Simplicity and Seasonality

"The beginning is always today" - Mary Shelley

Welcome to The Autumn Chronicles, a place to shine a light on all the wonder around us as we navigate the seasons. I hope these writings allow you to sit quietly with a cup of something warm and comforting and take a few moments for yourself away from the rush and hurry. If you would like to make sure you get all newsletters directly to your inbox, please subscribe below. Thank you for being here. All photos © The Autumn Chronicles.

If you are listening to the audio version, I am recording this on my iPhone and apologise in advance for the fact that it may have some flaws, background noise and random sniffs!

There are many of us, here on Substack and I am sure elsewhere too, who are attracted to the idea of slowing down and living in tune with the seasons. There is something thrilling about the transient nature of time as we move through each period of the year but coupled with the reassurance that each season will come again, that spring will always follow winter, that we will always be rewarded by the bloom of a rose after the cherry blossom has faded. The seasons promise variety; a backdrop of change, of newness and contrast, even if we maintain the same habits and follow the same routines each year.

Living in tune with the ebb and flow of the seasons allows us to slow down, to create meaningful rituals for each phase of life, to live in the moment rather than experiencing our lives as a constant interlude before the arrival of a future state. Living slowly and seasonally helps us to embrace the unknown and react to things in the moment, rather than walking a pre-determined path towards a destination we think we should be aiming for. Sometimes the joy is found in the twisting, meandering steps of the journey rather than the outcome.

By eating seasonally and focusing on fresh ingredients that are time-limited in their natural availability, cooking feels special. By extending the feeling of nourishment and nurturing to what is grown at a specific time of year means we always have something to look forward to when the seasons change. This also allows us to feel more in harmony and alignment with nature; eating what the earth provides at the time it is provided, rather than flying produce thousands of miles to keep up with the modern demand for strawberries in December.

Seeking ways to make the most of each seasonal transition helps to keep us rooted in each new stage of the year. Being curious about folklore and the mystical, spiritual beliefs of our ancestors ground us in our environment and allow us to discover who we are now through where we have come from. Simple pleasures such as blackberry picking in early autumn and making cordial from the elderflowers that cover the trees like clouds in summer align us with those that have gone before and embed us firmly in our own history, walking in the footsteps of the past with hands outstretched to the present.

Focusing on the beauty of the natural world and choosing colour palettes that reflect the seasons centre us in our environments and help us step away from the lure of productivity culture, hustle and burnout. Living simply by streamlining and decluttering, enjoying what we have and not what we want to have, breeds contentment and the quiet gladness that comes from being in tune with the unavoidable joy that life offers in even the smallest moments.

Seasonal nourishment does not just take the form of food but by being curious about the world and continuing to learn, we can expand our horizons by connecting to the natural world and its rhythms. Reading, writing, dancing in the moonlight and taking a stroll in the summer sunshine all serve to root us further in our experience of this life, and the power of nature can teach us self love, acceptance and grace in return. Contemplating where we are, experiencing the joys and the sorrows of the seasons breeds creativity, asking us to document and record what we have learnt so that others may also be inspired to seek out the wonder of the seasons as a backdrop to their own lives.

All of this may seem trivial, no grand gestures or huge achievements, but it is a life that is no less meaningful for its simplicity. It is a bold life in a world that encourages doing rather than being. Choosing to slow down is an inversion, a shift in the fabric of what we have come to recognise as success. It is natural and magical and shimmers on the horizon like the glowing rays of a pink-blue dawn. It is fire and ice, contemplation and reflection, sweet on the tongue and soft for the soul.