Greetings, Sunny Optimists,
Last Wednesday was the Autumn Equinox here in the Northern Hemisphere when day and night are of equal length. The Equinox heralds a time of turning that carries subtle signals of changes to come. Light and temperature shift, birds congregate as they get ready to migrate, and the leaves on the trees begin to change colour. There is a sense of anticipation in the air. We intuitively start preparing for what the poet John Keats called the 'season of mists and mellow fruitfulness'.
I love the image below, which captures the Celtic Wheel of the Year. It details the eight ancient celebrations held throughout the year here in Scotland. As you can see there, the Autumn Equinox signals the move from the 'growing' time of summer to 'harvesting' the bounty that will sustain us as we move to the winter.
My spirits lift as I contemplate the image above, and I can feel my optimism rising. There is a predictability to the seasons that is so reassuring. In the midst of all the uncertainty around us, Mother Earth knows what she is doing. She is not deflected or distracted by what is happening. She just rises above and settles into her natural rhythms and flow. I appreciate how this encourages us to rise above our concerns and relax into the natural flow of our lives.
Honouring this Time of Turning
I thought I would share the September guided visualisation from the Dorothea Breitzer-Kings book Meditation Through the Year. It is called Autumn Equinox: Time of Abundance. I love the beauty and simplicity of Dorothea'sDorothea's words. She invites us to connect with nature's beauty and to look at the bounty surrounding us. She also reminds us of the benevolence of Mother Earth that she gives without expecting anything in return. There is great love for us in the natural world if we stop, rest, and renew our innate connection with her.
Please click here or on the photo above to listen. I thank my voice coach and buddy Tim Uffindell for the music accompanying this guided visualisation.
Exploration for this Week.
I invite you to listen to the recording and then spend time out in nature if you can. Perhaps take the questions below with you and see what guidance appears to sustain your optimism. Enjoy!
In what ways can you honour this time of turning in your life?
What joy can you harvest from a place of abundance?
Where can you go to refresh your reconnection with the natural world?
As always, I would love to hear from you.
Ann
I was a little disoriented going counterclockwise on the wheel! Thank you for this lovely contemplation. The fall colors are coming SO fast now on the farm. Every day, the trees shift colors. Amazing.
Dear Ann, how beautiful it is that we have the clock of the seasons, telling us the time of year, anchoring us of the cycles of life that have been present through so many generations...so dependably constant. Such an elegant way to help us mark time. Thank you for helping us focus this way...helps me step toward life and away from artificially generated timetables. It’s easy to live in a busy pattern with “creature comforts” where I stop time, ignore day and night, and control heat and cold, dark and light to the point that I lose the rhythm of our Mother Earth.
You give us so much, indeed. This is wonderful! Thank you, thank you for grounding us! Sending so much love and gratitude, 🙏🏼♥️
Dirje