Autumn Equinox Shifts

When the middle of September comes, I start to think if the Autumn Equinox and the shift from summer to fall. I also see this as a "new year." Maybe it is the back to school or the new planners that start to surface but I start thinking about what is left of the year. This year, I decided to take a look at my #23in23. The list of things I decided I would concentrate on in 2023. In case you need a reminder, here is my list.

Here is my list of #23in23 in no particular order and some notes I added in July (around my birthday, my mid year check in on progress) and now I am adding some additional notes.

#outside23in23

Finish 5 small house projects (in the process of selling the house)

Learn to identify the seagulls (carry over from 2022) - Not even started

Start each day with 5-10 minutes of Silence (working on this - a practice) (still working on this)

Writing Practice 3-5 times per week (Hooray!) (keeping up with this except during the move)

Small camper journey (several short trips so far) (brought it to Ohio with us_

Read 70 books this year (I did read 73 last year so...) (current count is 88 - and I changed my count to 100 books - with plenty of time left in the year)

Use Local Library (absolutely doing) (already signed up for my Columbus Metro Library Card)

Create Want lists/2 no spend months (March/August) Success! Though the move kind of came into play for August - but nothing was purchased that wasn't needed for the move)

Do my living will (not started on at all)

Cultivate personal relationships (regular visits with Lanny, Amber, Alisa, Nita, etc and Marco Polo with Gigi and Liz) (keeping up with these just fine)

2 Research Projects (LHS History/Archives History/WIHC) (yep - still happening)

15 minute timed tasks (fun game for household chores) (enjoying this one)

Take one day of media silence a week (not at all yet but did take media breaks for weeks at a time) (haven't decided what day to do this but have enjoyed the breaks I did take so far this year)

Declutter and Downsize Home Inventory (AYTC) - Yes in progress (well, we moved, so extreme declutter and purge happened August/September of this year)

Choose Guilt over Resentment (working on)

Do 2 No Spend Months (March and August) - Yep

Add in Veggies (Vegan even) Definitely still doing

Reduce Negative Self Talk (getting there) still working on

Celebrate Wins (even when forgetful, reminding myself to list what did work)

Explore ways to encourage creativity/play (missing my art dates with the move but plan to resume soon)

Join regular Al-anon group (not yet) - still not done

Reduce use of 1x use items (working on this) - work in progress

My word of the year is Forgive/Forgiveness. I am looking to cultivate Presence, Joy and Creativity in 2023. I have spent a lot of time this year thinking about who I am in the world and how I show up for other people. I am hardest on myself - even with the throngs of critics that pick apart everything I do or do not do. It has been hard to shift into seeing the positive especially when there is so much around me to take me down. I feel the collective sadness, hurt, resentment, rage, unfairness, and insert all of the other negative words here. Sometimes it is hard for me to shake free of these things and find joy even in the sorrow of these things. Trying to live in a black and white world for so long I am looking at finding the grey and the both/and. It is challenging but I am taking steps in that direction.

Back to the list...After taking my notes and looking at the list - I think it is safe to say that anything I did not even begin will just be dropped from the list as didn't start and probably won't start it at this late day in the game. I did decide to keep "do my living will" on as something to work on between now and the end of the year and I think that is realistic for sure. My #outside23in23 has not been a strict 23 minutes outside but I have definitely made getting outside a priority - especially since I have become more of a home body these days. Outside may just look like time on the balcony or taking out the garbage. The point of the list is to find things that you really want to do and as the year goes on, you notice the things that seem less important or necessary. Maybe I added in things I didn't think about and that was definitely true this year. We moved from WA to OH - and that made a huge difference in what I had planned for the year. 

So, what next?

I'm thinking about what I want to do as the year comes to a close. The Wheel of the Year has Mabon - Autumn Equinox September 20-23 as a quarter point festival (solar) as a point of celebration and reflection. For me, I am celebrating what I have already accomplished this year and reflecting on what else would make me feel complete as 2023 comes to a close. That is where I will send my energy. I have been trying to embrace my Germanic and Celtic heritage, learning more about these times and noticing how often I can feel the shift before it actually comes. As it was so aptly stated in a writing group last night - Persephone is returning to the underworld and taking all plant life with her. 

So, as I sip my Twinings Pumpkin Chai tea and stare out my window at the passing traffic from my 2nd floor apartment in the city - I wonder how 2023 will end and what is coming in 2024. I have a few months to figure that out.  Do you have any rituals for the equinox? Are you thinking of the year behind or what is ahead?