A THOROUGH GUIDE FOR FALL ALIGNMENT
Can you feel the cooling air and the rising of the waters? That sweet poetry of decay, reminding us of the ephemeral beauty of life?
Fall is upon us, and with it, a permission to finally soften. It is a very special season full of wisdom and medicine for the soul.
I simply love this time of the year. It feels like a soothing embrace.
We firstly notice these Season’s presence by observing Nature. The bright green leaves of trees now poetically start to fade and gracefully dance their way into the ground, surrendering. Many plants are coming to seed, releasing their last offering before death. It is the last chance for animals to gather food, a time of harvesting what has come into ripeness through the year, of what shall sustain us for the Winter. The rains come to wash away the heat and bring everything back to its source. The nights come quicker and become longer, inviting all life to prepare for deep rest.
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What we can notice on an energy level as the seasons move from Summer to Fall, is the transition from a masculine (yang) energy to a feminine (yin) energy. Slowly the energy goes from Up to Down. Whereas Summer carried an active energy driving all life-force upward to reach to the skies, the Fall comes to send that energy down into the Earth again. Additionally, the energy shifts from what is outwards to what is inwards.
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Of course, this whole experience of our worlds without is mirrored in our worlds within. That same energetic pull that is driving the behaviour of Nature is mirrored in what happens deeply inside our Soul in this time of the year. As our outer worlds are quieting and as our days are getting shorter, we are invited to spend more time inside and transition into softer, subtler ways of Being. We are offered a precious moment to become the observer of our lives. To acknowledge what has ripened within us through the Summer, in gratitude. To release anything that is still stagnant by connecting to deeper, inner realms such as those of our emotions and the tender gateways of feeling.
Ah, what a sweet relief.
RELATING TO THE ENERGY OF FALL
The Fall reflected in the Elements, the cycles of Moon & Day and in the feminine archetypes.
ELEMENT
Water
The Fall is ruled by the Element of Water, that we can connect to as the rains come and wash away the heat of Summer. The Water is a deeply receptive Element, that represents the realms of feeling, emotions, of dreaming and accessing deeper states of consciousness and wisdom. The Water is also the Element of the womb: our own womb, that of the Earth herself, and all the deep mysteries of the feminine that invite us to soften and surrender to the flow.
MOON PHASE
Waning Moon
The energy of Fall is present in the waning moon: a moon that is gently fading and decreasing, inviting us to slow down after the intensity of the Full Moon. This moon gives us time to reflect, to honour our recent accomplishments and to nurture ourselves. It is also a great time to start looking into our shadow, to recognize any thoughts, behaviours or patterns that have come to our attention during this cycle and that shall be released during the New Moon.
TIME OF THE DAY
Evening
The evening carries with it that same Fall softness, bringing with it an invitation to drop our expectations and to surrender as the night comes through. It is a gift to our ever-active mind, and yet so many of us wish our days were longer. If God’s willing, we will be able to continue our work tomorrow. But for now, let’s a deep breath, watch the sunset in gratitude, take the time to cook a delicious meal, to nourish and tend to ourselves, under that soft evening light that will prepare our bodies for deep restful sleep.
ARCHETYPE
The Maga
She goes by many names: the Maga, the wiser woman. She is a woman that has gone through the rite of Motherhood (bringing forth children, creations or life projects) and is entering the portal of midlife or menopause. She has given her all and has recognized how much value her gifts have been to this world. She is at a time in her life where she has matured, knows her worth and lives by her rules, being radically honest with herself. She is ready to step to retreat in her inner temple with grace, to sit on her sovereign throne as a Queen. She is also very much embodying the mind of a priestess, who knows how to hold her boundaries firmly and keep her temple immaculately clean: this is how she connects to her divinity. Sometimes we can also relate to her as a wild woman, retreating in the wilderness, away from everybody - rejoicing and dancing in the realm of her inner mysteries.
ENERGY CENTER
Sacral Chakra
The Fall is connected to the sacral chakra, which is our second energy center located just below the navel, ruling our bladder, kidneys and reproductive organs. It is led by the Element of Water and affects the realms of intuition, creativity, pleasure, intimacy, sexuality and emotion. The energy of the sacral chakra can assist us in letting go, accepting change and transformation in life, to tap into a juicy, flowy state.
“I allow myself to feel.”
”I surrender to the flow of my life.”
ALIGNING TO THE ENERGY OF FALL
SLOWING DOWN TIME
With the days getting shorter, we are invited to review the rhythm of our lives.
Aligning to Fall’s energy means aligning to a slower pace, mimicking the slowness that comes with later stages of life when we don’t have as much life force energy running through our bodies.
Slowing down is a gift, because it allows us to feel more.
As we’re entering this Season, you can embody that slowness, and practice slowing down in the ways that feel most accessible to you. Look at the things you do everyday, like preparing your morning coffee or cooking dinner. Whatever you do, just allow yourself enough time and space to do it much, much slower. Notice what happens when you slow down, and especially when you are not multi-tasking. Observe how anything you do in this slower pace feels like a meditation.
MAKING SPACE
Slowing down comes hand in hand with making space, as one will not work without the other.
Now is the time to trust that you can practice discernment and say “no” to whatever feels like extra energy to deal with. At this time of the year we are called to embody our inner wise beings, our inner priestesses, the keepers of the Temple. Those dimensions of us know very well what feels like peace and clarity, and what doesn’t. It is time to let go of overcommitting. Think about creating space, rather than filling your day with more things to do or your mind with more thoughts. You might want to experiment with meeting fewer people, seeing people less often, making room for quiet nothingness. Creating space for the divine to come in.
TUNING INTO THE FEMININE REALMS
With the switch to this yin energy of Fall, we are invited to tune into all that is feminine in essence. The earthy awareness of the physicalities we find ourselves in, such as our home and our body, as well as the more watery awareness of sensuality and our emotions. In the summer’s yang energy, we may have set these aspects aside or they might have felt too raw to step into. Now is a good time to connect to our sensual self and to our womanhood. To do some womb work and connect to our shadows. To dive into the mysteries of feminine consciousness and feel held doing so.
NOURISHING OUR BODIES
The cold of the Fall invites us to bring in denser foods into our diets again. The cycles of Nature have got us covered with what is seasonal: starchy roots, nutritious grains, and sweet autumn fruit. Think grain bowls, baked apples, warm pumpkin soup… Consuming such foods helps to bring our own energy down again, grounding and aligning us to the energy of the Season, warming our bodies and supporting our nervous system. It is also a great time to bring in stress-reducing herbs that ground and calm, such as chamomile, wild sage and lavender. As the days get colder I also recommend mixing in some warming spices like ginger.
CLOSING UP & TIEING LOOSE ENDS
If you feel a bit overwhelmed with your projects, now’s the time to review what it is you want to continue putting your energy in. That is a wonderful treat for us creative minds - as we do tend to go in every direction and create a lot of noise in our lives. With our bandwidth being limited at this time of the year, there’s no other choice than to finish up whatever needs finishing up with razor sharp focus. Now is the time to let go of the rest, or just postpone those “other” projects to another, more energetic time in the year. You’ll find that by removing the extra layers you will be able to release some pressure and put your energy into what truly matters to you right now.
GRATITUDE & FORGIVENESS
It might feel too soon to let go of the most active seasons of the year. They might have brought up a lot, so take time to review how this time felt for you, what you experienced, what you learned about yourself and your life. Find a moment to observe it all. It is also important also to forgive yourself for any misunderstandings or anything you didn’t manage to complete. Find that pocket of gratitude towards yourself and this beautiful Universe. You are being guided, always. There’s nothing else you need to do right now. Just be grateful.