Equinox Blessings from The Wild Hunt!
Meteorological autumn began on September 1, covering the months of September, October, and November—or, as we call them in South Florida: Heatember, Hotober, and PossiblyFall. For most, though, the new season truly begins with the equinox.
The September equinox in 2025 occurs on September 22 at 18:19 UTC (2:19 p.m. EDT, 1:19 p.m. CDT, 11:19 a.m. PDT). On this day, nearly everyone around the world experiences a day and night of roughly equal length, though not perfectly so.
Equinoxes happen when the Earth’s axis tilts neither toward nor away from the Sun, placing the Sun directly above the “celestial equator,” the extension of Earth’s equator onto the celestial sphere. Because of Earth’s 23.44-degree tilt, this moment balances light and dark before the hemispheres diverge once again, toward longer nights in the north and lengthening days in the south.
These moments are thresholds, signaling the close of one season more than the full arrival of the next. In the north, days will shorten, the air will cool, and colors will deepen. As an Irish proverb says: “Autumn days come quickly, like the running of a hound on the moor.” In the south, light and warmth surge back, with blossoms and longer days heralding summer.
Astrologically, the Sun enters Libra, the scales of balance held by Themis, Titaness of divine justice and cosmic order. Libra is the only zodiac sign represented not by a creature but by an ideal.
In Pagan traditions, the equinox is the second of three harvest festivals, framed by Lughnasadh and Samhain. Wiccans often call it Harvest Home or Mabon; Druids similarly call it Alban Elfed; some Heathens, Winter Finding; and others, simply Mid-Harvest. The Greek name is Phthinopohriní Isimæría; in Old English, efnniht.
In much of the north, pumpkin spice has already swept in, as certain a sign of autumn as falling leaves. Albert Camus wrote: “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
In early Modern English, the season was sometimes called backend, the “back end” of the year. The term appears in northern English, Scots, and Irish dialects, used by poets like Robert Burns in the 18th century and persisting regionally well into the 20th. Today, of course, “backend” usually belongs to business and tech, but once it meant autumn.
Whatever name it carries, Fall, Harvest Home, Mabon, Alban Elfed, Mid-Harvest, or Spring for our southern kin, may this September equinox bring balance, gratitude, and renewal.
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Update on Fae’s Closet attack
Fae’s Cabinet Logo
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Pagan business owner Travis Tribolet-Ward has been recovering from a brutal assault inside his metaphysical shop. The Wild Hunt shared Tribolet-Ward’s story last week.
On September 6, a man entered the store, asked if Tribolet-Ward was a Satanist, and upon hearing he was a Witch, lingered until other customers departed. The assailant then launched into a violent attack, stomping on Tribolet-Ward’s back, kneeing him in the face, and shouting slurs such as “All witches must die.” A passerby eventually intervened, and the suspect fled before police arrived. Authorities confirmed the incident, and a protective order has since been granted. Tribolet-Ward suffered bruises, back pain, and a concussion, and described the event as both physically and emotionally traumatic.
Tribolet-Ward urged awareness and vigilance within the Pagan community, emphasizing safety while affirming his commitment to his spiritual practice and gratitude for community support.
Fae’s Closet announced today. No charges are being filed against him, as he has been admitted to a behavioral health facility for treatment of schizophrenia. Allen County officials indicated they will not pursue charges while he is receiving care.
Many individuals expressed disappointment and outrage at the decision on social media. Fae’s Closet is still weighing legal options.
Fae’s Closet did send a brief statement. “While not what we wanted or expected, I am forever grateful for the community and beyond’s support. We will not go back. We are stronger together.”
Note: This remains a developing story, and The Wild Hunt will provide updates as new information becomes available.
Events Happening This Weekend!
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More Events at our new Events Calendar
Tarot of the Week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: Tarot Mucha, artwork by Guilia F. Massaglia, text by Lunaea Weatherstone, published by Lo Scarabeo.
Card: Five (5) Of Swords
The week ahead holds both the potential for more discord and the realization that most serious conflicts frequently have no actual winner—often everyone loses something, even the “winner.” The key note for this week is to pick one’s battles with care and weigh whether it is truly worth the effort to engage.
Contrarily, it is quite possible this week to be in a no-win situation or on the losing side of a disagreement. Walking away and letting it go is likely the best approach, particularly if the source of conflict attempts to re-engage a fight by targeting past wounds. The best advice here is not to take the bait, move on, and focus on what is truly important.
National Pawpaw Day Marks Celebration of “America’s Forgotten Fruit”
Pawpaw tree; fruit. [photo credit: Scott Bauer, USDA – public domain
It’s National Pawpaw Day! (Who knew?) The day is observed each year in the United States on the third Thursday of September. The day honors the pawpaw (Asimina triloba), a fruit native to North America that once served as a staple food for many Indigenous peoples and later for early European settlers.
Growing on small deciduous trees in the eastern and midwestern U.S., the pawpaw is the largest edible fruit native to the North American continent. Its soft, custard-like flesh is often compared to banana, mango, or melon, giving it a surprisingly tropical flavor despite its temperate range. Green when ripe, pawpaws reveal yellow to orange flesh inside and contain several large brown seeds.
Pawpaws, though native to temperate regions, are closely related to tropical fruits such as cherimoya, soursop, sugar apple, atemoya, and a Caribbean favorite, guanábana.
Traditionally, pawpaws were eaten fresh, mashed into custards, or dried into cakes for winter storage. The bark and leaves were sometimes prepared for medicinal use, while the fibrous inner bark was twisted into cordage for nets and ropes. Even the seeds found use—ground into poultices or strung as beads. Beyond sustenance, pawpaws marked the turn of late summer into fall, a seasonal rhythm woven into community life.
Though dubbed “America’s forgotten fruit” for its absence from grocery shelves, the pawpaw is making a comeback at farmers’ markets, food festivals, and even in craft brewing and desserts, reconnecting communities with an ancient and uniquely American harvest.
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