Autumn
Nowadays, many parts of the world refer to ‘The Fall’ rather than ‘Autumn’ which is easily understood as it is the time when trees shed their leaves after they change from greens to rich oranges, yellows and reds. The origin of the word is uncertain but there is an Old French word ‘autumpne’ from the Thirteenth Century, possibly meaning ‘the drying up season’! Maybe some people feel it is the time when the sap starts to sink but it is actually a remarkably positive time both in nature and in life. Harvests are gathered in from Summer’s growth, celebrations are had and beautiful colours indicate that maturity has been reached. This is a season when over 150 million people celebrate ‘Halloween’ in America, children pay ‘Conkers’ (with seeds from Chestnut Trees), there are Harvest Festivals and bonfires in Britain. In Germany, people collect nuts, making crafts out of them and fly their kites with the strong winds that bring the leaves down. The French get very excited about this mushroom-picking season, but caution is needed for every year there are some 1,000 poisonings caused by mushrooms like this tempting ‘Amanita Muscaria’, the iconic red toadstool associated with fairies and the occult. This is often poisonous or hallucinogenic but is sometimes eaten when boiled in parts of Europe, Asia and North America. Various fruits still come in the Autumn but it is important to discern whether they are good or bad.
- ‘Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower’ – Albert Camus