By Ryan Trinh (HOI Head of Practical Magic)

WHEN YOU NEED A LITTLE DIRECTION

(Four coins. Four planetary forces. One ritual for finding your next move, do this ritual anytime during the season)

The Autumn Equinox is a threshold: equal light and darkness, the harvest of what we've grown, and a moment to decide what comes forward with us.

That makes it a powerful time to seek counsel—which simply means guidance—when you can't see your next move clearly.

This ritual turns to four planetary energies for four different ways of looking at the same problem: your emotions, your thinking, the bigger picture, and what may need more time. You won't be asking the coins to make the decision for you. You'll use them to reveal where your attention may need to go next.

THE EQUINOX COUNCIL RITUAL

As the Equinox invites us to harvest and reflect, not every answer arrives easily. If you’re wrestling with a situation or question and aren’t sure how to move forward, try this ritual to seek a little counsel and direction.

You’ll need: 1 penny, 1 nickel, 1 dime, 1 quarter, a Sharpie, pen and paper, a small pouch, and an Autumn Equinox Candle. Incense is optional, but can help create a reflective atmosphere.

Mark each coin with its planetary symbol:
🌙 Nickel — Moon: feelings, instincts, emotional needs
☿ Dime — Mercury: thought, learning, communication
♃ Quarter — Jupiter: perspective, possibility, growth
♄ Penny — Saturn: patience, structure, endurance

Place your Autumn Equinox Candle on your altar and light it. Arrange the four coins in front of the candle, then write down the question or situation you are struggling with. Be specific enough that you know what you are asking, but leave room for the answer to surprise you.

Fold the paper into a small packet and hold it in your dominant hand. With the other, pick up each coin one at a time and sit with its question:
🌙 Moon: What emotions are shaping this situation? What am I truly feeling?
☿ Mercury: What needs to be learned, discovered, admitted, or spoken?
♃ Jupiter: What larger perspective am I missing? What possibilities have I not considered?
♄ Saturn: What needs more time, structure, patience, or strengthening?

Pause with each coin and notice what comes to mind. Write down anything that feels important.

When you are finished, place the coins and folded question into the pouch and gently shake them together. Close your eyes and draw one coin.

Let that planet become your direction:
🌙 Moon — Reflect: Give yourself space to rest, regulate, and understand your emotions before acting.
☿ Mercury — Clarify: Ask questions, have the conversation, research, or gather the information you still need.
♃ Jupiter — Expand: Step back from the immediate problem and look for the larger picture, broader possibility, or deeper meaning.
♄ Saturn — Strengthen: Simplify, create a plan, reinforce what feels unstable, or allow more time before making your next move.

Choose one practical action that follows the counsel you received and commit to it before the season moves forward.

THEN, DO SOMETHING WITH THE ANSWER.

That's the heart of this ritual.

The coin isn't making your decision. Think of it as giving one voice at the table the floor. Moon asks you to listen to your feelings. Mercury asks what you still need to know. Jupiter pulls you back far enough to see possibility. Saturn asks whether the wisest magic right now is patience and preparation.

Whichever you draw, take one real action in that direction.

Because the Equinox isn't only a time to take stock of what you've grown. It's a threshold between what has been-and what you're ready to grow next.