Autumn/Winter

Autumn is a beautiful season. The colours of the leaves falling from the trees are so vibrant and warm. Oranges, reds, browns and dark greens are painted upon the landscape, bringing in an earthly tone from the energetic summer. Naturally it feels like a period to connect back with the earth. We start to eat more root vegetables such as carrots and parsnips. Our meals tend to be heavier in autumn and winter, plenty of stews, homemade soups (using plenty of pulses) and bread helping to keep us warm and nourished through the dark months ahead. Autumn is a time for us to harvest what we have sown, not just vegetables and crops but also the plans and goals that we seeded back in the spring. Now is the season to take stock, assess and possibly re-evaluate and change direction. Maybe an idea or plan that seemed so important in the spring doesn’t actually feel as important now, if so then we need to continue to be flexible and allow ourselves to flow with what feels right in our gut (intuition) and continue to move forward at the pace that feels comfortable to us.

As autumn progresses into winter, we find we spend more time indoors (one because the weather can be so ghastly and two we are naturally moving with the cycle of the seasons.) Lots of animals hibernate, slow down and store extra food in their burrows and caves during the autumn and early winter. We naturally want to do the same to a degree! We nestle up to our central fire, feeling cosy and safe. Autumn and winter are the seasons to start our inward journey. With shorter, colder days and wetter weather we have more time to be inside our caves and think. A time to nurture and nourish ourselves as well as others, to have a little more quiet time and relaxation. Like the Fool in the mythical tarot, we await for the spring ready to move forward onto a new journey not knowing what to expect but an openness and innocence to accept and go with what comes along with our intuition within us acting as a bright beacon of light, showing us the way.

Wellbeing tips for autumn/winter..

1. Wrap up warm and go for a walk on the beach, in the countryside or in the woods.(you never know, you may even find some mushrooms or chestnuts)
2. Have a go at making some chutney or pickles from any excess vegetables you may have, it can be quite therapeutic.
3. Make some homemade soup using vegetables, lentils, butter beans or split peas. You could always make some bread to go with it.
4. Put on your favourite jumper and scarf and enjoy any dry days that come along, go out there and soak up those autumn vibes.
5. Colours such as red, orange, browns or dark greens are good for this time of year. If you wear some red it will energise you from your feet up, oranges can feel warming and energising, browns can feel earthy and grounding and greens can feel balancing and levelling. Observe what colours you like to wear most in the autumn and winter, it can tell you a lot about how your energy is.
6. Crystals to motivate, warm and support us during the darker winter months..
   Carnelian for motivation, Red Jasper to energise us and bring in warrior determination, Fossilized Wood to gently ground our energy bringing peace and restful sleep, Orange Selenite to lift our energy and lighten our mood (also Citrine can do the same), Rhodocrosite to support us and help our hearts to open with love and understanding, not just for others but also for ourselves too. Check out the menu and go to first aid crystals for more info on other crystals that could be useful.

- Handy Recipes for you