The shadows are disappearing from my Soul. Finally. They're sliding off like old skin, turning to dust. They're evaporating in the bright Sun of my inner being. As Nature sheds off its summer garments, we are offered an opportunity to do the same. It's a cleansing rite, but of a different kind then in the Spring.
In Autumn, it's about purifying our sensibilities along with the accompanying emotions. We can see through the fluff into the bare structure, and into the very core. We are invited to hand-pick the sensations and perceptions that contain true substance. And transform them into refined feelings to add to the essence of who we are. This process requires patience and discernment. We need to slow down, allowing the higher level thinking to arise in meditation and contemplation.
Anything not pure enough will be rejected by the barriers, safeguarding our innermost sanctum. But beware: If you neglect to engage in this Soul cleansing, the protective membrane will thicken into a rugged wall, making it difficult, if not almost impossible, to access your true self. Or perhaps that has already happened. Yet, your angst, raging within, is urging you to reconnect again with your essence. Don't despair. You can still find a way back in. It may take longer. It may be painful. But once you cut through the thorny brambles around your own castle, and burn them, they won't grow back, as long as you continue to nourish your Soul light with love, beauty, and goodness.
"The ripened fruits of thinking
flourish in the sunlight of my Soul;
The flow of feeling is transformed
through conscious self-assurance.
I can perceive now joyfully
The Autumn's spirit waking:
The Winter will arouse in me
The Summer of the Soul."
Rudolf Steiner's verse for Soulful Week 30 from his Calendar of the Soul
(Translated from German by Ruth and Hans Pusch; edited by Marta Stemberger)
And Marta Stemberger's verse for Soulful Week 30 from her Soulful Sparks Calendar 2017:
"I contemplate in peace and quiet.
Healthy thought patterns emerge.
I enter my innermost sanctum,
grow into conscious self-assurance.
Refined feelings glow in joy.
The Fall awakens Spirit thinking:
In solitude, I nourish my Soul's fire
to shine the Truth among the people."
As we gather the fruits of the Summer, and carefully store only the best for the Winter months, so we do with our inner work. Slowly, practicing year after year, we may gain mastery to be able to create a wonderful, bright and warm space within that will sustain us through any harshness we may encounter. Fine-tuned higher level thinking may enable us to furnish our Soul's chambers with refined feelings and sensibilities to help us live in true Light of the Spirit.
Over to you, dear Soulful Reader:
How do you access and nourish the innermost sanctum of your Soul?
This article first appeared on the Soulful Sparks of Inspiration website.