The Metal Element and Autumn Energetics

Welcome to autumn! The shift into the Metal element is already underway so I’m touching base with some tips for making the most of the energetics of this season.

Autumn, as mentioned, is associated with the Metal element and the Lung and Large Intestine organs. With the Lung we take in qi from the air we breathe and with the Large Intestine we eliminate that which we don’t need to hold onto. Both of those processes involve a lot of unconscious refinement. The filtering that naturally happens with an inhale and exhale, the inspiration (or lack thereof) that registers with our spirit as we breathe. The elimination that happens with a bowel movement… we learn to willingly let go of waste in our bodies, but sometimes when this is happening in other areas of our lives, we feel loss or hesitation, sometimes refusal, to let go of things that are no longer serving us.

Think about the properties of metal — it can be sharpened for cutting and can be used to create rigid structures. This reflects the discernment and decisiveness that is more available to us at this time of year. Before modern conveniences made winter much easier to navigate, this was a time of year when what we were able to harvest and preserve would decide our fate in the coming months. We needed to be very clear about how to gather, store, prepare, and organize what we had in order to survive. I think the back to school feeling we tend to get in September that nudges us toward organization has a lot to do with this primal survival instinct and the Metal element coming online to support us.