Led by seasonal light at Autumn Equinox

There’s something about the seasonal light at autumn equinox that moves me deeply. It’s low, honeyed, and achingly beautiful. A soft parting kiss from summer, that lingers, before we cross the threshold into the dark half of the year. Sunsets begin to drift in earlier, by several minutes each day bringing them before 7pm, cloaking the sky in copper and rose. The golden hours before them can be utterly breathtaking, a kind of atmospheric alchemy that paints the land in wonder. It’s a photographer’s dream, yes, but it’s also something more: a visceral reminder that time is turning, and we are being invited to turn with the seasonal light at autumn equinox.

Light and dark in equal measure

At autumn equinox, light and dark hold each other. It’s a cosmic balance point, a momentary pause before the scales tip and the nights grow longer.

And here’s the thing: I love that.

I love what the longer nights bring , the return of real darkness. The kind of darkness that lets you see the stars, feel the pulse of the universe, chase the aurora across the sky. It’s a doorway into celestial connection. A time where magic expands outward, not in spite of the dark, but because of it.

It’s why I created my aurora course — to help others find their way into the awe of night skies, to learn how to read space weather, spot the signs, and make a moment of it with camera in hand and wonder in heart.

In tune with the seasonal light

When we lived more closely with nature, we were deeply attuned to following light through the day and through the seasons. We planned by it. Slept and woke by it. Celebrated and rested by it.

At this time of year, we’d be noticing:

• Animals preparing for hibernation or migration
• Leaves beginning to drop as trees conserve energy
• Berries ripening the last offerings before the stillness
• Insects slowing down, fungi emerging
• Birds shifting, some arriving for winter, others leaving on the wind

Nature responds to the seasonal light at autumn equinox. So do we. We just forget we’re wired for it.

Light as guide, not goal

Autumn equinox isn’t about clinging to brightness. It’s about walking with the seasonal light as it softens, and trusting the dark that follows. Knowing that wonder doesn’t end with summer, it transforms.

So this season, I’m letting the light lead me. Into those fleeting golden hours, earlier sunsets, deeper skies and a different rhythm. Into the awe that only comes when we honour what is, not what was, or what we wish it to be.

Want to follow the light into the night?

→ Explore my How to See & Shoot the Aurora course
→ Read The deeper meaning of Mabon and autumn equinox
→ Try 10 nature-connected rituals for autumn equinox
→ Explore Aurora collections on the Print Shop