It’s autumn and time to harvest the bounty of our labor. What have we grown for the past 5+ decades? Looking at the social, economic and political harvest, one wonders what the hell? A bitter harvest is unexpected for many, despite their good and honest effort. It is an opportunity to take stock of what shall we keep and what shall we leave in the field? For some, it becomes what can be salvaged? The salvage process is a decision of what might be valuable or useful and what we must leave behind. It doesn’t mean what it left behind is useless. There are destroyers that are our allies who decompose and make the compost for the next season.
Autumn Prep
What can you do today? The days and time become short. What are the routines of moving into the winter? A part of the fall routine is cleaning up the garden and putting it to bed. Metaphorically, it’s about preparing for cleaning up and making space for introspection. Part of it is doing what needs to be done. So that you are not worried about the odds and ends. You are prepared for a long winter’s night. Things like checking the roof, cleaning gutters, putting on the storm windows, the woodpile ready to go, putting away the garden tools etc. Making sure you have enough to be comfortable in the winter.
Here’s the point and an example; taken from my backcountry (out of the ski resort) snowboard experience. Or it could be a day long hike in the woods. If you have a plan, have an awareness about the conditions, terrain, weather and a map of where you want to go. Then the actual journey can be enjoyable. If you don’t have a clue, it can be disorienting, nail-biting and easily lost or sidetracked. The thing is, most of this is a well-known and traveled path. There have been pioneers and adventures that have already navigated and left signposts along the way. This is not your first hike. Perhaps it’s a new trail or adventure for you. All you need to do is to pay attention, do a few easy preparations of some food and water for the day, good fitting boots, a jacket for changing weather, a trail map and a walking stick to steady yourself over the rough parts… all very doable!
The Lowly Creatures
Be like the smaller creatures, select and put-up provisions. Be prepared, being prepped is not a bad thing. Then when winter arrives, we snuggle in with family, friends and yourself; enjoying each other’s company and your own. Discover yourself and others, revisit your passions and discover the dreams/seeds for the next season. You don’t need to worry about the winter raging storms. You have already created a network of connections (tunnels) with your community and neighbors in the hood. The thing about prepping is that it is near impossible to prepare for everything. But having the awareness of community and its connections, then you have access. And also, become a resource with in the community. The exchange is sharing. It differs vastly from hoarding, selling and protecting a small pile of your provisions. Sharing is wealth. We can view wealth as access to resources. It is difficult to collect, hoard and protect a small bit of provisions for oneself. But by being connected in a community. You have a diversity of what’s available, what you need, without the expense of energy to collect, hoard/store and protect. Plus, there is the added benefit of enjoying your neighbors during the long winter’s night.
The prairie dogs, Prairie dog – Wikipedia and other small creatures like rabbits and meerkats have this figured out. Of course, there are little dramas and such, but that’s life. However, if the community is threatened, they quickly band and operate together to ensure the community’s survival.
Being Thankful
This is about accepting and being thankful for what you accomplished and let go of the rest. Sure, there are things we wish we would’ve been able to do. But now it’s getting darker earlier and becoming colder. There is not enough time nor are the conditions right to start something new. Instead, first, it’s time to be thankful and share the bounty of your harvest. And second, to prepare to move into your introspective space. The task is to attend to the external things that need to be cleaned up, organized and put away the things; that will be needed in the spring. These are the seeds you have selected, tools, covering plants, noting thanks to your neighbors, friends and family. Open your week-at-a-glance calendar. Look at all the things you accomplished and a few things you didn’t accomplish. We can move the unaccomplished things to either your seed catalog or your journal of lessons learned. Or let them blow away like the fallen leaves. Books of Life
Bless, Detox and Release
Know this is the time for the invisible process of breaking down; fermentation, distilling and composting. The worms, bugs, and unsightly creatures also have their time to feast. It is a blessing to have these lowly friends. Feed them, bless them; give them what you no longer need. Their feasting is your detox. They help us become lighter and more refined. The process is enlightenment is the opportunity to become more efficient with less drag. It is an initial step of becoming lighter and more efficient in the ways of being. Realize our old shells or husk are tattered; discard them. Autumn is the time to be joyous, thankful and appreciative. It is a time of grieving and rejoicing that we had wonderful adventures and experiences. Grieving is about missed opportunities. Regret is wondering about the path not taken. Release these burdens of the past. Focus on the quiet appreciation, gratitude and blessing for the adventures you had. Then we move on, preparing for the long winter’s night. Essentially, we are preparing to weave a cocoon in which to hibernate. It is a space of transformation from a caterpillar into a butterfly. Butterfly Analogy
Move into and abide in the space and time of merely being a witness. Observe what they harvested in the world of politics, economies, societies and cultures. Select what to salvage. Give the rest with blessings to the hungry, unsightly beings; knowing that they too must also feast. Be attentive and patient with the distillation. Know the time for self, for dreams and of the passions is sacred and embraced by the gardener during the winter.
