I think it's fair to say, before meeting Jenn Begin, I only ever thought about the seasons from the most fleeting perspective: spring is rainy, summer is hot, fall offers the best walks in the woods, and even though I love a good snowfall, winter always lasts a little too long.
I never wondered what the seasons in my little corner of Southern Ontario could teach me. I never appreciated their guiding energies or recognized I was missing out on a huge opportunity to experience my surroundings in more meaningful ways.
Jenn and me on a walk in the woods.
Over the past two years, Jenn has been sharing a different view of the seasons with me, an Indigenous view, based on her experience and those of her teachers. As a passionate music educator, multifaceted journaler, and creator of gorgeous, one-of-a-kind junk journals, she has patiently imparted her knowledge over long email threads and winding walks through one of the many conservation areas between our two homes.
Our resulting collaboration has been one in which I've taken a step back to listen, learn, and explore. I've loved thinking about how the wind carries me in fall, how I find light during the darkness of winter, and which ideas I can breathe life into in spring.
Today, I'm proud to share a set of four journal pages in which Jenn invites us all to attune ourselves to the rhythms of the seasons.
Jenn writes:
When we journal into the seasons, which signal the everchanging energy of Mother Earth or Ahkikwe (Anishinaabemowin), we become more aware of natural changes and perhaps can begin to connect to those changes in ourselves.
My family is Anishinaabe, Scottish and French. My teachings lead me to shift my life to attune with "all my relations": Nokomis Giizis, Grandmother the Moon and her monthly cycle, Mishimis Giizis, Grandfather Sun and his reliable shining light and Ahkikwe, and her changing seasons. As I became more aware of the changes in Ahkikwe, each season, I started to lean into the energy of that season and see the changes in myself as well.
I hope you can see possibilities of how you can attune your life to grounding and rooting in the spring, blooming in the summer, harvest and gratitude in the fall and then deep rest in the winter.
If you'd like to explore your connection to the seasons, you'll find these new pages right here.
To learn more about Jenn – and see her amazing junk journals! – visit her on Instagram and Linktree.
As always, I'd love to hear from you! In the comments below, let me know: How do you incorporate elements of the seasons into your own routines and practices?