Living in tune with the Seasons – Hello Autumn
Ever wondered how the seasons play out in your life? How to tune more into the ebb and flow of nature asides from eating seasonally? Here are my personal reflections heading into the Australian Autumn season.
I am guilty of gliding through these Autumn dates with not much care or attention. The last few years, I have been working on attuning more with Winter and what that means to me…. albeit far from perfect. The seeds for an ideal Winter have been planted and will require more care and attention in the years to come before I suspect they truly flourish… It’s a work in progress.
This year however, it seems a veil lifted… perhaps the Family Constellations Facilitator training I embarked upon earlier in the year… it’s a grounded feeling that yearns to go beyond the hard surface and into the depths of the nourishing Earth, roots seeking connection not only to the Land but also the richness of what lies in my ancestry.
There is a part of me that is largely driven by my relationship with my children. And as they move through their teenage years, I wonder what will bring them home when they have left. It is in these moments I realize the importance and richness of family rituals that can connect us on more than just a physical level. And so this journey of seasonal living deepens and grows ever more prevalent in my thinking, doing and being.
This article is a blend of reflections and learnings as we move into Autumn here in Australia. Read on for information about:
- The energy and themes of Autumn
- Deeper attunement with Autumn Key Dates in Australia
- Autumn Practices
- Autumn Reflection Prompts
The energy and themes of Autumn
Maybe you’ve started to notice the change in the weather… from hot and humid to a slightly softer warmth (no matter how subtle)… or the frizz beginning to leave your hair, or the almost wanting to move your fan dial from 2 to 1 in the early mornings…
Or maybe you’re feeling the gentle pull to reassess your goals, to check in and make changes so you can reap your ‘harvest’ of the last 9-12 months of work before Winter arrives.
Other changes or thoughts you may have noticed as we move towards the Autumn Equinox in Australia:
- Reflecting on your resources and finances
- Letting go of what’s no longer needed including decluttering
- Renewing your sense of purpose
- Reclaiming personal power
- Quietly giving thanks
- Reflecting on fears, guilts and regrets
- Solidifying relationships
Perhaps you feel your world speed up or become whirlwind-like as you rush to put things in place so you can move into a deeper rest and restore phase when the weather cools.
Autumn Key Dates in Australia
Let’s look at the Autumn key dates here in Australia and how we can reflect on them in line with all that this season brings.
- Autumn Equinox also known as Mabon – usually around 20-21 March
- Easter – usually around the end of March or early April
- ANZAC Day – 25 April
- Cross Quarter Point also known as Samhain – usually around 30 April – 1 May
Autumn Equinox
The Autumn Equinox is the astronomical start date of Autumn. A time of equal day and equal night, the balance of light and dark.
Coming down from the highs of Summer and letting go into the depths of Winter. An invitation to slow down, go inwards and let go of what no longer serves you.
This is a great time to start your Autumn journal and set your intentions for the season. Here are some prompts to get you started:
What changes have you experienced recently in your life? How are you navigating them? What emotions are arising as you do?
What do you need to let go so you can flow more simply through this season?
What do you need to call forth or practice to be more in flow with this season?
What achievements or positive experiences have you cultivated over the past months?
How will you appreciate and celebrate the fruits of your efforts, both big and small?
What worked to produce a bounty-full harvest over Spring and Summer? What didn’t?
What do you need to bring in or gather in order to sustain you for the rest of Autumn and coming Winter?
Easter
Easter in the Northen Hemisphere falls in the season of Spring. It is all about celebrating new life and rebirth, but what about here in Australia?
For those who are not particularly religious but still celebrate this time of year, here are five suggestions to use the themes of Autumn to make it more meaningful:
- Gratitude for the harvest – some hollow and some bountiful
- Celebrations of growth and recognising achievements
- Acknowledging the cycles of nature – eggs representing the seeds going into darkness for internal nourishment in readiness for new life come end of Winter
- Sharing empowering stories of transformation and growth with loved ones
- Community gatherings to renew our gardens, give thanks, support those with less and plant new seeds.
Use the symbols of Easter and their meanings to find ways to embed these into your own family rituals.
