Autumn equinox: This journey, seemed to start early this year, before the equinox the air had turned, the morning now has that “bite” in the air where I can see the steam rising from Links mouth as we venture out. The day is crisp and clear, autumn is a day away, and it is approaching in its inevitable way, nothing stops the wheel of the year from turning, it’s been turning since the dawn of time and will continue long after our bodies have returned to the earth. Where there has been warmth, long days, and the hot sun, now comes the harvest, the cold, the dark.

Yet, we seem to forget this, ask when is the start of autumn and many will say the 1st September, a man made notion, how arrogant have we become to think we have any control over the elements, over the seasons.

Yet today, the day of the equinox, I fell foul of not paying attention, was this a reminder to take the time to stop and to thank nature for the harvest. After “battling” with the day I stopped. A conversation with the tree surgeon talking about thinning out the trees and storing the wood for the next year, harvesting and waiting for nature to season the wood, we continued to talk, “you’re a doer, aren’t you” he said after I explained plans for working the land next spring. Yes, I am a doer and with that I knew I needed to walk, me and Link set off to honour the autumnal equinox, where day and night are equal in length.

I walk out under the beautiful clear blue sky, not a cloud in the sky, yet already I can tell that there’s a change, the evening sun, is blindingly low, it felt like I needed to bow my head to continue the journey, I listened to all around me, reminding myself to connect to the earth, the metal sign made an almost bell sound, like a church bell calling people to a service of celebration, it felt fitting, my thoughts turned to what seeds I had sown this year, I acknowledged and gave thanks, not all seeds are ones that grow in the soil, some are ideas, some are intent, and now is the time to harvest, to acknowledge to pay thanks, I did. We walked into the field, all around was still, ahead in the distance on the hills the wind turbines stood motionless, almost frozen in time. Again the world was stopping to give thanks, the world felt like a picture, a landscape suspended in time, a pause before the next picture is painted.

Ahead, I notice the squirrel, it strikes me, I’ve never seen a squirrel in this field, he was busy gathering the nuts ready for the winter, I remind myself of my animal cards and what energy the squirrel brings, not only does squirrel teach us to gather, to ready ourselves for the dark nights ahead, he also reminds us to honour our future and ready ourselves for change. I acknowledge him, I feel the change. I walk on, there are no birds in the sky, no rabbits in the field, the only animal now has disappeared into the bushes. I notice the ground, even after all this rain it’s still solid underfoot, the trees, the hedgerows are all soaking water in, filling their fruits ready for the harvest, those that work with the seasons will have berries to see them through this long winter. I’d planned just to walk round the field but Link stopped at an opening into the woods, the woods where I’d taken the step into Crone, but this was a path I’d not taken before, he stood at the entrance almost beckoning for me to follow, the path was new, but nevertheless it went through the woods and out into another field, I’d been shown a different path, not one I’d chosen, but it felt right to go this direction. It reached the same destination. Out into the open we carried on, again I heard a noise of metal, the church bell, ringing once more, I gave thanks for new paths and possibilities. As I walked on, link running ahead, I noticed the smallest mouse hidden in the straw, it’s amazing what you can see, what you notice if you just pay attention to your surroundings.

And so Link and I continued leaving nature to go about its business readying itself for what is to come. Again the sound of metal, the bell the call to the thanks giving service.

I felt grateful, the intent I have, the seeds I have sown, the honouring I have shown, I felt the celebration of the equinox. I gave thanks.

Whilst I felt at one with nature I felt the heavy heart of today, the plastics, the rubbish, the waste that lay by the side of the road. There will be no harvest for those that do not stop, those that do not even acknowledge, those that don’t prepare for what is to come. This will be a long stark hard winter for many,

Back home and I cook, preparing a “feast”. The animals, all are home, yes all five cats and Link, they too will spend the evening together feeling grateful and giving thanks.

The warnings are there, and I see that there are two paths, those that acknowledge the earth, those that take the warnings of a long winter and speak their truth. They will face this time with truth, and nature will show the way into the dark, and out of the dark, but then those, those that do not hear, are blind to their surroundings, those that do not honour the truth, the winter will not bear them any fruit, will not put wood on their fire, their winter will be long and cold. Which one will you be? Will you face the dark alone, or will you follow and learn the lessons of crone?