We're now in September and autumn is starting. It seems to have come around quickly again! Back in February I wrote a post called Saying Goodbye to Winter, Moving into Spring, so I thought it would be good to do one for the opposite end of the seasonal wheel. :)
I tend to find moving from winter into spring an easier transition than going from summer into autumn, because summer is my favourite season and I feel more depressed during the winter. Spring is a hopeful time for me, whereas in autumn I feel sad because things are ending. Autumn is a beautiful time of year though!
I've previously written some posts on getting ready for autumn, which you can read at the links below:
Getting Ready for Autumn: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/09/getting-ready-for-autumn.html
Celebrating Madron + Autumn: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/09/celebrating-madron-autumn.html
Summer Photos + Preparing for Autumn: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2019/09/summer-photos-preparing-for-autumn.html
Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, spring is beginning. You might like my Saying Goodbye to Winter, Moving into Spring post: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/02/saying-goodbye-to-winter-moving-into.html
I'm going to share a few thoughts on shifting into autumn, like I did with my post about moving into spring. As I've mentioned before, there are two dates which are considered the start of autumn (as with all the seasons)- meteorological autumn which is 1st September and astronomical autumn which is on the day of the Autumn Equinox (around 21st September). In the UK we tend to go by the astronomical start of the seasons.
Some of us with pagan beliefs/interests also celebrate the festival of Madron (more commonly known as Mabon) on the Autumn Equinox. This year Madron/the Autumn Equinox is on 23rd Sept. You can read more about it here https://inews.co.uk/news/autumn-start-when-2022-why-uk-dates-first-day-season-autumnal-equinox-1826584
This summer was one of the hottest on record in the UK, with two heatwaves in July and August. Temperatures reached 40C (104F) in some parts of the country. I see that in 2018 I wrote that it had been a hot summer, but not as hot as this one! I wrote in that post, "I know that in some places it goes up to 40C but I suppose you're used to it if that's your regular weather!" Temperatures in Sussex were cooler (at least in my part), I think the hottest was about 33C (91F) in the first heatwave. It still felt pretty hot for us though, considering that our typical maxiumum temperature is 25C (77F)!The weather is varied at the moment, with some days hotter than others. Today it's been about 22C (71F). After the hot summer the grass went very brown and dry. We've had some rain since so the grass is getting a bit greener again. But I've noticed some leaves are already starting to change colour. I took this photo is Hove Park the week before last:
 |
| A few leaves were already starting to turn! |
I've really noticed the difference in the days becoming shorter in the last couple of weeks. Sunrise is getting later (it's now around 6.19am in my area) and with sunset now around 7.40pm, it's getting dark earlier.
Autumn has some nice festivals, Madron/Mabon, and of course my favourite Hallowe'en and Samhain which is celebrated on the same day! Although I feel like I want to hold onto summer as long as possible, I do enjoy the beauty of autumn with the leaves changing colours on the trees and the pleasantly cooler weather.
I'm planning to go to the beach this upcoming week, while it's still warmer and summer like. Hopefully we'll get some good weather into October though.
I'll end this post with a few links related to summer and autumn :
Since the weather is still hot/warm in some places, here is my summer drinks post from 2013: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2013/08/summer-drinks.html
End of Summer + Full Moon (Esbat) Biscuits (also a biscuit/cookie recipe post): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2017/09/end-of-summer-full-moon-esbat-biscuits.html
I added this link to my Getting Ready for Autumn post when I updated it yesterday:
Mental health tips from Mind for getting ready for autumn: https://www.sheffieldmind.co.uk/getting-ready-for-autumn-2
Vlog about slow living as we transition to autumn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdJ1fbQhcLE
Post from Michelle of Daisy Butter about the September start (from last year but still relevant): https://daisybutter.com/2021/09/how-im-making-the-most-of-2021s-september-start/
If you love autumn, follow Jaye Rockett's Hunting for Autumn Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/p/ChkQZ9qqEbE/
And you can sign up for the monthly newsletter here: https://jayerockett.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d63a1f5733def20479f140bbf&id=290d9d4153
How was your summer? What are you most looking forward to this autumn? Or how has your winter been and what are you looking forward to in spring? :)
Photo at top of post: Buckingham Park, Shoreham-by-sea. Moonsparkle 2022.
No comments:
Post a Comment