The Effervescence of Summer
Ellen's rose garden
In his book The Four Shields: The Initiatory Seasons of Human Nature, Steven Foster describes profiles for each season that coincide with our developmental stages. The Summer profile represents physicality, earthiness, instinct, playfulness, emotions and innocence. It has a strong sense of the child and enjoys a good deal of earth contact. Fall people are introspective, as is fall itself, crave solitude and possess empathy. Winter represents work, community, family, and responsibility, while spring energy is creative and imaginative.
For some months now I've found I've had the desire to intersperse my indoor, sedentary activities with more active outdoor ones. At times I've found myself unexpectedly rising from my chair and walking into the garden to pull weeds or just to walk around soaking up the atmosphere and the sights. As the days lengthened into summer my yearning to be outside became stronger than ever. I would spend every day in nature if I could. I sit with the door of my little studio open, no matter what the temperature, so I can see the little patch of grass and flower garden outside my door.
Beginning my day with my coffee and a thick slab of raisin bread on the back porch, I try to intersperse my office hours with gardening and painting the outside of the house. On Saturdays I give myself permission to step away from my writing, admininistration and client sessions, and usually spend about 10 hours outside. I just can't get enough of the outdoors, or of moving my body and working with my hands it seems.
Foster says that summer is the time to be in our bodies with all that entails, and to plant our feet firmly on the ground. Through connecting with our bodies, we can then connect with the sun, the trees and the earth.
How is summer manifesting for you? Do you yearn to be outdoors? If so, what form does this take for you?
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