CYCLES:  LATE SUMMER / HARVEST

                           Mary Oliver, in What Do We Know (Cambridge MA: DaCapo, 2002), 44

The Asian calendar has five seasons, not four. Late Summer or Harvest comes after the Fire of Summer and before Autumn, which is associated with Metal.

Between mid-August and first frost is a time of fullness and abundance associated with the element Earth. In traditional Chinese thought, Earth also relates to the period between seasons, throughout the year- to those days that give a hint of what comes next, when more than one season seems to be present. Earth’s direction is center; it is the axis on which the cycle turns. Organ systems associated with Harvest/Earth are Spleen and Stomach, which in Traditional Chinese Medicine relate to the intake and assimilation of nourishment. Yellow and earth tones are the colors connected with this season.

Late Summer reminds us of what supports us through all our changes and transitions. It is a time to find a balance between nourishing ourselves and nourishing others and to acknowledge the importance of being grounded.

The gifts of Late Summer/Earth include compassion and integrity. Problems related to this season and element may reflect lack of center, or excessive centeredness, on any level of being. For instance, diarrhea or poor balance may suggest lack of physical centeredness, while obsessions or worry may indicate emotional uncenteredness. On the other hand, weight gain and selfishness may be signs of excessive centeredness.

 “Uniting Heaven and Earth,” a Qigong movement, is a good exercise for this season. Here it is:

adapted from Sandra Hill, Reclaiming the Wisdom of the Body: A Personal Guide to Chinese Medicine  (London: Constable, 1997) and  Lonny Jarrett, Nourishing Destiny: The Inner Tradition of Chinese Medicine  (Stockbridge MA: Spirit Path, 1998)