Autumnal Equinox September 2024 

   The seasons are so short between Late Summer and Autumn. And of course via our expectations and parameters, we designate a specific date of September 22nd. Yet it doesn't really work like that. You don't go to sleep on September 21st and wake up on September 22nd and say oh yes it's officially feeling like the first day of Autumn, with a specific temperature set by a clock. Although the amassing of everything pumpkin is a sign, but that is man made.

   For not everything happens all at once. Even the tides, except for a few places around the globe, are gradual. Not even the tide comes in all at once. And when the temperatures outside change it happens by degree by degree. And so we must align ourselves to these changes as they happen. Yet some of them are subtle.

   But the more preparation the better. There is of course the sign of the days getting shorter and temperatures a little cooler here and there. And on some levels we must sense it. For even the birds know when it is time to migrate to warmer climates and leave Summer behind.

   So Autumn is a time of reflection and preparation for things to come. Reflecting on the past or at least the last few months where Summer reigned supreme, hoping we accomplished all we set out to do on those summery days and nights. A sense of the bittersweet.

   And to prepare, start with foods that are somewhat more heating. The root vegetables - the heavier soups and stews if that is what you eat.

   Well you can also see preparation for the Autumn in the small animals - the chipmunks, squirrels, gathering food for the Winter and storing it away in little cubby holes. Even bears (although not here!) start to eat more and build more layers of fat to see them through their Winter hibernation.

   So that is partly the purpose of this blog to remind and to educate so that one is aligned and can live a healthy life. Being out in nature is part it no matter what the season, although many times the Winter can curtail us. But the again there skiing, snow shoeing, skating and sleigh riding.

   Autumn is the harvest, bringing things to fruition. We gather all the fresh vegetables and fruits and grains for the Winter. It is recommended to do some cleansing before introducing some of the warmer foods, to rid the body of toxins.

Autumn skies on the Ocean at Montauk

   The element that goes with Autumn is Metal, which represents the mineral ores and salts of the Earth. Metal is to do with communications and creativity. The organs associated with Autumn are lungs and large intestine. The sound with Metal is the expression of weeping, or crying, and grief, yet it reminds us to let go of the past. The sense organ for Metal is the nose and of course the associated sense is that of smell. The flavor in this element is spicy - found in aromatic cheeses like Brie, as well as peppers, mustard and other spices. The climate is dryness, but too much dryness can injure this element, as well as too much dampness. One could go on forever thinking about the elements and their seasons, for it is such a vast subject and just the bare minimum here.

   Finally, as an aside, today the yellow jackets (wasps) were swarming, as they do when Autumn is approaching and thus ending their lives, although the queens live on. What was unusual was that they decided to swarm around me, in a circumference of about 2 or 3 feet, circling, moving erratically, buzzing in and out and up and down. Flying very close to me but never landing. They were busy buzzing and flying in no set pattern. The most intense part lasted about 15 minutes, and then there were a few who stayed around for another 10 minutes. But for the next hour or so the bees did not leave and continued their frantic dance. Sometimes there would only be one or two bees humming and circling and I just sat there reading my book, always one or two around me. They say bees are attracted to sweet smelling odors, but all I had done was to condition my hair and use shea butter for my skin. I read they either think you are a flower, or that they are trying to figure out what you are, and of course everyone has omens regarding bees. What was not so fun was that after the bees left, came a small swarm of the new lantern flies and they were somewhat more aggressive - flying at me, landing on the arm rests of my chair and on me. I didn't like them because they destroy our trees. So I eventually left the area, curious to see what else happens in nature!

   So as always I wish everyone well, and to be healthy in these transition times.

Best wishes,

Maery