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September and autumnal equinox: balance, the number four and the turning point of the year

By Åse Karin Steinsland Original publication: 2026-09-22 Updated for Numerologist: 2026

Sacred geometry

The autumnal equinox is one of the clearest turning points of the year. Around September 23, the sun crosses the celestial equator, and in the northern hemisphere we enter the part of the year where the nights become longer than the days. In Norway, the equinox in 2026 falls on 23 September around 02.05 local summer time.

The wheel of the year

Four sun points — one year in motion

Press a point in the wheel of the year and see how Åse connects nature's cycle to the number 4.

Explore the Wheel of the Year

AutumnHarvest · balance · transition

Why 4?

WinterSpringSummerAutumn

In numerology, the number four becomes a memory map for foundation, direction and recurring structure.

Your own harvest status

What was sown?What did you start this spring?

What was harvested?What actually produced results?

What should rest?What needs less energy now?

Where does the year begin – and which is right?

The seasons are set by the sun, not by the calendar. Equinoxes and solstices happen at the same moment for the whole Earth, whichever calendar you use. What separates calendars is where they place the new year.

CalendarNew yearCurrent year · universal number

GregorianA Roman-era convention, about ten days after the winter solstice, with no astronomical anchor.1 January

Persian solar (Solar Hijri)Nowruz at the moment of the spring equinox – one of the most accurate solar calendars in use.Nowruz, about 20/21 March

Tropical zodiac0° Aries is defined as the spring equinox.Spring equinox—

Islamic lunar (Hijri)354 days; travels through every season in about 33 years.1 Muharram

Celtic wheel of the yearThe year begins with the dark half, much like old Norway's winter and summer halves.Samhain, 1 November—

Which is right? Astronomically there is one precise anchor: the spring equinox, the day when light and dark are equal and nature wakes up. A calendar that starts there, like the Persian one, follows the rhythm of the seasons. 1 January is just as valid as an agreement, but it has no natural anchor. In numerology the choice matters: Åse calculates the personal year with the Gregorian calendar. Using the Persian calendar, the universal year changes at Nowruz instead of 1 January. Both can be used – as long as you say which one you use.

What exactly is an equinox?

The word equinox comes from Latin and means "equal night". Day and night are roughly the same length around the equinox, but not exactly 12 hours everywhere because atmospheric light refraction and the way sunrise and sunset are defined affect the length.

Astronomically, the day is a precise crossing point. Symbolically, Åse uses it as an image of balance: light and dark, activity and rest, what we have sown and what we have actually reaped.

Why the number 4 fits so well

The year can be read through four major solar points: winter solstice, spring equinox, summer solstice and autumn equinox. In numerology, 4 is associated with structure, foundation, earth, direction and that which is repeated stably.

The four points therefore form a simple annual wheel: rest → growth → maximum → harvest. It is not a scientific feature of the number 4, but a symbolic model that makes the annual cycle easy to remember.

Ancient weather signs and modern knowledge

Traditional weather signs linking the autumnal equinox to the coming winter. Such signs are cultural history, not reliable long-term warnings. What is interesting is what they tell about a society that was completely dependent on the rhythm of nature and therefore carefully observed the sky, birds, temperature and crops.

Use the day as a practical reflection: What have you completed since spring? What needs to be terminated? What should rest through the winter?