Author: Lisabeth Robinson

The Golden Light of September

Your Art of Living, Seasonally

Welcome to the Art of Living, Seasonally—September Start

We are so glad that you have decided to join us for this half-year course of moving through the seasons. Your Art of Living will take you into the next six months with a sense of anticipation and delight. Using the art, music, poetry and traditions of those who have lived and created before us, we will learn to live inspired, empowered and grateful. We start in September, a time of new beginnings. For anyone going to school, working in education, or who has children starting a new academic year, what better time to start our own study? So, get ready to bask in the golden light of September—enjoying this month for its transition from summer to fall. This month takes us gently and beautifully into the darker months of autumn and winter. A flush of warmth, the bountiful harvest, blue skies, chirping cicadas and nature’s animals scurrying about preparing for the time to come. Prepare yourself for a journey filled with discovery, excitement and joy. Buy some new notebooks, sharpen your pencils and get ready to dive in with enthusiasm and energy. That’s what living artfully is all about!
Useful Tip:
Check out your moon schedule—A new moon is a perfect time to start a new project or embark on a new journey or endeavor.

Songs of September
Neil Diamond, Septermber Morn
Green Day, Wake Me Up When September Ends
Ryan Adams, September
Natalie Imbruglia, Come September
Fiona Apple, Pale September
Earth, Wind & Fire, September
Neil Young, Harvest Moon
Billie Holiday, Oh what a Little Moonlight Can Do
Debussy, Claire de Lune
Moonlight in Vermont, so very many covers!
Alex Bevan, album “Fall and Angels”
Vivaldi, Four Seasons, Autumn
Any version of “Autumn Leaves”

A Walk in the Light

If walking outdoors isn’t part of your exercise routine then September is the perfect month in which to incorporate it. Try walking without music listening instead to the sounds of life around you. The birds, cars, insects, peoples voices—open yourself to the rhythm and beauty of that which surrounds you. Different types of walking can include:
A solitary stroll, perhaps chanting a simple mantra like “shanti” (peace)

Enjoy the beauty of your surroundings. Some walks to try:
Solitary—use this as meditative time perhaps chanting a simple mantra in your head like “shanti” (peace)

Walk with a partner, child, parent, friend or the whole family
Walk after dinner for the best possible digestive aid!
A fitness walk at a brisk pace

Harvest Moon

September brings us the harvest moon. Try to pay attention to when that is so that you don’t miss its splendor. Moon cycles are great opportunities for organizing your life according to nature’s rhythms. New Moons present a time for starting new ventures and projects, full moons offer the chance to wrap things up and to get rid of that which no longer is serving you. This time of year I also love how the wispy shadow of the moon is visible in the morning. I enjoy immensely gazing at it as I walk to work. It always puts a smile on my face.

Big, Low and Golden

Because I'm still in love with you I want to see you dance again Because I'm still in love with you On this harvest moon.
—Neil Young, “Harvest Moon”

Inspiration: Pegi Young

Pegi Young is the wife of Neil Young, and a talented singer-songwriter in her own right. She has sung backup vocals for her husband for many years, but in the last decade has been releasing more of her own solo work. She couldn’t perform as much earlier in her life because she and Neil had a son with severe cerebral palsy who needed intense attention. She founded a school organization to provide support for such children called The
Bridge School and is still very much involved in that. Her son now operates an organic egg business. Here’s to starting your creative career in mid-life. It is never too late to learn and never too late to realize your potential. Her school can be found at www.bridgeschool.org

Holiday: Autumn Equinox, Mabon

Mabon falls sometime in the third week of September when the earth and sun line up on the celestial equator. Days get shorter as we head away from the sun. This holiday offers us a chance to pay final homage to the sun and to the harvest that has resulted from the hot summer months. Enjoy it with a special dinner meant to honor that bounty. Lots of colorful vegetables including squashes, corn, greens, onions and peppers. Perhaps honor the native tradition of the “three sisters” (corn, squash and beans) with a casserole including all three. Bake or buy a special artisan bread and serve with olive oil and garlic, and end the meal with an apple crumble or crisp with freshly whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon. Enjoy a sunset walk with your partner or family and talk about your plans for the coming months. What do you want to harvest in your own life?

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The Golden Light of September

Foodways: Apples, Corn and Clambakes Cezanne, Still Life with Apples and Biscuits

Remember, nothing tastes as good as local apples and sweet corn freshly picked. My favorite ways to eat them are the simplest. Try roasted corn without any adornment! Apples eaten out of hand can’t be beat. And, try to honor the gift of the sea by either indulging in some clams or seaweed. My husband and I love the stuffed clams that you buy in the supermarket freezer section. Baked in the oven with generous helpings of squeezed lemon, they are delicious comfort food. If you are purely vegan, then perhaps work some dulse or nori into your repertoire.

Yoga Practice: Moon Salutations

There are an incredible variety of versions of moon salutations. The idea is that this series is a more cooling practice than sun salutations. So, the essential thing is to do a sequence with a slow, even pace and deepened breathing. The idea is control and stretch. A half-moon stretch, side to side, is a good touch as are crescent lunges (done with the knee on the floor so as to be less heating). The idea is to open the body, particularly the spine. Try to work in spinal flexion backwards, forwards, side to side, and twisting. A supported bridge pose would also be nice. Or you could try a restorative pose doing a backbend over a bolster. You can find many sequences on the internet, some very simple, some more complex. Whichever you choose, adhere to the principles outlined above and you’ll be in the spirit of the moon.

Yeah we all shine on, like the moon and the stars and the sun —John Lennon, “Instant Karma”

Final Golden Notes

Scent: Apple
Tea: Red Clover
Candle Colors: Yellow, Red
Bath: Apple Cider Vinegar
Meditation Mantra: Radiance Om Hrim Ravaye Namaha (Om-Rim-Ra-vah-yea-Na-ma-ha)
Juice: Apples with pineapple added for a golden touch

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Your Art of Living

Your Art of Living Seasonally
September through February

www.yourartofliving.com

Everyone deserves inspired living every day of the year

Next Month we will examine the themes of trying on new identities, and death and rebirth, as we use Halloween and Samhain as our focal point holidays. We’ll look at how to start protecting yourself from cold weather. And, we’ll have fun with our symbols of October: pumpkins, crows, and beautiful leaf color. Until then, live fully and artfully!