Autumnal Equinox: Dropping into Our Innate Wisdom
Tomorrow at 3:20pm EDT, we will officially enter into Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. What I love about this time of year, besides the cooler, crisper air, the crunch of fallen leaves, and the chrysanthemums decorating front steps, is witnessing of nature beings already dropping into the knowledge of the shorter days and longer nights. Here in southern Maine, I’ve been observing the squirrels (which I have plenty of in my yard!) and how they innately know that it’s time to collect acorns to create a food storage for the coming winter months. I also notice the trees drop into themselves, folding into their life-force with the wisdom that it is that time again.
Where does that leave us humans? We seem to have forgotten how to drop into our inner knowing. With the hustle and bustle of our external world, it can be difficult to stop, breathe, and drop into our body to check in with our innate gifts of knowing our truths. For women, in particular, this can be an amazing strength. Trusting our gut and discerning from that place is powerful. It means that we are deeply rooted and no one can diminish or invalidate our own wisdom. No matter the gender you identify with, the power of trusting oneself is unequivocal. It means that you have a keen sense of what feels right, and what does not. It helps you create boundaries, which are essential for physical and emotional health, especially if you are highly sensitive. Trusting oneself further gives you the power of freedom to choose how to navigate your life.
As we enter into Autumn, we align with the Feminine, the time for going within to transition to the Womb of Winter. This is an opportunity to sharpen our intuition and to let go of anything and everything that does not feel right to take with us into the transformative time of Winter. If you do not know how to perform a shamanic journey, that’s ok. Use this time to trust your gift of intuition and inner knowing. Ask yourself: What parts of myself would I like to give birth to in my own Springtime (it doesn’t have to be actual Spring but your Spring)? Then, ask yourself, What parts of myself am I ready to allow to fall away, like the leaves of the deciduous trees? Write these reflections down on paper - a handmade or decorative paper will do nicely!
Then, co-create a ceremony to honor the Spirit of Autumn at this sacred time. You might include leaves, apples, pine cones, and acorns, if that feels right. I encourage you to have a fire of any size (it can be a simple candle) to burn the paper after you have spoken the words aloud. In holding yourself in alignment with the Spirit of Autumn, you can honor those places within you that are also willing to die and transform. Ceremonies do not need to be complicated - keeping it simple does not diminish its power.
Wishing you a wonderfully transformative journey into your own Inner Wisdom!
