Leaves are falling. Plants are wilting. Trees are going out in a blaze of gold, bronze, orange and yellow, and let’s not forget the red Maple Leaf. There’s a sense of melancholy in the cooler air—a remembrance of sunnier days.
It’s a serious time. Prepare the budget. Bring out the sweaters and thicker clothes—a time to get ready for winter.
Yet, it’s also a time of new beginnings. Kids returning to school are eager to learn new things, embrace the old, and make new friends. The cooler air invigorates and brings a spring to one’s step.
A time of the fall solstice, the autumn equinox, the balance of light and dark as the sun and moon spend equal time in rotation. Then, nighttime comes sooner.
Heidi Nielsen of PearlSpace, formerly the Howe Sound Women’s Centre, holds monthly, what she calls, full circle sessions, where women can share their thoughts as the talking stick is handed around, meditate, and then create.
This month, the group made corn dolls. Some Native American and northern European cultures had the custom of stretching and folding corn sheaves to create “corn dollies.”
They believed the spirit of the corn would remain within the doll, which would be kept in the home during the winter and placed in the first furrow when ploughing the fields the following spring.
“I love this. It’s like the corn doll holds intentions for spirit renewal and rebirth”, she said.
At the session, one of the participants shared the fable of the Ant and the Cricket. In the story, the cricket frivolously fiddled through summer as the ant toiled. The cricket mocked the ant, telling it to stop working and have some fun. The ant rebuked the cricket for not preparing for winter.
In the version she read, the cricket, shivering from the cold, came begging to the ant’s door when winter came. The ant took pity on the cricket and kindly welcomed him in.
In the version I remember, the cricket was left without, having frittered away his time. The cricket begged to be taken in from the cold, to no avail.
I propose a change to the tale. I would have the ant take some time for play. I would have the cricket recognize the wisdom of the ant and take a few days off singing and work to save for a rainy day. Thus, the ant would still have enough, even after taking time for rest and enjoyment. Cricket would gain a sense of pride in self-reliance. In Autumn, they would sing and dance together, sharing the gifts that each would bring to the table.
Which brings us back to “Full Circle.”
In this time of reflection, this is the perfect time for us all to embrace change, prepare for stormy days, and celebrate our blessings.
Melody Wales is a Squamish resident and veteran columnist.
