Introduction
If each season corresponds to an element, I would say autumn would be the element of “earth.” It is harvest time, and the leaves are falling, covering the ground to prepare it for next year’s planting season. The days are getting shorter, and the air has a musty, aromatic scent to it—almost as though infused with the natural cycles of beauty and decay.
Although spring can be associated with the element water (rain), growth, regeneration, and new beginnings, I’d like to focus for a moment on the sensation of a fresh start brought by the fall.
Autumn brings a return to school for children and for many adults. The start of a new school year is in many ways a fresh start mentally. It allows us to look at the year from a different point of view, and we can create goals based on a different calendar.
The fall months are months of productivity and tending to our needs. It is as though we are waking up from the laxity and leisurely pace of summer to the hustle and bustle of fall. There are crops to harvest, vegetables and fruits to can or otherwise store for winter, and fields to prepare for the following year.
We thought summer was the holiday season, spanning Memorial Day to Labor Day; but really, how hard is it to grill a couple of tofu or turkey dogs, slice up some watermelon, and serve up some cold beverages? With Halloween, Ramadan, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa staring us down, depending on what you celebrate, you’re cooking, hosting, and commiserating—the busy season is only just beginning.
Now that I’ve reminded you of how much work there is to be done, let me remind you of the beauty of fall: cool nights, football games, changing leaves, the crunch of fallen leaves under foot, the slackening of yard work, fireplaces glowing, sweaters, homemade soups and chili, hot cocoa, and harvest moons.
This issue of Holistic Times is overflowing like an autumn cornucopia of natural goodness! We have a post-conference interview with Dr. Elson Haas (who will be returning for the 2005 conference), great coverage of all the events we attended over the summer, and the return of ClassNotes.
Give yourself an autumn treat: make a cup of tea, find a nice outdoor spot in the afternoon sun, and sit back to read the Holistic Times cover to cover.
Tara N. Brown, Editor
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