Fall Glimmers
RITUAL: Wealth | SOLAR TERM: Bai Lu | SEASON: Fall
September 8 - September 22
The fifteenth solar term of the Chinese calendar is called Bai Lu. Bai Lu, meaning, “White Dew”, is the third solar term of Fall. The further we descend into the “ember” months, the faster the temperatures drop and the more the morning dew begins to freeze.
It is getting colder with every rainfall in the autumn,
and a layer of white dew, a layer of frost.
~ Ancient Proverb
In climates with four seasons, Bai Lu marks the beginning of waking up to frosty mornings. While it might not snow or get cold enough for the ground to freeze, plants may be covered in what the Chinese call, “white dew”. And due to increasingly colder temperatures, this shimmering frozen condensation sometimes doesn’t melt and evaporate until later and later in the day.
Autumn is associated with the Metal element, which is represented by the color white. And in the productive cycle, metal condenses to form water. This “white dew” that comes in the early Fall, perfectly illustrates the Metal element producing the Water element. When the water vapor in the cool night air condenses, tiny dewdrops collect on foliage. And when the air is cold enough, these droplets of water freeze, crystallizing into icy hugs and kisses.
Spring tea is bitter, summer tea is harsh, Bái Lù tea tastes better.
~ Ancient Chinese Proverb
In early Fall, Chinese people drink “white dew” tea made from the tea leaves that have been harvested during the solar term of Bai Lu. It’s said that tea leaves picked during the Spring are tender but bitter. The tea harvested in the Summer can be dry and harsh. But the during the “white dew” solar term, tea leaves have a sweeter and milder, mellow taste.
It’s also an ancient custom to collect the white dew itself to drink. Sometimes it’s used to prepare drinks, such as tea and sometimes the white dew it allowed to thaw and consumed as water. Chinese doctors say that the water from white dew has a cooling effect on the body.
Bái Lù weather is fine and the rice is as white as silver.
~ Folk Saying
September is also the time of the year when rice has just been harvested, so it’s a tradition to make rice wine during Bai Lu and invite friends to drink it with you. Consider trying to make your own fermented beverage like rice wine or kombucha. Or, harvest the “white dew” to make your own probiotic water kefir. Make enough to share with friends.
In the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, the fishermen celebrate a legendary ruler of China called, Yu the Great. He is said to have contributed to flood control and is known to have established the Xia dynasty. Every year, during Bai Lu, they hold a week-long ceremony dedicated to worshipping Yu the Great, hoping he can bring them good luck and great wealth.
Wanting to find your own glimmers of hope? Read on!
Glimmers
One of the newest trends is to look for your glimmers, instead of triggers in your every day life. Triggers are cues that can initiate the fight-or-flight response or fawn or freeze states. Also cues, glimmers can initiate the relief of tension in the body, bringing it back into a state of homeostasis and activating the parasympathetic system of rest and digest. The power of glimmers is that they create feelings of comfort and joy, connection and safety, awe and appreciation and genuine hope for a better tomorrow.
Even though it’s been trending in the last year, the concept of glimmers is not new. A glimmer was part of the Polyvagal theory, introduced by behavioral neuroscientist, Stephen Porges in 1995. In 2018, the term “glimmer”, was presented in the book, The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation by licensed clinical social worker Deb Dana. And then, last year in February of 2022, glimmers were popularized by a viral video on TikTok by psychologist Dr. Justine Grosso.
Glimmers are cues that you receive from your environment or from within your own being that make you feel alive, in awe of the beauty of nature and appreciative for the gift of life. Glimmers often make you feel warm and fuzzy or comfy and cozy. This may explain why so many people say Fall is their favorite season, hygge is their favorite aesthetic and coziness is their primary love language.
Think about experiences or activities that put a smile on your face and make you feel joy in your heart, warm on the inside and cozy on the outside. Find your glimmers. Start with:
Smelling coffee brewing in the morning
Feeling the warmth of the sun on your bare skin
Getting your sweat on
Breathing in the moist, cool, salty ocean air
Dancing in the rain
Walking in the woodlands on a crisp Fall morning
Putting on a cozy sweater or fuzzy socks
Watching a sunrise or sunset or seeing a rainbow
Stargazing
Going for a drive in the mountains or along the coastline
Listening to a favorite song or playlist
Lighting a scented candle
Curling up by the fire to read a book
Climbing into a warm bed, freshly made with clean sheets
Wealth Ritual
If you honored your need for a Fall Hiatus, instead of busying yourself with the Fall hustle, you might be looking for ways to be a magnet to money. The season of copper and gold is upon us and the holiday festivities will be here before we know it! So, if the glimmers of hope you desire, need to come in the form of pennies from heaven, read on!
Sometimes called a Money Jar, this wealth ritual can activate your intention to manifest wealth, prosperity, abundance, cash flow, multiple streams income and financial success. You can select a container that resonates with your personal feng shui element. And you can fill it with elements and items that are specific to your dreams and desires.
In the Feng Shui for Wealth Guide, I provide you with simple wealth enhancements for your property and home. It includes the Prosperity Water directions for the 20 year Period 9 from 2024 - 2044, that you can activate now. I also guide you through the process of creating your own Wealth Ritual, customized for your unique personal feng shui element. You can determine your personal element with the The 8 Elements Chart on my website.
Money Jars are a fun activity you can do this weekend with your children. To purchase your Feng Shui for Wealth Guide, contact me.
For more on Wealth & Prosperity read, Feng Shui for Wealth and Winds of Prosperityfrom my other blog here on Substack, Feng Shui Yourself.
Share in the comments below one of your glimmers!
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Dara Eden is the author of HER Rituals for the Divine Feminine, a periodical guide created in December of 2021. The 8 Elements, her life’s work, provides guidance about how to honor the essential needs and highest values of your personal feng shui element. Inspired by an Internet challenge designed for men, she created 365WISE, a daily self-care practice that supports women in honoring their needs and listening to their inner wisdom.
In HER Rituals, she offers insights, ideas and intuitive guidance about ways to honor your needs, values and unique expression of the divine feminine.
HER Rituals is a Womb Wisdom KeepHER’s guide to cyclical rituals for sovereign women. It provides insightful information, inspirational ideas and intuitive guidance on daily and seasonal rituals you can practice as a form of self-care. Read about ancient wisdom and philosophical principles, holistic approaches and traditional skills, slow work and intentional living, embodiment practices and immersive experiences.
