ember to relight their family fire. This was their reminder that even as the nights grew long, the inner flame of spirit remained alive.
For me, the solstices and equinoxes have always been an invitation to pause — to revisit where I am, what seeds I am planting, and what I must release in order to welcome the next season with more clarity, strength, and wisdom. The Autumn Equinox, in particular, feels like a season of abundance — a reminder of how full life is, yet also a bittersweet surrender, as nature begins to strip away the fruits, flowers, and sunshine of summer. It’s the threshold from the outward expression of summer into the inward journey of winter. The question becomes: What will I take with me into the dark? And how can I empower myself to trust the abundance within when the world outside grows quiet?
Today, we can honor this wisdom in simple ways. Write down what no longer serves you — an old belief, a weight on your heart — and release it into flame, or bury it in the earth if fire isn’t possible. Then write down one “golden seed,” a truth or strength you wish to carry into winter, and place it somewhere visible to remind you daily.
The Autumn Equinox is a threshold. It asks us: What must end, so that something new may begin? It’s an invitation to release the heaviness, gather our courage, and remember that even in the dark, the ember of our spirit never goes out.
This year, we are celebrating the Autumn Equinox together, in person, on Sunday, September 21st, and I would love for you to join us. We will gather in community, reflect, release, and carry forward the golden seeds that will sustain us through the quiet season ahead.
And for those of you who cannot join us in person for this special offering, we invite you to join our Live Zoom gathering.
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