Autumn begins on the equinox which falls on Sunday, September 22 this year. The word equinox comes from the Latin equi (meaning equal) and nox (meaning night), marking the time when day and night are of equal length. We notice that the nights become longer than the days at the autumn equinox, until this is reversed at the spring equinox.
We typically think of the word, “fall” as the North American version of the word ‘autumn’, but it was in widespread usage in England. Originally the phrase ‘fall of the leaf’ was used for the season until the 17th century in England. The word autumn comes from the French automne and became popular in English in the 18th century.
The fall season is symbolic of change. In ancient civilizations, life changed with the seasons. In winter, farmers would rest, in spring they would prepare the land and plant seeds. In summer, farmers would protect their crops. In the fall, they would harvest the land. This cycle would repeat year after year. Fall represents a change of direction. Less planting, more harvest. Less daylight, more darkness. Our way of being must change to adapt to our biological needs.
Unlike the outward growth and flourishing we witness in spring, autumn is often associated with a more introspective and contemplative journey. Fall has become the time of year that symbolizes the process of turning inward and engaging in activities that nourish the soul. Like the trees that gracefully shed their leaves, autumn signifies a season of letting go. Fall beckons us to take stock of our lives and release what no longer serves us in our relationships and habits. As the world outside begins to slow down and become quiet, we turn inward and create spaces of refuge and renewal.
Fall is the season that invites us to reconnect with the earth to approach the coming days with a renewed sense of balance and purpose. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, autumn is the season where warmth and shelter become important.
This autumn the third floor of my house will be experiencing a renewal. My granddaughters have expressed an interest in decorating the bedrooms on that floor for sleepovers. They are gathering decorative items from all over the house to personalize their rooms. Our third floor is basically a storage dump for my four children’s childhood belongings and other stuff that we can’t bring ourselves to send to the dump. We all spent a couple of hours there this weekend going through trunks and boxes. It was like a treasure hunt for the children, they found it very entertaining. We introduced them to our method of getting things from the third floor to the first floor, simply drop it over the banister. They loved it. I’m glad that my husband and I have kept this six bedroom house, it has always been my dream to have my grandchildren love it as much as we do.
Kate Emery General is a retired chef/restaurant owner who was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. Kate loves her grandchildren, knitting, and watercolor painting. Kate and her husband, Matt are longtime residents of Cambridge’s West End where they enjoy swimming and bicycling.
