This article is from the kids section (“The Playroom”) of our Autumn Equinox 2021 Newsletter – out soon!
In previous newsletters we have looked at the turning of the seasons – what makes spring, summer, the equinox and solstices – so as we move into autumn lets reflect on what makes it special and what we can learn from the season.
Fire in the trees without a flame in sight. In Australia, indeed in much of the southern hemisphere, there are few deciduous trees but most people are familiar with the sight of a tree welcoming the coming winter in colours of red, orange, yellow and brown. This changing or turning of the leaves from summer green to autumn fire is the way a deciduous tree prepares for winter. Their food (the sun) is reducing due to the shortening daylight hours. The leaves lose their chlorophyll (which gives leaves their green colour), and as a result we are blessed with multicoloured leaves that slowly drop to litter the ground and blow in the wind. Once all the leaves have lost their colour on a tree it then enters hibernation and won’t wake up again until it thinks spring has arrived.
There are many lessons we can learn from autumn trees. We can learn about impermanence, that nothing lasts. Not the blissful days of summer where there is much sunshine and warmth and food, not the fire in the trees that so draws the eyes, not the cold spellbound days of winter and not the flowers and youth of spring. Not the good and not the bad, everything passes. We can also learn about letting go. Just as the trees let go of their leaves (their food) we can let go of our problems, our things that worry us. We can let go of our friends who are moving away, they don’t have to live near us for them to be our friends, we can let go of the fact that our sister or brother ate all the cheese.
Autumn is also a good time for reflecting and remembering. As the world around us (if you live in an area that has autumn) is going to sleep, we can remember those who have passed on and are not physically with us anymore: pets, family and friends. We can reflect on what has happened in the past year: what was good, what was bad, and what we can learn from it.
Where ever you are in the world this time of year is a time of balance. The Autumn equinox (like the spring equinox) marks the time where day and night are equal before there is more night than there is day. What things need balance in your life at the moment?
Whether you are welcoming in the autumn with the equinox, welcomed it three weeks ago, or you don’t have autumn where you are, enjoy this time of balance and changing seasons.
Southern Light Newsletter 