Happy autumnal equinox! Here in the south of Cambodia where I live, the wind has cooled, the monsoons have noticeably elevated the rivers, and the rice fields are a lush green. In other parts of the world, leaves are changing in anticipation of the first hard frost of autumn.

Called Mabon in the witch’s Wheel of the Year, the fall equinox gets its name from the equal hours of daylight and nighttime that occur at the halfway point between the solstices. This astronomical event coincides with the Cambodian holiday of Pchum Bun, a time for honoring ancestors who have crossed the Veil; with the gates of King Yama’s realm temporarily opened, ancestral spirits have the opportunity to visit our realm during this special time.

The autumnal equinox also marks the start of Libra season, which is all about balance, as symbolized by this time of equal hours of light and dark. As it happens, my sun is in Libra! There’s a common misconception that Librans are good at balancing, when what we actually excel at is finding equilibrium by moving through extremes, like a pendulum settling at the bottom of its arc. During this season, I sense that we’re all being called to feel for equilibrium as we continue moving through societal and personal extremes.

This is a season of layered, complex change— a major theme of 2024, which has pummeled us with eclipse portal after eclipse portal. Okay, maybe us Cardinal zodiac signs have been feeling especially jarred by 2024’s cosmic rollercoaster, but I don’t really know anyone who has been let off easy! Individually and collectively, we’re being accelerated towards a future of our own creation with a degree of divine awareness that has been repressed for a hot minute. Glancing around, I’m noticing mixed reactions: denial, bewilderment, excitement, exhaustion, anxiety, fear. Certainly there’s a bit of heightened reactivity, which is understandable: we’re scrambling to read the manual while we’re building the cosmic warp vessel that we’re already riding towards an unknown destination— all while being gaslit by many of our current political and cultural leaders (“these unprecedented times,” lol, way to downplay the Age of Aquarius, bro). If you’re feeling stressed out, lemme just validate that as a normal response.

In spite of— nah, wait, because of the wild extremes we’ve been moving through on so many levels, it’s prudent to use this seasonal transit towards the darkest night of the year to find your inner quiet. Our cosmic ship might be accelerating to warp speed, sure, but inside, we don’t have to frantically dash around, colliding with one another and tripping over ourselves. After all, this is a season of abundance, harvest, transition, death, decomposition, and release. Taking a hint from the rituals of Pchum Bun, Halloween, and the Day of the Dead, we can choose to slow down, to accept and honor these aspects of existence with intentionality and in ways that celebrate and strengthen our interconnectedness.

I believe in listening to the voice of your own intuition, which you may notice is dialing up the volume in the midst of these eclipse portals. What’s your intuition calling your attention to? If nothing immediately comes to mind, remember that it’s easier to hear your intuitive voice when you’re in your body, so take some deep breaths, regulate your nervous system, rest, and tune into your senses. The sensual is intimately connected with our intuition. Wherever you are on Spaceship Earth, notice what enlivens your senses: rain sounds, candlelight, cinnamon, marigolds, pumpkins, singing frogs, the stars. Are you feeling sensually inspired to curl up under a warm blanket, or to venture out to meet friends? Are you more stimulated by getting up early or staying up late? There’s no wrong answer here, the goal is to practice intuitive listening, to notice what’s calling our name, to follow our heart, to allow ourselves to shift and change, and to transform our habits into rituals.

Below is a ritual outline that you can adapt as a centering practice or meditation. My Accomplice called it “the water blessing” one day, and I was like “bet”; the name stuck. The elder that I adapted this from was a visitor to a feminist pedagogy class I took in grad school. Describing her morning routine, she said the first thing she always does is to go into her kitchen, fill up a large glass of water, and drink it mindfully. As she’s drinking, she focuses on how the water is nourishing her and how her act is showing care for her bodymind. (This ritual doesn’t have to be done in the morning, though I really like how she described it as a way to set the tone for your day.) This practice calls to mind Thich Nhat Hanh’s advice to us about having breakfast (or tea, or dinner): “Eat in such a way to make the healing possible.” I also heard a variation on this ritual by someone who similarly described drinking mindfully as a meditation; he suggested feeling with the frequency of the water and infusing the water with an intention. A Cambodian Magician told me to “accept the blessing of the water” when drinking, bathing, or swimming. My spirit team told me to accept the cleansing of the rain if I get rained on; sometimes they have me do ritual ablutions. Water is healing and cleansing us whenever we come into contact with it, if we allow it to.

The Water Blessing

In the morning, before you’ve gotten dressed or had breakfast, go into your kitchen or bathroom and fill up a glass with water. It helps to choose a glass that you like or even have a dedicated glass set aside for this specific ritual. Take a few moments to be present with the water and acknowledge its spirit. Even if you’re not a particularly “spiritual person,” you can still acknowledge the water’s molecular structure, that the Earth herself and your own body are primarily comprised of this life-giving molecule.

Focusing on the water, set an intention. You can hold the glass and think the intention to yourself, or you can speak it out directly to the water. If you’re not sure what intention to set, check with your intuition. I also frequently pray for the path of my highest good and/or speak the loving mettā into the water.

Drink the water slowly and mindfully. Accept its blessing. Feel its nourishing and sustaining energy enter you, along with your own intention, prayer, hard-wish. Your day is off to a good start, Magician.

To help establish the ritual, you can put a sticky note on your bathroom mirror or near your kitchen sink— or, you know, put a reminder in your phone like a 21st century tech maven, but the less we look at our phones, the better, wouldn’t you say?

Do you have any water-based rituals? What’s your take on the Water Blessing? Feel free to share your magical thoughts in the comments.