SEASONAL INSIGHTS
Wheel of the Year, Fall Quarter: Harvest
BY LISA ADAMS
this eternal, natu- ral wisdom makes for greater flow and more fruitful out- comes; our endeav- ors become support- ed by natural energy cycles. We can start at any point along the Wheel of the Year if we acknowledge
Late Summer and Autumn mark the season of abundance in the so- lar-centered, agrarian-based calendar known as the Wheel of the Year. The Wheel of the Year is based on the eternal orbit of our Earth around the central star/Sun of our solar system, helping us track time according to the seasonal effects brought about by waxing and waning sunlight. Whether the Sun is waxing, waning, or at its most/least pow - erful, the amount of daylight hours determines the seasons, and our activities of living. The Wheel of the Year Our ancestors and past societal generations lived very different lifestyles centered on agrarian living. They had to know the seasons intimately, basing their activities (and survival) on the movement of the Sun, Moon, and Earth, as well as weather patterns. Our modern society is largely out of touch with these natural phenomena given that we live and work indoors mostly, rarely see the sun or moon (much less track them), and rely heavily on artificial lighting, technology, and consumer-based food access. Even as we live and work in modernity, we can still observe the constant change of cycles and seasons, forging a closer connection to Earth, the elements, and the environment. We also become more in- trinsically attuned to our own biorhythms and how those are affected by light, darkness, and the magnetics of planetary movement. For ex- ample, we know the moon affects ocean tides, people’s moods, and menstruation cycles. Each season contains wisdom and energy that informs what to fo- cus on, and in which activities to engage. Attuning one’s activities with
where we are along its cycle. We can also apply its agrarian principles metaphorically to projects and goals. You can look back to my other Pathways articles — Winter 2022 , Spring 2023 and Summer 2023 — and read about the seasonal cycles and apply the principles according- ly. For now, let’s look at Late Summer and Autumn. We find ourselves in the midst of Harvest Season. Harvest Season Our plans for the year, our goals, and our actual plantings are bear- ing fruit. This is the time to take stock, reassess, and separate the ac- tual and metaphorical wheat from the chaff. Our work and toil are paying off, and we continue toiling towards the culmination of growth. Harvest is time for gratitude and for seeing things through to comple- tion. Harvest also calls us to reflect and go within, even as it requires energy output and continued work. If you are growing vegetables, you are (most likely) directly en -
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28—PATHWAYS—Fall 23
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