Finding Blessings and Balance at the Edge of the Seasons
"The final mystery is oneself. When one has weighed the sun in the balance, and measured the steps of the moon, and mapped out the seven heavens star by star, there still remains oneself. Who can calculate the orbit of his own soul?"
~ Oscar Wilde
The Autumnal Equinox is one of two moments in the year in which we are in perfect balance with the light and the dark. It is at the equinox that the day is split evenly between 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. That moment occurred yesterday at 11:50 pm.
How can we bring that idea of balance into our experience and our consciousness?
One way is to consider that there is really no light without darkness (or darkness without light), for we require the contrast to notice the existence of both. When we bring that awareness to our life experience, we may find a bit of peace, an inspiration for blessing:
I bless myself when I find myself in darkness because it helps me find the light within.
Another idea we can glean from the equinox is the cycles of nature. And, since we exist as a part of nature, we can notice our own natural cycles. Cycles that signify holding on and letting go. Beginnings and endings. The eternal turning of the year, of time.
Autumn easily teaches and reteaches us each year that there is a need to let go of what is done, dead, no longer needed, in order to make room for new growth. One leaf drops in order for a new one to grow. One door closes so that another may open.
This moment on the edge of the seasons is the perfect time to reflect on what we hang onto…and what we are ready to release. Every autumn the trees show us that there is more to life than clinging to what is, and in order to move forward, we must let go.
When we hold onto things that we have outgrown or no longer serve us we are living life from a place of constriction.
We clutch close to us what we have (and know and trust), when in fact letting go may be just what we need to make space for new opportunities, relationships, insights, and possibilities. When we hang onto parts of ourselves and our narratives that are withered, how does that nourish us? Those parts and those stories can’t possibly bring in the nectar of abundance that we deserve.
The trees in autumn make it look simple. Sure, just drop it! It doesn’t feel simple to us, though, and in fact, it might be terribly difficult to just let go. (Even some trees tend to hang on to their dead leaves for a time.) But surely there are times in our lives that let go we must.
There are times that when it is right, we must open our hands and let drop whatever it is we have clung to with fear or sadness or habit or ambivalence or even, a sense that holding on was actually the best option.
Birth and rebirth. Change and the circle-cycles of the seasons. Such beautiful metaphors for life.
Maybe inspiration is in there as well for a blessing?
I find blessings today in what I am shedding. Thank you, __________, __________ and ___________ for serving me as you did. I no longer need you. I look forward to the discovery of what will come to take your place in the time ahead.
Some questions to spark your creative process:
How does letting go help you find balance in your life?
How do you find balance in the light and the dark?
What have you learned from past experiences of letting go?
Where do you find the inspiration, blessings, teachings, and new growth in the Autumnal Equinox?