Looking Forward to Winter
Though we are in autumn, it is useful to be aware of the next season. A gardener is aware of what has happened, what is happening and what will happen. Being aware of this process of change enables recognition of strategic opportunities. A gardener can seize these invisible opportunities while abiding in the understanding and faith of the process of change. After you get the external routine things cleaned up and put away you’re ready to enjoy the introspective process of transformation.
As we move into the winter, the first task is to evaluate and ask what did we learn and what do we wish to carry forward. Essentially, this becomes the seed that is selected with anticipation of the next garden. A deeper look. What is the process for the decomposition and distilling what we carry forward to the next planting season? From a psychological or consciousness perspective, evaluation is the breaking down, composting and distilling. It involves detoxing, forgiving, surrendering, letting go, dropping, releasing, etc. We are distilling and purifying our experiences in to essences. It involves separating, mulling over and pouring back and forth; the of alchemy of the soul. Discovering the genuine stuff, the seeds and lessons that we can use in the next growing season. This introspective alchemy takes time. It’s a period of abiding, having knowledge and faith in the alchemical process. The process is invisible to most folks. However, the gardener knows this is a required process; that is ideally done without interruption or distraction. Many folks think that this is a death. They do not understand that it is merely a transition. Nothing dies, it is just transformed. The gardener understands that winter is a time of transcendence and transformation.
It takes faith to trust or abide in this nether world. The world of the unseen. It is a time to know, to be, to flow and float free. It is a state beyond the ego of society and culture. It is consciousness beyond the confines of the ego. The ego is merely the clothes that are worn in society, work, family and culture. Consciousness is beyond the ego. At the core, we are naked in the light of our being. Consciousness is woven with fine threads of awareness, integrity, compassion and gracefulness. There is nothing to do; only to be. The questions of who am I, what is my passion and what do I want to do about it? Is the place of rediscovering our Self, it’s renewal and dreaming of what to do next. After this renewal, we are ready to be re-birthed. To again get ready by putting on the mortal clothes of the ego, society and culture.
Abide in the space and time of merely being a witness. Observe what is the harvest in the world of politics, economies, societies and cultures. Give blessings to the hungry, unsightly beings; knowing that they too must also feast. Be attentive and patient with the distillation. Select what to salvage. Know it is the time for your Self. Your dreams and passions are sacred and embraced by the gardener. It is in the quiet darkness, warmed by passion and intuition; seeds germinate. Sending roots into our unconscious that become dreams, intuition and imagination. Small shoots will strive upwards to break the surface of the soil; powered by imagination and then intent. As the soil warms from the sun of our conscious intent. The next growing season begins. We scurry around with the many tasks of planning, gathering resources and tools. Excited for the opportunity to again play in and tend our garden.
Some folks dislike winter. Their focus is on regrets, opportunities not taken. Thus, the bitter harvest. There comes a time where we acknowledge we must let go or stay forever stuck in the past. The only thing we can do is to surrender, let go and forgive. Specifically to forgive ourselves, others and the situation; and recognize that it is merely an opportunity to learn. Forgiveness unchains us from the past. We can then turn around and move forward. Thus, we are no stuck in the past; being chased by our fears, demons and anxieties. We can begin again to chase our love, passions and joys. Winter and Forgiveness
Winter is quickly approaching. The task at hand is to reorient ourselves to the mystical process of death and rebirth. It is letting go and surrendering the old self. Once we understand the meaning, purpose and tasks of winter. It’s not a fearful experience. But an experience quietly releasing. A falling or dropping into the Self. A familiar remembering and abiding in the “oh yes, here I am.” As we prepare to do the internal work of introspection. The diving deep down inside. We find our Self with the simple question of “who am I?” Once we remember/connect with the “I,” we become renewed and reconnect to the infinite resource of our Self. This also brings the opportunity to ask what is my passion? What is my joy to share? And how do I navigate this? The who, what, when and how is the new adventure. Take time and bathe in this new being. Become and Be! The deep winter is the time of transcendence and transformation. This experience results in knowing and being able to abide in the deep knowledge and understanding that you are infinitely supported. Thus, you can abide in your being. Memories of the past will fade; replaced with the light of new dreams, fresh adventures and a new being. These are the seeds that are long to germinate in the new soil of opportunities. These seeds send down roots to find support deep within us. Our intuition, imagination and intention send these tiny shoots upward from the soil of our being to the light of the sun/”I-ness.” The Four I’s
I cannot tell you what to do. I can only share with you what makes sense to me. You are a sovereign being that can figure out what is best for you.
This past week I discovered a couple of things in the rabbit hole. I don’t know… but intriguing! Thus a couple links.
Penny Kelly Interesting view of financial changes
Pam Gregory Astrological and channeled view
Peace love and light!
Tim
10/23/2022