The power and wisdom of Autumn
How do you feel in Autumn and what do you make this mean?
Are you aware of an inner Autumn in your life?
Now I have to say I love Autumn. I love the glorious autumnal colours that provide a vibrant tapestry of rich reds, golden yellows, and deep oranges. I love the crisp chill to the wind that wakes you up and carries just a hint of the scent of earth and fallen leaves.
As a child I loved stomping through the crispy leafy carpet (well ok I still love this – you are never too old). And as the season progresses the allure of pumpkin spiced drinks, squashes and spices inspiring the meals that grace the table, and the coziness that creeps into, and is indicative of, Autumn evenings. I mean, what is not to like?
The draw to be out and about as the climate cools, the call of those crunchy leaves and the freshness of that Autumnal air lures us outside to enjoy nature at such a spectacular time. And, increasingly, there is evidence to suggest that time in nature, reduces our stress, improves sleep and clarity of thinking, benefits our relationships and generally improves our sense of happiness and wellbeing [1].
Yet, despite this love of all things Autumn, and currently feeling the onset of my own inner Autumn as the season emerges, I find I am feeling the need to consider more specifically exactly why this season speaks to me on such a deep level.
The nature of cycles
It is easy to forget in the business of our modern and accelerated world [2], with all those competing priorities and constant pressures to do more, be more and move faster, that we are impacted by cycles. Our physical, emotional and mental wellbeing are inextricably linked with our natural environments [3] [4].
Fundamentally, we are nature and, therefore, it stands to reason that natural cycles likes seasons must have a deep influence.
Yet, while a few of the impacts of seasonal changes on human behaviours are more loosely considered within personality psychology, cultural psychology and developmental psychology, seasonal psychology is still very much undervalued[5]. Which seems surprising, particularly when an academic paper published by Hohm et al.[6] exploring seasonal phenomena and human responses, hints that people within tribal and nomadic communities appear entirely different in terms of behaviour, attitudes and personality depending on the season. But what does this mean for the rest of us, if anything?
All of nature, including us mere humans, constantly move through cycles and seasons each with their own flavour, purpose, gifts and challenges. Consciously considering the feel of this within ourselves allows us to be more present with the ebb and flow of life. If we aware of the pattern and armed with the knowledge as one inner season stops another begins in a continuous, endless cycle, then we can start to plan and work with this, rather than resisting and fighting our own natures.
Acknowledge the impacts of inner seasons helps us to feel more comfortable with change. We become more aware there is a time best placed for looking inward, reflecting and taking stock, a time for being more out there in the world birthing new ideas and creating, a time for rest, death and rebirth.
As we begin to understand the profound gifts of each season that influences our psychology, emotional states and governs our actions and choices. Attuning to and working with these inner seasons and cycles, lessens frustrations and resentments and supports us in working towards happier, joyful, and more productive lives. It brings a sense of balance and harmony, self-awareness and self-acceptance.
Yet, the impacts of inner seasons often remain unconscious or like background noise to the louder clamour that competes for attention day-to-day. However, what if this wasn’t the case? What if you made space to embrace the gifts and challenges of each season and applied this within yourself, your work and your life? What would, or could, this mean to you?
Clues in history and culture
Traditionally, Autumn is the time of harvest. For many it is most notably celebrated in the form of harvest festivals and thanksgiving celebrations, where thanks and gratitude are expressed for the abundance and bounty of the Earth. Historically, it was also seen as a time of freedom from working and toiling on the land, a time to reap what has been sown and take stock and to reflect [7].
The messages of Autumnal celebrations really could not be clearer. It is seen as a time of sharing whether this be with family and friends, or donating produce and supplies to those who may be in need. It is a time of stopping, pausing the relentlessness of life to take a breath, to appreciate all that has gone before. To welcome in and be thankful, to feel gratitude for the abundance and bounty in our lives.
