Thank You Summer, Welcome Fall!

Yesterday was like a typical summer day. It was warm and humid and the sky was full of thin misty clouds. Although there are many signs of late summer/early fall, it felt like July. The clouds thickened through the day and into the evening, and then around 10:45 pm it arrived: the last rain of summer!

Thank you summer!

As always, I greeted the weather beings and gave thanks for their sacred rains; these rains that moisten the soil and fill the aquifers, wetlands, rivers and lakes. These rains, without which life as we know it would not exist. I sat outside under the overhang on my front porch, as I often do, and watched, listened, smelled and felt; in awe of the beauty of this world!

At the same time, their power was palpable. Under different circumstances they could unleash severe wind, lightning or flooding; or by their lack of presence ... drought! These have always been a part of our reality. They are a necessary quality of a world that is constantly changing and reshaping itself. But in recent times the mood of the weather beings has changed. They aren't happy with the way we are in relationship with them, or our Earth Mother and all of the other beings we share this life with. We continue to live as if we are separate from the world. We live this way at our peril. We are part of the world and it is part of us. The quality of our life is based on the quality of our relationships, not the amount of stuff that we "own".

Tomorrow, at 4:45 pm EDT, is the fall equinox. Although it is the spring equinox in the southern hemisphere, I will speak of it from where I stand, for our relationships are always rooted in the place where we live. Either way it is an important time of transition in the cycle of the seasons. It is a time when for a brief moment the day and night are in balance. On Monday, the night will be longer than the day. Fall will have arrived!

Welcome fall!

The equinoxes and solstices are important times when we can acknowledge our relationship to the world, reflect on the cycles and changes in our lives, and the quality of our relationships. Tomorrow I will give thanks for the blessings of summer: the experiences that I have had; the medicines and foods harvested; the time spent with loved ones; the time spent walking on this sacred Earth. The greatest blessing of all is to have had the opportunity to live through this season once more. I will also welcome the fall and look forward to its teachings. It's great to be alive and have the honor of experiencing this sacred time once more!

Have a great fall!

Thank you summer! Welcome fall!

The fall equinox is this Saturday September 22nd at 10:50 EDT. For traditional peoples around the world, this is one of the times to connect with, give thanks for, and reflect on the natural cycles of this amazing world that we live in.

The fall equinox is a time of balance, when the length of the day is equal to the length of the night. However, as with all cycles, that time of balance is only momentary because everything is in motion. The fall equinox marks the transition from the longer days of summer to the longer nights of fall. It is also the time of the most rapid change. The difference between the length of day and night from one day to the next is greatest at the equinoxes. This is more exaggerated the further north or south of the equator that we live. However, it is reversed in the southern hemisphere. At this time of year the people of the south are experiencing their spring equinox.

Here in the north, this is the time to give thanks for all of the blessings of this past summer: the greater warmth; the longer days; the plant and animal people and landscapes that we had the privilege of interacting with; the foods and medicines that we harvested; time spent with lovers, family and friends; and whatever other blessings that we received. Even the difficult times and experiences are blessings; opportunities to learn, to grow, to be real.

This is also the time to welcome the fall and all of the blessings it will bring: the natural cycles and rhythms of this time as well as the unique experiences that each of us will have. I look forward to the fall harvest; the colours of the leaves; the distinctive smells of this time of year; the low golden sunlight; the crisp clear air; the lengthening nights; the migration of the bird people; harvesting the roots and rhizomes of the plant medicines who have offered to work with me; the deepening silence as much of the world around me goes to sleep.

The golden time: Late afternoon in late summer.

On Saturday we will mark this special time in ceremony: giving thanks for the summer and welcoming the fall; making offerings and prayers, and deepening our relationship with our Earth Mother and all of her children who are part of us and we part of them. The greatest blessing of all is the privilege of being alive in this awesome, mysterious world and able to give thanks at this time once more!