Transition time...into a New Season, a New Way of...

Autumn...the Metal Element

According to Five Element Theory in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)...the Season of Autumn corresponds to the Metal Element. The color is gray/white. The flavor is sour. The energy is one of contraction.

Fall represents the time of Harvest. Fall signifies the time when the exuberance of summer, the external firery energy of summer is called to retreat inward and begin to concentrate it's focus (ie. on school). Thus, if we are to live in accordance to the seasons...we also are asked to begin to venture inward, to reflect, and gather all of our energies in order to pass through the colder, darker months ahead of us.

The element of Metal suggests "structure". It is this time frame where it is best to reflect upon and perhaps re-implement a New Structure, a new and improved way of how we operate our energies to get the maximum joy from Life...to have the most Delicious Life possible!~ (and on a sidenote...with Pluto in the early degrees of Capricorn...this is a most opportune time to Transform "Structure"!!!)

From a culinary/dietary perspective...our food intake needs to accomodate the change of seasons as well. Begin to use less water, lower temperatures and cooking for a longer time period to infuse more "heat" into your foods ("concentrating" the heat energy). It is time to eat root vegetables (ie. parsnips and turnips). The taste of sour/astringent (the pucker type foods) helps to concentrate and focus one's energy as well. Such foods are vinegar and lemon...but make note...a "little" sour goes a long way...don't overdo it.

Autumn and the Metal Element reflect the function of the Lung and Large Intestine...now is a good time to improve the health of those organ systems. Because the emotions of sadness/grief and the ability/inability of Letting Go (metaphysically) pertain to the Lung function and Large Intestine...check in and review what emotions need to be internally dealt with at a personal level.

This of course, is a very brief overview of Autumn from a TCM level. But I hope it gives you some insight into any internal shifts you may be experiencing during this Summer to Autumn Transition.

God Bless~