Blog Archives - Journey with the Seasons

The Sweetness of Earth...

9/25/2016

Each of the five elements has an associated flavour, for the Earth element the flavour is sweet. This flavour is the most primative and one that all mammals will seek out. As suckling infants it is the first flavour we taste and so triggers feelings of comfort, security, contentment and fullness all words associated with this element. In the Late Summer there is a bounty of natural sweetness in the sun ripening crops. With most of the elements the flavour of the season will balance the element but in this season sweet foods can have a depleting effect on our energy. I'm not talking about whole foods like fruit and whole grains but rather processed carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, fruit smoothies and sugar filled snacks like cakes, biscuits and sweets. Such sweet products have a particularly depleting effect on the Spleen meridian (also linked to the pancreas) creating dampness in the body. We then feel this dampness as sluggishness, aches and pains, poor memory, tiredness and feeling cold. Such dampness is also referred to acidity and if present in the body long term leads to the reduced vitalty and the development of chronic ill health.
To help keep your Earth element balanced this season get your sugar hit from from whole grains and whole fruit and make sure you eat plenty of greens to help disperse dampness and create a more alkaline environment in the body.
Have a lovely day, Carol xx

Feel the solidity...

9/23/2016

Morning journeyers from a blue sky Mid Devon, I think it's going to be another glorious Late Summer day! :)
We are at the start of pumpkin season and I think these gorgeous vegetables really sum up the energy of the Earth element.. so a few life lessons from a pumpkin ...

They are literally grounded and solidly connected to the earth... so if you feel unsteady in any way, a connection with the earth will steady and centre you; I love to walk bare foot on the grass.

Their flesh is sweet, nourishing and packed with slow digesting fibre... if you need energy to keep you going through a long day, choose naturally sweet fruit, vegetables and wholegrains that burn slowly in the body... try roasting chopped squash with the skin on for a delicious earthy, sweet flavour.

They are deliciously rounded; the Earth element of late Summer represents anything round or circular... this is your chance to look at any cycles and patterns that you would like change, so rather than letting things go round and round in your head, journal it out.

They are the epitome of harvest time... celebrate what you have achieved this year, this will nourish your soul, Sarah-Jayne calls this filling our trophy cabinet with our 'wins'.

Anyway lovely journeyers have a gorgeous day, enjoy celebrating the Earth element inside and out! love Carol xx <3

Hold the Balance...

9/23/2016

Happy Equinox..time of equal day and equal night. Light and dark in balance. A time of pause, of plateau, balancing the scales, before tipping into the more inwards energy of autumn/winter here in the northern hemisphere. Its a good idea to take stock, notice the light and the dark, the 'goods' and the 'bads', the successes and the failures. My son's new phrase is.."It's not a failure if you learnt from it". 11 year old wisdom. So today, and for the next few days, hold the balance. Be kind with yourself. Take stock and get prepared to move on. Much love Sarah-Jayne 🌎 — feeling peaceful.

Late Summer or Autumn...

9/23/2016

I posted this last year but our page has grown so much over the last year I thought it definitely warranted a re-share as this is something we always get asked...'What is Late Summer and how is it different to Autumn?' so briefly....
Well it's definitely Late Summer in Devon but perhaps you are wondering why we are not talking about Autumn? It was a revelation to me when I was training as an Acupuncturist to be introduced to the idea of 5 seasons rather than the usual 4, it made so much sense and all of sudden I noticed how different Late Summer actually is to the Autumn.
Late Summer is a time of plenty and fullness; the balance point between upwardly moving energy and the down turn towards Winter. There is still an expansive feeling as the harvest continues to ripen and growth is still happening but in a gentle, softened way. I always think of this time as blackberry and apples, peaches and cream when there is still warmth in the sun and a real feeling of wanting to feast on and celebrate the harvest and the last of the sunshine.
...and then slowly we start to feel Autumnal, we have colder days, the energy starts to contract and descend, the life force beginning to dive down into the earth ready for the hidden Winter time. I always feel a heaviness in my chest, almost a grief as I let go of the sunshine, the feeling of expansion has gone. Nature is also letting go, recycling, retreating in a blaze of richness and colourful glory.
Observing 5 seasons rather than 4 has added even more gorgeousness to journeying though the year, would love to notice how you feel the difference between Late Summer and Autumn? Have a lovely day, Carol x

Bask in the golden light...