The Autumn equinox also bares mention here. Aligning closely with the sprit of celebration and the harvest, the equinox denotes the time of year when the days become shorter and the nights draw out. This draws attention the balance of light and dark metaphorically and quite literally. With the practicality of shoring-up stocks and supplies in our larders for winter, we might also be tempted to consider how we have shorn-up our energy and vitality through the Summer months, to replenish our mind, body, spirts and hearts as we head into Autumn and Winter.
Wisdom of nature in Autumn
Autumn is a time for renewal, where nature works in tandem to bring balance and natural order. Trees and plants are experts at balancing the time they give to each phase of their life cycle to maximise the potential for growth, health and survival. They know when to grow leaves and flower, when to pollinate and produce fruit, then when to lose their leaves and hunker down, becoming dormant through Winter [8].
The trees undergo deep changes at a cellular level during the Autumn in preparation for winter. Deciduous trees shed their leaves to conserve energy, to help prevent water loss and reduce the risk to branches snapping due leaves catching in the wind. They reabsorb anything needed elsewhere from the leaf, before the leaf slowly dies [9]. As the trees relinquish their hold on what no longer serves them, their leaves are caught by the wind. Gentle breezes dislodge leaves that are already loose, while stronger gusts can send them swirling to the ground, where they can benefit the surrounding ecosystem.
Within the animal kingdom some species will eat and fatten-up for hibernating throughout Winter, others will give birth in the autumn taking advantage of the richer bounty of the season, while others still will mate in Autumn preparing for a spring birth.
Amongst these strong messages from nature of transformation, release, rebirth and preparation, it is easy to see why we may find echoes of the same within ourselves.
Characteristics of an inner Autumn
Ok, so I can hear you all asking where am I going with all of this, how does this relate to coaching, self-discovery and transformational work?
Well, bear with me and lets see if we can get there together.
It may be you, like me, are experiencing a strong inner call to reconnect with yourself. By turning your focus inward, you have the opportunity to reflect on who you are, where you are in your life, what is working and not working in your world. You can explore how well you are nourishing your connections and relationships with self, others and the world around you, and most importantly what you are making all of this mean?
Perhaps you started a new job, entered a new relationship, began a new project (maybe even in the Spring), or began your self-development journey to create a different life for a different you. Autumn is the perfect time to consider how this is going. What has worked? How far have you come? What are your success?
This could be a time of reconnection and reconceptualisation as you reflect and quite literally take stock and consider your inner harvest and what this means to you. It is, most importantly, a time to celebrate you and all that you have achieved. And to celebrate your cheerleaders, your partners, your people, the ones in your life who are most important to you.
You might ask yourself:
What is bountiful and abundant in my life?
What and who am I most grateful for and why?
What have I achieved and what rewards can I reap already?
What could I share or give back to the people around me, my family, my community in thanks for what I have?
An inner Autumn is also a time for release and transformation, a time to consider what is no longer serving you, to release old stories and patterns of behaviour, to reimagine, reinvent, grow and transform.
As you reconnect with your inner wisdom you may find it is time to let go of stresses and anxieties, of old hurts and resentments, all those things that weigh you down, steal your peace of mind, zap your energy and cast a shadow over your joys. Shake them off, prune them away, let them fall like your own leaves to the ground.
You may find a desire to say goodbye and let go of situations, relationships or experiences that have become toxic, or where you feel unsafe, unheard, unaccepted or unloved.
I don’t know about you, but I find in my inner Autumn and Winter, I am much less inclined to compromise, to people-please, to pretend to fit where I clearly don’t, or to accept things that are really not ok. It is at time to be aware of how you show-up in your life, whether this aligns with who you are and who you want to be, and whether this resonates with your unique, inspired and authentic self.
Autum provides the opportunity to integrate all the different parts of yourself, new knowledge, new growth, new skills, new thoughts and new ways of being. It is a time to befriend your inner critic, to face the light and dark within, which while challenging will support inner strength, resilience and lasting growth and transformation.
