Nature’s seasonal shifts are something that we are familiar with, but much like how schools don’t teach us about finances and regulating our nervous systems, we are also not taught how to transition through our soul’s seasonal shifts.

Understanding our internal spirit seasons is important and can help us understand the landscape we’re in. When people say they feel depressed, down, disconnected, anxious, sad, lacking self-trust or confidence, they often mask it by pretending everything is great on the outside.

The thing is, everything is alright, even if you aren’t feeling well. Just like trees don’t flower in winter, we too are meant to rest.

But by pushing or forcing yourself to pretend that you are thriving when you’re not, you cannot navigate where you want to go and properly align to connect to your internal guidance system without knowing which season you’re in.

All the medicine comes from understanding where you’re at within yourself.I believe it’s very important information, not only because we must learn to master our own energy bank, but because we live in a society that has conditioned us to believe that we are not worthy unless we are producing.

Not only is this unsustainable for our internal nervous system to be able to maintain, but externally, we are experiencing a global crisis due to the over consumption of meat, fish, clothing and resources. Much like farmers will deliberately leave soils uncropped for years in order for the soil to regenerate, sometimes, some parts of our life need this as well, to help us process. 

We are passionate beings and have many aspects of our life that are important to us and can sometimes get compartmentalised such as health, love, friendships, parents, children, work, interests and passion projects. Sometimes one aspect of our life seems to be thriving (in a summer), while the other feels like it’s in a slump (winter).

When we feel like nothing is going well, or feel as though we are in a rut, it’s often because many aspects of our life are in a ‘winter’ season, irrespective of what season the earth is transitioning in, and depending on how we move through this, will either transition through a rut or a rock bottom. 

This isn’t happening because we are being punished, but rather because staying in the same job, or with the same partner was no longer in our highest alignment. For this reason, we needed to pivot in order to be on the path that matches our soul’s yearning for us to be able to up level.

We all experience a cycle of all seasons in our own unique way, and unlike the earth’s traditional ‘3 months per season’ (depending on where you live of course), our soul’s transition is not limited to a specific time frame – its unique and different to everyone. One cycle could take 6 months or it could take 6 years. 

I’ve seen people who were addicts for over 20 years (an extended winter that led to a rut) get themselves clean and enjoy the transition into other seasons. I’ve also seen people hit a hard and heavy ‘winter’ after losing their job, ending a relationship then having to leave their home, and by embracing the medicine in their rock bottom, use it as a catalyst for change to turn their life around and thrive after only 8 months.

WINTER

This is the feeling of heaviness regardless of whether it was preceded by an event such as a loss, ending of a relationship / job. You need to be reclusive and realise that the things you loved no longer spark as much joy in you. You feel disconnected and sometimes alone or depressed. It’s like a crumbling of every single life pillar of your life an asking you to re address your foundations from ground zero and look at rebuilding your foundations. It’s the season that has many stages and shadows to work through, but the one that gifts you the most medicine and will change you more than the other 3 seasons

SPRING

You have a renewed inspiration about your life and how you wish to live it. You’re not thriving just yet, especially in your early spring when some heavy days can make you feel as though you pummelled back into winter. You have many plans and your energy starts to expand as you have many ideas and visions and you start to map out your journey. By late Spring you start to take action on your plans and feel renewed.

SUMMER

This is actually the shortest season but the most heightened and the one that uses a lot of your energy. You are at your most magnetic and opportunities align, seemingly effortlessly (hello Spring planning), as you are in flow and in sync with the Universe. You feel free and exhilarated and I often use the analogy that you are the star of a 6 – 8 week show that has sold out tickets and the reviews and praise for your performance are going gang busters.

AUTUMN

The show is over, and even though you know you need to go to more auditions, you’re not quite sure you want to put yourself through the rigorous pilot season again or whether you even want the same kind of role. Your creativity has waned, and your spirit feels restless as it yearns to experience something different, yet is not sure what. You’re tired. Your spirit needs a rest as it can no longer maintain the magnitude of the previous summer’s energy. How deeply you allow yourself to rest here, will impact how much easier your winter will be..

I strongly believe that we are not destined to constantly achieve. Knowing which season you’re in, will help you find the compass to navigate the next direction your life will take, and to make peace with wherever you’re at. It’s time for us to happily retire from feelings of ‘failure’ for not being in a position to ‘produce’. It also helps us to release ‘the nice archetype’, as that is how we were positively re enforced from a society that does not actually hold the space for us to nurture ourselves.

Sending you love on your journey – whatever season you’re in,

Patty Kikos