September is the month for gathering in the harvest and making use of the bounty in the hedgerows. Since we were first on this Earth we have been making use of Mother’s Nature generosity and abundance to help us get through the darker leaner months of winter.
This year appears to have produced an abundance of blackberries , sloes and apples ready for the birds and animals to feast upon or for us, humans, to create alcoholic beverages and warming pies! We can’t always rely on produce being available and certainly farmers this year have had a tough time due to the harsh wet winter and then parched dry summer. It is very easy to be removed from our food source and therefore not appreciate what we are receiving.
Recognition of food is highlighted in September with the harvest festival in Christian tradition and pagan celebrations of the Autumn equinox. Whatever way we celebrate or appreciate our abundance it is not to be taken for granted and it is the same when we receive from others. It is often a pleasure to give things or do things for free to others but we also need to be aware that by doing so we may leave others indebted to us or become depleted in our own resources as we continually give but not look after ourselves.
One of the first things I learnt in Reiki after qualifying at Level One was that there needs to be an exchange of some kind. People need to give back for what they receive in order to fully appreciate what has been given. The exchange doesn’t need to be financial but can be in any shape and form.
The article Planting the Seeds of Generosity quite rightly talks about what we send out we get back in return so we need to balance what we can do for others and how we can best look after ourselves. Just as nature works in balance with using the nutrients from the soil she also gives back by enriching it for the following year.
So when we gather our berries from the hedgerow or our beans from the garden or even the food we buy in supermarkets why not give something back in form of thanks or a gift to the earth that has provided us with this abundance.