Welcome November, the bittersweet transition from Autumn to Winter, from evening to night. Acupuncturist Robert Clickner describes Winter as “miraculous to have a whole season to replenish our stores of life.” Throughout the year, each season and month holds a specific energy or feeling; within that energy, we can relate it to ourselves, our bodies, and our thoughts. In the Spring, you might feel motivated to start a new project, as it is the season of beginnings and rebirth. However, during the Winter season, which in most cases begins mid-November, we can feel ourselves slowing down, our energy lowering, and our emotions deepening because it is the season of introspection and rest. In traditional Chinese medicine, Winter is closely related to the Water; you may also find this and the element of earth to both be true in many other practices, like paganism, which uses the elements and spirits or guardians of those elements to cast a circle for rituals or spell crafting. But unlike paganism, which uses the four elements of water, earth, fire, and air, traditional Chinese medicine uses water, fire, wood, metal, and earth.
There are many correspondences to the elements. In my practice, I use the following information about the elements: Spring is air, and it is east. Summer is fire, and it is south. Autumn is water, and it is west. Winter is earth, and it is north. Besides the elements, November and the Winter season have many other correspondences we will discover together: spirit animal teachings, the corresponding organs and their emotions, tarot suits, and the overall meaning of the season.
Water & Earth
As I mentioned above, November is represented by both the water and earth elements. Water is defined by the cups in tarot, relating it to emotions and matters of the soul. The water element relates directly to the energy of actual water and femininity, including fluidity, peace, cycles, stillness, and emotional waves. When water energy is balanced you may feel stable, understanding, compassionate, and authentic love and acceptance for yourself and others. When it is imbalanced, we see more of a manipulative or depressed person who might be afraid of change. Water energy is connected to the zodiac signs of Scorpio, Pisces, and Cancer. If you are familiar with astrology, these signs tend to have an ability for emotional depth and understanding and are, at best, compassionate, loving, nurturing, and intuitive.
On the other hand, the earth element is defined by the pentacles suit in traditional tarot, as it represents the material, growth, abundance, refinement, and manifestation. I relate Winter to the earth element simply because, to me, it represents the same energy as the Hermit card in tarot. The earth retreats during the Winter and takes time to rest and regrow before re-emerging in the Spring. During Winter, we are called to rest, recharge, and re-evaluate. Earth signs in the zodiac are Taurus, Capricorn, and Virgo. These signs share the fact that they are logical, hardworking idealists who know how to achieve their goals. The earth element is about creation, abundance, and understanding that hardship is what makes us grow.
Bear Spirit Animal
We are cozying down for a long winter, celebrations have ended, rituals have been completed, the days are officially shorter, and it’s not looking to warm up anytime soon. We have gathered all our resources, considered everything we want to take into the next chapter of our lives, and buried or left behind everything we don’t. The symbolism of the Bear spirit animal is this: protection, introspection, healing, courage, the dream world, the cycles of life, solitude, and independence. It shows us the importance of settling down and taking the time to rest and reset. It speaks to us through our subconscious of ways we can heal through life cycles. Like a hibernating bear during the winter, we can become our best selves through rest and rebirth, find the courage to depend on ourselves more, and trust ourselves to heal from within. Call upon the wisdom of the Bear spirit animal when you need to trust yourself and your independence and when you need protection or wisdom about ending or beginning a new cycle. The bear spirit animal asks us to trust that we have all that we need and that we can rest now to rebuild energy and motivation for the year to come.
The Kidney & Bladder
Herbalist Kat Maeir references Kidney health as one of the most vital preserves of life's essence. In traditional Chinese medicine, the Kidney is the storehouse for our essence, the root that connects us to ancestral traumas, and this organ holds the wisdom of any trauma or illnesses passed down genetically. It governs our ability to procreate, whether this is creative projects or reproduction of life. She relates the Kidney to the soil that will grow your garden, and by nurturing that soil, you are also nourishing the quality of your vitality. The Bladder coincides with the Kidneys because its function depends on the health of the Kidneys. Although both organs play an essential part in allowing us to lead a full life, the emotions of fear and anxiety can hinder its potential. Fear is the emotion that is held in the Kidneys’ energy and can tell us whether there is an imbalance of Water; the Kidney’s governing element. A lack of fear or an abundance of fear are both indications of this imbalance. The adrenal glands also play a part in processing fear that begins in the Kidneys. Other emotions that might trigger a Kidney imbalance include repressed emotions, resentments of past experiences, overly judgmental of yourself or others, lack of care in your past, inability to release ideas or habits that are no longer needed, and feeling of needing to control. (Karol K. Truman, Feelings Buried Alive Never Die, 2003)
“If we weren’t able to let go of negative habits in the Autumn, Winter is a second opportunity for doing this important work.” (Kat Maier, Energetic Herbalism, 2021)
So, as November prepares us for the depths of Winter, I hope you allow your emotions time and space to reveal themselves. You may feel your energy stores and vitality from your Kidney Qi depleting or feeling low, so take time to refill your own cup, especially as the holidays approach. Lean into the spirit of the Bear to ask for strength and the ability to rest and protect your energy, and thank you for taking the time to read and learn more about your elemental self and ways you can realign with yourself this November.