In the western/modern calendar, the seasonal solstice/equinox is treated as a stagnant occurrence that is as routine and unimportant as the days of the week. People are told that September 22, is the beginning of autumn; a logical question could be: why is September 22 the first day of autumn, why not the 19th or 25th or any other day in September, or even another month.

Contrary to what many people think in the “modern world”, man does not determine the proper order of the seasons and the seasons do not occur according to political ambitions or on a set day every year.

A fundamental natural law, observed by Taoists, is that everything in the universe is in a constant state of change, and nothing remains the same or constant with the exception of change itself. It is with this law in mind, that we are faced with the irony in the modern observance of the solstices, equinoxes and the first day of the seasons.

September 22, 2012 is recognized as the Autumnal Equinox, however, the equinox does not represent the first day of the season; it is actually the peak or height of the season, when the season’s energy is the most full and active. This means that every day after September 22, we are moving one day closer to winter, as the energy of winter slowly begins to build (or retreat depending on the perspective).

According to the Taoist and Classical Chinese calendars, August 7, 2012 was the first day of autumn. The Taoist calendar is based on observing the natural cycles and changes of the Sun (Solar), Moon (Lunar) and Stars (Celestial) in relation to the Earth/Earthly changes and has been used for thousands of years. This is in contrast to the Western calendar that was established by Julius Caesar and later modified by Pope Gregory XIII to create the modern Gregorian calendar.

If you look outside and closely observe nature you will begin to see the signs of autumn already in action, leaves are beginning to change in many parts of the country, animals are beginning to prepare for hibernation, birds are already flying south, and the cool winds and cold fronts are taking shape as well. Nature is responding to the autumnal change that began its influence over a month ago.

In the next article we will explore what the autumn season represents and how it can impact our health.

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