October 2007

It is the autumnal equinox as I write this and its energy is evident everywhere. In our local small towns there have been numerous gatherings. Some have been to raise funds for those needing to build, or rebuild, and many gatherings have been just about coming together.

At each event I was reminded that the world is full of wonderful, generous people who are ready for the opportunity to work with others, and serve a community cause. At most of the gatherings, people seem to be unaware that it is equinox, but perhaps deep in their cellular memory they know it is a time to give thanks for the gifts life has brought over the year and a time to connect with each other as a community of many faiths and interests, before the coming challenges of winter.

My favourite party was a full day of harvest celebration with a mix of locals and many back-to-the-land folks up here, specifically to honour the equinox. Local musicians performed outside on hay wagons, sharing their heart-felt songs as we listened and danced. Each year there is always such an abundance of  delicious foods being shared. Everything is organic and fresh from the garden or newly-stored. The fruit pies lasted moments and then magically more would appear. This year a family brought along their cider press from home, along with baskets of apples so that we could experience making our own fresh juice.

Conversations swirled around everything from how people were doing in relationships, to who was getting off the grid. Most everyone seems to have a mental checklist about which neighbour has chickens, who has eggs, who is trading veggies or juice or maple syrup; who has all their solar panels, who is getting their walls insulated at last. Many have been on DC power for years and are happy to mentor those just tuning into it all now. People are infected with the reducing energy bug, and it’s wonderful to see how well everyone is doing. I certainly had my own success stories from efforts over the last few years.

People were also talking about trading with Unity Dollars. There are thousands of currencies that have started up in towns and cities around the world (over two thousand in North America). In Killaloe, every time you turn up at a meeting you get 100 unity dollars. Local lumber yards, food producers, massage therapists etc, offer to take 5% to 100% payment in unity dollars. keeping the money out of Wal-mart and out of the high interest banks and moving instead,  within the community. We don’t have any dentists on the list yet, but many basic needs can be met, and it’s only a few months old. Apparently local currencies are so popular amongst the working classes in parts of Central America and Africa that banks have had to offer loans from low to zero interest rates, to bring people back to the banking system.

Other conversation topics this year included how intense and quickly-moving things felt. Not a new sensation but it certainly didn’t feel as if time was slowing down. Others commonly spoke about taking stock of their lives. It seems there is not enough time anymore to be entangled in people or situations that are not working. I brought up my own feeling that I was having to address a lot of shadowy parts, weak parts, that were popping up so that I could expose them to the light of day. People would move closer to me as I spoke and share their own dance with the shadows. Sharing our vulnerability felt important and natural.

I mentioned this to a friend who is an educator. She shared that, from a Waldorf school perspective, this is the time of year when we should be taught how to ‘be’, and to practise being courageous: courage at a primal level to face the coming dark of winter, and the courage to face, and be with, ourselves. Many people are experiencing important change/challenges right now. It is good to know this is the perfect time to take back any of our energy that is being diluted or fragmented by ‘fear of trying’, and to step into our heroic future.

This time of year my days are spent waking up with the sun and heading out early to harvest before the frost browns the leaves. Every day that we wake to another beautiful harvest day is an opportunity to be filled with gratitude, and each time the cold river spills over the brim of my rubber boots as I harvest along the shore, is a definite opportunity to practise being courageous.