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Transformation

Autumn is the time of year when school starts again, and people get back to work after taking a summer vacation and, in many parts of the world, a time of harvest.

Nature teaches us that life is an ebb and flow, and the seasons remind us that all of life is in a state of transformation.

Here on the east coast of the U.S., we have just experienced the autumn equinox. As the sun orbits the Earth, it illuminates the northern or southern hemisphere, depending on where the Earth is in its own orbit.

But at two times during the year, the sun illuminates both hemispheres equally during the equinoxes. In the northern hemisphere, autumn officially begins. We have just also entered the astrological sign of Libra, the balance. This is a time to balance ourselves, to come to a reckoning of where we are in life and the direction in which we would like to move.

Therefore, if we have been experiencing fearful, worried, or angry thoughts and feelings, we need to become aware of them and see how we can work with these afflictive emotions and transform them into a more positive state.

In the Jewish tradition, the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah are at this time of year, beginning what is called the ten days of repentance or “return.” This period beginning with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur is a time to return to ourselves, to a higher power, a time of self-reflection and repentance.

What is repentance? It is a decisive change in direction. It is a change of mind, a change of attitude, of feeling, of the way we live. If you believe in a higher power, it is a return to trusting in that power. It can be a time to regret any wrongdoing or wrong thinking. It can also be a time of forgiveness—forgiving others for any wrongs they have committed that you feel has negatively influenced your life, and being forgiven—or forgiving oneself—for any hurtful actions or hurtful thoughts you may have been dwelling on.

There are four parts:

Regret: Recognize what you have thought or done that has been harmful.

Cessation: Stop doing this.

Confession: Admit wrongdoing to a higher power, to the person you feel you have offended, or quietly to yourself. If desired, you can write this down.

Resolution: Resolve to change your ways from now on.
Resentful thoughts don’t protect us. They only harm us. But in my view, you can’t wipe out your memories if someone has hurt you or you have hurt yourself. Forgiving is not forgetting. Forgiveness is not allowing the sting to remain, not harboring these painful, judgemental thoughts. Let them disperse into the Light.
Although the days are getting shorter and darkness is increasing, we must turn to the Light in whatever way is helpful. Each person is on their own unfolding path and must use whatever methods they find valuable, whether prayer, meditation, or positive thinking.
Whatever your belief system, now is the time to begin anew, resolve to let go of limiting thoughts and beliefs, and move forward cleansed and energized.
“We need to realize that our path to transformation is through our mistakes. We’re meant to make mistakes, recognize them, and move on to become unlimited.”
–Yehuda Berg