Autumn Leaves

Leaves I gathered on my walk in the forest.

The autumn leaves remind us of the beauty of change...and the promise of a new beginning.
by Marie Kukula-Tyner

I LOVE fall! The changing colors of all the leaves, the warm light that the sun gives off, the smells of the earth changing and preparing to rest, and watching nature get ready for winter.  There is a rhythm about fall that is different from any other season. While winter is a time of rest, spring a time of growth, and summer a time of activity, fall is a time of transition. When you are in rhythm with nature, you feel this. I feel the transition in nature, I feel transition in my life, and I feel transition in the world. I know the transition in nature is to the season of winter--nature always knows where it is going--but I don't know what we are transitioning to in the world. I don't think most of us know. And that is a little, okay very, scary.

I took a long hike in the mountains on Saturday and learned a lot from nature about times of transition--most importantly is how fragile we are during these times. Leaves are barely hanging on and all it takes is an early freeze or a gently breeze for them to lose their grip on the branches they hold on to. In spring and summer these same leaves can withstand heavy winds and rains and still hold on. Just as nature is more vulnerable in the fall, during this time of transition, the world is vulnerable now. The economy, jobs, wages, and people's spirits are barely hanging on. And because of this, right now, we are vulnerable to people who promise a transition to something better with no plan to back it up.

The fact is: It has taken us a long time to get to this place and it's going to take a long time to transition to a better place. One person cannot do this. If you've read some of my other blog posts you know that I believe any kind of major change or transition to something better will take all of us. So during this vulnerable time of global transition, protect yourself from the outside elements as best you can and begin to make changes that will help you and the world transition to a better place.

I thought I would include this since it ties in with the fall post above: Last year I started gathering leaves at different times of the year, pressing them, and then framing them. Our house is decorated with these pieces, which I call Earth Art. They are more beautiful than any artwork I have seen in the stores and they have brought a grounding energy from the earth into our home. The above piece is one I did a few weeks ago and I absolutely love!  I call it "In Between" since it catches the leaves in between summer and fall. I had such a great time gathering these leaves on a walk through the forest one day. I had never really noticed the tree before, but the beautiful colors of the changing leaves caught my eye and I spent a good hour examining the leaves and choosing the ones that were the most interesting.  I plan on doing a lot more pieces because I enjoy the process and the results so much. I will be posting the ones I will be selling so that you, too, can have the beauty and grounding energy of nature in your home.