9/20/2016

Morning journeyers :) there is something magical about the golden light of Late Summer it gives everything a softness and warmness like no other season. Use this time of the Earth element to bask awhile (AKA pausing) letting the last bit of warmth and the softness permeate your being, shining it's soft light on your life so you can recognise your achievements of the year and where you need some nurturing and softness in your life. For me I'm enjoying being nourished by the garden, my work, my fledging boys. I'm just cooking up some buckwheat porridge with apples from the garden, cinnamon and ginger as I feel the coolness of the damp morning and then heading of to JwS HQ for some pausing and then planning of online courses and marketing, feels very much time to spread our wings and get out onto the WWW.! but just for now a pause.... have a lovely day, love Carol x

Time to ripen your projects...

9/20/2016

Morning lovely journeyers, I hope you are enjoying the lovely Late Summer, it was another gorgeous weekend here in Devon and I just wanted to be outside as much as possible; I managed a trip to the coast on Saturday and then gardening yesterday so I feel re-filled and re-fulled with Late Summer sun!
One of my jobs this weekend was strip off some of the foliage from my massive tomato plants in the polytunnel so the light can reach the fruit so they will ripen. I also had to cut off the new flowers which will never come to fruition to lighten the load on the plants. Mission was accomplished and hopefully they are all set to ripen now!!!
This also made me think of this time of Late Summer Harvest generally and that if we want to make the most of the harvesting energy it is time to pare down our activities and focus on what we want to bring to fruition; the Late Summer is usually a short season so time is of the essence.
In our group Seasonal Goddess Day to Day on a Monday we start by setting our intentions for the week, small achievable goals for the week ahead so every week we can have some harvest whatever the season.
So this week if you have a project to finish, something that you really want to 'harvest' set time aside to give it focused attention and put other activities, that aren't ready to be harvested, on pause (very Earth element too).
Happy harvesting! lots of love Carol xx ...and if you fancy joining our group here is the link :)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/seasonalgoddessdaytoday/

Gorgeous Earth...

9/20/2016

Enjoy your late summer weekend. This may be the last one before autumn sets in. Love to your earth element. Sarah-Jayne 🌎

Get lined up...

9/20/2016

Tonight in the U.K. we will see, if weather permits, a penumbral lunar eclipse of the full harvest moon. In the southwest this starts at 5.54pm peaking at 7.54pm. It will be a thing of beauty. (The photo below is the moon from Carol's garden last night...beauty indeed!).
This is the last of a series of 3 eclipses...much has been realigned and the beginnings of a straightening out process may have been felt. Notice what this might mean for you.. Where are you personal values being tested or coming through more strongly? This full moon in pisces at this time of late summer asks us to give ourselves a 'pat on the back' for getting this far, and shows us a glimpse of future possiblilites. Like the earth, the moon and the sun, get yourself lined up...these are the days to straighten up with your values and your worth, lining up straight for the journey ahead. Enjoy this powerful time. Sarah-Jayne ☀ 🌎

Wood holds Earth...

9/20/2016

In the law of The Five Elements from Traditional Chinese Medicine wood (think trees, spring, growth, creativity, new ideas, structure, planning) controls earth (think river and road banks, late summer, harvest, being held, nurtured, nourished, supported.) In my former life as a commuter I often used to see trees on railway banks being chopped down or stunted, knowing there would be a landslip later...the earth element was not getting to be held by the tree roots. There would then need to be a repair job...the earth element would need refirming, restoring, mulching and given a way to be held often by a harder structure than tree roots. This got me thinking this morning about how I am really supporting my earth element. Which structures in my life are really holding me and which may lead to a metaphorical land slip. Slightly deep thinking for a Friday morning..but it feels useful as we are mid way between eclipses. Have a wonderful Friday, Sarah-Jayne 🌎 🌟

Transition...

9/20/2016

Late summer is the season of transition. The young ones are returning to schools and colleges, fledgling adults are making their way to universities. Many are moving from a known season of life into an unknown/new one. Daylight is shortening. The earth element is associated with any transition...be it a natural seasonal one or a life one. Anxiety, worry, feeling ungrounded, churning things over and over can all come up when the earth element is challenged. Nourishment on all levels is the key to smoothing out any transition...and it can come in many forms. It may be great food, walking, lying on the ground, plugging feet into earth, reading a trashy novel, chatting with a friend, journalling, painting. My non neuro-typical youngest started mainstream secondary school today. This is his/my biggest transition for/with him so far. I am nourishing myself with good food, the work I love and some hammock time. He will be nourished by the structures we have set up in partnership with the school, his puppy meeting him at the school gates and his 'screen time' when he gets home. Find what nourishes you during times of transition...it will help it to be smooth. Love to your earth element, Sarah-Jayne 🌎 ☀ 🌎