Autumn's progress

Even though I cling on to any shred of Summer for as long as I possibly can, the day comes when warmer clothes are needed, hot drinks are more appealing than cold and there's that slightly woody scent in the air that signifies the change in season.  The recent equinox heradling the official start of Autumn, followed by the powerful Harvest Moon means there's no denying the advance of this 'season of the mind' described in Jane Alexander's  excellent book 'The Natural Year' as a 'wake-up to the psyche after the langour of Summer'.  Jane explains how the key focus is on finding your path in life through assessing your career; making changes where necessary, trusting your intuition; fine-tuning your environment; becoming organised and managing stress.  

In the pagan tradition the Autumn equinox is seen as a festival of purification and September is a month of 'letting go'.  I think it's also fascinating that to the Chinese Autumn is a time for storing what's necessary and getting rid of what's no longer needed.  A time of clarity, relinquishing things both physical and emotional which no longer have a place in your life.  An inspiring concept the reality of which has far reaching impact, creating a sense of balance and being centred.

In letting go my sadness of Summer's end I shall embrace substituting outdoor swimming for walking and embark on a pleasurable time of nurturing, nesting, being aware there is always a choice - perhaps not in the outcome of a situation, but certainly in how we deal with it.  Whilst the colours of the leaves begin to change, I will be mindfully space clearing, completing a much overdue sort out of my wardrobes, gardening, preparing my home for the colder weather ahead and focusing on a fresh direction with work.  All within the framework of love, friendship, family and home that to me provides the best foundation for a truly fulfilling life. Relevant to any belief system I think Harvest Festival is a wonderful time to give thanks and enjoy the tradition of appreciating the fruits of the land.  This connectedness provides a rhythm to our year that irrespective of how quickly life may seem to be flying by, gives a sense of inner calm and grounding.

Time and Tide Wait for No Man...

As Summer turns and September begins to advance toward Autumn I'm always aware of the shift in season and sense of change that brings.  A time to consider how the rhythm of life goes on and nothing stays the same.  Locally to where I live is the charming and historic village of Bosham, situated on a peninsula between two tidal creeks, near Chichester in West Sussex.  Dating back to Saxon times this is the location where King Canute ordered the tide not to come in, as a lesson in mortality to his courtiers to prove he was 'just a king' and did not have special powers.  Irrespective of how we may try and control events in our own lives at some point it's necessary to acknowledge the need to 'go with the flow'.

I find it fascinating how Bosham has been a settlement for over a thousand years and with that the perpetual cycle of life through the ages.  A busy port at the time of the Crusades in the 12th Century it was traditional for Crusaders returning home from Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire to blunt the edges of their swords on the stones of the first church they came to.  Consequently to this day these marks of the cross can still be seen in the stone arch entrance to Bosham church.  Such a tangible connection with lives past across the centuries and realisation that we are each on this earth for a limited time.  Best then to make the most of every day and be aware of what's important. 

This poem called Late Fragment by Raymond Carver, who died at the age of 50, certainly makes you stop and reflect:

And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.