Living in the Season: Fall
Here's a deep and sensitive meditation on living in the season of Fall. Written by my sister, Susan, who is a five-element acupuncturist (susanacupuncture.com), and her artist husband, George Mason (georgemasonart.com). "Can we struggle less with what is inevitable, and accept that there is a time to release and let ourselves fall, trusting, into the arms of the unknown?" ~All the best, Rukmini Walker
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Living in the Season: Fall
~by Susan Weiser Mason
Here in Damariscotta Mills, there have been a few big blows that have shaken down the deadwood, and the lawn is now strewn with kindling. I see muted colors melding all around me, creating a warm-toned blanket on the landscape of Fall. I admire the poise of this season as it goes about the task of letting go, squarely facing the inevitable, secure in the appropriateness of surrender.Sunlight angles more sharply and with great articulation. The architecture of trees is increasingly evident. In this season the fundamentals are revealed. What warmth remains is appreciated, in part because this could be the last gentle day before Winter sets in. We receive these final offerings with a degree of reverence distinct to this time of year.The harvest is in. Has there been one for you; real or metaphoric? Is the garden put to bed? Is the wood in? Are you ready?The season is patient but precise. Our intellect may wish to negotiate, to extend, but the Fall is not really negotiable. If it were there would be no renewal.It is easy to become rigid in this season, focusing on what’s been left undone, the many ways we are unprepared, and how the impending season is not secure. We may feel we have not put our house in order, and it is hard to let go. We may ache for the health of the planet and insist on remaining ever vigilant.Yet the wisdom of the in-flight attendant rings true; ‘Place the mask over your own face and then help place the mask over the face of your loved one’. We must care for ourselves if we are to care for those we love. The unattended tasks will not be resolved over the weekend. This is, after all, a marathon and not a sprint. Conserve for the work ahead. Prepare by taking into account the need for rest and renewal. The season’s message is to let go, and to trust that letting go is not giving up. We are part of the cycle of the seasons, and that includes the great shake down of Fall. And decline and stillness are the mothers of Spring.Think seasons, not news cycles. The brittle, anxious, fearful, ungrounded quality of the time can leave us vulnerable to manipulation. This cacophony lives alongside the steady flow of our rivers, the breathing of the tides, and the supple swaying of trees. The natural world is a prayer, and we belong to it. Our drama can obscure the reality of how the planet functions with a unitary wisdom.We are not exempt from natures logic or consequences. We are no different than the leaves that settle in a halo of warm-tones on the ground. The challenge for us is to follow the lead of the tree, noting how its leaves let go at the right time, effortlessly. Can we struggle less with what is inevitable and accept there is a time to release and let ourselves fall, trusting, into the arms of the unknown.
Living in the Season: Fall
Here in Damariscotta Mills, there have been a few big blows that have shaken down the deadwood, and the lawn is now strewn with kindling. I see muted colors melding all around me, creating a warm-toned blanket on the landscape of Fall. I admire the poise of this season as it goes about the task of letting go, squarely facing the inevitable, secure in the appropriateness of surrender.Sunlight angles more sharply and with great articulation. The architecture of trees is increasingly evident. In this season the fundamentals are revealed. What warmth remains is appreciated, in part because this could be the last gentle day before Winter sets in. We receive these final offerings with a degree of reverence distinct to this time of year.
The harvest is in. Has there been one for you; real or metaphoric? Is the garden put to bed? Is the wood in? Are you ready?The season is patient but precise. Our intellect may wish to negotiate, to extend, but the Fall is not really negotiable. If it were there would be no renewal.It is easy to become rigid in this season, focusing on what’s been left undone, the many ways we are unprepared, and how the impending season is not secure. We may feel we have not put our house in order, and it is hard to let go. We may ache for the health of the planet and insist on remaining ever vigilant.Yet the wisdom of the in-flight attendant rings true; ‘Place the mask over your own face and then help place the mask over the face of your loved one’. We must care for ourselves if we are to care for those we love. The unattended tasks will not be resolved over the weekend. This is, after all, a marathon and not a sprint. Conserve for the work ahead. Prepare by taking into account the need for rest and renewal. The season’s message is to let go, and to trust that letting go is not giving up. We are part of the cycle of the seasons, and that includes the great shake down of Fall. And decline and stillness are the mothers of Spring.Think seasons, not news cycles. The brittle, anxious, fearful, ungrounded quality of the time can leave us vulnerable to manipulation. This cacophony lives alongside the steady flow of our rivers, the breathing of the tides, and the supple swaying of trees. The natural world is a prayer and we belong to it. Our drama can obscure the reality of how the planet functions with a unitary wisdom.We are not exempt from natures logic or consequences. We are no different than the leaves that settle in a halo of warm-tones on the ground. The challenge for us is to follow the lead of the tree, noting how it’s leaves let go at the right time, effortlessly. Can we struggle less with what is inevitable, and accept there is a time to release and let ourselves fall, trusting, into the arms of the unknown.
