There’s something I’ve never really talked about until now, and like with so many things in life, I didn’t really understand what was happening with me until long after I climbed my way out of it (literally).
But just today (as I was taking a lovely long walk in the woods with a friend and thinking about sending out an email about celebrating the Autumn Equinox and the 40 Days of Autumn Magic Guide) it all came back to me in a flash and I saw the last 15 years with new clarity.
Here’s what happened…
Travel back with me to the fall of 2006. No Facebook. No Instagram. I didn’t even own my first Blackberry yet. :) I had two tiny kids (they were 3 and 1), a job, a cute little house, and a hardworking husband who arrived home late every night after a crazy long daily commute. And I also had what so many women pride themselves on- ridiculously high expectations.
We were all excited because my husband’s parents were coming to visit from Brazil and we hadn’t seen them in a while. I wanted everything to be perfect. You know that feeling, right? The cleaning, the shopping, the food prep, the rearranging the office to accommodate the air mattress Rod and I would sleep on so his parents could have our bedroom. Rod left for the airport to pick them up and I was putting the finishing touches on the house preparations. I bent over to pick a toy up off the floor and I crumbled to the carpet and couldn’t get up.
If your back has ever “gone out”, you know this feeling. But I had no idea what was happening to me. The muscles in my lower back had seized up and I had to literally crawl to the couch.
Somehow, I recovered, and we were able to enjoy the visit, and I know now that what happened to me was caused by stress and by pushing myself too hard for too long. But what’s hard to admit is that the exact same thing happened THREE YEARS IN A ROW. Always in September or October. Until I finally made a big shift in the way I approach this time of year.
It was how my annual fall retreat (celebrating 10 years this year!) was born and why I created 40 Days of Autumn Magic with my retreat co-leader, Anjali Budreski, so, hopefully, you can learn what I did about this season in the Wheel of the Year without having to get stuck on the floor in a heap.
Next week, I’ll share more about what I did to stop pushing myself so hard and why the Autumn Equinox and this time of year are exactly when we should be slowing down instead of speeding up. The Extra Boost of Magic behind Days 1-7 of the Guide- Spiral Deeper with Us
For today, let's dive into a few of the secrets behind the guide that will help you understand why Days 1-7 of our 40 days of Autumn Magic are designed to align perfectly with the season and with the moon phases to give you an extra boost of magic as we journey into Autumn together.
If you are following along with the guide in 2020, the Autumn Equinox falls on Tuesday, September 22nd. Inside the guide, we talk about the meaning of the Autumn Equinox in the context of the Wheel of the Year. But since I wanted the guide to be able to be used for years to come, I left out some of the details about the phases of the moon and the astrological signs the moon is in during the 40 days of the guide in 2020.
But, rest assured, the guide was created with these very influences in mind. Read on, because here is where you can spiral deeper into the experience by understanding a little more about the cycles and influences of the moon and stars during Days 1-7 of the guide.
On Days 1 through 7 (September 22-28, 2020), the moon is in her waxing phase. We are leaving the introspective and intuitive phase of the new moon behind and moving into the energy of planting seeds of growth for our desires and taking action on these intentions. This is an energy of beginnings. A beautiful time to get clear on what you want to create this season and begin taking action to create it. On Days 1 and 2, the moon is in the fire sign of Sagittarius, a sign of WONDER. We are setting intentions and working with the energy of fire, which is the energy of desire and initiation. A question for deeper inquiry now might be- what do I really want in my life in this season? What do I desire to create?
On Days 3 and 4, the moon is in the earth sign of Capricorn, a sign of ACHIEVEMENT. We are getting outside and connecting with nature and working with the energy of earth, which is the energy of the material world and the tangible. And since this guide is designed to help you slow down into this time of year, an opportunity for deeper inquiry here may be to ask yourself- where am I pushing too hard to achieve in my life right now?
On Days 5 and 6, the moon is in the air sign of Aquarius, a sign of KNOWING. We are tuning into our intuition and working with the energy of air, which is the energy of our minds, of wisdom, and of our intuition. A deeper inquiry now could be, what have I known for a long time that I haven't fully acknowledged?
And, on Day 7, the moon is moving into the water sign of Pisces, a sign of SPIRITUALITY and COMPASSION. We are tuning into our connection to the mystical realm and working with the energy of water, which is the energy of emotion and creativity. A deeper inquiry today could be, what would feel most compassionate and kind to my heart right now?
Remember that while the moon moves through the astrological signs every two and a half days, shifting the energy and influences, it is still in its waxing phase for all of the first 7 days of our journey. It is a beautiful time to begin something new and take action towards it with ease and grace, like creating a magical autumn season with intention and love.
Check back next week for a deeper dive into Days 8-14 of the guide and to hear more about why this time of year is exactly when we should be slowing down instead of speeding up.
Happy Autumn Equinox!