“Heaven and Earth abolish the old and bring about the new,
Then the four seasons complete their changes.”
~I Ching, The Book of Changes
Living & Changing
We have now passed the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. As the energy shifts into cooler weather and shorter amounts of daylight, our body, and unconscious minds shift energetically as well.
Just as earth transitions through four seasons annually, humans do also. Not only do humans go through seasonal changes, but we also go through different cycles in life. In Feng Shui and Nine Star Ki lineages, we understand that energy shifts through cycles daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly.
In a world that seems to never slow down (particularly in Western Society), it is difficult to recognize these cyclical changes. In a “Rise and Grind” culture where technology is evolving at such a rapid pace, often making us available 24/7, how do we slow down? How do we reconnect with our natural rhythms? How do we experience the natural seasons of the earth and our lives?
For Much Love Interior’s 13th blog, let us give tribute to the ways we can reconnect to the patterns of nature.
(The photo credit for the image above goes to my cousin, Natasha. Showing four generations, her daughters, herself, her mom, and our grandma Pat, who is mentioned in the “About Me” section.)
Humans have visible transitions of cycles as we age. Lines and wrinkles form. Our hair changes color and texture. We start to feel achy in ways we never had before. This is part of life, and honoring our aging process will align us with the energy of the stage of life we are in. Just as it is normal to go through our aging process, we should in turn recognize the cyclical nature of life.
Time is not linear, it goes in cycles. Each season brings us new lessons. Sometimes we need to learn lessons repeatedly as we come back to recurring cycles. This only makes us wiser.
Each season of our lives has different elemental energy, according to Taoist teachings. In the autumn season, using metal in various ways will support the energy of the season. How else can we connect organically to the seasons?
Seasonal Transitions
Transitioning into shorter days often brings on Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. This can be a very depressing phenomenon and can be much more prevalent in regions of long winter months. If you are someone that suffers from SAD, you know too well how the change in seasons affects your mental state and well-being.
A few tips to help prevent the seasonal slump are:
- Do things to enjoy the winter season like sitting by a warm fire or reading a good book.
- Get cozy with hot beverages and warm sweaters.
- Sit under or near a sun lamp during days that you need an extra pick-me-up.
Through each season it is also important to nourish your body and eat intuitively for the season that you are currently in. This could mean that it is winter and you eat a lot of root vegetables or in the summer you eat more fruits.
If you are a woman in the menstruation phase of her cycle you might find eating comfort foods to be intuitive.
Do what your body intuitively feels drawn to do and eat seasonally and locally as often as possible.
Thirteen & Cycles
On the topic of menstruation, women typically have 13 menstruations per year. Each month a woman’s body will go through menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal phase. This cycle is closely aligned with the cycles of the moon for many women. it can also dictate energy levels just like the moon and seasons. Similar to menstruation phases, the moon is full 13 times every year and goes through four major lunation phases each month. We can admire this organic connection and recognize that a woman’s body continues to change as she ages, hitting menopause at a distinguished point in her life. All humans go through seasons that are connected with nature and the cosmos, not just women.
The best thing for us to do is to slow down and learn to recognize this connection. Learn to be more aware of the deep lows and slumps of winter energy, knowing that seeds will begin to sprout in the coming season of life. From the deep lows will come high-highs yet again.
