"Where am I?" asked the one.
"You are half way between light and dark," answered the all knowing.
"What do I do here?" asked the one.
"You find yourself," answered the all knowing.
While many of us on the east coast in the northern hemisphere are sleeping, the autumn equinox will occur. The time that marks the midpoint between summer and winter, night and day, above and below. It is a time when, historically much attention is paid to preparation. While a lot of this preparation is for physical safety, health and wellbeing for the dark, cold days to come, the soul is also preparing internally to manifest the courage to face these days ahead. The coming of winter marks the dark time for the soul. Gone are the distractions of summer. No more are the skies aglow with the dancing of fireflies and shooting stars. Now, the days end earlier and earlier. The night grows longer and it can become very hard to face ones demons, the things about oneself that provide us with the biggest lessons and opportunities to grow. And, this growth can be painful, challenging and scary.
So think of marking this transition to autumn with activities, mantras and meditations to bring you strength and courage to face the darkness ahead. Remember that self care is a vital activity to preserving your strength, health and wellness. Set a mantra and say it at the same time each day. Being consistent in this fortifies your strength of resolve. Consider new ways to boost your immune system. Go to bed a little earlier or find an herbal tisane that helps strengthen your immune function, take elderberry syrup.
And meditate on the things you observe about yourself. Do you seem to repeatedly face a similar challenge? Do you have chronic ailments that may be pointing to a larger challenge? Start to see these through new eyes and see that as opportunities to overcome. Dragons to slay.
In the end, this time not scary but is an opportunity. And remember you are not alone, we in this area of the world, are all facing this right now. So reach out to friends or professionals to help. Start a weekly book club, or knitting group. All these type of interactions help bring light to these dark times.
Thank you for reading these musings, I hope it can bring awareness to the idea that we are all connected to the universe and nature. Blessings and strength to you all.
Fermented Elderberry Honey Recipe:
1 cup of fresh or frozen elderberries
8 -12oz of local (to you) raw honey
1 quart mason jar
Parchment Paper
Canning ring
Put the rinsed berries in the mason jar and cover with the honey. Stir to ensure that all the berries are coated. Cover the jar with parchment and screw on the ring to seal the parchment. Invert the jar to ensure all the berries are coated. Re invert and sit on the counter in a cool, dark spot for 3-4 days. After this time you should see little bubbles forming around the berries. You may notice the honey getting thinner. You may need to "burp" the jar as the fermentation gets underway. After about 7 days, strain the berries out of the honey. (You may reserve the berries and make tea with them.) Seal the honey with a proper lid and store in the fridge. Take a tablespoon or two as part of your strengthening self care mantra.
