Autumn – the energy of the metal element

The deciduous trees of my street inspired me to do a post on autumn. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Metal is the energy of autumn. It is a time when nature lets go of what it no longer needs, eliminating what is unnecessary. It marks the end of the growing season, a time of turning inward and storing only what is required for winter. Autumn therefore, is a contractive season – of gathering in, pulling back and dying off. The life cycle competes itself in autumn…
Metal is the energy of the lung (yin) and large intestine (yang) meridians. The lung receives purity, it is our source of inspiration and empowers our self-worth. It enables us to discern what is of true value, giving our lives a sense of quality and higher purpose. The large intestine defines that which we no longer need and that which is not congruent to our true self. The large intestine helps us to correctly distinguish between what is useful/useless, beneficial/harmful, right/wrong, self/non-self. Physically, the large intestine has the same eliminating role, holding onto what is of value and discarding that which is not of benefit. By letting go of impurities we are able to create a space for what we do want and how we would like ourselves to be.
Emotions that particularly have a negative effect on the metal element are grief, guilt, regret, longing and the inability to let go. It is inevitable that we will experience these emotions throughout life – but as with all emotions we should move through them, feel the pain and move on. When these feelings are intense or prolonged they can create dysfunction.
This autumn I am taking a leaf out of nature’s book, I’m making a consistent effort to shed what is no longer needed or congruent with my original nature. It’s time to get rid of the old and making room for the new. To turn inward, quieten down and start the alchemical process of turning lead into gold. Within us all we have something of great value buried deep within – which like metal can hard to find but of great value. Autumn is the perfect time to contemplate and resolve out dated ways of being, or the things you are holding onto which no longer serve your highest good.