I Autumn - time for reflection

No 9 August 2003

The heat wave has vanished within the last few days, leaving dark
mornings and (relatively) cold evenings. Suddenly it feels like autumn
has arrived, although the brightness of the candles at 6am is very
satisfying. September means the beginning of the academic year for me
and I feel as if I should be girding my loins to get back to work. This
year I have been really resistant finding all sorts of activities, like
contributing to Abc tales, to do instead....

"As the Autumn sun lights up a darker morning, summer recedes and your
time of reflection moves closer. The autumn is a time for drawing in
and conserving energy. For appreciating the contrast between the light
and the dark and for moving inside yourself and your home.

It is not possible, of course not, to cease all work activity, for how
else would you live? But your focus should shift. The drive to
innovate, change and move forward will decline along with the hours of
daylight and, just like your garden, will draw back into the
Earth.

That does not mean you cannot continue to grow and develop established
projects, to consolidate growth and achievement from earlier in the
year. But if you do not allow space for renewal and natural decay how
can you be sure you have the right produce for next spring and summer?
Without reflection how can you monitor the changing energies and
prepare yourself to rise to meet them?

So many people push against the ebb and flow of nature believing their
will to be supreme. But nature resides in all humanity and it is a far
more powerful ally when it is co-operated with rather than
resisted.'

Dot.med.