The Seasons: August 2022
Looking back at points of attention and questions for the period from 7th August to 7th September
Don’t be afraid! One should be fearless and consider nothing forbidden that our soul craves for.
Herman Hesse - Demian
This is our newsletter for the participants of our Interintellect series “Life and Work in the Rhythm of the Seasons”. If you’re interested in learning more about the seasons and their energy, feel free to join us here. Enjoy!
Seasonal greetings to all you seasonal beings,
Some leaves are already showing some yellow brownish hues here in the Netherlands and slowly and surely some leaves are beginning to fall. Autumn has truly begun. But before we move into the melancholy of September, let’s give some extra attention to the now. So, as promised, some August tidbits we shared on our latest InterIntellect session:
In this period order your life and work by providing ‘breathing’ structures. Make clear agreements with others. It will allow you to absorb external pressure later in the year. You prepare, ready yourself, and create order.
Being with people, the social component of your life, is important throughout this period. It relates to feelings of solidarity, openness and neighbourly love. Beware that the solidarity does not turn into a defensive community of interests. Remember that within any social community each individual is truly different. Within his or her social context, people continue to seek the intimacy of love. If that wish is not fulfilled, people can exhibit socially undesirable behaviour. For this reason, rules of respect are the basis for social interaction with one another.
In this period, people’s unique characteristics can be expressed truly and take shape in deeds. One acts — or doesn’t act — on the basis of one’s deepest conscience. It is the image of the philosopher king (Plato) or of the Wise Ruler (Dao De Jing). When exercising their might, they do not lose track of or forget their conscience. Make sure your behaviour is as great as you are in the world and take the full measure in everything. In doing so, enjoy the material and immaterial wealth you have acquired. True dignity is enough in itself.
When we shared some of this with you, the topic of laundry came up. Laundry as a symbol for different generations living together under one roof. Different generations, which might have different interest- and engagement levels when it comes to laundry. How do we get everyone involved in this part of living and being together? Is that necessary or even desirable?
Two thoughts on this:
Get into sync. Once we’re sufficiently in sync, there are no differing wants or interests. When we’re in resonance, you want what I want, and I want, what you want. Because you are I, and I am you. So, let’s be together, speak together, look at the things that matter to us together and should grace befall us, we’ll step into one harmonious rhythm.
Everything is scaffolding for love. This is a reminder that all objects, groups, buildings, processes we come up with as humans, are means to bring us closer to love, somehow. This might be difficult to see at the larger scale sometimes, but when looking at a family home, we can see it clearly: The rooms, the walls, the roof, the laundry: Very literal “scaffolding for love”.
The Dao De Jing says in chapter 18 (Stephen Mitchell translation):
When the great Tao is forgotten,
goodness and Piety appear.
When the body’s intelligence declines,
cleverness and knowledge step forth.
When there is no peace in the family,
filial piety begins.
When the country falls into chaos,
patriotism is born.
So, please enjoy the rest of August, and don’t forget to take sufficient time to harvest: what have you learned about yourself, for example about the way in which you tread outwards, or the order you instill? We are very interested to hear how you will have fared with your great behavior in the coming session on Thursday September 1st, where we will look into September: a month to shift down a gear, and work peacefully from your source.
Until then!
Love,
From Simon & Louis