Autumn is the season of heaviest transformation, when all the world is stripped of its glorious green. The branches and roots are exposed to the elements and the eye. The grasses and shrubs wither, succumbing to cold nights and frosty mornings, leaving nothing bare dirt and twigs to blanket the cold ground. Even the wildlife is more in evidence at this time of year, having lost their camouflage and shelter. This is the season that the forest and fields are laid bare, and must give up their secrets gracefully, and adapt to their new reality. This is the time that hunters hunt, gatherers gather, and a heavy sense of expectation hangs over the natural world.
Some people call this the season of plenty, and for our family, the name is apt this year. Through a combination of resourcefulness, familial charity, and sleight of hand, we have come up with funds to make some major improvements. We'll be buying a new car, installing solar panels, putting up insulation and walls, bringing in new furniture and selling off some of the old. Some shelving has already been put up, and the cabin has been rearranged, both of which have created extra play space for Junebug.
Many pagans use this time of year as a time of reflection and reassessment. We are no exception. This is the time to look back on our year and mull over our failures and victories, our mistakes, our misdeeds, our triumphs and our tragedies. This is the time for us to learn from our experiences, and to make plans for a better year to come.
We have a few family traditions for this season, and are working on building a few more. I'd like to hear from my readers - what are your traditions and practices for fall? Do you have a religious practice for this time of year? Do you go to festivals? Go apple picking? Close out your garden and can a special garden's end recipe? Please leave a comment so that we can share ideas!
No comments:
Post a Comment