There’s something comforting about autumn.
Perhaps it’s the bounty of all the months spent growing food, and we all know that food is comfort. It’s also comforting to know that it’s that season of warm sweaters, flannel sheets and fireplaces. Doesn’t that visual want to make you curl up with a book in your favourite chair, wrapped in a warm throw blanket in front of the fire?
While it is common to think about cozy scarves and autumnal fruit pies, the symbolic meanings of autumn are more profound than you might think. Ancient cultures, science, and astrology have associated many aspects of this beautiful season to human life. These symbolic associations are powerful reminders that Mother Nature has an incredible influence on our lives.
As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, “The only constant is change.” Autumn reminds us that our bodies, minds, and surroundings are always developing. It focuses on the impermanence of life, emphasizing how vital it is to embrace the present. By doing so, we can savor what we have before it is gone.
I love that autumn teaches us that nothing lasts forever, but to appreciate all the things we have worked for/on over the past several months. As writers, are you now reaping or harvesting the fruits of your labour? Or perhaps winter is your writing season, when we’re stuck indoors. If you’re “stuck”, whether it’s writer’s block or you’re feeling discouraged, autumn is a good time to recalibrate. What do you still have time to accomplish before the year is out? Or have you spent too much time at your desk writing or in your own head, working on your novel? If so, maybe autumn is the perfect time to sit back and reflect on where you’re going with your writing before the bony months are upon us.
As the air turns cold, I find there’s nothing better than a good long walk because the cold sharpens everything to the bone, puts things in focus. Got something on your mind you’re trying to work out? A walk in the cold is perfect for that.
Savour the beauty of the changing colours, the scent of the dying leaves. Appreciate that change is inevitable. Take stock and stock up for the winter.
