The first in our series of seasonal markers has passed. Read the summary here, and we’ll see you at the Winter Solstice!
Sun State: November 5 is the midpoint between the Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice in 2025. Days are still shortening and DST has begun.
Other Names: Halloween, Samhain
Traditional Sigils: Leaf change and fall, death and decay, ghosts and haunting, brusque chilly weather, apples and squash, bonfires, warming food and drink.
What did we notice?
The first meeting of Seasons of Seattle was honestly more than I ever could have dreamed. You all showed up so strongly for this experiment and it really touched me. Jon and I agreed this is the most at-home we have ever felt in the Seattle area, because we’ve reached this moment where we have a lot of people we really really care about, want to feed, and want to rely upon. You’re all so smart, funny, deeply kind and deeply connected with your respective worlds. Thank you!
I started this project because I feel a constant drive to touch base with the natural world, both because the natural world is a family network of my direct relations, and because I think our dominant cultural values lift us out of contact with that network. I know a lot of people feel this same dissonance, and it’s an honor to be surrounded by friends who share a goal of noticing and getting in touch.
So, what did we see? For me, Mid-Autumn is the time that dog salmon return to Carkeek; the weird arctic ducks come back to Bitter Lake for winter residence; and the rains begin. This year I also realized this marker coincides with the highest peak of leaf fall. By the Winter Solstice all the trees will be bare. What with the leaves and the sudden rain, this time feels grey, muddy, and messy.
You my friends noticed many many things in addition to this: You noticed that the birds seem more urgent, and are traveling in bigger groups. An apple tree in Chris’s yard was finishing up its crop, and provoking squirrel hysteria. Generally a lot of you noticed a sense of animal mania, which makes a lot of sense—Winter is an emergency and everything is preparing. This combined with the Louvre Heist seemed to define this season. Everyone is pilfering! I wonder if this is another reason we have Halloween this time of year: Fall is a time for crimes, since everything is about to get more dire. Better to make it silly than to be consumed by fear.
Others noticed changes in attention. Sarah realized her sight has dropped lower down, as the beauty of leaves suddenly falls to the ground. A few people noticed water is rising everywhere, though we are still in drought. We are responding to the growing darkness like the squirrels—maybe it will bring mania, maybe it will bring hibernation, either way there’s some dread about it. Either way, life goes on. Sierra and Angelo are moving into a new house to fit their family, both a cause for celebration and a daunting pile of work. My favorite observation of the whole night was Amerigo noticing the way that leaves in this season stain the sidewalk, like a temporary art project from the trees.
I don’t know how to thank you, friends, but if you come by for the Winter Solstice dinner on December 19 we can at least feed you good food again!
Seasons of Seattle 