And then the sun took a step back, the leaves lulled themselves to sleep, and autumn awakened. -Raquel Franco
Hello there, my friend.
Ahhhhh… September.
This month means everything to me. Not only because I am a September baby, but also because it is the opening of the season of the soul. And this mellow, contemplative soul couldn’t be more excited about the arrival of September. Now is time to begin to turn inward. Time soon to cross through the autumn equinox, celebrate the second harvest, enter the dark half of the year, and fall into the moody magic of the coziest time of the year.
And, like every year at this time, I am so ready. Ready for aaaalllll of the autumn things. You know what I’m talking about. You know what they are. Ready for the moody beauty of foggy mornings, the magical flicker of candles, the cozy feeling of blankets, the cool, chilly air, the earthy smell of fallen leaves, and the warm, spicy, yummy soups, coffees, ciders, and casseroles of the season.
But, this September I am more ready than ever. This September actually means more to me than usual. For me, this month marks a milestone and a rite of passage.
On the 24th I celebrate my 50th birthday - and it feels so very huge to me. Not in a bad way, though. Instead, it is a birthday that calls to me to settle deep into my soul. Deeper than I have ever dared to go. I feel drawn to explore all of who I am and who I am also becoming. I feel called to celebrate this month with ritual, meditation, and contemplation as I close out one half of my life and enter another. But, more about all of this a bit later in the letter (and, I’m sorry, dear friend, all month long. *wink wink*).
Anyway, I mention my birthday in order to be transparent and open about the fact that this huge threshold grounds and influences much of what I am feeling about this particular September and this particular autumn season. However, as always, much of what I will share with you today, and all season long, is also deeply rhythmic. The energies and moods and traditions and folklore of each autumn return with each cycle around the sun. And so, today, we all are invited to settle in again to the cozy, soulful mood of September.
Energy wanes and nature prepares to rest
September signals to us that change is in the air.
When the “-ber” months arrive, the energy of the earth shifts and the seasons start to change. Gone are the bright, active days of spring’s colorful blooming and summer’s abundant growth. Now, is the time to welcome the slow, moody, inward energy of the darker half of the year. Autumn will be arriving momentarily, and winter will not be far behind.
As we enter this month, all of nature begins to slow down and prepares to rest. I see it in the leaves, as they slowly begin to turn to their warm, muted colors of amber and gold. I feel it in the chill in the air, especially in the nights, as the darkness slowly creeps in a bit more every single day. I hear the geese and birds flying overhead, as they begin their journeys southward toward their warmer winter homes. Berries and fruit hang full and low on branches and bushes.
September signals that the cozy season of returning home and coming inside is now here, but it is also a reminder that the season for preparation, before the long, dark winter, is upon us. The season of the soul is here.
With the arrival of the cozy season of autumn, I find my introverted soul exhaling a big, deep sigh of relief. Finally. Finally, I can slow down and soak in, well, everything. The energy has shifted, the focus has turned inward and downward, and I have finally arrived back at the time of year filled with all of the things that I love the most. Falling leaves. Crisp, cool nights. Pumpkins, cinnamon, apples, coffee, soups and stews. Candlelight and bonfires. Books and journals. Thick sweaters and funky boots. Moody music. Quiet evenings. Cozy gatherings at home. Dark mornings. Magic in the air.
And it is all of these things that set the mood for the work that I will undertake this autumn - because, before I drop way down into the earth and hunker down to rest under blankets at home, I have some work to do. For, it is the season of the harvest. And the work that I do, in order to prepare for the coming winter, is, like the days of old, a type of harvesting. Though, I am not harvesting fields, of course. Instead, I am harvesting the lessons of my soul.
Soul-settling is the work of September
The arrival of autumn means that the time has come for me to reflect on changes in life that have occurred and harvest the wisdom that has grown within me since last year. And, for me, this year feels extra meaningful. I feel drawn to reflect on the lessons and wisdom of my whole life, reaching way back into the past and digging way deep into what it all means to me.
