Today, Wednesday September 21st, is the last day of astronomical summer (meteorological summer ended on August 31st). The Equator has the sun directly overhead tomorrow.
On Thursday, the Northern and Southern Hemispheres get approximately the same amount of daylight, and until we meet back here for the Vernal Equinox in March, the North will be darker, and the South lighter. Then we will swap daylight again.
It’s one thing to know the astronomical reason we have seasons, but it’s another thing entirely to feel their transitions on your skin, to breathe it in the air, and to witness their beautiful moment of change. For me, the fall is an especially tangible shift.
Here’s how I think about the seasons:
Winter is retreat. In the cozy glow of lamps or fireplaces, there is the slow growth of roots, and preparing to be renewed. Time is deeper and so is our breathing it seems.
Spring is energy. It’s about dashing outside and delighting in that warmth and all the new green. Spring snaps you to attention, and brings even the most committed introvert to the surface.
Summer is unhurried play. It’s about finding shade, and getting your feet wet in a cool stream. Summer is nourishing, rich, lush, and broad. It reaches everywhere at once, including your bones. And just as the heat begins to tire you….
Fall.
Autumn is noticing. Everything is crisper in the fall, including our ability to observe and take in new things. It’s about knowing and taking the time to see. We get to witness each other again without squinting against the sun, and if we are willing, we come to understand what to take forward into the darker days and what to leave behind.
For me, there is the thrill of a brief encounter with a migrating warbler, and this year, so many different types of butterflies dancing through the front yard while I prepare the flower beds for rest. I am so very happy to see this.
The cooler mornings are perfect for warm tea on the porch, though bare feet will tuck back into slippers sometime soon. The crickets grow a little quieter, the blinds are closed earlier, and my lava lamp gets more attention. The fire pit looks inviting again.
Fall is for braising and for walks. For friends and flannel. For rakes not shovels.
I can’t wait.
Soooo beautifully written, Anne... truly!
Oh my gosh this is beautiful.....