Autumn Energetics for Cyclical + Seasonal Living
There is so much more to herbalism and the health of the body than purely symptom and root cause treatment. As with everything in our world, humans and plants have their own energetics + energetic frequencies. There are frequencies that can work in harmony to balance and support each other, or, like magnets, repel each other!
You can think of energetics as characteristics. Similar to the energies of the seasons or the four elements; earth, air, fire, and water. We all instinctively know what to expect with each of these substances, even if that is mostly subconscious and not something we can specifically put into words…
These characteristics and elements are present in all of us, but in different combinations and concentrations for each of us. This means that different seasons, different medicinal plants, and different illnesses will affect each of us in a completely unique way.
Here we will cover some of the seasonal energetics and things you can focus on and utilise to help support your health and wellbeing — mind, body, emotion + spirit — through the Autumn (Fall) season we are just stepping into.
The Science of Energetics
Before we dive in let’s spend a few moments improving your understanding of energetics…
While the concept itself may sound far fetched there is plenty of research and scientific evidence to back up the theory of energetics, and our ancestors from all over the globe — from Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Herbalism, and Ancient Rome — have all relied upon this process of diagnosing and identifying ailments in the body based on the elements and energetics of the body, and using corresponding plant energetics for treatment.
In Chemistry Energetics is explained as:
Energetics is what we call the study of the flow of energy in chemical reactions. The laws of thermodynamics help us to understand how energy behaves.
In Physics:
The branch of physics that studies the flow and transformation of energy.
The basic concept of vibrational frequency is that our body is made of molecules, which are vibrating constantly and creating electromagnetic energy waves. These energy waves are constantly interacting with the energy waves of all matter around us — people, plants, trees, animals —
The same as low vibrational emotions and feelings (such as anger, sadness, envy) can have a negative impact on our health and vibrational energy and frequency, and high vibrational emotions and feelings (joy, happiness, laughter, creativity, friendship, peace, love) have a positive impact, so too do the interactions and contact we have with other arrangements of vibration molecules.
Vibrations are a kind of rhythm. Rhythms happen on a grand scale, like seasonal changes and tidal patterns. They also happen within your body.
Heartbeats, breathing rates, and circadian rhythms are examples of physiological rhythms we can see, feel, and measure.
But there are much smaller vibrations happening in your body, too. Inside each one of your cells, molecules vibrate at characteristic rates.
Using atomic force microscopes, researchers have detected vibrations on the nanoscale — much smaller than 1/1000th the diameter of a single human hair.
These vibrations generate electromagnetic energy waves. Researchers have found that vibrations and the electromagnetic energy associated with them cause changes in your cells, which can then affect how your body functions.
Different molecules vibrate at different rates — and those rates can speed up or slow down if conditions around the molecules change.
Temperature, for example, can change the speed of a molecule’s vibration.
The Elements of Herbal Energetics
In a similar way, all plants vibrate at different rates and have different electromagnetic energies (or energetics).
Herbal energetics is a system where certain herbs correspond to certain universal forces such as the Four Elements. Originating in Ancient Greece, the Four Elements is a concept that describes air, water, earth, and fire are the basis of everything – including human health.
Disease and illness are seen as an imbalance of these four elements, therefore herbal remedies that correspond to a certain element can then be recommended as a treatment to guide the body back to a state of equilibrium and balance.
You can read and learn more in my post What are Herbal Energetics?
The Elements + Energetics of Healing a Human Body
When it comes to the human body it is all about BALANCE. Our bodies are constantly working to bring us back into a state of balance called homeostasis. This is a balancing of all the elements within the body to maintain health and wellbeing.
If you are suffering with a fever and dry cough then to balance the heat you would need herbs that have cooling, soothing and mucilage properties AND work specifically for treating those body areas whilst also utilising herbs which will boost and support the immune system in general.
One of the things that I love most about Herbalism is that there is always more than one way, or multiple paths to try, for healing any one health complaint.
And because each human is unique in their ‘Element makeup’ each will be more prone to different illnesses and diseases, and also be more likely to be affected by certain seasons and seasonal changes.
But it is always about bringing the body back into a state of balance and addressing the body as a whole organism to treat the root causes and symptoms of illness.
Without addressing the root imbalance in the body you are only putting a bandaid on a larger issue that, without treatment, can only lead to more (and potentially wore) health problems in the future!
Autumn Energetics + Wellbeing Focuses
With every season the energy and mood changes…
Autumn is a season of shifting and changing. Shedding and releasing things that have come to an end. Turning inward.⠀⠀⠀⠀
Reassessing how we feel, where we are going, and if we are still finding enjoyment and fulfilment from our daily actions.
Do the same goals you set at the beginning of the year still feel right?
Or are you heading in a completely different direction?
Review your habits, processes, planning methods and systems (etc) both at home and work. Make changes and improvements where needed, get rid of or change what is no longer working for you and your life / goals / direction you want to go in, keep what works, and implement systems and processes to streamline where possible — because who doesn’t want to make their lives easier for themselves!??
Letting go of what no longer serves you, cutting away the dead weight, can include everything from your bad habits and emotional baggage, to people, places, and jobs. It’s time to check in on where things are no longer living up to your standards, not reflecting your values + beliefs, or simply no longer making you happy.
Autumn is also the season we begin to slow down, to step back from the expansion and outward, bright energy of the summer, into more peaceful and calm energy. When we need to start reducing the amount of outdoor activity and exercise we are doing and incorporating more carbohydrate heavy vegetables and warming foods into our diets to start preparing our bodies and digestion for the colder months.
It is also the season to start supporting and strengthening your immune system to protect against colds, flu, and other germs that become more prevalent during the colder and wetter seasons.
Autumn, in the Wheel of the Year, is the energy of the Wise Woman, and the element Water. Not only a time to embrace the characteristics of these energies but also where we may need to balance the Water in our bodies — which can cause inflammation, painful joints, chesty phlegmy coughs, mucus and more —
During autumn we move through the astrological signs of Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius.
The start of Autumn at the autumn equinox sees us step into Libra season… the perfect reflection of the balance of light and dark we see at the Autumn Equinox, before we start moving into the days of darkness and fading light.
Libra is the sign of balance, ruled by the planet Venus and she wants you to make your life beautiful… this is a time to focus, not just on a balance of work and play, rest and action, but also to infuse your life with creativity, love and harmony. Make your life beautiful, appreciate what you already have, notice the beauty in the small things, and take time to be with yourself — pamper yourself…Amidst the work, we must not forget that Autumn, and the equinox especially is a time to give thanks. Take time to appreciate all that has come so far this year, to celebrate the abundance of summer and taking time to celebrate the wins and goals met — appreciate the benefits you are now seeing from the hard work and seeds you planted in the first half of the year.
Herbs for Supporting Autumn Health + Wellbeing
As a bonus here are a few Herbal medicines that you can use daily to support your health and wellbeing through the autumn months :
Ginger - warming, good for the digestion, reduces inflammation and bloating
Elderberry - cooling, drying, bitter, full of vital micronutrients, helps build up the immune system
Rosehip - cooling, dry, sour, full of vital micronutrients, helps build up the immune system, good for skin health
Echinacia - cooling, drying, stimulating, excellent for immune support, reducing lymph inflammation and blockages, reducing swollen glands
To find out more in-depth ways to use Herbal Medicines for supporting your Autumn Health and Wellbeing visit Herbs for Supporting Autumn Health + Wellbeing
xo Emily
