Feeling Emotional Around the Fall Equinox? Understanding the Body, Mind and Spiritual Meaning of Seasonal Change

Sep 20

5 min read

Over the past week, I have felt more emotional than usual. I have noticed polarity in my thoughts and feelings - sometimes experiencing what appear to be opposite emotions almost simultaneously.

Perhaps you have felt it too.

The fall equinox is often described as a moment of balance, but balance does not always arrive as immediate peace. Sometimes we first become more aware of what feels unsettled. A set of scales must move before it finds equilibrium. On way to describe this is that equinox = equality (equalizes) of polarity.

The equinox may affect us indirectly through changing light, sleep rhythms and seasonal cues.

Astrology and ancient traditions also regard it as a meaningful psychological and spiritual threshold.

Yet it is important to remain grounded: science has not shown that the equinox itself directly causes emotional swings. Rather than treating it as the cause of everything we feel, we can consider whether this seasonal transition is helping illuminate what is already asking for our attention.

Feeling Emotional Around the Fall Equinox?

What the Fall Equinox Actually Is

Astronomically, the fall equinox occurs when the Sun crosses the celestial equator, marking the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Day and night come close to equal length, although they are not precisely equal because of the way sunrise, sunset and the Earth's atmosphere are measured. After the equinox, daylight gradually decreases as we move toward winter.

The equinox is a single astronomical moment, but our bodies do not wait for that exact moment to respond. The gradual changes in sunrise, sunset, temperature and daily routines have already been unfolding for weeks.

How Seasonal Change Can Affect the Body and Mind

Our bodies are deeply responsive to light. Light entering the eyes helps regulate the brain's internal clock, which influences sleep, alertness, hormones and mood. As daylight shortens, melatonin timing and sleep patterns may begin to shift. Some people notice changes in energy, concentration or emotional resilience.

Even in Florida, where the seasonal change is gentler than in northern climates, the body can still register changes in daylight, heat, humidity and daily rhythm. If sleep becomes lighter, shorter or more irregular, emotions that would normally feel manageable may seem louder or more urgent.

This does not mean every emotional experience near the equinox is caused by the season.

Relationships, grief, stress, hormones, health, memory and current circumstances continue to matter. The seasonal shift may be one influence among many - or simply a meaningful backdrop that encourages us to notice ourselves more closely.

The Astrological Meaning of Polarity

In Western astrology, the fall equinox occurs as the Sun enters Libra, represented by the scales. Libra directs attention toward balance, relationship, reciprocity, justice and the dance between self and other.

This season can bring greater awareness to apparent opposites:

· independence and partnership

· giving and receiving

· speaking and remaining quiet

· closeness and personal space

· holding on and letting go

· trusting the unfolding and wanting certainty

When these themes become visible, we may assume one side must be right and the other wrong.

Yet emotional maturity often asks us to hold more than one truth at the same time.

I can feel grateful and still feel sad.
I can love deeply and still feel uncertain.
I can desire closeness and still need space.
I can trust what is unfolding and still want answers.

These are not necessarily signs that something is wrong. The invitation may not be to eliminate one side, but to listen for what each feeling is trying to protect, express or reveal.

The Yogic and Ayurvedic Perspective

Yoga teaches us to witness the movements of the mind without automatically believing or suppressing every thought. Transitional periods can make our familiar patterns more visible, giving us an opportunity to respond with awareness rather than reflex.

In Ayurveda, the meeting of two seasons is known as ritu sandhi, a seasonal junction.

Autumn is commonly associated with increasing vata qualities: movement, airiness, coolness, dryness, irregularity and change. When those qualities feel excessive, we may experience restlessness, rapidly changing thoughts, emotional fluctuation, interrupted sleep or a sense of being ungrounded.

This is not a diagnosis. It is a traditional way of describing the human experience of transition.

The yogic response is generally not to analyze every thought more intensely. It is to offer the body steadiness so the mind no longer has to manufacture it. Slower movement, warm nourishing food, regular routines, rest, time in nature and calming breath practices can all support that steadiness.

Autumn as a Time of Grief and Letting Go

Traditional Chinese philosophy associates autumn with the Metal element, the lungs, grief, discernment and letting go.

It is a season for separating what remains valuable from what has completed its purpose. Other ancient cultures developed their own distinct equinox observances centered on harvest, gratitude, preparation and the acceptance that light and darkness belong to the same cycle.

These traditions should not be blended into a single universal teaching. Yet they share a meaningful recognition: seasonal thresholds naturally invite reflection.

What have we gathered?
What has nourished us?
What can no longer be carried in the same way?

Sometimes the arrival of autumn touches grief that has not disappeared, even when life also contains love, beauty and new beginnings. Grief and gratitude are not opposites that cancel each other. They can live within the same heart.

Perhaps the Equinox Is a Mirror

Perhaps the equinox does not create what we are feeling. Perhaps it acts more like a mirror, reflecting the emotional material already present and making it easier to see.

The part of us that trusts may be speaking at the same time as the part that wants certainty. The part that feels grateful may coexist with the part that remembers loss. The part moving toward something new may still be integrating everything that has happened.

We do not always need to decide which voice is correct. Sometimes the deeper question is whether we can allow both truths to be present without forcing either one to disappear.

A Simple Equinox Grounding Practice

Arrive. Sit comfortably and place both feet on the floor. Feel the support underneath you.
Balance the breath. Practice three to five minutes of gentle alternate-nostril breathing, without holding the breath.
Return to the body. Place one hand on your heart and one on your lower belly. Let the exhale become slightly longer than the inhale.
Name both truths. Silently complete the sentence: Part of me feels ____, and part of me feels ____.
Release the urgency. Repeat slowly: Both may be present. I do not have to resolve everything today.

Journal Prompts for the Season

What two truths am I trying to make mutually exclusive?
What is ready to be released?
What deserves to be carried forward?
Where am I seeking certainty when presence would serve me better?
What would inner balance feel like in my body, rather than simply look like from the outside?

Listening Rather Than Rushing

If you are feeling unusually emotional around the equinox, honor what you feel without assuming every thought is a final truth. This may be a time for listening rather than rushing into conclusions or decisions.

The equinox does not ask us to achieve perfect balance. It reminds us that light and darkness can share the same sky, just as joy and sorrow, love and uncertainty, gratitude and grief can share the same human heart.

Balance is not the absence of polarity, it is our growing capacity to remain present, compassionate and grounded while more than one truth moves through us.

A Grounded Note

Spiritual and astrological interpretations can offer language, symbolism and practices for reflection, but they are not substitutes for medical or mental health care. If emotional intensity persists, significantly disrupts sleep or daily life, or feels unmanageable, consider seeking support from a qualified professional.