Living Seasonally

by Melanie-Dawn (Ollenberg) Bessa

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Imagery of the Earth's seasons and cycles surround us every day, poking and prodding us to pay attention to the messages that each season has to offer. Seasonal Living is about listening to those messages. But with all that's going on in life, it's easy to pass these messages by, and it gets harder and harder to even see why listening to the signs of the seasons and living seasonally is so important.

Why should I live seasonally?

Each season has it's own unique attributes, purpose, mythos and medicine. When we shift our inner world so that it aligns with the natural world, we open up to a power that is deep, real, and empowering. As a divination arts practitioner, reading the signs and symbols in the world around me has become a very natural part of each day. But I remember when I didn't have this connection - it was a lonely, overwhelming, and confusing time. If we open up to listening to the messages in the seasons and cycles of nature, we will find some real gems to help us cope with our human experiences. Here are a few that come to mind:

1. We are not and never will be, truly alone. When we open up to the life that surrounds us in all things, we see how interconnected we are with it. Like trees sharing a communication system beneath a forest floor, we are not separate from nature but a part of it. Separation is illusion.

Bees are a symbol of community, brightness and personal power, while Echinacea is a medicine for strengthening one's core integrity, integrating a sense of Self, and strengthening the immune functions. What a strong and affirming message to hear when I was asking myself if a particular business partnership was the right fit for me.

The nature is your nature, and all of these wonderful poetic images of mythology are referring to something in you. When your mind is trapped by the image out there so that you never make the reference to yourself, you have misread the image.

~Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth

2. All things have a time. There is a rhythm to all life, including our own. Tuning into the rhythm of the sun, moon, stars, and the cycles of growth and decay, connects us with a deeper pulse and the ability to cope with the ebb and flow of our own life in all it's stages.

3. Awaken the sacred in everyday life. When we live seasonally, we realize quickly that all of nature is sacred, our own included, and that the sacred surrounds us and moves through us. Connecting with this truth through seasonal living is awakens a deep truth and awareness that we can access wherever we are. 

4. Access the plethora of medicine and wisdom that nature provides. Each day we pass by medicine and wisdom teachers without realizing it. The animal, plant, mineral and water kingdoms are rich with medicine and teachings, guiding us and mirroring the wisdom that lies within, every single day - we but need to listen.

Personal reflections on living seasonally

To live seasonally, it might be as simple as noticing and accepting what you have in that moment, and in that specific time of the year. If it's pouring rain outside, you might choose to go within, or to step out into the storm and wash it all off. Try taking advantage of what each season has to offer, doing things best suited to that particular season. 

If you're wondering how to get started, here are some reflective questions to ask yourself:

1. What am I yearning for and how does that yearning show up in nature? How does nature respond?
   
2. How can I show up for myself more, and how does nature support me in that?
   
3. What is the phase of the Moon? Learn how to incorporate the lunar cycles into your own monthly cycle.
   
4. What is the stage of growth or decay that is showing up in the season? How does it reflect or mirror my own processes? 
   
5. What myths and archetypes are associated with the season, and how are those myths playing out in my own life?

All of these reflections and contemplations are empty without a very important ingredient - you are required to spend time in nature - walking, breathing, sitting, and sensing. More and more, you will see that living seasonally isn't about a place you have to go or having the perfect conditions. It is around us and within us all the time, with every step. Living seasonally is a state of being, and the foundation of life.

Melanie-Dawn (Ollenberg) Bessa

Melanie is a mother, eco-spiritualist, palm reader, reiki practitioner, and owner of the Inner Arts Collective.

About Melanie

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Looking for other ways to enjoy the season?

Our Members are offering opportunities to tune in, nourish your soul, and keep connected to yourself and the world around you. All within the comfort of your home, while we work through this time of social distancing.

7-week e-series with Deborah Brodey starting April 29th

Monthly shamanic drumming circle with Michele Meehan. Next circle April 30th 6:30-9pm

Learn palmistry with Melanie-Dawn. Next workshop to be held April 26th from 1-4pm.