Not everyone will experience the seasons the same, but no matter where you are on earth you will notice sunlight, weather, and the environment change as one season shifts to the next. The cycles of the sun, moon, and earth energetically create periods of growth and beginnings, building energy, peaking energy, descending energy, and quietude that are consistent, inevitable, and part of the human experience.

We’ve been living by the four seasons – winter, spring, summer, and autumn – which align with the equinoxes and solstices, however, this phenology wheel includes the solar cross-quarter days that occur midway between these astronomical events. By adding the cross-quarters we gain four more seasons, giving us a total of eight seasons that represent the biological responses conditioned by the earth’s orbit around the sun. This is similar to the Wheel of the Year, an annual cycle rooted in many ancient traditions that also observes eight seasons.

There is a sacred tempo that is evident in each new phase of the year. We once honored the rhythms of nature with celebrations and gratitude, but we have seemingly shifted to one year-round productivity-focused cycle that centers on the self. The intuitive nature of paying homage to the natural flow of each season has been suppressed by modern-day’s dissociation from the natural world. But it doesn’t have to be. The seasons are embedded within us and we can follow in our ancestor’s footsteps by honoring the seasonal shifts through thanksgiving, reciprocity, and gathering.

The Season of

Rejuvenating

The season of rejuvenation begins on the winter solstice (c. December 21st). The north pole is tilted away from the sun, making it the shortest day and longest night of the year. The warmth of summer has left the ground, the land is frozen, and a blanket of snow covers everything in sight. As day-length increases, life waits.

It’s been called the “Persephone season,” when the daughter of Spring is dragged to the underworld and everything rests. Animals are hibernating, plants lay dormant, and birds have flown south. This season represents death and the afterlife. As bleak as this might sound it’s actually a season of imagination, dreaming, and hope as we prepare for life ahead. Think of it as the start of a new journey.

For gardeners, we start to feel this season come to an end when we prepare to start seeds indoors.

The Season of

Awakening

February 1st marks the awakening when growers start to see a significant shift in day length and plant growth. The land is preparing to burst forth in productivity with the promise of spring’s return. The earth is ripe and fertile, ready for us to plant new seeds of intentions for the coming year. This season is a great time for purification. Candlelit rituals are commonplace as we welcome the growing light of the waxing sun. Ask yourself where you want to focus your energy, what seeds you wish to plant, and what you need to support yourself.

The Season of

Planting

The planting season, or the greening, represents birth and begins with the spring equinox (c. March 21st). The land is slowly transforming from brown to green. It’s a time of fertility, growth, play, and creativity as buds unfurl, animals start their mating dances, nectar begins to flow, and pollen wafts through the air. The energy of this time isn’t only about physical fertility, but rather how we might sow seeds for creative projects, relationships, and more. There is an expansive energy available to us all during this season.

The Season of

Blooming

High Spring (May Day) marks the beginning of the blooming season. We are experiencing the vitality of life in full force. Passion, love, joy, and pleasure are in the air as masculine and feminine energies unite in harmony. Sexuality is pervasive through this season. Ancient customs recall celebrations in which lovers met in the fields, the forests, or along the shores for trysts and escapades. The energy of earth is at its peak with the first summer berries and medicinal herbs ready to be picked.

The Season of

Drying

The drying season begins on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year (c. June 21st). It represents abundance, culmination, and fulfillment as we start to reap the benefits of our hard work. You can think of it as the climax of the annual cycle. The rain is infrequent, growth shifts from expanding foliage to making seed, and many fruits ripen. Crops are in full growth, close to maturity as we edge nearer to the first harvest. During this season there is time to celebrate, relax, and enjoy the warm days.

The Season of

Harvesting

By summer’s end (August 1st), we see the fruits of our labor. The first harvest of grains brings us prosperity and we give infinite thanks for earth’s abundance. It’s a time of generosity, thanksgiving, and fruition. The light is softer, the forests turn red and gold, and the land is bursting at the seams with food that will sustain us through the long winter.

The Season of

Composting

With summer’s strong heat becoming a distant memory, and the earth’s fertility weakening from the retreating light, we enter the season of composting. It begins on the autumn equinox (c. September 21st), which marks the point where we move from the light half to the dark half of the year as the sun continues to wane.  This is the second harvest, in which we pick baskets full of fruits and vegetables before plants start to withdraw. While we gather and feast during this time of abundance, we practice remembrance, letting go, gratitude, and reciprocity.

It’s important to clear or transform the things that are no longer needed or serve us so we can move forward. Similar to when a tree drops its leaves each season, and they eventually turn into soil that sustains a whole web of life.

The Season of

Resting

The winter months are a season to be endured and survived. To keep spirits up, our ancestors studded the dark with lights and festivals. The resting season begins on Hallow’s Eve (October 31st). This is the third and final harvest festival of the year. We have gathered the last nuts and berries before frost and snow take over.

On Hallow’s Eve, the veil between worlds is thin allowing us to honor our ancestors and remember those who have passed.  It’s also a time when our intuition is heightened and we can ask ourselves what wisdom is brewing, what have we learned, and how have we grown. While we retreat into ourselves as the resting season continues, we become yet another year wiser. The lesson we learn from the sun cycles is that in order to be abundant and produce a harvest, we must rest – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

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