It is 80 degrees and my air conditioner is sending cool air throughout the house, which is fine for the dog days of summer but not for the onset of autumn. The weather is meant to be cool so that the windows are opened and fresh breezes waft throughout. Well, there are still a couple of days until autumn officially begins and the forecast suggests the cooler air might arrive just in time. Autumn, you see, is by far my favorite of the mid-Atlantic seasons. Crisp mornings with warm afternoons. Green leaves turning red, yellow and orange. Migrating geese honking overhead. Hot soups, spicy stews, pumpkin pie and warm apple cobbler. I positively adore this time of year. Are there other autumn aficionados out there?

Harvest, Fall, or Autumn?

There is an Old Norse word haust, which means “to gather or pluck.” Farmers would haust (gather) the crops during this season, and so it was known as Harvest. But when people left the farms and moved to cities, their association with the harvest waned. At that point the use of the word fell to the wayside. Which brings us to alternative names.

Autumn was initially the more popular choice. It wasn’t until 1755 that fall - in the manner that relates to the season - was added to Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language. Fall is now used most frequently in the United States and Canada. In 1816, John Pickering wrote the following in A Vocabulary, or Collection of Words Which Have Been Supposed to Be Peculiar to the United States of America: "In North America the season in which this [the fall of the leaf] takes place derives its name from that circumstance, and instead of autumn is universally called the fall." People in England and Australia, on the other hand, seem to prefer autumn. Although born and raised in North America, I prefer autumn rather than fall. Which word do you use?

Meteorologists consider September 1st the traditional start of autumn. For most of us, though, the season begins with the Autumn Equinox on September 22nd. According to the almanac, the time of this year’s equinox is 9:03 pm here in the DC metro area. On the day of the Equinox we have relatively equal hours of day and night, after which the days grow shorter and shorter until the Winter Solstice on December 21st.

Mabon, named after the Welshman Mabon ap Modron, occurs on the Equinox. It is a Celtic celebration also known as the pagan Thanksgiving. It honors the second harvest, when farmers gathered hearty foods such as apples, pumpkins and other gourds. It is a time to thank Mother Earth for the abundance she provides. It is also a good time to set intentions for ending unhealthy relationships, breaking bad habits and saying goodbye to self-destructive beliefs.

Speaking of releasing what no longer serves you, the time to do so continues through the New Moon in Libra on September 25th. A new moon brings about the opportunity for new beginnings. Prepare for new beginnings by releasing what has been lingering unnecessarily and weighing you down - whether things, thoughts or feelings. Be inspired by the cycles of the trees, many of which shed their leaves in autumn to allow new growth in the spring. If you have burdens to shed, I highly recommend that you find time over the next several days to allow for their release. Let them go. Start fresh. It’s Autumn!