Late Summer and the Earth Element…

Easily one of my favorite times of year, especially here in Seattle. In typical western culture, we talk about four seasons. The Chinese include a fifth… the Late Summer. There is no set calendar date for the beginning (or end for that matter) of the Late Summer… it is a shift that many of us can feel. We’ve surmounted the peak of Summer, of Fire, of Yang energy for the year… and we begin our decline. The air is a bit cooler, lighter, and even sweeter; the leaves may be suggestive of turning, but not quite yet… we simply hear their faint song. It is now where we bring in our harvest, fill our storehouses to the brim with nourishment to sustain us through the autumn and winter. Abundance.

“Mother Earth” is talked about a lot in various cultures, including Chinese medicine. The Earth Element contains within it the essence of the Mother. What does this mean? Well, what is the mother imparting, communicating to the babe in her arms as she nurses? An unconditional supply of stability, safety, calm, attentiveness, nourishment, understanding, compassion – the most holistic deliverance of “love”. How is this different from the Earth beneath our feet, from what the soil provides to all living things trying to perpetually be nourished and grow? The answer… not one bit.

More posts on the Earth Element to come soon… because it won’t be here for very much longer!