Moving with the Seasons: How to Align Your Life with Mother Nature

With the astrological New Year having arrived, it is a great time to embrace the idea of emerging or rebirthing yourself, or your ideas or goals. We have until the summer solstice on June 20th to embrace the energetics of Spring. 

I've always aligned myself with the practice of moving with the seasons, which also happens to align with the astrological wheel of the year. Fielding my life decisions around the way the Earth stays its course has allowed me to achieve maximum results in my goals. 

With any magic, there is leeway. The dates of each Equinox and Solstice are not hard-and-fast. They adjust every year, and even within the dates of each there is time to harness the energy. Just as we can channel the energies of the new and full moon 3 days on either side of the actual day, the turning of the seasons can be channeled just as flexibly. 

For me the new year begins in Spring. The calendar New Year on the first of January never aligned well with me because it's still the middle of Winter. Celebrating the “new” beginning and setting goals is not an energetic alignment with the season we are currently in on that date. 

The winter- from December to March- is a time to reflect, to embrace quiet, rest, repair and hibernation. 

This isn’t to say that you can’t begin a new project in January or take a period of rest in August. There are themes similar to that of the seasons all around us, in our days of the week or moon phases. However, in my experience, matching up with the seasons has allowed me to make some serious magic I otherwise wouldn’t have. Big money moves, if you will. 

The astrological New Year and the Spring Equinox are the energetic shifts of beginning. 

Aries kicks us off with powerful “go-getter” energy, and the Earth begins to bloom and rebirth itself. Everything is fresh, soft, new and young. This is when we can discover that energy within ourselves and emerge from our proverbial caves and dens and present our new selves, our new ideas to the world. 

I scheduled my brand relaunch on March 1st for this reason as well. I wanted the energetic energy behind a new beginning to accelerate the launch forward. I channeled my energy in alignment with the season and as a result, got far more engagement and positive reactions than I had expected. Maybe it’s Maybelline, maybe it's Vernal energy. 

So start a new project, pick up a fitness regime, quit your job (responsibly). Embrace change in yourself and your environment. Plant seeds, so to speak, to water throughout the season. 

As we move along the Wheel of the Year, Summer comes knocking and this is when everything begins to culminate. The energy is full, bright, and loud. We begin to see growth in what we’ve planted (literally and figuratively) and the world is at its warmest, most lively. Symbolically, baby animals born in Spring have opened their eyes and begun to explore. Flowers are in full bloom. Daylight is at its longest. We live, we enjoy, we indulge, we bask. 

We are in full swing. We ride the momentum of the decisions we made in Spring and are realizing our goals. Some things may not have come above the dirt- that’s okay. We have time to pivot to new goals and ideas still. We have all the sun and resources we need to achieve, to grow. 

Fall swoops in and things begin to slow. We continue our harvest, now at its climax, and prepare for Winter. The air begins to cool and with it our energy wanes. We are inclined to sleep more, to relax. Soft, thick clothing and warm beverages. It’s still cheery outside as there is much opportunity for community and togetherness in the Fall season. We collect, admire, store and contain everything from within the previous 6 months. 

Autumn begs us to connect (it’s called cuffing season for a reason). Touch and feel. Come together. Celebrate what you achieved in Spring and Summer. We also receive the rewards for the work we put in. The “harvest” of our crop is collected and we get to enjoy our spoils. 

Winter breezes through yet again and we are invited to close our eyes. To rest and stretch, to reflect in our harvest and everything we have gained. We have the opportunity to hibernate like the rest of the animal kingdom. The experiences we gained in the seasons before return again, now for analysis and reflection. The nights are longer than the days and in this hibernation we are able to see things we may not normally be able to. The “darkness” limits our literal vision and allows our Inner Eye, or Third Eye to show us what we need to see.

Meditation, journaling, therapy and self-exploration are encouraged in Winter. Sans traditional holidays, Winter is a lonely time for us. This is not a negative thing- we can utilize the isolation to perform inner work. We can acknowledge our shadow and learn from our experiences.

This illumination of the shadow gives us the knowledge of what no longer serves us so we can make room for Spring when it comes ‘round again. Spring cleaning at its finest. In this isolation we can bank on and use up the things we gathered in harvest, if we have done the work to last us. 

If not, there is nothing to worry about. Year after year these themes return to us, giving us another chance to go out and do what we may not have been able to in years previous. The turning of the seasons is something we can always count on. As long as the Earth turns this cycle will always be available to us. 

It's a wonderful cycle and by attuning myself to it I've been able to achieve a peace and flow in my life I couldn't imagine being without. It connects me to the Earth and to myself. 

It is a constant reminder of the cyclical nature of Nature and how I, as a being of the Earth, can release stress and timelines. It allows what's natural to flow within me. 

I hope you too, are able to harness the simple magic here and utilize it to bring harmony and success to your life. These energies are as literal as they are figurative and can be applied to any area of your life that you are wishing to see transformation. For some of you it is a career, for others a journey of self-discovery. For others still it’s an opportunity to become a better parent, a stronger practitioner, a more peaceful soul. There is no limitation other than your own.

Mother Nature will never and has never abandoned us. Lean on her. She will guide you. 

Blessed Be!

-Ryan