Susan Weiser Mason and Traditional Acupuncture are located in Damariscotta Mills / Nobleboro. She has been practicing since 1986.George Mason is an artist and acupuncturist. www.georgemasonart.com
Living in the Season: Summer
~by Susan Weiser Mason and George Mason
Here in Damariscotta Mills the Summer is full on. Flowers are blooming profusely and veggies are exploding out of what once were neat rows. Life is abundant, and a bit over the top! Before Covid, this was the season when I used to walk to the swimming hole to get refreshed and to hang out with neighbors and new found friends. What I always found there was an ease and informality that was satisfying and fun. The free flowing and relaxed communal atmosphere of the swimming hole is, in fact, a great example of what the energy of Summer is all about.Using the lessons and practice of Five Element Acupuncture, I follow what is a seamless flow of change throughout the year. By drawing attention to how every season has an energetic texture that presents opportunities and tasks, we may be reminded how we can live in harmony with this, our very own Summer, unfolding right here, right now.Summer is the time of maximum expansion and fullness. We see it in the garden, and we feel it under the luxuriant shade of trees. There is energy and there is appetite. The days are long, and we have capacity, and we want to embrace it all.Energetically, Summer has us opening doors and enjoying what makes us happy. Summer joy is ephemeral and radiant. It excites us, and encourages laughter. We may even gather some of that magic and hold it close to sustain us through the depths of Winter. But as we play, visit, and throw ourselves into the bright pageant of the season, we often overextend, and there is exhaustion. This is not so much the problem of Summer, as it is the issue of our compulsively living the whole year as though it were Summer. If we run just as hard in February with no allowance for Winter’s requirement to rest and rejuvenate, we may simply not have the reserves to successfully get through August. Summer madness relies on the rest of the year for preparation. There needs to be a season to replenish the reservoir. Going non-stop all year long is not realistic, if health is a consideration.Under pre-pandemic conditions, there were those who found the wonderful prospect of hanging out with friends and family overtaken by the reality of hosting too many guests, and being worn out by facilitating summer experiences for others, rather than having adventures themselves. Normally, this season is one of increased social interaction, and while this is natural, it can be relentless. Finding balance in a time of excess is essential.In this regard, Nature is the perfect companion and antidote for the delights and challenges of Summer, especially with the constraints of social distancing. To be out in it; to be awed by the proliferation of life, the fullness of green, the ocean’s expanse, is to be held by it’s quiet authority. The natural world embodies and perfectly moderates the lessons of Summer in ways that we can integrate.This season confronts us with how our ‘wanting’ is almost unquenchable. The deep and inclusive refrain of Summer is, ‘Live and let live’. It’s not sentimental, and it’s not always safe. Some may even feel a bit too exposed. There can be a quiet voice wishing for a little less wildness, please; a little more containment! For those folks, its like staying too long at the fair, and they will not regret that Summer is brief.In closing, eat fresh while you can! The water beckons. The trails invite, but so does a book, or a nap. Enjoy!
Dear sister to Rukmini Walker, Susan Weiser Mason is a Traditional Acupuncturist located in Damariscotta Mills, Nobleboro. She has been in practice since 1986. For more information, go to susanacupuncture.com or call 563-1571.) Her husband George Mason is an artist and acupuncturist. www.georgemasonart.com.
Living in the Season: Summer!
by Susan Weiser Mason
(Rukmini Walker's sister)
Here in Damariscotta Mills the Summer is full on. Flowers are blooming profusely and veggies are exploding out of what once were neat rows. Life is abundant, and a bit over the top! This is the season when I walk to the swimming hole to get refreshed and to hang out with neighbors and new found friends. What I find there is an ease and informality that’s satisfying and fun. The free flowing and relaxed communal atmosphere of the swimming hole is, in fact, a great example of what Summer is all about.
