Spiritual Meaning of September
September — named for seven, the harvest month, the month of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in the Jewish calendar — is the month of the soul's accounting, the harvest of what was planted, and the great turning from abundance toward the increasing dark.
The Harvest Month
September (from Latin septem — "seven" — the original seventh month; the sixth and seventh month in the Jewish sacred calendar, straddling the transition from Elul to Tishrei; the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere; the September equinox — around September 22-23 — the moment of equal day and night, the balance point from which the darkness increases). The harvest harvest: in the ancient agricultural world, September was the critical month of gathering — the grape harvest, the olive harvest, the gathering of the year's abundance into storehouses before the cold. The quality of September: the fullness that is beginning to be gathered, the abundance at the moment of collection.
The High Holy Days
September is the month of the Jewish High Holy Days: Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year — the first day of Tishrei, usually in September) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement — the tenth day of Tishrei, ten days after Rosh Hashanah). The ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the "Days of Awe" (Yamim Noraim) — the period of intense soul examination, teshuvah (repentance/return), and repair of broken relationships. The shofar (ram's horn) blown on Rosh Hashanah: the ancient alarm clock of the soul, the acoustic interruption of the ordinary, the call to wake up and examine the life. The spiritual quality of September: the harvest of the year combines with the reckoning of the soul — what has the year produced? What needs to be repaired before the gates close on Yom Kippur?
Key spiritual meanings of September
- Septem
- the seventh: carrying the original calendar number, September the seventh month before the Roman calendar's expansion
- The autumn equinox
- equal day and night, the balance point — the last moment of equilibrium before the darkness increases
- The grape and olive harvest
- September as the critical gathering month, the year's abundance collected before the cold
- Rosh Hashanah
- the new year: the shofar blown, the year turned, the book of life opened for the new accounting
- The Days of Awe
- ten days of intense soul examination between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
- Teshuvah
- return: the September invitation to turn back, repair what is broken, return to the path before the gate closes
- Yom Kippur
- the Day of Atonement: the fast, the confession, the divine covering of what was examined and released
- Spiritual meaning
- harvest what the year has produced, examine the soul while there is still time, repair the broken before the gates close
Frequently asked questions
What does September mean spiritually?
September — named for seven, the harvest month, the month of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in the Jewish calendar — is the month of the soul's accounting, the harvest of what was planted, and the great turning from abundance toward the increasing dark.
The Harvest Month
September (from Latin septem — "seven" — the original seventh month; the sixth and seventh month in the Jewish sacred calendar, straddling the transition from Elul to Tishrei; the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere; the September equinox — around September 22-23 — the moment of equal day and night, the balance point from which the darkness increases). The harvest harvest: in the ancient agricultural world, September was the critical month of gathering — the grape harvest, the olive…
The High Holy Days
September is the month of the Jewish High Holy Days: Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year — the first day of Tishrei, usually in September) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement — the tenth day of Tishrei, ten days after Rosh Hashanah). The ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the "Days of Awe" (Yamim Noraim) — the period of intense soul examination, teshuvah (repentance/return), and repair of broken relationships. The shofar (ram's horn) blown on Rosh Hashanah: the ancient alarm…
What are the 8 spiritual meanings of September?
1. Septem — the seventh: carrying the original calendar number, September the seventh month before the Roman calendar's expansion 2. The autumn equinox: equal day and night, the balance point — the last moment of equilibrium before the darkness increases 3. The grape and olive harvest: September as the critical gathering month, the year's abundance collected before the cold 4. Rosh Hashanah — the new year: the shofar blown, the year turned, the book of life opened for the new accounting 5. The Days of Awe: ten days of intense soul examination between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur 6. Teshuvah — return: the September invitation to turn back, repair what is broken, return to the path before the gate closes 7. Yom Kippur — the Day of Atonement: the fast, the confession, the divine covering of what was examined and released 8. Spiritual meaning: harvest what the year has produced, examine the soul while there is still time, repair the broken before the gates close