Today in the Northern hemisphere there is a moment of balance as we reach a transition from the lighter, into the darker half of the year: the autumn equinox. The day and night reach equal length, creating a fleeting period of equilibrium in the living world. It’s a wonderful time to take stock, pause, and reflect, gathering our harvest, and storing what we need for the season ahead.
Dewy mornings, mist filled and magical, autumn is making itself known. The brighter colours of early summer have now shifted to subdued earthy shades. There is a feeling of maturity to the landscape, as we’ve moved away from the full, vibrant adventure of summer into a slower, and steadier pace of autumn.
Amongst shimmering shades of sun-tinged grasses, are the beginnings of crispy auburn leaves falling from trees, scattering the ground with pockets of gold, amongst the damp earth. Autumn has crept in, with this season feeling more bountiful than ever, as berries hang heavy like jewels, and nuts fill trees, brimming over in abundance.
Seasonal change rituals
To celebrate the autumn equinox, and signal this seasonal shift I like to make some time to light a candle in the morning at breakfast, and in the evening over dinner. As the light slowly begins to fade from today onwards, I mark this moment by putting fairy lights up, bringing some needed light back into the house. I also collect acorns, and dried foraged foliage to decorate the house, as a way of appreciating the abundance of autumn, and this beautiful golden transitional phase.
AUTUMN
All the world knows of your beauty,
Your dazzling, fiery shades.
You burst into breathtaking brilliance
The further the sun dips and fades.
Each complimenting the other,
The three-quarter dance of the wheel,
The sun and the summer surrender.
The Earth mysteries are revealed.
I listen to sounds of this season.
The leaves crackle through the cold air.
The music has changed as the wind plays new tunes
Through branches increasingly bare.
~ Elaine Bateman
Nature’s treasures
One of nature’s treasures, scattered across forest floors this season is the acorn. A brilliant token of alchemical magic, a tiny, hardened nut that transforms into a great and mighty oak tree; reminding us that great things come from the smallest beginnings.
When walking home one misty autumn morning, gazing up at a magnificent old oak tree, I spotted the most perfectly formed miniature acorn. The intricate details of the delicate cup the acorn was cradled in, drew me closer. With it in my hands, I knew it would become a part of my woodland inspired jewellery collection. I find wearing jewellery that creates a deeper connection with the changing seasons, helps me feel grounded in the cyclical shifts of the natural world we’re so intrinsically a part of.
Alice is a jewellery designer inspired by the seasons, with a collection of delicate nature-inspired jewellery, unique handmade engagement rings, and bespoke jewellery services based in Stratford-Upon-Avon in the UK.
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