As we enter the new season of autumn, we can align with the energies of the harvest. The spiritual symbolism of the harvest is a profound and multifaceted concept that has been revered across cultures and belief systems throughout human history. At its core, the harvest represents a time of abundance, gratitude, and the cyclical nature of life itself. As the fruits of our labor are reaped from the earth, it serves as a tangible reminder of the bountiful gifts that nature provides when we tend to it with care and reverence.

This is also true of our lives. The time of harvest is a reaping of the seeds we planted in the early spring. As the year advanced, we nurtured them as they grew. (If you attended the February 3rd retreat you may remember the theme of the "quickening" and we were asking ourselves--What seeds am I planting in my life?)

However, as it often happens, maybe some of our seeds didn’t grow. Maybe the soil was not healthy or maybe we didn’t pay much attention to them as the months passed. That’s okay. Not all seeds we plant will germinate and thrive. Not all plants grow to fruition. 

On a deeper level, the harvest evokes themes of spiritual ripening, as we are called to reflect on the seeds we have sown - both literally and figuratively - and to express thankfulness for the bounty that has been yielded. Just as the crops are gathered and stored away, we too are invited to take stock of our own inner reserves, to nourish ourselves with the fruits of our personal growth and development.

In this way, the harvest is not merely a celebration of earthly abundance, but a sacred rite that connects us to the rhythms of nature and the eternal cycles of birth, death, and rebirth that govern all of existence.