SOLAR TERMS · STOP 2 OF 24 · 6 MIN READ

Autumn Equinox: When Yin and Yang Split Even — Seasonal Care & a Rhinitis Checklist

Enters around September 23, when the sun reaches celestial longitude 180°. Second stop of our 24 solar terms series.

Autumn Equinox at a glance

Enters around September 23 each year, at celestial longitude 180°.
The name: on this day the sun sits almost directly over the equator, so day and night are equal in length. "Fēn means half — this is the halfway point of autumn's ninety days, hence the name." The Equinox splits both the ninety days of autumn and the day's light from its dark.
Three pentads (三候, sān hòu): the thunder falls silent, the insects seal their doors, and rivers and lakes begin to dry up. Thunder quiets, bugs wall themselves in, rivers and lakes grow shallow — heaven and earth are all drawing in and hushing, getting ready for winter.

White Dew was the "first wide day–night gap"; the Autumn Equinox is the day the balance breaks. From here, days grow shorter than nights, yin qi climbs day by day, and yang qi draws inward bit by bit. If you have rhinitis, White Dew was about the cold; the Equinox is about the dryness — the dry-cold one-two punch your nasal membrane dreads most starts at this stop.

The season's three rules: balance, moisten, gather in

1. At the Equinox, keep things "even" (平). Your body should aim for balance too. Last stop we stressed "cover up"; this stop we bring "moisten" to the front. Don't rush to fatten up for winter or over-supplement; keep food and routine steady. The emotions follow the same rule — autumn easily turns melancholy, and the ancients said "keep the will calm and settled" (使志安宁, shǐ zhì ān níng). Less fussing, less inward draining; only then can the spirit be gathered in.

2. Moisten dryness — this time cool-dryness (凉燥, liáng zào) is the headliner. White Dew sat in the belt where warm-dry turns to cool-dry; the Equinox has settled squarely into cool-dry: dry mouth, dry nose, dry skin, cracked lips are the main complaints. The moistening direction stays the same, but with more chill after the Equinox, cold-moistening tricks like raw pear juice or honeysuckle still injure the lung qi for cold-pattern types. The formula is the same: moisten, and always warmly. Stewed pear with rock sugar, lily-bulb and lotus-seed soup, honey in warm water — eat them warm. Only lingering warm-dryness (scratchy throat, a little yellow phlegm) calls for a touch of cool-moistening; don't flip it.

3. Sleep early; gather the spirit in. After the Equinox days are short and nights long, so let your schedule follow the sun: earlier to bed than in summer, up at first light, no late nights that deplete yang. The warm-foot-soak before sleep stays — a light sweat, then stop. From this stop you can "freeze" a little outdoors (spring bundle, autumn freeze), but rhinitis friends still guard the nape and ankles — freeze the limbs, not the doors.

The rhinitis self-care checklist (the main course)

① Put up a "moisture barrier" for the nose. After the Equinox the air is dry and so is the wind; the nasal membrane cracks, itches, and bleeds most easily. A saline spray morning and night (room temperature is fine, no need to heat it); a humidifier indoors, kept at 40%–60%; a cup more water than in summer, and don't wait until you're thirsty.

② Guard the double door: temperature gap AND dryness. White Dew taught the morning buffer, the scarf, the 35–37°C rinse — keep all of it at the Equinox. The difference is the Equinox adds "dry": if it's windy out, a thin mask beats the scarf — it blocks the wind and holds the moisture in.

③ Moisten with food, but don't aggravate dryness Pears, lily bulb, tremella, sesame, honey are all in-season helpers. The dispersing-and-drying stuff — hot spice, deep-fry, barbecue, hard liquor — gets clearly dialed back from the Equinox. Cold-pattern types (clear-water mucus) still hold "moisten, always warmly"; raw pear juice and mung-bean soup are cold-moistening that injures the lung, so a taste at most.

④ The daily acupoint set: nourish the lung AND clear the nose. Yingxiang (迎香, LI 20) and Yintang (印堂) one to two minutes daily to open the nose. Since cool-dryness at the Equinox injures the lung, add Taiyuan (太渊, LU 9) at the radial wrist crease to nourish lung yin. Spleen-damp types (heavy mucus, post-nasal drip, scalloped tongue) still pair it with Zusanli (足三里, ST 36).

⑤ Two observation posts. First: frequent dry bleeding or blood-crusted nose — mostly dryness injuring the nasal vessels. First load up on moisture and indoor humidity, and if it won't settle, come in to rule things out. Second: clear mucus actually worsening, blockage worse at dawn — that's cool-dryness mixed with cold, so tilt care toward "warm," not straight moistening. Unsure? come in.

⑥ Freeze with measure; don't freeze the doors. "Spring bundle, autumn freeze" suits healthy people training cold-tolerance; rhinitis friends only freeze the limbs, never the nape and ankles. Scarf through Cold Dew, socks tight at the ankles — the door-rule set at White Dew stays through the Equinox.

⑦ Enjoy the customs. Eating autumn greens (wild amaranth), egg-standing, and moon-offering are old Equinox customs. The greens are cooling-moist, the egg-standing settles the mind — both fine. The moon-offering takes its meaning of calm, exactly matching "keep the will settled." Dabble freely; the wine still stays put.

Closing

White Dew taught us to gather; the Equinox teaches us to balance: hold the spirit steady when yin and yang stand even, and keep the nose moist when dryness takes the stage. Next stop, Cold Dew, with heavier chill — we'll keep the watch.

Disclaimer: This article explains Traditional Chinese Medicine concepts for education only. It is not a medical diagnosis or treatment plan, and it does not replace professional care. For persistent or severe symptoms, consult a licensed healthcare provider. — Meng, longtime rhinitis sufferer and TCM practitioner. See you next solar term.