Changing Seasons

RHYTHM OF THE WHEEL

The nights are longer than the days now. The tree' bare branches rattle in the chill Autumn wind, their leaves turning brittle, then fluttering to the ground. As the wind picks up, they spiral and swirl. Fog creeps in, cloaking the Earth in a mysterious, spooky softness. The colors of Summer have faded, but as one season ends, another begins, and in the transition, magic shimmers in the air.

We've spoken before about the liminal times, the slippery in-betweens that defy definition. Things are in the process of actively changing. Boundaries shift, meanings slide.

Halfway between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice is a special holiday called Samhain (pronounced Sah-wen)-an Irish word meaning "Summer's end." Samhain was the new year to the ancient Celts: a time when the spirits of the past existed among the present.

This is the final harvest, before we enter the darkness of the Winter

season. Gardens are put to bed for the year, and the world prepares for sleep.

from The Wheel of the Year: An Illustrated Guide to Nature's Rhythms by Fiona Cook and Jessica Roux

The Celtic rhythm of nature connects deeply with my circadian rhythm of living. I discovered this while living as a child in Cornwall, England, one of the six traditional Celtic nations. I have found great solace as an adult at the recognition of this truth and am guided by the Celtic observation of the seasons and honoring the thin veil that exists between this world and the "otherworld." In this season of Samhain (pronounced Saw-wen) , the Celts celebrate the spirits of the dead, embracing the power of darkness and respecting the dead and even imagining a visit from them. This tradition is obviously what led to our Halloween tradition.

And so in this season of Letting Go as leaves fall and flowers die and birds fly south, where can we embrace letting go and remember those whom we have let go? What do we need to put to bed for the year? What season of our lives is ending? What season must we prepare for? Most especially Celtic is the notion that we and the universe are so deeply connected that we can receive guidance and insight from the universe.

So be off with you, out into the woods or the fields or under the trees and seek advice from Creation as you change seasons...What exactly do you long to know from this wisdom that is so great?

Today can you discover positive qualities in yourself that you have not noticed yet? Allow yourself five minutes to quietly “hang-out” with yourself. See if something new about yourself comes to mind.