people are told that equinox is the start of autumn and yet can't understand why it starts to feel like autumn weeks before. but if you go by the old calendar, equinox isn't the start: it's when autumn really comes into itself and is entirely its own season. it used to be, in celtic countries but also elsewhere, that the quarter days — equinoxes and solstices — marked the mid points of the seasons, whereas the cross-quarter days marked their beginnings. the cross-quarter days are at the beginning of february, may, august, and november, and correspond to the modern/christian groundhog's day/candlemas, may day, lammas, and hallowe'en/all saints'. but just like solstices and equinoxes, the cross-quarter days are specific astronomical points in the year and technically fall sometime during the first week of the month in question. so, much of northern hemisphere spring is born in february, when the wind begins to change and the air feels different sometimes. summer in may, when the world has come to life. autumn in august, when the wind changes again, and winter in november when the world begins to sleep.this is why winter and summer solstice are traditionally known as midwinter and midsummer. and in china, this time of year is when the mid-autumn festival occurs.so if the dates of the seasons have never really made sense to you, maybe this is why?whatever you do, have a blessed and beautiful equinox. may we all find balance today, and rest in the darkness to come.