A Seasonal Manifesto - Autumn 2023
Autumn is well and truly here after an unseasonably warm September and early October. The leaves have started to turn and fall near our home, the days are shorter and temperatures starting to fall. Autumn is my favourite season and one which has always felt symbolic of new beginnings. Perhaps it’s seeing the sunrise each morning and seeing the sunset each evening which helps me feel more aware of this feeling.
The season brings many of us closer to nature as we seek out trees with incredible displays of changing colours, we collect conkers and are reminded of our childhoods doing the same thing, and pick up pine cones from a forest floor. Autumn feels bountiful and full of natural beauty, there are berries and nuts ripe and ready to enjoy, the frosty misty mornings, dew on spiderwebs, pumpkins and squashes, and golden and pink sunrises. There are murmurations to observe, preserving to get stuck into, and the kitchen is a hub of activity as stews, crumbles, puddings and hearty soaps are made.
Within this mix of things which tend to fill this time of year there are a few invitations from nature or themes which can be felt. Just as the leaves fall from trees its a useful time to think about what you can let go of. With the lower light levels and shorter days there is a gentle permission to rest and hibernate.
Each season I create a manifesto, connecting me to my senses and helping me to shape the things I most want to focus on experiencing or doing. It helps me live a more intentional life and connect to the season.
My Autumn Manifesto 2023
Connect with the darkness and savour the shorter days
With the darkness arriving see it as an invitation to slow down, rethink and take time out from the busy moments.
Get outdoors
Make space in my diary and get outdoors, move my body, and make a conscious effort to look up, look down and look closely and connect with my senses at the season shifts
Create warming and nourishing meals
Buy locally sourced apples, squashes, mushrooms, and the final home grown crops of beetroot, to create comforting and warming meals.
Tend to my Roots
Continue to tend to my roots. Allow myself space and time to go inwards to reflect on life and my business. Capture ideas and create new plans.
Light up the darkness
Use warming lights and candles to create comforting light sources on darker evenings and add autumnal colours and natural elements to our home
Create space for my creativity
Make space in my diary each week to connect to my work in progress creative projects
I hope you are able to take some inspiration from the manifesto above and perhaps create your own. It could be as simple as a list, a short set of statements like I’ve created above, or even create a vision board with your words included. I like to map out some of the ideas onto our calendar for the season ahead and remind myself every week about my manifesto and reflect on how I’ve connected with it each week.
I hope you are able to savour the autumnal season in simple and gentle ways, helping you create more pockets of joy and nourishment from the season.