By Ray Pawlett
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September 7, 2026
There is something about the arrival of autumn that invites us to slow down. The heady days of summer have given way to a gentler season. The days are becoming shorter, the evenings draw in, and nature begins to turn its attention towards the harvest. We must say goodbye to the summer! But perhaps we don't need to see that as something sad. Autumn has its own beauty, and its own invitation. It is a time of gathering, of giving thanks, and of preparing for the months ahead. The Harvest and Earth Energy Throughout the world, we have harvest festivals, ranging from the Chinese Moon Festival and the Pagan Lammas festival to the traditional Western Harvest Festival. The common theme throughout is to give thanks for what has been provided and to share it with our friends. And perhaps this is where the harvest connects most beautifully with Earth Energy. In traditional oriental medicine, early autumn is represented by Earth Energy. The organs related to Earth Energy are the stomach (yang) and the spleen (yin). Earth Energy is about the relatedness we have with other people. It is the compassion we feel for those around us – the wish to care for them, feed them, and help them feel safe. Think about the feeling of coming home after a long day. Perhaps someone has made you a cup of tea, or you sit down to a meal that has been prepared with care. There is something deeply reassuring about being fed, supported and welcomed. This is something of the quality of Earth Energy. If your Earth Energy is strong and settled, you will be able to create a feeling of serenity akin to an autumn sunset. You will feel supported, and you will be able to nurture others. When that sense of support is missing, we may find ourselves worrying, looking for reassurance, or feeling that we have to hold everything together ourselves. We may feel “ungrounded”. Worry and insecurity are balanced by compassion and loving kindness. The harvest reminds us that we do not have to provide everything for ourselves. We are part of a much larger web of life, and we are supported by the Earth, by nature, and by one another. Nature is constantly adapting But being supported does not mean that everything around us remains unchanged. Nature is constantly responding to the conditions around it, and we are part of that same living world. 2026 has been an interesting year in this respect. We have experienced some very warm weather in the UK, and it has been interesting to see how nature has responded. Farmers have had to bring some crops in early, and many of us have noticed changes in the timing of the seasons. Many older people will tell you that the seasons have changed since their childhood. The timing of nature’s harvest can shift, and the familiar signs of autumn may arrive earlier or later than we expect. But the Earth itself has not changed its place in the solar system. The seasons are still governed by the Earth’s orbit around the Sun and the tilt of its axis. What changes is the way the weather and the living world respond to those conditions. If we look at nature, we can see that it is constantly responding to its environment. Plants and animals change their cycles, and they find ways of adjusting to the conditions around them. This does not mean that nature always finds it easy. Sometimes changes in the weather can be stressful, and the living world can be affected in ways that are not helpful. But there is something for us to learn from that responsiveness. Finding our own balance Humans do not always have quite so much freedom to change and adapt. We get into patterns and routines that help us cope with our day-to-day lives. We have work, responsibilities, and commitments, and it is not always easy to change our plans when the world around us changes. It is easy to become disconnected from the world around us. We can get so caught up in our own routines that we stop noticing the seasons, the weather, and the subtle changes in nature. Perhaps this is where Earth Energy has something to teach us. Being grounded does not necessarily mean standing still. It can mean being settled enough to respond to what is happening around us. It can mean knowing when to hold on, and when to let go. It can mean allowing ourselves to receive support, rather than feeling that we must always provide everything for ourselves. And it can mean remembering that we are part of a much larger web of life. Going with the flow of nature Ancient wisdom gives us many tools to help us adapt. Meditation, healing, qigong, and simply taking notice of the world around us can all help. They give us an opportunity to pause, to reconnect, and to become a little more aware of what is happening both within us and around us. So, as we move into autumn, perhaps we can take a little time to notice the changing season. To appreciate what has been provided. To recognise the support that is already around us. And to ask ourselves: Where in my life am I being asked to adapt? Where might I be able to let go of an old pattern, rather than trying to make the world fit around it? Perhaps, like nature, we can learn to respond to the changing conditions with a little more flexibility, a little more compassion, and a little more trust. And perhaps that is one of the gifts of autumn. If you would like to explore these ideas further, we will be spending the morning together at our Autumn Equinox Meditation and Energy Session , taking time to reconnect with the Earth, with nature, and with ourselves. ๐ Monday 14th September, 9:30am–12:30pm £30 Through meditation, gentle energy work, and shared intention, we’ll create a calm and supportive space to reconnect, restore balance, and leave feeling clearer, lighter, and re-energised.
