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Winter: the season of conservation, storage and rest
Many people associate winter with: colder weather, storms, snow, holidays, family, gifts, New Year’s etc… Farmers and gardeners are aware that this is the time of year to cultivate and harvest certain frost and freeze friendly…(read more)
Autumn: the season of maturity, harvest and conservation
In the prior article, we explored how the seasons are not fixed points that occur at the whims of man; rather they are natural events that occur according to God’s/universal laws. The seasons occur at different times from one year to the next, depending on the energy of each season. For instance, a season that is too strong (excessive energy) will weaken the following season causing such phenomenon as the late summer or Indian summer; which is the result of strong/excessive yang fire energy (summer) intruding into the fall season.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 mentions this change:
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. (King James Version, Regency Bible)”
Further elaboration on the nature of this change will have to wait for a future article so that we can focus on the season of autumn or fall.
What is important about autumn and how does it impact us?
Since man has a physical body and occupies a place in time and space, we are affected by elemental forces of both earthly and celestial influences. There is no denying this Universal Law; all one needs to do is observe how the lunar cycle influences a woman’s menstrual cycle, or how high tides are influenced by a full moon etc… No matter how much mankind may want to separate himself/herself from Nature, or deny the existence of Universal Laws and God, it will never change the fact that these laws do exist, and will impact humanity whether mankind likes it or not.
According to Huang Di (a great Taoist Sage and Emperor aka the Yellow Emperor):
“In the three months of autumn all things in nature reach their full maturity. The grains ripen and harvesting occurs. The heavenly energy cools, as does the weather. The wind begins to stir. This is the changing or pivoting point when the yang, or active, phase turns into its opposite, the yin, or passive, phase. One should retire with the sunset and arise with the dawn. Just as the weather in autumn turns harsh, so does the emotional climate. It is therefore important to remain calm and peaceful, refraining from depression so that one can make the transition to winter smoothly. This is the time to gather one’s spirit and energy, be more focused, and not allow desires to run wild. One must keep the lung energy full, clean, and quiet. This means practicing breathing exercises to enhance lung qi [energy]. Also, one should refrain from both smoking and grief, the emotion of the lung. This will prevent kidney or digestive problems in the winter. If this natural order is violated, damage will occur to the lungs, resulting in diarrhea with undigested food in winter. This compromises the body’s ability to store in winter. (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine by Maoshing Ni, PhD, p.6)”
One of the major areas of study in Taoism and among Taoists is observing the forces and nature of change and the impacts of that change on mankind, so that humanity can prepare for the change prior to its occurrence and adapt to it when it arrives. This is one of the secrets to health, longevity and illness prevention, as well as creating a peaceful life and world for all. Take Huang Di’s advice and observe the autumnal change, modify your lifestyle according to this season and you will have good health through winter.
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Did autumn already arrive for 2012?
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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