We are at a threshold of change. Where I live in the Northern Hemisphere, October means cooler temperatures as the maples and oaks begin to let go of their leaves. The garden offers the last of the tomatoes, an abundance of honeynut squash, and baskets full of beans. While busying myself with collecting vegetables, the season is anticipating a transformation.
In a recent article I talked about the different crossroads that we all experience. Standing at our own intersection, time seemingly pauses to take a deep breath as we consider our path.
Like us, nature foresees a change and readies itself to shift. The leaves offer us a display of golds, oranges, and reds. Under the tree canopy squirrels scurry to collect a mast of acorns. Deer loiter in the yard to collect fallen apples. I hear the hawks calling to each as they circle overhead. Tallulah, my dog companion, lifts her head and sniffs the air. She notices the cracking sound from the woods as the branches strain against the stronger, cooler gusts. Watching her helps me remember that now is a great moment to stand still.
Do you intuit an imminent inner change as the season adapts itself? There’s an aspect about transformation that I always have to keep in mind; it isn’t interested in being rushed. There’s something magical not to be missed as we process into and through the threshold. The moment we make the choice to move past our crossroad, there is a felt sense, a vibrational confirmation that we are a part of a larger shift occurring. What is your intuitive inner awareness telling you?
Carrying Mother Earth
Thich Nhat Hahn wrote, “You carry Mother Earth within you. She is not outside of you…”
I understand these words to mean that we are the Earth, and she is us. It makes sense, then, that we physically feel her seasonal transformation. Do you notice how your body, and your life, mirror the weather patterns around you? Watching wild Canadian Geese near the Chesapeake Bay, where I often see them, is a thunderous seasonal sign. Gathered in large family clusters, they quietly wade in the water or peck at the shoreline grasses. When suddenly one of the gaggles vocalizes. The chatter flares as more join. Then the whole flock lifts off in a wild, honking fury. They fill the southward skyline leaving unwanted burdensome feathers behind. They know. As the Earth tilts away from the Sun and as the days in my hemisphere shorten, there’s an anticipation and a stronger desire to seek a slower, quieter inner cocoon. It’s a time when I feel the most creative, so I willingly prepare.
It’s curious that I am writing this article at a time when Earth is experiencing Draconid Meteor Showers. Earth passes through the dust debris trailing behind Comet 21P every October. The debris collides with our atmosphere and is burned off. We see these collisions as shooting stars. They light up the sky for those lucky enough to see them. Earth is speaking to us – again. It’s a distinct opportunity to observe how nature clears away debris to create a new balance. She’s offering us another instance to reflect how we are a part of her experience.
What is Earth telling you? As you traverse the inevitable threshold of change how is your body responding? Pause, take a cleansing breath, and see if your intuition offers a glimpse into the shared experience…as you pass into and through the gateway.