Trance and the Other Shore

The equinox arrives as a pause in the rhythm of the earth, when day and night hold each other in equal measure. In Japan, this time is called Higan, a word that means “the other shore.” It points to crossing from the world of attachment and suffering to the shore of awakening and peace. The equinox becomes a living metaphor for that passage: a reminder that we are always standing between opposites, always asked to hold gratitude in one hand and release in the other.

In hypnotherapy, there is a similar threshold. We invite the mind into a softened state, somewhere between waking and dreaming, where the inner and outer worlds overlap. Here, images and memories rise like tides, and here, healing begins. Higan, too, is a threshold. The earth itself leads us into a trance of balance. The length of the day and the depth of the night mirror each other, and for a brief moment we can rest in the middle, suspended between both.

To enter the equinox in this way is to enter a state of awareness where the opposites do not compete but coexist. Yin and yang, light and shadow, joy and sorrow — they are not enemies but partners in the dance of life. We see this in the turning of the seasons. Spring equinox promises growth yet carries the memory of winter. Autumn equinox glows with harvest yet points toward decay. Each moment of balance is also a moment of transition. To meet the equinox consciously is to acknowledge change, to make peace with both sides.

From the perspective of ancestral healing, this time is not only about balance in nature but also balance within our lineage. We carry within us the lives of those who came before. Their strengths and struggles, their love and their wounds, are woven into our being. Some of what we inherit sustains us, and some of it weighs us down. At the equinox, we are invited to hold both: to honor what was given, and to release what does not belong to us.

Imagine standing at twilight on the day of equinox. The horizon glows faintly, neither day nor night. Behind you, the presence of your ancestors gathers. You may not see them clearly, but you can feel them — the warmth of their hands, the rhythm of their breath, the persistence of their stories. You turn to them with gratitude: Thank you for your lives. Thank you for carrying me here. Their joys ripple through you as light, their hardships as shadow. You realize you are the meeting place where their opposites come into balance.

In that same moment, you sense what you no longer need to carry. Some burdens are not yours to hold. Some sorrows have already completed their journey. Like autumn leaves falling into water, you can let them drift away. The equinox teaches this truth: letting go is not rejection, but release into the cycle. The night receives what the day cannot hold. The river carries what the shore releases. In this letting go, you make space for balance.

Hypnotherapy often speaks of reframing, of taking an old story and giving it new meaning. Higan offers a similar reframe for ancestry. Instead of inheriting only wounds, you can also inherit resilience. Instead of carrying only shadows, you can honor the light that endures. Each ancestor, whether known or unknown, offers you something. Some offer courage, some offer patience, some offer lessons in what not to repeat. At the equinox, you acknowledge them all, bowing to both gifts and burdens, and stepping forward with gratitude.

This balance is not an end point. The equinox itself is fleeting; soon the scales tip again, toward the dominance of light or dark. Balance is not permanence, but rhythm. To honor it is to remember that you, too, are part of this rhythm. There will be times when gratitude swells, and times when grief takes its place. Times when you hold tightly, and times when you must release. The equinox whispers that both are necessary, both are sacred.

As the twilight deepens into night, you stand between shores. You belong to the past through your ancestors, and you belong to the future through those who will come after you. You are held in both directions, and you are free in this moment of balance. With gratitude in your heart and release in your hands, you take a breath and step forward, carrying the equinox within you.