Welcome to Autumn—Are You Revving Up or Settling Down?
Dear Deep Soul,
I’ve noticed a paradox this fall. Things are starting to die back and lie fallow—all the while we are harvesting like crazy from our outdoor gardens to our metaphorical work gardens. New projects, a new school year—I feel like time is moving faster. I see people doing everything possible before the weather turns and slows us down.
I’ve noticed this contradiction within myself as well as with the world at large. I want to do last-minute projects and say YES, while another part of me says, “too much—slow down and rest.” I am creating new healthy boundaries to take care of myself this fall, so that I can be of better service to humanity. What are you noticing as you begin your journey into this fall season?
I love to read books and am thankful for all that they gift me. The inspiration, new ideas and eloquence of writers can stun me with beauty and imagery. If you like to read, my favorite book right now is The Choice, Embrace the Possible, by Dr. Edith Eva Eger. It provides inspiration, hope, and shows us courage and bravery. The author wrote this book at age 90—that alone seems admirable and unique! Her words had such a powerful impact on me. Knowing she was a survivor of Auschwitz and is actively doing her work on her own trauma is impressive. And she is a psychologist who helps many people deal with their own trauma. Dr. Eger is now 95 and still making quite an impact.
Some quotes from the book that touched me. May they serve you as well.
- “Time doesn’t heal. It’s what you do with your time.”
- “When we abdicate taking responsibility for ourselves, we are giving up our ability to create and discover meaning. In other words, we give up on life.”
- “When you stop doing what’s best for you and start doing what you think someone else needs, you are making a choice that has consequences for you.”
- “Trying to be the caregiver who sees to another person’s every need is as problematic as avoiding your responsibility yourself. Ask whose needs are really being met here? If the answer is your own and not the person—you are crippling the person you most want to help.”
I love these four questions Dr. Edgar uses in her therapy practice. I found them super valuable as I embark into this new season.
- What do you want (this season)? Sounds like passions, right?
- Who wants it? Is this YOUR dream or somebody else’s? if it is not yours, it will not withstand time and you most likely suffer.
- What are you going to do about it?
- When?
This final quote below moves me deeply. It is powerful as it reminds me that I am always in control of my inner reality. She wrote this after she went back to Auschwitz to forgive Hitler and all the people who killed and physically and psychologically tortured so many.
“Work has set me free. I survived so that I could do my work. Not the work the Nazis meant—the hard labor of sacrifice and hunger, of exhaustion and enslavement. It was the inner work. Of learning to survive and thrive, of learning to forgive myself, of helping others to do the same. And when I do this work, then I am no longer the hostage or the prisoner of anything. I am free.”
Nature and Our Cosmos
What does freedom look like in this new season? I see rest, release of the old (leaves), and laying new nutrients down to nourish and regenerate into the earth.
We have entered autumn where the days continue to get shorter and the nights longer. Darkness creeps up on us as we move into October. The skies are dark longer, so you will have more opportunity to check the night skies for activity and variation.
Celestially, on October 7th you can view the Draconids Meteor Shower, and on October 8th you can see Mercury just before sunrise. The Full Hunter’s Moon is on October 9th, so it will be a bit brighter and not so easy to see. However, get out there anyway!
October 21st & 22nd will have another meteor shower, the Orionids this time. The new moon and partial solar eclipse occurs October 25th. Quite a succession of galactic happenings. Notice how you feel on these days, and see if you can touch in with what is happening on the invisible level to experience energy shifts in your body.
With all this said, take time to find new ways to create greater balance for yourself this fall. It is a time to release things that do not serve you and bring in more of what you treasure and love. Be gentle and kind to yourself. Be the star light that you are.
P.S.: It’s okay to rest. ☺️
Go Deeper to Be Greater,