Using the lessons and practice of Five Element Acupuncture, I am following what is a seamless flow of change throughout the year, and I am hoping you will follow along with me. By drawing attention to how every season has an energetic texture that presents opportunities and tasks, we may be reminded how we can live in harmony with this, our very own Summer, unfolding right here, right now.
[perfectpullquote align="full" cite="" link="" color="" class="" size=""] Summer is the time of maximum expansion and fullness. We see it in the garden, and we feel it under the luxuriant shade of trees. There is energy and there is appetite. The days are long, and we have capacity, and we want to embrace it all.[/perfectpullquote]
I decided to wait until August to write this letter because the promise of Summer and the way we actually end up navigating through Summer, are often at variance with one another.
Summer has us opening our doors and entertaining what makes us happy. Joy is ephemeral and radiant. It excites us, and encourages laughter. We may even gather some of the magic andhold it close into the depths of Winter. But as we play, as we visit, and as we throw ourselves into the bright pageant of Summer, weoften overextend ourselves, and there is exhaustion.
An interesting question might be, is this really the problem of Summer, or have we just come to live the whole year as though it were Summer? If we run just as hard in February with no allowance for Winter’s requirement to rest and rejuvenate, we may simply not have the reserves to successfully get through August. Summer madness counts on the rest of the year for preparation.
Many forgo Summer in order to work as much as possible when there is economic opportunity in Maine. We can leverage the energy of summer to help support our demanding work requirements, however. If we can still find some time to hang out and experience the fullness of the season and feel included by it, we can manage, as there is a lot of energy to spare, in principle. But there needs to be a season to replenish the reservoir. Going non-stop all year long in not a realistic picture, if health is a consideration.
And there are those who find the wonderful prospect of hanging out with friends and family overtaken by the reality of hosting too many guests, and being worn out facilitating another’s summer experience, while feeling conflicted as host and caregiver, rather than being a fellow adventurer. The Nurture Model is worthy of esteem, but it’s not actually the invitation of Summer. That’s the core energy of another season, and we will talk about it in the next letter.
We need to align with every season in some meaningful way, so that the opportunities and tasks of that season are met. We cannot, and our bodies will not simply absent themselves. Energetically, we’re now in Summer, like it or not. It’s not discretionary, regardless of whether the intellect is paying attention.
[perfectpullquote align="full" cite="" link="" color="" class="" size=""] Nature is the perfect companion and antidote for both the delights and challenges of Summer. To be out in it, to be awed by the proliferation of life, the fullness of green, the ocean’s expanse, is to be held by it’s quiet authority. The natural world perfectly moderates and integrates the lessons of Summer, including us as a part of it.[/perfectpullquote]
Increased social interaction just goes along with Summer. While this is good, it can be relentless. Finding balance in this time of excess is essential. For example, instead being a skipping stone, just sit down and let the party come to you. Meet and really talk with one person. Surrender to the spacious feeling of having an authentic connection. Get nourished, rather than feeling swept along and dissipated by the busyness of an event.
Summer makes us have to face how our ‘wanting’ is almost unquenchable.If we watch the trees, their poise and patience areevidentand instructive, even as they give themselves away. We too, deserve to feel rooted, which gives rise to generosity.We all belong! That is really Summers’ deep refrain! Live and let live. It’s not sentimental, and it’s not always safe, as all things relational come without guarantees.
In this the most expansive time of the year, many feel a bit too exposed. There’s a quiet voice wishing for a little less wildness, please. A little more containment, please. For some, its like staying too long at the fair, and they will not regret that Summer isbrief. Longing for its return in the middle of Winter is another matter, of course.
So to finish up, eat fresh while you can! Meet your farmer and your baker. Lighter fare is well suited for summer. The water beckons. The trail invites, but so does a book, or a nap. Enjoy!
__________
Susan Weiser Mason has been practicing Traditional Acupuncture in Midcoast Maine for twenty seven years. Susan earned a Master’s of Acupuncture degree from the Traditional Acupuncture Institute (now called Maryland University of Integrative Health). In 1986, she opened her Traditional Acupuncture private practice in Bath, Maine and moved to Nobleboro in 1989. She earned an advanced degree from the College for Traditional Acupuncture in England in 1989. Susan served on the board of the Maine Association for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine for many years and was involved in drafting the Maine Acupuncture Law in 1990. Since 1998, she has served on the teaching faculty of the Academy for Five Element Acupuncture in Gainsville, Florida. Learn more about her on her website here.