To me, one of the most magical things about autumn is what nature teaches me about living - and dying. The plants, trees, animals, and birds all show me what it means to surrender, to release, and to let go. In watching how nature changes and flows, I understand more deeply with each passing year that the way forward, the way of life, is through the surrender, release, and letting go of how things have been, in order to make a new way for what is to come.
September is a time for endings, yes. Summer is now over. The growing season has stopped for the year. And the earth begins her slow, quiet surrender into the silent, dark, cold, barren months.
But, September is also a time for beginnings, I believe. It is only by releasing, letting go of the old, and surrendering to the silence and dark that we create the space for something new to be planted and rise to life once again in the spring.
So, the work of autumn, the work of September, is to simply follow nature’s way. To embrace that truth that to live is to change and evolve with each cycle of the year, with each turn of the wheel of the earth, with each birthday that comes around. And my work this month is simply to move softly and gently and slowly as I to settle into the quiet, cozy, waning energy of the season.
And, as I slow my pace and surrender to the changes, the endings, and the waning energy of autumn, I know that I will find deep wisdom and magic in the hidden parts of my soul. I will discover strength, power, and meaning by surrendering to the slow unfolding of the season and by letting my soul settle down into the earthy, grounded energy of September.
A rite of passage
As I mentioned before, this September I am turning 50. It feels amazing, but I also cannot really wrap my mind around it. So, I am planning a 48-hour solo home retreat (a couple of weeks after my birthday at the beginning of October, actually, when my wife is out of town) in order to spend some very intentional time dedicated to harvesting the lessons of 50 years - writing, meditating, dreaming, giving thanks, and casting a vision forward.
And, throughout September, as the energy wanes and nature changes, I will be celebrating this milestone birthday both quietly and wildly; and with deep gratitude and joy.
I plan to steal away moments in the darkening mornings for journaling and simply being present with myself. I have booked a mid-month gathering with friends to laugh and celebrate over pizzas and drinks at our neighborhood bar. And, just a few days before my birthday I am journeying with my love to Scotland. I feel drawn to return to Scotland (I’ve only been once) because my ancestors moved from Scotland to the American colonies in the 1600s, so my roots are deeply grounded in the misty, foggy, moody land of magic and history. And something about it feels like a mini-pilgrimage of “coming home”.
It will be the perfect moody and magical place for me to be when the autumn equinox arrives and when I turn 50. 💫
“Where does it all lead? What will become of us? These were our young questions, and young answers were revealed. It leads to each other. We become ourselves.”
- Patti Smith
And with that, I want to welcome you to September and the season of the soul, my dear friend. I wish for you a month filled with golden and amber beauty, the first real cool and starry nights of autumn, hot drinks to sip on during long walks as the leaves begin to fall, cozy evenings of books and Gilmore Girls vibes, dark mornings of meditation, moody jazz music to soothe the soul, and all of the autumn activities that inspire you.
May this be a time of soul-settling, of coming home, of daring to surrender and release what we do not need so that we can make a new way forward, grounded and rooted by our past, of course; but, ready to simply let go right now, slow down our pace, and prepare ourselves for the long, dark, cozy season ahead.
Sending you all of my September love.
xoxo. liz.
☀️ September sunrise/sunset times in Norrköping, Sweden (Mondays)
02 September - 5:56 / 19:21
09 September - 6:12 / 19:31
16 September - 6:27 / 19:11
23 September - 6:42 / 18:50
30 September - 6:58 / 18:30
🌙 Moon phases (Europe dates)
03 September New Moon in Virgo
19 September Full Harvest Moon
✨ Sacred Days + Folk Festivals
22 September: Autumn Equinox - equal day and night
🎵 The playlist
September’s playlist sets a soulful, nostalgic, slow mood. The perfect companion for the first cool nights of autumn and days spent slowing down to settle into our souls. It is time to turn inward now. Time to cross over the autumn equinox, celebrate the second harvest, enter the dark half of the year, and fall into the moody magic of the cozy season of the soul. Enjoy!
the soulful, waning energy of september 🍂