Late Summer - More Changes

    Now we begin to transition into Late Summer. It’s always hard to pinpoint the exact time, for many claim it is the end of August, but still even as August onsets there is a different feeling to the season, to the Summer, not the full blazing glory of Spring and Midsummer - but a more tranquil time it seems.

   And so of course, we must shift with the seasons, which can be stressful to some degree, and so we must try to maintain healthy balances, and prepare for the Autumn and the Winter to come. It is a time to start reflecting on what has recently been, and ponder where we are going next.

   Harvesting of all kinds of produce begins, although I have to say with the heavy rains we had this Spring, and lack of sunlight, and then a searing heat wave in the Dog Days of July, a lot of produce has failed to ripen or grow to its maximum.

   In Chinese Medicine, as we have learned these past years, the time of Late Summer is connected to the element of Earth. And Late Summer is a short season, but yet an important one. The element of Earth gives us a sense of being grounded, providing a foundation. There are no solstices or equinoxes in this time. I think of it as a pivot between Summer and Autumn, again, a time of preparation for what is to come.

   And so what goes with Earth is the color Yellow. The quality, which we already sense, is transition. The sensory organs here are the mouth and taste, which also leads us to the organs of the stomach and spleen and digestion. Often in Late Summer our tummies are a bit sensitive, so we must eat lightly, and slowly increase the density, but not heavy. In the Autumn we need to increase heat, so we eat heavier foods and grains to prepare for winter.

   The smell associated with this element is fragrant - thinking of the flowers and their blooms with their sweet smells. The taste is sweet - the fruit that has ripened. The sound is singing. The emotions are sympathy and compassion. The climate is moist, while humidity, at least in this part of the world, is high.

   So this gives a flavor of this time and it is important to be in balance, not only now, but throughout the seasons. For me it is a good time for meditation, however I practice this regularly throughout the year.

   I hope this bittersweet Late Summer finds all of you well.

Maery