How to live harmoniously in Autumn
When we observe Nature, we see that it works in cycles for example day and night, the four seasons, and so on. In the West, we have grown up with the idea that life is meant to be lived in a linear fashion, a constant ever-onward slog of progress towards some unspecified ultimate destination.
This is a result of some prevailing ideologies within our cultures - the religious idea of history as a progression from creation towards the ultimate judgement, and also the scientific/ political idea that humanity has come from the primitive and is heading towards an ever better, more technologically advanced civilisation built on the progress and endless economic growth.
But is this really how Nature and the world works? Nope, things tend to actually work in cycles - the day is a cycle of light and darkness, the month is a cycle from new moon to full moon and back again, the year is a cycle of seasons, human history is often the cycle of empires that rise and fall, women have their monthly cycle, and our lives are a cycle of birth, growth, maturity, decline, and death.
We can learn from Nature’s wisdom too and seek to live our lives in harmony with it by following a life of cycles, of rhythms. One of the most obvious ways of doing this is to live seasonally.
What is seasonal living?
Seasonal living is choosing to live a life in harmony with the seasons e.g. spring, summer, autumn, and winter. It is changing the way we live, the foods we eat, the activities we do, and so on, in line with the changes of the seasons.
There is a natural rhythm and wisdom to the year. Spring is very much about rebirth and renewal, summer is about growth and energy, autumn is about slowing down and harvesting, while winter is about rest and preparation for the next year. It is a cycle we can follow in our own lives too.
Autumn
Autumn is my favourite time of the year. I didn’t use to have a favourite season but as I’ve adopted a lifestyle of more seasonal living and aligning with Nature’s cycles, i’ve come to really enjoy the beauty and abundance of this season.
So how can we actually do this? What are some ways to live in harmony with nature’s rhythms in the Autumn?
1. Home
Autumn is the season of coziness. As the weather begins to cool down and we spend more time indoors, it is the time to enjoy getting cozy at home. The Danes, apparently the happiest people on earth despite their long cold winters, have a great word for this - Hygge. It means something like coziness and togetherness, and that is arguably the best way to get through cold dark times. There are plenty of books that have been written recently on this concept of Hygge, and we will explore their wisdom in future blog but for now let’s talk about some practical ways to make your home more Hygge for this season.
Living in harmony with Nature means trying not to consume too many of the world’s resources by buying a lot of stuff, however, in this case there are some things you might want to consider buying.
The first is light - a cozy home means warm lights - candles, lanterns, fairy lights, fireplaces e.t.c, not the harsh bright overhead lights that we are used to in our homes. Investing in these things can really change the atmosphere in your home and bring a sense of coziness. It’s not for nothing that Danes are the biggest consumers of candles in the world.
Of course, you may choose to make your own candles instead and that would be much better for the environment (not to mention you can ensure the scents come from non-toxic sources such as essential oils).
The other thing you may need to purchase is textiles - think rugs, throws, pillows, anything that will enable you to cozy up with in bed or on the sofa. Try to go for ones that have the colours of the season - browns, oranges, reds e.t.c.
Finally, think about scents - essential oils in a diffuser work wonderfully (a mix of orange, pine, cloves and cinnamon are great), you can buy scented candles or you can create a simmer pot full of autumnal fruits and spices to heat on the stove all day (but be careful on the gas bill).
Of course, you don’t need to spend a lot of money making your home cozy. Much coziness can be found by bringing nature indoors - go and collect some pinecones, fallen leaves, and acorns from a local park or woodland, and place them around your home or on a nature altar. Pick up apples, squashes, or pumpkins from your local store or farmers market. Get some branches from trees with rosehips or berries on, and put them in a vase or jar. Buy some fresh flowers like sunflowers. Take some photos of Autumn scenes and put them in a picture frame. Create crafts from the things you find in nature like an autumn wreath or garland.
Ultimately try to make your home feel as cozy and warm as possible with the decorations you choose.
2. Food
Living seasonally means eating seasonally. Autumn is a great time for eating seasonally as it’s the time of the harvest. What is in season now? Pumpkins and Squashes, apples, pears and grapes, nuts and seeds, potatoes and root veggies, and grains. There is so much abundance around.
But it’s also getting colder, so it’s a time for eating a lot more warming foods - think soups and stews, casseroles and chillis. Pumpkin soup, baked apples, veggie chilli, potato dishes, and so on.
It’s also a great time for baking - apples and berries are in abundance. Think apple pies or berry crumbles. You can also use the fruits to make jams or other preserves. Because this is also the time we associate with many spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, it’s a great time to bake things like cinnamon rolls or gingerbread.
And don’t forget those drinks - mulled cider, pumpkin spice latte’s, hot chocolate, and of course, wine.
Find out what foods are in season in your area or visit a local farmers market/farm shop.
3. Activities
One thing I love to do for each season is make a bucket list of activities I’d like to do for that season. Autumn offers many fun activities to try out. Here are some ideas to get you started…
Visit a pumpkin patch and pick out a pumpkin or two for decorating/carving
Visit an apple orchard and pick some apples. Then come home and bake them into an apple pie.
Visit a wine orchard and do a wine-tasting tour
Go leaf peeping - visit a woodland or somewhere with particularly beautiful leaf colours.
Go for a walk and notice the changes going on in nature right now.
Go foraging for fruits and berries and use them to make preserves like Plum Jam or Elderberry Syrup (which is great for the immune system in the coming cold days).
Change your background on your phone and desktop to autumn themes, or make an autumn themed mood-board (pinterest is a great help for this).
Walk some Autumn movies such as the Dead Poets Society, Coco, and Harry Potter, or TV series such as Gilmore Girls or Virgin River. If you like scary or horror movies, this is a the perfect time to watch them too - it is spooky season after all.
With the darker nights, it is a great time to spend reading autumn-inspired books - from cozy fantasy’s to thrilling mysteries.
Go stargazing, have a bonfire, or marvel at the harvest moon.
Wrap up warm with cozy autumnal socks and jumpers.
4. Celebrate
There are so many celebrations going on at this time of year - from harvest celebrations to halloween.
Nutting day on September 14th was a traditional day to gather nuts.
The Autumn Equinox (around 21st Sept) is a great time to make a list of what you are grateful for and have an autumn celebration feast. It’s also international hobbit day so you might want to incorporate that into your celebrations.
Michaelmas on 29th September was the day to pull up the carrots and have a feast.
The Full Harvest moon is celebrated in a variety of cultures as a time to go and gaze up at the moon, and especially to enjoy it’s reflection on the sea or other body of water. It was also traditionally celebrated with poetry so it’s a great time to write a poem.
In addition to harvest, many cultures also focus on death and the ancestors at this time so perhaps you could make an ancestor altar to remember family members who have passed on.
Halloween - a great time to go trick or treating, carve a pumpkin and bob for apples. Maybe go on a ghost hunt too.
There are so many things we can do to live more seasonally and celebrate at this time, but despite this, remember this is also a time for slowing down, just as nature is slowing down, for letting go just as the trees are letting go of their leaves, and for feeling grateful for all that you have harvested in this year.
How are you planning to slow down and celebrate this autumn season?