It's the Autumn Equinox

As the days grow shorter the veil between the worlds begins to thin

I should say that today is the Autumn Equinox for those of us living in the northern hemisphere. Our friends in the southern hemisphere are celebrating the ushering in of spring.

It’s been an ethereal kind of day. Pouring rain and that certain light that makes you want to cozy up inside with a good book. Or take a million photographs. I decided to don my rain boots and coat and go for a long walk in the woods.

I’m seeing just the tiniest bit of color appearing in the trees. Soon it will be full-on ablaze. Fall is my favorite time of the year, but for the challenges that Vata Season brings. Sweater weather. No bugs. Crisp cool air. And apples!

Last week I went with a friend to an organic apple orchard just over the border in Maine. I’m munching on one now. Yesterday, I brought in some plants that will hang out with me inside until next spring.

But, my favorite thing about this time of year is the thinning of the veil between our world and what the Celts refer to as the Otherworld. That may seem like an odd “favorite thing about fall,” but it’s true for me.

I’m not talking about chasing ghosts or Halloween or communing with the dead. I’m talking about more subtle energy received in the form of intuition, guidance, messages from beyond, received both during our waking state, our dream state, and during meditation and shamanic journeys.

Over a decade ago, I started having the most profound animal dreams. Dreams of support. Dreams of healing. Sometimes the messages were clear, and some were an enigma. But, unlike dreams which quickly fade upon awakening, these dreams are still very vivid in my memory. I can recall each one as if I’d had it last night.

Most of these dreams happened when the veil was thin. During the dark months of the year.

Reflecting upon this today, I realize that they started after my partner died in 2011. I believe that living through a trauma such as the death of a loved one can open doors to greater intuition. It certainly did for me. The animal dreams ushered in equally profound encounters with animals during my waking state. The veil was thin.

I know that many people start feeling melancholy about the dimming light at this time of year. They mourn the loss of summer. But, I do know that there are many, like me, who look forward to slowing down and to hibernation. Daydreams meld into night-time dreams. Time falls away.

Living so fully in Nature as I am here, cradled by mountains, on the edge of the woods, it’s easier to seem like I’m walking between worlds.

The wind just started to blow. As if the trees want me to remind you that all we need to do is ask if we need help. The tree spirits, the animal spirits, the spirits of the land, and our ancestors, are all just a whisper away.

Many nights I go to bed and ask for help in my dreams. It doesn’t always work out quite as I hope. Vata-type dreams can be anxious and fearful. But then it will happen. Dozens of Gorillas on a beach. A Pigeon. A Lioness in a tall field of grass. Mama Bear. My dream journals are full of them.

What a gift for us to have experiences like this while the “real” world seems to be crashing down around us.

So, as another Autumn Equinox is ushered in, I’m wondering. Are you looking forward to shorter days ahead? Do you feel this thinning of the veil? Or are you dreading the darkness?

Much love,
Barbara

P.S. The sun just came out. It’s pretty awesome too. ☀️