01/10/2026
I really do get the resistance of Autumn snd the desire to hold onto eternal days of Spring and Summer. For so many when the sun lowers and shadows lengthen there is a sense of foreboding.
I absolutely loved Spring and if I could stay in the energy of the endless promise of new life I would. Autumn and the dread of darker evenings were an eternity away and I was happy….Until the end of the summer when the sun seekers abandoned coastal resorts and the petals began to fade. The dread would take root.
And then something began to shift. Days of quiet noticing fiery sunsets, the crisp edge of a morning, jewel laden dewy hedgerows and woodsmoke hanging in the air heighten the senses. The natural world quietens and something in us attunes to her subtlety. What if we trust our connection to this intelligence?
When I was in my early to mid 40s this was my experience. I was sensing the changes in the outer seasons were also stirring within me. At Red School the descent from ovulation through the premenstrual phase to your bleed is named ‘via negativa’. Far from being negative it refers to a time of embracing creative powers that are concerned with letting go of anything that no longer feels authentic and claiming that for yourself.
As a leaf reaches the perfect moment of release from its branch so are we able to release ideas, beliefs, feelings and behaviours that uncover a deeper truth of who we are.
The via negativa summons inner potency and enriches your inner life. You may sense you become more psychic and intuitive. No longer concerned with being ‘out there’ and sociable you pack away your party shoes and feel happier with a candle, a cosy blanket and a cup of tea. You may recognise these changes through the month or as a life transition.
When we begin to embrace the darkness and soften the compulsion to power through it we find ourselves living a surrendered sacred life. Periods of low energy transform into opportunities for quiet reflection and befriending parts of ourselves we have abandoned. We are released from the inner summer energy of being all things to all people and feel the relief of coming home to ourselves. 🍂🙏🏽✨
