Change is certainly in the air. You can feel it with summer’s hot, breezy breath turning into a cool and crisp wind. Fallen leaves are kicked up into the air once more as they perform their spiral dance, reminding us that the cycle of life is forever in motion. The sun’s golden light slips from us earlier each day, casting long fingerlike shadows that point us in the direction towards inward reflection. Warm clothing and cozy blankets wrap our thoughts and bodies as we taste the comforting treats of everything apple and pumpkin. Autumn is here and we have passed through its gate. For those who seek the mysteries and meanings within the seasons, we know that there is much more to autumn than what our social circles and societal norms have to tell us. Now is the time for us to reap what we have sown, to release what is dead or dying on the vines, and to gather what we can to help sustain us for the long, cold winter that awaits us in the months ahead. So, as you come in from working in your own fields, what will you bring home?
When we tune into the shifting energies around us, sometimes it can be quite overwhelming, especially when we tune into everything that is happening in the world all at once. Whether it is the fight for our rights, the war in Ukraine, political unrest, climate change, or another important social issue, we can feel small, helpless, and insignificant. We can even feel powerless in our own pursuits to create the change we want to see in the world. While I believe that we do have the power to create change in the outside world, it does take time, effort, understanding, patience, and persistence. However, there are other aspects that we cannot neglect. In order to be the change, we must first look at ourselves. We must do our own personal inner work and not run away from what is calling out from our own shadows. It is important and necessary to reflect on our own lives and what we need to do in order to grow, heal, and transform ourselves. If we constantly ignore our needs, we cannot fully be present for ourselves or others. If we do not tend to our gardens in the summertime, there will not be enough food to sustain us through the winter. Therefore, there is much work to be done and the energy we need to help us is here.
It is easy for us to forget about ourselves. We all have busy lives and free time seems to slip away like water through our fingers. However, if we continue to expend our energy and ignore our own needs and desires, we can feel lost, angry or frustrated. This can happen when we are overworked. It can also happen when we spend too much time looking outward, worrying about the world around us and even places beyond our control and not enough time looking within and taking care of ourselves. In the time of the autumnal equinox, we are reminded to seek balance. We are encouraged to stand in a place where we can see what is going on without the clouded vision from shadows and judgements and even too much light that obscures the hidden aspects of our lives. The equinox brings equal day and night, equal darkness and light. It is the balance point before we slide deeper into dark half of the year where we are forced inside with our thoughts and reflections. Now is the time to begin that process in a way that will help us understand where we are in this moment, where we have been, and where we would like to go.
During this time of balanced darkness and light, I am asking you to pause and look at what is going on within your own inner landscapes. How have you lived and grown this year? What were some of the experiences that created changes within yourself? Are you bringing in too much of the noise and pain of the outside world and neglecting or ignoring what is going on in your direct circle? What is working for you? What isn’t? What would you like to change and transform? This is our harvest, our inner harvest. As you walk with the seasonal tide of autumn, take a moment to look around and feel the beauty within and around you. Nature is slowing down as lush green transforms to gold, red, orange, and brown. There is wisdom to be found within the apple. There is comfort and healing to be received through warm cider and tea. There is protection being offered by the jack-o-lantern’s warm glow. Feel the tides. Feel the season. Grant yourself the opportunity to receive the full bounty of what you will harvest. Allow what no longer serves or resonates with you to be cut down. Reflect upon what may have died upon the vine and what wisdom it may bring. Remember to look for the seed pods that can also be harvested in order to begin again in the spring. This is the balance point of light and dark, observed and obscured. By the light of the sun, by the light of the moon, the answers you seek are within and around you. They are all there as you come in from the fields. May you reflect upon what your harvest reveals.
Be well and may your harvest be bountiful.
Renee Bedard ~ The Whispering Crow
The Whispering Crow 