Hoping for inspiration, I stood at my desk in the pre~dawn light and reached for my full~to~overflowing basket of oracles. I pulled one rune, and though I intended to draw a single card from the Starseed deck, two emerged. The rune was Standstill. Starseed gave me Loosen Your Grip and Lifting The Veil. Immediately a story began to form, one that linked all three into a narrative perfect for this time of the year.
Standstill. The Earth has not taken this rune to heart at all, as she has been doing anything but standing still. In fact, she's traveled to the other side of the sun from where she was at the vernal equinox 6 months ago. Daylight is no longer expanding, but has been diminishing a few minutes each day since the Solstice in late June. We may not have felt it as strongly when summer had us in its grips, but the lessening light is quite noticeable now. With the autumnal equinox of September 22nd, we officially entered the turning~inward time of the year. The change, though, is still fresh. Coming to a standstill allows us to catch up with ourselves after the busyness of summertime's extroverted glory.
Ralph Blum's write~up for this rune reminds us that "the seed of the new is present in the shell of the old, the seed of unrealized potential, the seed of the good." Early autumn encourages this awareness, as it did for me on this morning's walk. The tall grasses offered their seedheads to the breeze, and acorns were strewn across the path near thickets of scrub oak. We too have been gathering our resources, storing up lessons learned and wisdom garnered from our recent experiences. This brings us to the next oracle.
Loosen Your Grip. In order to freely offer those seeds to the world, we must first release our hold upon them. The turning~inward time also requires us to let go of the push to be productive, so that we might come home to ourselves once again. The outer world will, of course, continue to impose its demands. We would do ourselves a kindness, though, if we could not only stand still, but take a few minutes daily to loosen our grip as well. But oh, if we could take a half day or more, the nourishment would be profound.
We are a society addicted to activity, industriousness, and outward directedness. Those qualities have their place, but the balance is clearly off, and most of us feel the effects of this disequilibrium. Fall provides an ideal opportunity to be the change we'd like to see in the world. Such an inherently radical act. If we are all interconnected, as various spiritual traditions teach, slowing our frenetic pace to become reacquainted with our inner selves will not only bring us greater personal peace, but will exert a subtle influence on our communities as well.
In her write~up on this card, Rebecca Campbell encourages us to surrender "to the grace of life." Only by relaxing our compulsion to control, particularly when things are difficult, can we "leave space for grace and God to enter." Such a lovely segue into the next card.
Lifting The Veil. The expansiveness of summer keep us largely focused on the external world. We all know, though, that the outer world is only half the equation. The turning~inward time of the year calls us to the other half.
A veil is designed with the intention to cover, conceal, perhaps even protect or disguise what lies within. Its material is often transparent, which can also create a bit of distortion. To see clearly what lies beneath, one must sweep the veil aside.
As we stand still and loosen our grip, we are poised to explore what has remained hidden during the months of activity. Campbell urges us to "energetically scan" our lives, to see what we may have outgrown, in order to "dismantle...ways of being" that no longer serve. Doing so requires us to "shine a light on things that are inauthentic or unaligned...to look deeper and question everything." We must then let go of that which is no longer viable. Not easy, but essential if we hope to live more fully in each moment the life we came here to live.
The natural world teaches through seasonal cycles and ocean tides that nothing alive remains stagnant. Everything is in flux, including ourselves. Relishing the natural pause points provided throughout the year allows us to participate in this flow more deeply. Autumn is transporting us now toward winter. What a perfect time to stand still, loosen our grip, and lift the veil. As we weave all three together, we will be offered a precious opportunity to hear more clearly the voice that calls.
And my friends, the voice that calls is urging me to stand still, loosen my own grip, and turn inward. I will, therefore, be taking a few months off from column~writing to look behind the veil and listen ever more deeply to the voice that calls. See you at the start of 2026!
Much love,
Leia
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