seasons and changes always cycle through
I have always loved Autumn. I love the changing seasons, the crisp air and crunch of fallen leaves, the Indian Summer days and cold nights, the way the sky changes colour from high blue cloudlessness to low and close darkness with stars that seem to flash brighter at midnight, the rings around the moon as moisture gathers in the atmosphere, warm sweaters and hot soup on the stove and baking treats in the oven. For many of us who follow the seasons as part of our spiritual practice, this is the time when our calendar renews; this is the end of the old year and the start of a new year. This is the time when we honour those we have lost, our fallen and our dead. This is not a morbid or horrifying time but one when we celebrate what those loved ones gave to us, taught us, shared with us. We remember them sometimes with sorrow and sometimes with longing but often also with joy and laughter as we tell the stories of our shared past, even if only to ourselves. We are not always lucky enough to have a community to share this time with, this transition and renewal, and so we celebrate and remember and move forward in quiet solitary ceremonies. This Samhain I know some people I care about are dealing with past loss and impending loss, they are doing so with family close and all alone, they are doing the best they can in difficult times. For the two of you I am thinking of particularly, know that you are loved and held close, even from afar. Brightest Blessings to all of us for a new year that brings more joy and more healing and more abundance.