The Art of Letting Go: Autumn Ritual
In the months when summer ends and we start to move into Autumn, nature prepares for the coming changes by shedding what it no longer needs.
Winter is often seen as a time of death but it is really about hibernation, a turning inwards preparing for the new seeds and growth with the coming of spring.
Autumn is the season that prepares nature for the pruning process which allows for new growth in Spring. It’s a great time to take a look at what you need to remove or reduce in your life as you settle inward for the coming months.
This weekend I had the privilege of hosting a workshop focused on embracing the true essence of Autumn, a time to let go. We ended with a bit of journalling to get really focused on what we are letting go of and what we want to create in our lives.
You can make these kind of rituals as big or as small as you like. I like to light a candle, maybe grab some crystals, a cup of tea and I often time it with the moon. Full Moon is the time for release and new moon a time to sow new seeds but you can combine the two how it feels best for you. Make it your own, get as witchy or not witchy as you like!
1. Take a moment to settle in, get comfortable and take a few long deep breaths to feel connected and grounded.
2. Allow yourself to visualise a scene from nature during Autumn: the reds, browns, darker greens, and yellows of the landscape. Pay particular attention to how the trees effortlessly allow the leaves to fall away, they don't hold on, they don't fight it, they just let it happen.
3. Be aware that you are about to embark on an inward journey.
As you prepare for a new you after this time, dare yourself to dream of:
-the person you would like to be
-the activities you want to do
-the environment you thrive in most
-the lifestyle you want to have
Let your imagination go wild, allow yourself to see what you would see, to hear what you would hear, and to feel what you would feel if your dream came true.
4. Now, notice any areas of your life where there is heaviness, burden or unnecessary weight. Maybe it’s physical belongings like an accumulation of stuff filling up your home.
Maybe it is in your relationships, your work, your health, or family. Let yourself see where there is too much physical stuff, emotional upset, mental challenges, or spiritual disconnect.
5. Then reconnect with your dream of what your life could look like. Feel it. What would it be like if you let go of that weigh and the things that are holding you back? What would you be doing then that is different from how you are living now? How would your relationships begin to thrive? How would your energy levels and mental clarity be propelling you toward your goals?
Get really clear in your mind of how you, your life, and your surroundings could be different.
6. As you luxuriate in your picture of how things could be, ask yourself what qualities you would need to embrace to be this person? Do you need to have more compassion toward yourself or others? Do you need to listen more? Do you need gain more strength so you can set and keep boundaries? Do you need to be more honest and to speak your truth? What do you need to be able to live this life?
7. With these traits in mind what action steps do you need to take to feel inspired and motivated to step forward? What emotions, beliefs, or behaviours do you need to let go of so you can become the person you are meant to be? Ask your heart for guidance rather than your mind, let the answers come up.
8. When you are ready, take a few slow, deep breaths and open your eyes. Take out your journal and start writing:
How you want to be living your life? create your dream life, go wild, don't worry about being rational, don't worry about how just dream
What needs to be let go of in your life? write down people, emotions, characteristics, anything. You could write this one out and burn it for a more witchy style ritual. Make sure it is safe. If you have any sage or incense you could then clear the space before you move onto the next step.
What qualities or characteristics you need to embody to create your dream life?
What specific action steps you need to take, including something you can do today? You don't need to worry about all the steps to get there right now, just the first one is fine. The biggest challenge to living our dreams is thinking we have to work it all out from the beginning. You just need a goal, a clear direction of where you are going and the first one or maybe two steps.
Each week you can check in with your goal and add your next step. You can turn your weekly check in into a nice evening for you. I have Sunday Self Care evenings, bath, candles, self massage, real nurturing time and from this compassionate place I am able to check in with my goals and set my next step for the week ahead without feeling under pressure or defaulting to a focus on how far I am away from the things I am hoping to create in my life.
Make it work for you. Find your own way.
Now go do that thing today and diarise your weekly check in. Just like a date with another person, commit to showing up for yourself.
This is all about taking charge of your life. It’s a constant process of letting go of anything that isn’t you—toxic relationships, limiting beliefs, and obstacles that prevent you from living your dream. It allows you to take responsibility for every choice you make and every action you take (or don’t take).
As you go about you day to day take time out to observe the energy of nature. Watch as it cyclically moves through its phases—transitioning from one moment to the next with no real effort.
Nature moves slowly and deliberately toward harmony and sustainability. It intrinsically knows what it needs to do and simply does it. You can learn a lot by tuning into this process in your own life—if you slow down enough and pay close attention.
Inspired by The Chopra Center, my ethos of taking Yoga beyond the mat and my love of nature.