Linger in Time
preparing and waiting
If you liked reading this, feel free to click the ❤️ button on this post so more people can discover it on Substack 🙏
Welcome!
For those new here, Hedge Mystic is a reader-supported publication where I explore spiritual topics alongside seasonal wisdom and creative practice.
All of my articles are free to read, but you can make a one-time donation if you appreciate my work or upgrade your subscription to show your support.
This week, we will continue with the thoughts I shared in last week’s email about staying with the season, even when our culture of commercialism and speedy progress tries to push us forward at too rapid a pace.
We are now in mid-October, somewhere between the autumn equinox and All Hallows. We are straddling the line between the last glimmers of light, the encroaching darkness, and the inevitable icy blasts of winter. We are in a waning season. Life force in nature is draining away, seeping softly back into the bowels of the earth where it will pool and freeze until the victorious Sun of spring rises near Easter and the spring equinox, when Persephone and the maiden Brigid walk the land again.
The final harvest is upon us, and we gather into our barns, hearts, and homes the largest of the fruits of the field, pumpkins and squash. They are now ripe and hold within them the warmth and light of the summer sun. They are the last of the midsummer life force that showered the land on St. John‘s Day near the summer solstice. Pumpkin everything, with its combination of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and other warming spices, reminds us of the summer’s warmth that has just passed. This internal warming delights our bodies as we reach for a sweater to fend off the chill air outside.
The days may still be pleasant, but the nights betray the change of season. The cold of death is coming. Still, there’s time to celebrate, feast, and linger in the slant sunlight of autumn. The birds, bees, squirrels, and chipmunks in my garden certainly know this. They are scouring the garden beds and meadow patches for ripening berries and seeds, and congregating at the birdfeeders. The squirrels are following their noses on a never-ending treasure hunt for acorns and hickory nuts.
With the fields, gardens, and forests in decline as the year wanes, nature’s glorious distractions also lessen. The drifting away of beautiful flowers, verdant groves of trees, and melodious birdsong quiets our environment and sparks a variety of experiences. We may begin to feel a melancholy aspect wash over us. Sad nostalgia, loneliness, and even fear may unsettle us, especially as the light fades towards evening and the shadows deepen under the blood-red sunset sky.
Since Michaelmas on September 29th, we’ve been in the season of angels. Guided, protected, encouraged, and instructed by them in their mission to fortify our souls, they have prepared us for the coming season of darkness. Harvest merriment is one way we strengthen ourselves before we are confronted with the death of the year, which is undoubtedly a reminder of our own deaths.
It is now in this moment when green leaves remain even as they are joined by splashes of gold and orange that we realize the brevity of all things. The passage of time, the transformation of our bodies as we age, and the loss of loved ones all intensify in their remembrance as we move day by day to All Hallows. As we prepare to face the finality of things, the angels continue to accompany us, and we may discover that we can navigate even the most difficult changes, moments of release, and soul transformation without fear, but with hope and protection.
We find ourselves, therefore, in a little season of preparing and waiting. Don’t rush into All Hallows yet, and for goodness’ sake, don’t jump ahead to preparations and decorations for Thanksgiving or Christmas; time moves rapidly enough. Linger in this time of preparation and waiting. There’s stillness and quietude here, but there’s also joy and celebration. Be outside on every warm day left, watch as the leaves change color, and notice the small, subtle changes every day. Let your eyes search for morning mists and twilight fog rolling into the low spots in the woods or along the roads. Be mindful of the changes in bird and animal behavior. Take note of the shortening days. Make sweet, warming drinks, cozy soups, and begin lighting candles around suppertime as the days get shorter.
These next two weeks are the final days of the harvest celebration. Eat, drink, and be merry. After that, we will confront the reality of death, remembering our past and our beloved dead. Finally, we will face the winter horrors of the Wild Hunt of German mythology. This occurs just as the Sun returns in triumph at the winter solstice and throughout Christmastide, bringing the year to a close.
For now, savor the sun, the warmth, and the golden harvest days even as you have an eye trained on the change of seasons. All will come in good time, and all will be well. We have traveled this way before and know that while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest shall never cease. (Gen 8:22)
Enjoy every moment of the year. Each month is a gift, each season of life filled with goodness beyond measure.
Thank you for reading Hedge Mystic and participating in this vibrant and growing community of creative, spiritual humans. You are always welcome here, appreciated, and loved.
Are you moved by this piece and want the Hedge Mystic Community to benefit and grow? Then, make a one-time donation. Click the Donate button below!
or
Hedge Mystic is a reader-supported publication based on a value-for-value premise. If you find value in Hedge Mystic, support my work and consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your involvement and financial support are deeply appreciated. Thank you.
All of these writings would make an awesome book. They are incredibly special.
Autumn, with her liminal nature is my favorite season. Thank you for this lovely writing.