“Outer to inner, Autumn is here”

The wheel of the year is turning again, as we move from summer into autumn.

Transitions (whether seasonal or life transitions) aren’t always smooth, but I find connecting to and honouring the changing seasons through the wheel of the year (alongside the moon cycle and my own personal menstrual cycle) to be deeply grounding.

Autumn Equinox is occurring on Friday March 20^th here in the Southern Hemisphere. This is a time when light and dark come into balance. Where we are starting to come more inwards and restful, after the more outward expansive, blossoming and ripening energies of spring and summer.

I have been feeling the crispness in the air in the morning, which on some days is balanced by warm sunny mornings, and others we are greeted with much needed rain to nourish our parched earth.

In this time of transition we are moving away from all the activities of summer – the bbq’s, events, weekends away camping, swimming… and shifting into a time of replenishment and restoration.

Autumn is a time of gathering in, and slowing down.

I have definitely been feeling this personally. Over summer I have been dealing with the big transitional energy of buying a house, preparing our house for sale, selling it, and then moving; while also keeping up the weekends away camping, festivals and summer days at the beach which are highlights of summer for me. I am also nearing the end of my pregnancy, and feeling like shifting gears into nesting mode. I am feeling like slowing down, spending more time with books and cups of tea, and writing. So I am naturally reducing down the number of social events I want to attend, and spending more time in these quieter activities. Focussing on also looking after my body to strengthen and preserve its energy for the birth and post-partum, and preparing our home for the arrival of baby #2.

On a community level, we are also being asked to slow down further due to the impact of COVID-19, as large gatherings are stopped, and social distancing is encouraged.

Autumn brings reflection and thanksgiving

Autumn Equinox is an opportunity to give thanksgiving for the harvest over summer – both for nature’s abundance and for what seeds were planted and harvested in your life. This time of reflection can also bring forward what new seeds may need to be planted for the next cycle.

My seeds of desiring to become pregnant, move to a house by the sea, and launch my website were all harvested in the last few months. However it has been so easy for me to focus on all the things that I still haven’t done. It it is beautiful to be able to reflect on how the big things I envisioned and seeded into the world, have actually come through; and give thanksgiving for all that I do have.

In this massive time of upheaval and transition in the world, what can you come back to in gratitude and thanksgiving for?

Some ideas to celebrate Autumn Equinox at home:

• Create a small altar with seasonal food e.g. the last of your summer harvest, and sit with family to talk about the changing season and what has been harvested in your lives
• Sit in a circle with friends and family and go around the circle, each saying ‘Outer to inner, Autumn is here’ and speaking to what you are grateful for
• Clear out your living space, remove what is no longer needed, and clean everything to come into this new phase with clarity
• Grab a journal and reflect on what has been harvested in your life over the summer (or over the past year), and what you may want to seed and nurture over the autumn and winter as you move more inwards

I would love to hear how you are in this time of transition both seasonally and in the world.

What are you thankful for? Are you feeling this pull to come more inward after the outward energy of summer? How can I support you during this time?

I would love to hear in the comments!