fall is so metal

You’ve probably heard it before. Fall is a season of letting go. 

It’s true. Releasing the old — sometimes by facing what needs to be grieved — is absolutely essential. It’s part of nature, and therefore it’s part of your body as well. If you don’t face it, not only will your life be too gunked up to allow space for your new upgraded software (aka: hopes, dreams, and fresh courage to be your most authentic and badass self), but your beautiful Nature Body will also begin to manifest signs of your resistance to change.

Two years ago I was having the worst autumn ever. Sickness after sickness. Covid, then a stomach virus, then diverticulitis (holy hell, YOU DO NOT WANT DIVERTICULITIS. Please trust me on this), then mother effing influenza. And they just kept coming. Respiratory sicknesses, then gut issues, round and round and round. I was a wisp of a person as winter approached. 

As I looked in the mirror at my frail body, I begged the Cosmos to tell me what I had done to end up in this mess. What was the lesson here?

Then, right when I needed it most, I learned from awesome Eastern/Western medicine person, Doctor Motley, that in Chinese philosophy each season has a different element, and the elements are connected to certain organs and emotions. Fall is associated with the element of metal which affects the lungs and large intestine. It encourages us to process our grief, let go of old dynamics, and get organized for the newness that’s coming. 

The biggest issue in my life at that point was a really nasty post-divorce custody mess. I was agonizing over my kids day and night and letting myself get pushed around, always on the defense. It felt like my lifeforce was being sucked away from me. 

Learning about this elemental fall energy was a big lightbulb moment, and I could see how it was reflected in nature too. 

Deciduous trees turn colors and lose their leaves on purpose. They have evolved to draw their green powerhouse, chlorophyll, back into their bodies in fall, harnessing and protecting their energy for the new life that will come in spring. 

So I grieved. I felt all the pain and weariness. Felt it all the way through. 

Then I asked myself what I wanted. 

I took the rest of that season to reflect on what was working in my life and what wasn’t. Then I made a plan to go after what I wanted…which came to fruition in springtime. Surprise, surprise. And once I took charge, got organized, and got clarity on the life I wanted, my health improved significantly. And my immune system has been tough as nails the last two years.

Now I think about this element every fall and take time to assess and dream.

What am I resisting?

What do I need to grieve?

What needs to be cleared out and organized in my life?

And finally…what do I want for my future?

I know now that I cannot have the new growth of spring without letting go of what needs to be shed in fall. 

Try it out for yourself. You may find that the themes of metal (setting boundaries, grounding, letting go, and getting crystal clear on what you want) feel especially good this time of year. 

Go with the flow of the seasons. It’s your nature!