Autumn: A Season of Letting Go
Each of the seasons can hold its own symbolism, and autumn is often thought of as the season of letting go.
Many trees shed their leaves, going through a beautiful process of change. As the days shorten, the chlorophyll that gives leaves their green colour is broken down and reabsorbed by the tree. This allows the other colours within the leaves to emerge, creating the spectacular display we see before the leaves are finally released.
There is a practical reason for this process. With less sunlight during the autumn and winter months, shedding leaves helps trees conserve energy and resources, allowing them to rest and prepare for new growth when spring arrives.
I can liken this to the benefit of adjusting our expectations of ourselves in response to the seasons, just as the trees do.
As the evenings become darker and the temperatures cooler, we may naturally find ourselves drawn towards the warmth and comfort of home. There can be a sense of slowing down and turning inward, creating space for rest and restoration.
Perhaps there is something to be learned from this.
Over the year, and over the different seasons of our lives, we can take on values, expectations and ways of being that don't always serve us. Yet, if we continue to hold onto them, they can continue to take our energy.
The process of ‘autumn’ can be seen as an opportunity to acknowledge this. To notice what is no longer serving us, and perhaps gently release some of what drains our energy. In doing so, we can create more space for growth in a direction of our choosing.
And, like the trees, we don't have to let go of everything.
There are things we carry that nourish us too. Values, relationships, beliefs and ways of being that help us to thrive. We can choose to hold onto these, while also recognising what may be ready to fall away.
There is a lovely poem by Donna Ashworth that captures this idea, Hello September, The Season of Letting Go. One line particularly resonates with the symbolism of autumn:
“Let go, free yourself, shake it off, drop it, give way for the new.”
It is a beautiful invitation to consider what we might be carrying, and whether everything we hold still needs to come with us.
What do you want to hold onto that continues to serve you well, and what might you be ready to let go of this autumn?
