Musings on the Equinox

In another month I will be flying back to my second “home”, my adoptive home in Provence in southern France. As I prepare to leave Melbourne after several months in Australia, I find that all of a sudden the weather has become autumnal, unlike the “Indian summers” of past years. These recent cold and crisp mornings have had a definite effect on my mood and behaviours. I’m suddenly less willing to get up in the darker mornings and feel slower, more sluggish and less inclined to get myself into a working rhythm. Am I alone in this, or is it a common condition as we adapt to the end of one season and the beginning of another?

As we approach the equinox I begin to muse on our physical responses to these seasonal changes; our circadian rhythms, melatonin production and energetic adaptations to the cycles of light and darkness. Equally, how these changes are manifested in our emotions and behaviour. As a sun seeker who has a horror of the cold and the long dark nights, it’s all too easy to think in simple generalisations of the advantages of more daylight, less need for sleep, greater energy, enthusiasm and better health. However, if we dig a little deeper, we can quickly see that each of the 4 seasons brings its own unique gifts and opportunities.

The spring represents renewal and rebirth. After a long and hard winter the spring is probably one of the most embraced and significant of the season changes. It denotes the start of new life, regeneration of nature and the renewal of the spirit.
The summer brings plentiful light, energy and nature at its most vigorous and plentiful. We need less sleep, we feel more enthusiastic and abundant than at any other time of the year.

The autumn represents a time of gathering; the traditional time when crops are harvested. Leaves are changing to brilliant colours as they float gently to the ground. The nights start to draw in and we feel less adventurous and more inclined to gather our thoughts and energies close to us. We instinctively start to take care of ourselves and to prepare for what lies ahead.

The winter is introspective. The cold and darkness of winter urges us to slow down, replenish our energy, sleep more and conserve our strength. The only problem that we have in our modern society is that we are obliged to carry on regardless, even as our bodies and nature itself urges us to slow down and take care. Perhaps this is why I find the winter such a difficult season to live and work through. I wonder how many others agree.

To end these ramblings, I can only say that each season offers its own gifts and invitations. Nature provides something valuable throughout the year. It’s a question of being open and able to appreciate and respond accordingly. Here’s to hibernation in winter and liberation in the spring!!