Welcome to fall!

Fall is the season to literally let go, clean things up and get ready to hunker down for winter. At least that's how it goes here in New England. I know my Cali friends don't really know the difference in seasons and are maybe just wishing for a little cooler weather right now.

New England has the privilege to watch a beautiful display of color changing on all of the trees. Some years are better than others...I've heard predictions for this fall to be quite good. Our temperatures keep fluctuating from the cool brisk nights to super hot and steamy 90 degree days. The leaves on the trees and those already on the ground have dried out to a full potato chip crisp status. There is no way you can be stealthy in the woods right now while trying to sneak around and find wildlife! That might explain why I have seen very little!

What brings me here today is the final day of September that comes to us tomorrow. This year has been one focused on reflection, lots of alone time, clarity, hibernation, facing fears, and most of all removing dead weight in my life. Little by little I have eliminated physical items, emotional weight, thoughts, people, old beliefs, and even patterns I noticed myself repeating that I simply didn't want to be a part of anymore. This month, September, is the transitional time between summer and fall. It is the ending of a lot of things. It also is/was the perfect time for me to prove to myself that I was ready to not only "let go" but to prepare to transition into a new beginning. My very own metamorphosis. The reassurance in hearts on my path and other happy symbols have been showing up beyond belief and letting me know that everything is going to work out just fine.

Over the past two weeks I have seen a number of symbols of transformation and physical metamorphosis. I had the privilege of watching not just one but three Monarch caterpillars form a chrysalis and then transition into the miraculous winged beauties. I also have had a number of snakes showing up during my nature walk adventures. I rarely see snakes. They are known for transformation due to the shedding of their skin. We can use their wisdom in our own lives right now by shedding our old dead "skin" as we move into greener pastures. Both the process of shedding snake skin as well as the butterfly coming out of the chrysalis are also a symbol of rebirth. As you "shed your skin" try your best to not focus on what you are losing or leaving behind. Instead, believe that you are creating a whole new life for yourself and be curious about what it will look like! It's exciting! You no longer have to be who or what you were in the past. Your future is completely up to you to decide. Most importantly, open your arms to the new possibilities and allow that energy to surprise you. Maybe you'll find a unicorn...or at the very least a rainbow or pictures in your eggs. :)

It is so liberating to clean up your life as the seasons change. Here, after we watch the trees change colors they drop all of their leaves to cover the front and backyards to homeowners delight. We as silly humans go out and clean up the "unsightly" dead weight that has been removed from the trees as their preparation tactic for regeneration. As a side observation, I am wondering if we take the same amount of time and effort to remove the dead weight from our lives and prepare for our own individual regeneration? I think the general answer is no. We are so busy as a society. Always rushing, working, working too much, running to the next event, doing everything for everyone that keeps our own pruning and maintenance as the last thing on our minds. We will gladly clean up our yards so as not to disturb the neighbors or wonder what they'll think if we don't.

If you take the time to clean up different aspects of your world while the leaves turn and fall I can guarantee you will feel an upkick in energy! Start small with something like your car. Clean it. Inside and out. If you keep a lot of items in it most of the time, go through them and remove what you won't need through the winter. Then head inside. Start with your bathroom. Get rid of old products that you no longer use or are expired. Clean it. Top to bottom. Make it sparkle and feel good about it! While you're at it, brush your teeth! AND floss. Then head into your bedroom. Eliminate things you no longer want or need. Stop putting it off. This is your time to spoil yourself. Go through your clothes before packing summer things away for winter. Donate anything that doesn't fit or that you have not touched in over a year. If you see clutter anywhere, sort it, eliminate what you no longer need and organize the rest.

When you create space in your lifestyle and living area you are signaling that you are ready and willing for new energy to come and shower you with newness in ways you won't even expect. This includes happiness.

Once you have finished cleansing each day, be sure to take a walk outside or even better go for a run. We hold a massive energetic tie to our items. Many of you may even feel that pull as you are trying to discard things but are on the fence or "just can't do it yet." It is important to continue taking care of your body and mind even after the cleansing to help release all of those emotions or holding patterns you have watched resurface in this process. Taking a walk out in nature or a short simple jog can help ground you and stabilize your emotions to allow you to move forward without a negative hit.

Finally, after you have finished your seasonal cleaning and tooth brushing, I encourage all of you to take a little more time for yourself. Spend a few moments evaluating where you are in comparison to January 2017. Think about what's new, different, exciting, boring, the good, and the bad. Once you have gotten that far, think about where you would like to be and what you want to feel as you end 2017 in just over 3 months. You have plenty of time to make big and little changes to get you where you want to be.

(As a side note, I truly hope every single one of you brush your teeth WAY more frequently than on a seasonal basis!!!)

Keep on Wigglin'

~AcornTales