Autumnal Equinox And Metal Element Energetics
Today marks the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. Day and night are nearly equal on this day, and going forward we will see the days gradually shorten and the nights get longer. So, we are moving into a time of increasing yin and receding yang. What this means is that the active, warm, bright, masculine energy is shifting to a more passive, cool, dark, feminine energetic.
In addition to this broader shift that’s occurring, we have also moved into the Metal element. The 5 elements of Chinese medicine are Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood. Metal corresponds with the Autumn season and the Lung organ. The tone of metal is discerning (think about metal’s ability to cut.) With this discerning aspect comes the ability to prioritize, organize, and cut away anything extraneous to reveal what is most valuable.
Loss is also a theme with the Metal element that is very apparent in nature as the leaves drop from trees. The Large Intestine, which is the yang pair of the Lung, completes the task of letting go. There is sadness, but that sadness must move through so that stagnation or a back up does not occur, neither physically or emotionally.
As the Classical texts say, in order to live to be 100 we must live in accordance with nature. So, to work with the shift from yang to yin, as well as the Metal element, you can do the following:
Warm up your diet- In summer our bodies could take in more cooling foods because our yang qi was naturally more robust, but now it’s time to start cooking your food. When we eat uncooked foods our bodies have to do the extra work of heating them up so that they can be broken down and the valuable nutrients extracted. This uses more yang qi, and with the natural deficiency of yang qi in this season, we can quickly become depleted if we continue to eat raw food. Any type of cooking will add warming properties to food, but slow roasting or braising is especially effective. The extra liquid in braising helps to add moisture to the Lung which is often needed as the air becomes drier. My tip: Try braising some pears and adding them to a breakfast porridge with orange zest and cinnamon. It’s really good, and pears have an affinity with the Lung.
Get rid of stuff you don’t need- Nature is in the process of paring down to what it will be able to sustain without the extra sunlight and warmth. Similarly, we can start to eliminate that which isn’t really necessary so that we are able to focus on the things that are important and necessary. Are there apps on your phone you don’t use? Delete them. Email lists you’re on that you don’t really benefit from or need? Unsubscribe. The idea is to prioritize what is truly valuable and allow room for inspiration (the Lung’s virtue).
Streamline activities- This is an elaboration on the last point, but specifically regarding activity. We are beginning the inward movement toward winter. So, while we begin to prepare for some degree of hibernation we have to decide what is or is not an activity that is going to help us sustain the harsher months. Is it nourishing or is it in some way draining? Beginning to streamline your schedule now with the help of the Metal element’s discernment will set you up for a more yin-replenishing hibernation.
Pay attention to primal instincts- There is a deep, old part of us that is still wired to approach this time of year as one in which our survival is at stake. There was a time when one’s harvest (or lack thereof) determined whether they would make it through the winter or not. In addition, people were generally more subject to the elements. So, it’s not uncommon for concerns around survival, home, and stability to come up at this time. Listen to them and parse out that which you can/ need to address versus that which may be arising from an ancestrally inherited instinct and response.
I hope you’re enjoying a bountiful harvest!