In short, Autumn is the time to prepare for you own inner Winter. And, while this transformative process may feel difficult, challenging and scary, it can also feel exciting, reinvigorating and be accompanied by a new sense of freedom. A lightness of spirit even.
Developing self-awareness and self-compassion strengths your roots and provides a strong grounded foundation for future growth and transformation. Afterall, the caterpillar enters the chrysalis and probably does not feel all that comfortable while they transform, and then they have to push their way into a brave new world where they have to learn how to fly and be a butterfly.
You might ask yourself:
What stories still have power over me and my life? Are they still true?
Who and what drains my energy?
Where and with who do I feel at my most powerful?
What do I need to release because it no longer serves me?
Where do I still need and want to place my time and energy?
Where am I balanced and where can I reclaim balance in my life to prepare for Winter?
How can I nourish the light and shadow, in myself and my life to transform and grow?
Concluding Autumnal reflections
This Autumn I will be honouring my own inner call to reconnect with myself and reflect on my own inner harvest. I think there is much that I will be sweeping away and releasing in all the nooks and crannies’ of my life. I have new adventures to experience and maybe this notion of release, transformation, growth and rebirth is what I like about most Autumn. I get to reimagine and reinvent myself and my life, to reconceptualise my experience and take time to notice what is abundant in my life and be grateful for what truly matters. I get to honour those around me who have been part of my journey and give back where I can.
And lets be honest, if nothing else then roast squash, crunchy leafy walks, crisp fresh air and a kaleidoscope of breath taking colures awaits!
If you plan to join me this Autumn listening to the whispers (and possibly even shouts) of your own inner Autumn, and if you would like support with this or with any other aspect of your transformational journey, then I would love to hear from you. As a coach at Curiously-U, I actively encourage you to be curious, to wonder and to explore your inner landscape. If you want to find out more, lets connect.
A final thought, from Donna Ashworth:
“And so begins the season of letting go, when Mother Nature shows us all, how it’s done.
Let go, free yourself, shake it off, drop it, give way for the new.
Create space for new thoughts, new ideas, new adventures and new connections, by shedding the dead weight you’ve been carrying around for so long.
And whilst you are there, being reborn and renewed, let go of old anxieties too.
Let go of any doubts, fears or beliefs which no longer serve you well.
Release bitterness or past hurts which feast on your beauty.
Be brave. Don’t fear the nakedness as your leaves slip away.
Mother Nature doesn’t, watch and learn”.[10]
References
[1] Bratman et al. (2019) Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective. Science Advances. 5(7). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax0903
[2] Rosa, H. (2020) The uncontrollability of the world. Polity Press.
[3] Mcphie, J. (2019) Mental health and wellbeing in the Anthropocene. Palgrave Macmillan.
[4] Bratman et al. (2019) Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective. Science Advances. 5(7). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax0903
[5] Hohm, I. et al. (2024) ‘Homo temporus: Seasonal Cycles as a Fundamental Source of Variation in Human Psychology’, Perspectives on psychological science, 19(1), pp. 151–172.
[6] Hohm, I. et al. (2024) ‘Homo temporus: Seasonal Cycles as a Fundamental Source of Variation in Human Psychology’, Perspectives on psychological science, 19(1), pp. 151–172.
[7] New World Encyclopedia (n.d) Harvest Festival. available at: https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Harvest_festival?utm_content=cmp-true (Accessed: 8th October 2024).
[8] Webber, S. (2023) The science of Autumn. Available at: https://www.creatingtomorrowsforests.co.uk/blog/the-science-of-autumn (Accessed 8th October 2024).
[9] Webber, S. (2023) The science of Autumn. Available at: https://www.creatingtomorrowsforests.co.uk/blog/the-science-of-autumn (Accessed 8th October 2024).
[10] Ashworth, D. (n.d) Hello September the season of letting go. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/donnaashworthwords/posts/hello-septemberthe-season-of-letting-goand-so-begins-the-season-of-letting-gowhe/612313060257427/ (Accessed 8th October 2024).
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