I know many of us feel like Summer never really came, but the Autumnal essence is in the air already. The change is upon us and I can sense the subtle differences.
I've always loved Autumn, especially September when we often get a second wisp of Summer. But any change in season or cycle gives us the chance to reflect and then look ahead.
It has been quite a year so far and I have been more still, quiet and reflective these last weeks. Its a sign of a shift.
I know physically we start to think of colder and darker days, of getting cosied up by a fire, bronzed leaves from the trees scattered under our feet and all the other things we enjoy in Autumn.
But it’s a time of transformation and change. At the end of September we see the Autumn equinox when all is in balance again. Day and night, light and dark. Because of this it's a perfect time to reflect on past, present and future. Our inner worlds and outer reality.
In comparison to the beginning of Spring where we look to outward growth, in the Autumn its a time to look at the inner transformations that are to come in the Winter months.
Everything in nature reflects what is inside of us. Autumn and Winter force us to slow and go within, to become introspective. Are we heading in the right direction? Is the path that we set out on at the beginning of the year still serving our purpose? What needs to be let go of and what do we want to keep?
It's also a time to ground and find our centre, the Summer months are fuelled by fiery Sun energy and we can feel scattered and unable to focus. In the Autumn and Winter, as with nature, our energy is in shorter supply and we only have enough for what really speaks and calls to us.
“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.” - Anonymous
This quote really sums up the energy of this season. As the trees give up their leaves, we start to give up the habits, practices, and even relationships that no longer serve us. We have been in a period of change and growth all year and so our needs and expectations for the future will have changed too. The trees cannot hold dead leaves in the Winter and so we can't hold on to outdated parts of our lives either.
The Autumn is also a time of harvest. The Autumn equinox is also known as the second harvest, and so there is still opportunity to feel abundant and grateful for all we have been through and achieved.
What are you harvesting? What do you have in abundance and where do you need to grow? Reflecting on this allows us to be prepared for what is to come, to ensure you thrive during the Winter months.
Often our health is at the top of our list in the Autumn. What habits have you got in to that don't serve you? Where could you incorporate new nourishing practices? Does your body, mind and Soul need support during the Autumn and Winter? What does that look like for you?
I have always loved the shifts in the seasons and made it part of my life, but especially Autumn.
This year I can look back with a smile. The decisions I have made have not always been easy, but I have learned and grown so much by making them.
Looking after my body has become so much more important as I head rapidly towards the ending of my forties. My Autumnal years!
Learning to savour the small moments. Cacao or a cuppa by candlelight while the rain hammers down, slow walks by the sea, cold loch dips and sharing special and often very sacred moments with people who have become very special to me. These are the important things that feed my Soul and so nourish my outer world.
Take some time in the next few weeks to reflect. To celebrate and to slow down and look at what you need to hold on to and what is ready to leave.