Pumpkin Spice the Summertime Heist
Well before the actual first day of autumn, cafes release their seasonal pumpkin spice coffee blends, creamers, and pastries, storefronts of all types break out their fake leaves and cinnamon scented candles, and the streets swarm with warmed-toned boots.
The transitional season between summer and winter begins with anything but a transition.
Rather, September 1 brings an abrupt shift, reminding us all of what is to come. Progressively less daylight hours accumulating, making way for shorter days. Temperature dropping with the leaves. Layers of clothing being added back to the wardrobe.
Autumn is the official soft launch of solidarity that cuts right through the long winter months. Shouldn’t we be basking in the final days of high UV’s and rooftop sunsets before drafting the contemplative, introspective mood board; enjoying the final precious weeks of summer before it’s time to pick up Vitamin D supplements and self-tanner drops?
It’s all sugar, spice and everything nice until you realize the fall rush is actually an emotional trigger for your own seasonal patterns. Hidden in the long cast of autumn’s shadow is whatever was left in its darkness last winter.
Grief that was easier to walk away from under the distraction of summer’s rush, or emotions that were left unresolved from the following season.
Autumn boasts one of the largest natural symbols of life and death. As the leaves fall from trees, flowers and plants die, and the ground freezes, we are reminded of the impermanence of life. Witnessing the slow decay of summer’s remains often evokes an emotional reaction.
The seasonal shift is an invitation to turn the gaze inward at the cycles playing out on an individual level. It’s an opportunity to put an end to patterns that have lived out long enough. This mental cleanse will create a void to be filled with healthier habits or relationships.
Journal Prompt for Fall Transformation:
What might you have to let go of to create space for your heart’s desire?
Adjusting to the crisp air and extended evenings might involve warmer clothing and a binge-worthy series, or homemade chili and earlier bedtimes. Whatever it is, there’s a deliberate reconfiguration of rituals and mindfulness activities better suited for the darker seasons.
While summer comes with the urgency of early morning workout classes or late evening walks, autumn invokes a subtle slowness and gentler routines.
Even these seasonal shifts can be taken one day at a time. It doesn’t need to be tube tops, sunglasses, and aperol spritz one day and sweaters, plaid scarves, and warm cider the next. There’s greater importance in the transition itself and the emotional processing that’s involved. This is how we grow as people from one year to the next.
