“Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark”
By Rabindranath Tagore 

Very precious, the quality of quiet, to go within ourselves, in our own different way to develop the art of change, every year of our life, when one season transforms into another; now in the Western hemisphere May, June, July, August, to consider the auspicious and inauspicious possibilities, personally – socially – for what could be a sustainable, peaceful planet filled with challenge as it has been for many cycles over millennia.  

 Perpetual insight and overview is necessary and in many cultures these cycles have developed ceremonies of acknowledgement that nourish body, mind and spirit. Michio Kushi so often invited us to “remember”. I always liked this and we are beholden in these days to review constantly! Here are a few words from him too. 

“Changes in the environment, including changes in cosmic rays, radiations, waves and vibrations received from celestial movements and infinite depths of the universe, and the changes in the more immediate physical environment such as atmospheric conditions, weather, climate, seasons months, and hours, all influence the changes in our physical and mental conditions. 

All factors assimilated into our body from the environment – electromagnetic energies, vibrations, air, water, minerals, as well as plant and animal life – compose our internal condition, forming our skeletal, muscular and organ conditions by the generation of trillions of cells, through our digestive and circulatory functions in co-ordination with our respiratory, excretory and nervous systems”.

The Five Transformations are a dynamic cycle of changes that relate all energy and matter to five elements. Fire, Soil (earth), Metal, Water, and tree (wood).  

Rooted in the teachings of ancient traditional Chinese medicine, the system provides a paradigm by which one may understand the profound harmony that exists between humankind and our external environment.  

Health and happiness are simply manifestations of one’s ability to flow and adjust to the energies that are creating us. Long ago (and not so far away) our bodies intuitively accommodated these changes. We were not apart from nature and so incorporated her great wisdom into our being and the way we behave.  

As we became (what is called civilized) and objectified our surroundings, we separated psyche from body, and in doing this we lost that visceral knowledge. 

 The process of change from season to season is gradual and reiterates the larger cycle of Conception-Birth-Maturity-Aging-Death.  

Each energy evolves from the quality of its predecessor and likewise nurtures the birth of its successor. In this way, Water nourishes tree (Kidney support Liver), Tree fuels Fire, Fire creates Soil, etc.  

When these energies are in balance, harmony prevails. Imbalance or illness occurs when the energy flowing from any of the five elements is too great or too weak. For example, excessive Lung energy (Metal/Autumn) may adversely influence Liver energy (Tree/Spring) or over-active Heart may harm Lung energy. Seen in terms of the five elements; Fire melts metal, Metal cuts Tree, Tree drains Soil, Soil blocks Water, Water quenches Fire. These imbalances of excess or overriding energy form a pentacle on the diagram. Imbalances of deficiency are best noted on the wheel of supporting energy, the linear progression of the seasons. In this case weak Liver energy may result in weak Heart energy – just as a scrawny tree provides little fire, and so it goes. 

The Sun higher, days longer, imagination stronger. It is the time to maintain our creativity, physical, mental and spiritual strength deep inside. Trees have extraordinary deep roots in mother earth; fire can be exceptionally vast and overwhelmingly destructive but when deeply respected and skillfully cared for it can be a deep bright, long heat that sparkles and warms. 

Cook with organic vegetables, beans, tempeh, tofu, seaweed, salad, pickles, saurkraut, olives, soft grain, fresh fruit. Fresh water and warm herb teas keep our gut best for all our systems, circulation, nervous, immune etc, It is helpful to be thankful for situations however hard.  

Food is also music, singing, walking, yoga, laughing, writing, volunteering. Cut down plastic, heating, flying, wasting water and so on. Use public transport. Grow vegetables, plant trees. Share this in the local community!