Autumnal Equinox

That time of year thou may'st in me behold, 

When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang 

Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, 

Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang. 

- William Shakespeare 

The autumnal equinox begins today.  Equinox comes from Latin meaning "equal night." The fall and spring equinoxes are the only days of the year where the sun crosses the celestial equator. 

Temperatures begin to drop and the hours of daylight decline. Days get shorter than the nights.

The Mayans built the pyramid of Kuklukan in Chichen Itza to honor the autumnal equinox. During the equinox, light creates an illusion of the serpent God Kuklukan slithering down the pyramid.

With shorter days, and longer, cooler nights, biochemical processes in the leaves paint the landscape a variety of colors.

Watch the ways colors change in leaves and flowers that remain.

Observe changes in the sky and movement of clouds. 

Describe your memories of transitions.

  
Think of seeds scattering to bring new growth after winter.  

Which seeds will you scatter to prepare for blooms in spring?