Autumn

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With every change in the seasons I am in awe at how the weather turns on a dime ~ moving from one season to the next. Last week, suddenly, Fall weather set in, and with it the light changed, different  scents fill the air, the leaves on the trees take on their colors, slightly foggy mornings, and a realization that the days are already a lot shorter than they were only four short weeks ago...
And with the change in the weather, it seems to be colder ~ something that is not necessarily the case; Autumn can bring the most wonderful, warm weather ~ and yet, the Fall energy makes us want to dress warmer, and turn the heater on just a little earlier in the evenings...

Summer is over, and the time of the harvest is upon us.

Not too long ago, Autumn was not only the time of harvest, but also the time when there was a feast of fresh fruits, new potatoes ~ a time when vegetables were canned or frozen so that we could enjoy the luxury of ‘out of season’ tastes throughout Winter.
Nowadays, at any point in the year there seems to be some place on the earth where a crop of fresh veggies or fruits is harvested. Nothing seems to be ‘out of season’ any longer ~ as long as you are willing to pay the price for transportation. The world is ‘getting smaller’.

This leaves me wondering about the time of harvest... No doubt that ripened fruits are harvested now, but there is not the anticipation of being able to buying the new, freshly picked crops anymore.
It seems that the significance of the time of harvest has been lost; if not changed.

A more spiritual perspective on the time of harvest is that we, mankind, as part of nature follow the same cycle through the seasons. Autumn then becomes a time in which we harvest ‘crops’ within ourselves, and within our lives.
And while it may not always seem like our harvest is as purposeful as the harvest of fruits or veggies, it may come in the form of finally seeing a solution for a problem, something we hadn’t been able to put our finger on before. Or a sudden realization of where we are heading in our lives. It can also come as the result of a project or process ~ something we have been working toward, but that hasn’t ‘payed off’ yet.

Whichever way it comes, like in the olden days the harvest is followed by a time of gratitude. It is therefore from a spiritual perspective as well as from a mundane, common sense perspective important to take time to see what you have accomplished ~ and to celebrate the achievement!

So, what have been your accomplishments, and how will you celebrate what you have achieved?
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