Fall Mood

Fall is in the air, fleetingly teasing us. One moment here and then gone! Humming-birds are still flitting around, getting ready for their great journey. 

This is my favorite time of the year. I nest, slow down, and become more introspective. It is not something that consciously occurs, it’s just instinctive. Perhaps it’s the she bear in me! To both European and Native American Shamanic people, Bear symbolizes awakening the potent force of the unconscious. The strength of bear medicine is the power to restore harmony and balance — to heal. The Bear Spirit is known to many cultures as the Great Healer. Bears are considered the Embodiment of Spiritual Power and Physical Strength.

This past week I have thought a lot about how I treat myself…how maybe many women treat themselves. In conversations with several women friends who are in various stages of healing from recent health issues, I said, treat yourself like you would treat a friend, be gentle, kind and patient with yourself. How interesting is that? We treat other people with love, tolerance, acceptance and great care, yet how do we treat ourselves? Often we fall back into old patterns with criticism, lack of acceptance, not with love or caring. We allow old demons back in. 

The effects are devastating and knee jerk. Those patterns we thought we eliminated or modified… still lurk. They stalk us! We need to be aware of them and meet them head on. We need to focus on good self care, and that isn’t just bubble baths and pedicures, but they help! It is about really loving ourselves, treating ourselves as we treat our best friends with kindness, forgiveness, and appreciation. This is not being self centered or narcissistic, it is being healthy, and it is hard, but we must pay attention and make the changes so we can be the best humans for ourselves and, of course, that will flow out to others. It’s the trickle down effect! It seems to be a lifelong quest or journey that spirals around and around. Let’s try being open and aware…and kind to ourselves this week. It would be lovely to hear how it goes for you. Best wishes and much love.

“I am making a home inside myself.

A shelter of kindness where everything is forgiven, everything allowed—a quiet patch of sunlight to stretch out without hurry,

where all that has been banished and buried is welcomed, spoken, listened to—released.

A fiercely friendly place I can claim as my very own.

I am throwing arms open to the whole of myself—especially the fearful, fault-finding, falling apart, unfinished parts, knowing

every seed and weed, every drop of rain, has made the soil richer.

I will light a candle, pour a hot cup of tea, gather

around the warmth of my own blazing fire. I will howl

if I want to, knowing this flame can burn through

any perceived problem, any prescribed perfectionism,

any lying limitation, every heavy thing.

I am making a home inside myself

where grace blooms in grand and glorious

abundance, a shelter of kindness that grows

all the truest things.”

-Julia Fehrenbacher -

Photo: Karla-M Bardz

Archaeology for the Woman's Soul