We are deep into the months of autumn, making our way to the transition from foliage to bare trees. This contract reminds us of the importance of dropping what doesn’t serve you while harvesting what you need to go into the winter months.
Within the animal kingdom, we see some animals grow another layer of fur to keep them warm, while others harvest food and prepare for a long hibernation. We see the external world around us reflect the importance of taking stock of what we are carrying which may be physical, energetic, or emotional, and ‘store’ only what is needed to help us survive the sometimes harsh winter.
The energy of autumn is crisp and refreshing. In contrast, the energy of winter is cold and constrictive. Even if you do not live in a place with snow or strong temperature shifts, an internal shift occurs within each of us. We are cynical beings, and this is most apparently traceable in the female menstruation cycle.
The autumn months are associated with the luteal phase and the winter to menstruation or the bleeding phase. Simplified, the luteal phase is when the lining of the womb thickens, allowing the preparation for a fertilized egg otherwise the lining sheds in the next phase and menstruation begins.
From a Chinese Medicine perspective, we also look at these cyclical phases within the movement and shifting of yin and yang. The I Ching or Book of Changes offers us another perceptive on this shift within a woman’s menstrual cycle. The I Ching is one of the oldest Chinese classics, it has been used in Chinese culture as a way to connect the cosmic forces at play within the many aspects of life. Some see it as a form of divination likely for its ability to forecast future outcomes of events, diseases and life choices. It is very practically used within the context of Chinese Medicine for its ability to shed light on the history and progression of a patient’s disease state. Within the I Ching, there are eight trigrams, that are each composed of yin and yang energies, the solid lines represent yang and the broken lines are yin.
Within the menstrual cycle, the trigrams go from ☴ in the luteal to ☰ in menstruation. Within the luteal phase, the yang is waxing and the yin is waning (just as the moon has waxing and waning phases) this is the point at which the uterus contains, which explains the thickening of the uterine lining within the womb. Within the menstrual phase extreme yang turns into yin, the energy is focused on descending, and the uterus is draining [blood]. The trigram ☴ is Xun, representing wind, and “symbolizes change initiated through gentle consistency and determined persistence.”¹ Wind can also be likened to sudden changes in emotions, such as the very common PMS symptoms seen during this phase.
The trigram ☰ is Qian, representing heaven, and “encourages taking decisive action, tapping into one's creative power, and showing persistence in the face of challenges.”¹ Heaven is the ethereal realm, the place where we can connect for guidance, wisdom, and support. This may be representative in menstruation when a woman’s intuition is heightened and her face is bright and clear.
If we tune into the principles shared through the trigrams specifically ☴, Xun, as we close out the last part of autumn we can see the efforts we have made before this season and how they are ready for harvest. We can allow ourselves to do a final containing or harvesting of what we want to bring with us and prepare to release what we don’t want or need as we enter the winter.
¹ divinate.org