During the past couple of years, living on land, I have began to understand what it means to live by the wheel of the year. As we enter the last 1/8 of wheel, known as samhain, we are being asked to compost and shed all that is ready to be released. In this compost cycle we let go of what the year has brought us, we shed the skins that have been identified with roles in which kept us safe, we honor the turning of the times and become quiet within.
What does composting look like? Well, I suppose you could say that it is indeed a time to let go of what is not serving you. A job, relationships, partnerships, mind patterns that have been stuck on a looping system, thoughts that keep you playing small. When we look at the idea of composting, it is taking used material such as food or manure to give back to the Earth. Here, Mother Earth takes this used energy and allows it to sit and breakdown for creation of new earthen material for the time when we seek to plant new seeds. During winter solstice, the darkest time of the year we tend the soil through ritual practices such as meditation, song, and solitude to hear what the soul is asking us to create next. Winter solstice asks us to meditate and turn inward. Before we can do that we need to let go, just as nature herself does.
So, what is it that is ready to be let go of? Have you been self-sabotaging in one way or another? Does self-doubt creep in right before you are about to take action, leaving you empty and not moving forward? Is there a continual thought pattern that holds you back from achieving your dream? Does your job make you feel fulfilled and in alignment with your hearts desires and soul's passion? Are you always giving to others and not yourself? These are all questions I have been asking myself as we enter Samhain. As I get ready to compost and release all that no longer serves me, I gracefully and compassionately let go. I have began to understand that there is a whole new wheel of the year coming and I am ready to remain open for what would like to come through. I set my intentions and let them be fulfilled in the magical way the Universe shows up. For me, it is not always easy to investigate what is needing to be let go, mostly because it is asking me to sit in the areas that I have been pushing away in the mind. Yet, being here in this time of the year, I can feel the supportive natural rhythm as the earth herself, sheds leaves, composts the gardens, and prepares to go deep into the dark days of winter. After all, you and me are natural human beings directly in tune with the natural rhythms and cycles that are here on Earth.
Let it go, let it go, let it go. Compost the old, the used, and the dried up patterns. Allow for the natural decay to take place, so something new and bright can RISE through. The last 1/8 of the year is here. Honor, create ritual and be present with what comes forth. Be compassionate and loving towards yourself. You are not alone. We are all moving through the deeper layers of life to let go, now.