History of Medicine

Welcome to Fall! Today, the autumn equinox marks the beginning of fall, my favorite season of all! “Equinox” of course means equal night in Latin and marks the day when the sun shines directly on the equator and both poles are equidistant from the sun, making day and night of equal length. It is also a point of balance between changing seasons, and between feminine and masculine energies. Position of earth relative to sun  It held special significance in ancient times as many societies celebrated it as a festival of harvest. In Greek mythology, the fall equinox marks the return of the goddess Persephone to the underworld to reunite with her husband Hades, king of the underworld (who incidentally abducted her after falling in love with her). Although she was rescued by her father, Zeus, she chooses to go back to Hades for six months every year during autumn and winter. Her mother, Demeter, who is the Goddess of agriculture and fertility, mourns her loss by making the earth infertile dur