The only constant is change.
~Heraclitus
Autumn is upon us—the first day of fall fell on September 23, 2023—the same day as the autumn equinox—in the Northern Hemisphere. Ancient cultures recognized the wisdom that comes from the earth’s cycles and celebrated the changing of the seasons when the equinoxes or solstices occurred. The Latin equinox refers to when daylight and night are roughly equal in duration, meaning similar night. And solstices when the day or night is the longest of the year.
Many cultures attributed powerful meanings to the seasonal cycles and transitional pivot points.
Within Chinese tradition, the immense number of leaves represent all of the beings in the universe, collectively alluding to the people. Within Pagan rituals, they expressed gratitude for the bountiful harvest and acknowledged sharing abundance in the coming winter months. Finally, Buddhists traditionally believe equinoxes are days when the border between the worlds of the living and the dead is at its thinnest, making them essential days to honor ancestors and remember those who passed.
These symbolic connections are potent reminders that Mother Earth has a powerful influence on our lives. Tuning our awareness of the cycles of nature comes with understanding our processes. It is here we consciously deepen our recognition of our place within our planet’s energy.
Autumn is one of my favorite seasons, bringing the cooling of the weather, the harvest of the summer work, and the preparation of the winter hibernation. It is a time to embrace the passages between the long summer nights and the shortening days.
It is a time of purposeful activity.
Finding Balance: The shift between shorter days and longer nights can leave us feeling off-kilter. Eating cooked seasonal foods will aid our bodies in adjusting to the change in weather and comfort our emotions. Go outside, even on cloudy or rainy days. The daylight helps to align our circadian rhythms, supporting us in the transition.
Embrace Change: The falling of leaves symbolizes a shift. It is shedding the old – of what is spent and no longer needed, making room for the new growth of spring. As with the trees, it is a time for us to release those ideas and beliefs that have kept us rooted in past ways. For change to happen, we must make room. Letting go is not about having less; it allows us to have more. Slowing down and becoming less active provides space for grander visions to emerge.
Preservation and Protection: Watching the ways and habits of animals guide us to nature’s ways. During this time, animals prepare for the winter by storing food and making their nests, burrows, and dens. It is a time for us to wrap up in warmer clothing and eat hearty foods while preparing our bodies for the winter months of more profound quiet.
Purposeful Activities: While canning and preserving our food or chopping our stash of winter firewood to prepare for the winter is not within the scope of many modern lives, other purposeful activities can include reading the books we have put off all year, becoming active in a sport, now that the weather has cooled down or enroll in an online course on a subject we always yearned to learn. It is also about completion. Finish your projects before the calendar clicks to the following year.
Reflection and Creation: This is a time to practice gratitude. What learnings have you harvested over the year? Acknowledge your abundance and how you can share it. Write down all that you are thankful for and where you have been and can be more generous. What you write will create the reality in which you live.
Autumn is the ultimate let-go. As the planet shifts, so do we. Progressing toward the end of the year is time to release all that is no longer needed. The stresses we have no control over and the egos that tell us we do—behaviors that no longer bring us health, comfort, or joy. Be kind to yourself and others, discarding judgment while maneuvering through this seasonal change.
Mother Earth will guide us through the transitions if we are quiet enough to hear her speak and have trust that we can understand her teachings.
“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”
~
