Autumn Equinox:From earth to metal
The autumn equinox falls on 23 September 2026, at 01:06 BST. It is the moment when day and night stand almost equal, and the year begins to lean towards the dark. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it is also a threshold between two elements: the
Earth that has held us through the end of summer, and the Metal that opens the autumn.
In this article we look at what the equinox means in the Chinese tradition, why the Earth element comes before the Metal element, and how to support yourself gently through the passage.
What is the Autumn Equinox?
Astronomically, the equinox is the moment when the Sun crosses the celestial equator and light is shared almost equally between the two hemispheres. From this point, the days in the northern hemisphere become shorter than the nights.
In the Chinese solar calendar, the equinox is known as Qiu Fen, the "Autumn Divide". Day and night are in balance, and so are Yin and Yang. After this point Yang begins to decline and Yin gradually grows: energy turns inward, slows down and begins to gather.
Autumn in TCM: The Metal Element
In the Five Elements, autumn belongs to Metal. Its meridians are the Lung and the Large Intestine, and its themes are breathing in and letting go: taking in what nourishes us, and releasing what we no longer need.
Metal is traditionally associated with dryness, the skin, the colour white, and with the emotions of sadness and grief — which in balance become the ability to let go. It is a season of clarity, of essentials, of putting things in order.
From Earth to Metal: Why the Spleen Comes First
Metal does not arrive alone. In the Five Elements cycle, Earth is the mother of Metal. The Stomach and the Spleen, the meridians of Earth, are the ones who nourish the Lung, the child.
The Stomach receives; the Spleen gathers and transforms what we have received into nourishment the body can use and store. In TCM, the essence the Spleen extracts from food is said to rise to meet the breath in the Lung: Earth, quite literally, feeds Metal. When the mother is well supported, the child can breathe deeply and let go with ease.
This is why the Spleen is not the protagonist of autumn, but its organ of passage. It closes the summer and prepares the season to come.
A Season of Harvest and Gathering
Autumn is the season of the harvest. Nature gathers in what summer has grown — the last fruits, the seeds, the reserves for the colder months.
The Spleen does exactly this inside us: it collects nourishment and holds it in reserve for winter. The equinox can be an invitation to do the same on a human level, gathering ourselves before the season turns us inward.
How to Support the Transition
Nourish with warm, simple foods
Naturally sweet foods such as pumpkin, carrots, sweet potato, millet, oats and legumes have a soft, nourishing quality that supports the Spleen. Pear, lightly cooked, is traditionally used in Chinese dietary practice to moisten the Lung in the dryness of autumn. In TCM, an excess of very cold or raw foods is said to strain the "digestive fire", so it can help to balance them with soups, warm grains and cooked vegetables.
Breathe on purpose
Metal is the breath. Once a day, pause for three slow breaths, letting each exhale be a little longer than the inhale. There is no technique to get right: simply a moment of presence.
Two questions for the evening
Take a few minutes at the end of the day and ask yourself:
What have I gathered that truly nourishes me?
What am I ready to let go of?
The first question belongs to Earth, the second to Metal. Together, they hold the whole passage.
Self-Shiatsu for the Equinox: SP3 and LU9
This short practice takes five minutes and pairs the Earth point of the Spleen with the Earth point of the Lung — the mother and the child. Pressure should always feel comfortable, never painful.
SP3 — Taibai
SP3 is on the inner side of the foot, just behind the joint of the big toe, where the skin of the sole meets the skin of the top of the foot. It is the Earth point of the Spleen meridian, traditionally associated with supporting the centre, stability and the transformation of nourishment.
Apply gentle, steady pressure with the thumb for one to two minutes while breathing slowly, then repeat on the other foot.
LU9 — Taiyuan
LU9 is on the palm side of the wrist, in the crease, on the thumb side, in the small hollow just beside the pulse. It is the Earth point of the Lung meridian, traditionally associated with nourishing the Lung and the breath — the place where the mother feeds the child.
Rest the thumb of the opposite hand on the point and apply light, steady pressure for about a minute, breathing slowly. Avoid pressing hard on the pulse. Repeat on the
other wrist.
How Zen Shiatsu Supports Seasonal Transitions
Shiatsu is a Japanese hands-on practice, given through clothing, using pressure, contact, gentle mobilisations and stretches along the body's meridians. It does not force the body: it listens to it. In moments of change, whether seasonal, physical or emotional, it can offer a space to slow down and reconnect, and supports the body's natural self-regulating capacities.
A Gentle Invitation
If you would like to experience Masunaga Zen Shiatsu in Basingstoke as the season changes, you are welcome to book a session. And if you enjoy seasonal notes, self-shiatsu practices and recipes, you can join the monthly newsletter.
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