The scent of autumn dancing in the breeze

Let go and watch yourself become brand new

The Branches of Wisdom are consciously infused with divine feminine wisdom, mindful rituals and well-being practices to allow you to simply be.

As I glance out of the kitchen window the trees sway in the wind, showering down yellow, crisp leaves as if it’s rain. The air feels damp and cooler, we’ve had monsoon like rain for days, rumblings of thunder, flashes of lightening and as I make my morning tea and feed Lola I know the season has inevitably changed. And I do not feel ready. Not quite yet.

We’ve had some time out and last week enjoyed a visit to the seaside, soaking up the last rays of summer sun and sea air on the South Coast. This was a special, restorative trip revisiting the place where I spent many of my childhood summer holidays, with weeks and weeks by the coast at the Witterings in West Sussex with my family. We’d typically be here along with our grandparents and extended family from Easter until the end of the summer holidays, enjoying endless days together on the beach. What makes it even more special is many of the shops and places we’d visit as children are still there today. It is a nostalgic step back in time. Before we came home I made sure to purchase some of our favourite rhubarb and custard sweets and delicious fudge, wrapped in pink and white pin-stripe paper bags from the sweet shop that is exactly the same all these years later.

So last week t’shirts, shorts and flip-flops and this chunky sweaters, jeans and woolly socks, what a contrast. In the UK it felt as though our summer never really had the opportunity to get going, and so suddenly this seemingly overnight shift has plunged us into the vibes of autumn long before many of us are ready. Including me.

I always find this a tricky time of year, being a spring baby means envisaging the dark days to come makes Mel Melancholy. With the shorter, cooler days and less time being outdoors the thought of a long winter ahead fills my soul with dread. Tipping my mood towards the depths of darkness. Maybe you feel this too?

Nature is essential for my well-being, keeps me going and my lifts my spirits so I am definitely a light seeker at heart but I know it can’t be summer all year round, can it?

Several years ago Mr M encouraged me to see this shift differently when he pointed out that if the seasons didn’t change how boring our days would be. A simple truth isn’t it but made me try to reconsider how I think and feel. So with this is mind as I’ve learned more about the rhythm of nature and adapting to seasonal shifts, now I choose to seek out what is uplifting for me, to switch on my senses, notice the obvious and subtle changes and flow with it rather than desperately trying to cling on to what is long gone. Not always easy but it helps.

And then autumn came bringing another ending and stripping me of everything I once knew. She whispered: there is beauty in change, let go and watch yourself become brand new.

There’s the scent of autumn dancing in the breeze.

Late summer brought us an abundance of blackberries in the garden and next to the water nearby, so we spent several enjoyable afternoons with punnets in hand, picking so many that our freezer is still full of bags waiting to be eaten. So far we’ve made delicious jam, crumbles, eaten with yoghurt for breakfast and have given some of our bounty to our loved ones to enjoy too. Blackberry picking what a satisfying and a simple activity. Now the harvest is almost over they are dying off, the last of the plump berries left for the birds to enjoy and the leaves are shrivelling and turning yellow. Our pear tree on the other hand isn’t quite as abundant and has one lone pear on it, I am hopeful it will be a good one.

The colours, the scents and the scenery of the landscape changing before our eyes.

This is a time to notice, pause and take in the scenery changing around and within us.

What do you see?

How do you feel?

The mornings are darker, cooler and crisp. With the scent of decaying foliage in the air, moss creeps around the branches of the trees, ivy is flowering and trailing through the hedges with wasps buzzing zooming in and out. And then there’s the silky cobwebs catching the light and filled with morning dew. There is so much in flux and for us to notice. Mother nature is letting go.

As well as picking blackberries I have been collecting the last of the rose petals to dry and press. This is the first time I’ve attempted this and am relishing the process. Delicately placing the dried petals into picture frames to scatter around the house as a reminder of what bloomed this summer. I am also currently drying lavender and have carefully placed some of the buds into small pouches that smell divine. Next I am focusing on drying some of the garden herbs to use through the winter, so far I have rosemary, sage, mint and oregano. In my spare time I seem to be evolving into a medicine woman.

Out walking you notice the foliage is emerging with bright yellows, russets and orange appearing, heather is coming into bloom. The bushes lighting up the paths especially when the sunlight reaches them. A gorgeous colour spectacle right before your eyes.

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower – Albert Camus

Bringing the outdoors in

As our outdoor activity subsides I am bringing the outdoors in and draping fairy lights around the house, sharing their soft glow into the evening as the sun sets making the early evenings feel more cozy and warm. The Danish encourage this with Hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) which creates an atmosphere of well-being and cosiness. Where you feel at peace and able enjoy the simple pleasures of the season by being in the moment.

As summer dances with Autumn, dear September, sweep us into fall

These little rituals and activities helps to make this seasonal shift far more enjoyable, gently drawing energy inwards and grounding me day-by-day through this transitional process. As well as nature seeking out warming, nourishing foods homemade soups will soon be back on the menu. There is plenty to enjoy isn’t there about this season, as I open myself up more and more to it. But late summer isn’t a distant memory nor completely over yet, there will still be plenty to enjoy as we move on. Sometimes we can be rewarded with glorious blue skies and sunshine well into October.

Our minds, bodies and soul’s need to gently and softly transition, release and let go, not be rushed or forced forwards. Meaning we can move into the season ahead with less resistance and more joy, flow and ease.

What doesn’t help our seasonal transitions is being rushed into the next one before it’s time. The retailers may be already stacking their shelves with mince pies, Christmas puddings and tins of chocolate, but for now let us embrace and enjoy the season we are in.

Simply being and flowing with what is seems to be the ideal remedy for seasonal melancholy. It’s working it’s magic on me that maybe autumn isn’t so bad after all.

Until next time.

Mel

Falling Leaf Charm

If you catch a failing leaf in your hand before it hits the ground, it is said to be a good luck charm from mother nature herself.

Press the leaf into a book and carry it with you through the season.

You’ll have good luck, safety and find more gifts on your path.

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