ANZAC Day
A sacred day for Australians to honour the dead, the wounded and those who served our Land.
A time to unite, remember and connect through history, culture and traditions. An invitation to understand the importance of ‘mateship’, community resources and a deeper history that will impact generations to come.
You may like to use this time to reflect on what this day means to you, and your own meaning of mateship and how it plays out in your life.
Other questions you may like to reflect on or ask your loved ones:
- How has war shaped your family?
- What do you know of your ancestors who served in war – their experiences, sacrifices and contributions?
- What do you know of your ancestors who were impacted by war? How did it shape their lives and those who came after?
- How do you honour your ancestors who served and were impacted by the war?
Samhain
The astronomical date between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice. The halfway point between Autumn and Winter, where the veil between worlds are thin. On the other side of the world, you would associate this time with Halloween.
It is a time of honouring and connecting with our ancestors. An invitation to celebrate, feast and connect with family (past and present) as you clear out the old year and prepare for the new one.
If you haven’t watched the movie Coco I highly recommend it for context into how this day can be celebrated. Some questions to consider for this time and how you can embed into your life:
- What stories of your ancestors do you know?
- What impact have your ancestors made on your life?
- How is life and death celebrated in your family? What traditions are honoured through time?
- How do you share memories of your loved ones? How are they remembered? How do you involve them in your life today?
Activities to consider:
- Create an Ancestor altar with photos, mementos and objects that remind you of your ancestors
- Write a letter to a departed loved one, expressing your thoughts, memories and feelings
- Write a story or a memory of a loved one and share with your family
- Create a family tree or a piece of artwork that represents your family history and culture
- Cook a traditional dish that has been passed down and share with loved ones
- Visit your departed loved ones at a cemetery, their favourite place or in your minds eye.
Autumn Lifestyle Practices
When I think of Autumn here are some of the lifestyle practices that influence my day to day life:
MIND
- Journaling and reflection
- Reflecting on and refining goals
- Re-aligning with purpose and goals where needed
- Decluttering and tying up loose ends
- Re-organising where needed (mental beliefs and associated meanings)
BODY
- Seasonal cleanse/detox
- Getting daily dose of sunshine
- More hot/warm drinks
- Strengthening immune system with supplements, tonics and seasonal foods
- Keeping my feet warm with cosy socks
- Adding extra blankies and soft cushions on the couch
- Cardio activities like jumping, skipping, dancing
BREATH CONNECTION
- Qi Gong
- Yin Yoga
- Wim Hoff Breathwork
- Pranyama
SOUL
- Meditation
- Forgiveness and Self-Compassion Exercises
- Abundance and Prosperity Exercises
- Honouring ancestors, sharing stories and strengthening connections
- Connecting with culture
- Connecting with nature
Autumn Practices for Letting Go
Typically Autumn is associated with a time to let go of what no longer serves our minds and bodies. Here are some of my favourite practices for letting go:
- The Work of Byron Katie
- Direct Experiencing your feelings
- Taking time to grieve
- Ho’oponopono Meditation
- Cutting cords
- Decluttering (mentally & physically)
- Reclaiming lost selves
- Inner parenting
- Mind-Body-Heart awareness
- Inner resourcing and strengthening
- Find learnings and blessings
- Connect with here and now
- Tapping, Breathwork, Yin yoga
- Bathe in nature
I am thoroughly enjoying tuning into the Autumn season with more presence ~ balancing inner reflection amongst the day to day tasks. Grateful for the knowledge I have about myself so that when I am knocked off balance, I can name the feeling, be with it and find ways to meet the unmet need underneath it. Not only that but also to embrace the ebb and flow of nature’s seasons, sync with her rhythm and invite more of her enchanting beauty into my life.
I’ve recently put together an Autumn Reflections Guide to keep my own ponderings and information I gather in one place for the season. You can get your free copy here. Want to know more about Seasonal Living? Check out my blog Mainstream living vs Seasonal living.
Meet The Author
Amy Doyle
Amy is a Holistic Counsellor who helps her clients move from this idea that they are broken or missing pieces of their own puzzle, to owning their story, claiming back all parts of themselves and merging together as one team to allow them to rest and be in their deepest expression.
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