Fall in Southern California: A Seasonal Search for Meaning
A Seasonal Dissonance
During this year’s early September heat wave, I sat in a shaded courtyard at USC struggling to write after teaching my classes. The oppressive noon heat stifled my brain while sweat streamed from my temples. After a few minutes of internal debating — it’s after Labor Day, it’s time to work — I fled to my car. When I got home, I flung myself onto the couch, basking in the AC’s icy coolness as if it were manna from heaven.
Historical and Personal Connections to Fall
Most of the country frolics into fall with hot spiced drinks and cute chunky sweaters, but in L.A., we’re forced to cosplay the season. We search for symbols that a shift is underway while summer often extends into November. And it’s exactly that dissonance between the autumn season and our Southern Californian climate that recently propelled me to search for more meaningful ways to honor fall — 98 degree days be damned.
The Fall and Its Emotional Significance
The fall has always made me nervous and fearful, especially because it’s been a historically traumatic season for me. Fifteen years ago, I had a late-stage miscarriage for reasons that remain unknown. A few years later, a driver crossed over the road’s dividing line at 70 miles per hour and crashed headlong into my family’s Volvo. We spun around five times, my two toddlers buckled into their car seats. When the airbag shrouded my face in a soft white cloud, I momentarily thought I had died. Four years later, my then 7-year-old daughter and her friend fell through a plexiglass skylight window at a rooftop party. The seconds it took to run down those stairs and find her on the hardwood floor, not knowing if she was alive, will forever haunt my husband and me. Miraculously, she walked away with just a few scratches.
Rituals and Reflection
The fall is also a precursor to darkness. And a seasonal reminder of humanity’s ultimate truth: Time is finite, and we’re all hurtling toward our own mortality. Not to say I don’t have a few good decades left! So I figured I might as well spend them with worthwhile fall rituals.
Ancient Rites and Traditions
I looked to history as a guide. In doing so, I realized the ancients also needed rites and rituals to ease them into the gathering darkness. For them, fall meant celebrating both abundance but also a deep collective fear that the harvest wouldn’t last, their provisions scarce come winter.
My Fall Rituals
I first switched to a so-called "fall diet." No, that does not include pumpkin spice lattes. It’s an ayurvedic practice meant to reflect "vata season," characterized by the ancient medicinal practice originating in India, as dry, cool, and windy. "You should eat foods that hug you," advised Kim Harrington, a Pacific Palisades-based yoga teacher and practitioner in ayurvedic medicine. "The food should be warm, soft, and loving to combat vata’s dry coolness," she said. "Vata season is about slowing down and grounding ourselves so that we are not depleted once summer rolls around again."
Conclusion
I opted for stews and soups infused with spices such as ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon, particularly Harrington’s red lentil dal recipe. Consuming it warmed me from the inside out. Not only that, I took time to enjoy the food I had prepared, even amid the fall semester chaos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the meaning of the fall season?
A: The fall season is a time of transition, a precursor to darkness, and a reminder of humanity’s finite existence.
Q: What are some fall rituals that can be observed?
A: There are many fall rituals that can be observed, including the ayurvedic practice of eating warm, soft, and loving foods, such as stews and soups; performing self-massage with a carrier oil and essential oils; and practicing prayer and meditation.
Q: How can I overcome my fear of the fall season?
A: One can overcome their fear of the fall season by acknowledging their emotions, practicing self-care, and connecting with others who share similar experiences.
Q: What are some historical fall traditions?
A: There are many historical fall traditions that can be observed, including the ancient Eleusinian mystery rites, which were practiced in the Mediterranean world for thousands of years. These rituals were meant to ease the transition into the darker months and to symbolize the cyclical nature of life.
