{"id":9445,"date":"2014-11-01T14:57:35","date_gmt":"2014-11-01T18:57:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/beginnersheart\/?p=9445"},"modified":"2014-11-01T14:57:35","modified_gmt":"2014-11-01T18:57:35","slug":"in-praise-of-autumn-colour-and-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/beginnersheart\/2014\/11\/in-praise-of-autumn-colour-and-light.html","title":{"rendered":"in praise of autumn colour and light"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"the<\/a>
the author’s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As a kid, summer was my favourite season. Then spring, as I grew into adulthood. Now, as I age further, it’s autumn.<\/p>\n

It’s the only season we have two names for: autumn, and fall, to commemorate the incredible palette of leaves sifting through the honeyed light.<\/p>\n

Camus, that existentialist who believed only in the leap of faith, believed in autumn. Believed, apparently, in the ephemeral beauty of dying leaves: Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower<\/em>, he said. Each leaf’s inner colour begins to glow, as the green of chlorophyll wanes. Such a lovely metaphor for death.<\/p>\n

\"via<\/a>
via wikipedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A book I love, by Eliott Pattison<\/a>, a Buddhist author who has spent time in China & Tibet, uses the analogy of the soul (or inner being) as a stone. When held in water, the inner colours & beauty of the stone momentarily shine. What we need to do, Buddhism notes, is polish off the outer dullness that clouds the stone’s brilliance.<\/p>\n

That’s part of what I love about autumn — the promise that we will go colourfully into that good night. Scarlet, chartreuse, bitter lemon. My rock feels very dull, but the leaves remind me: it takes time to shine. And I’m okay with that. I’m not really ready for winter yet.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a kid, summer was my favourite season. Then spring, as I grew into adulthood. Now, as I age further, it’s autumn. It’s the only season we have two names for: autumn, and fall, to commemorate the incredible palette of leaves sifting through the honeyed light. Camus, that existentialist who believed only in the leap…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":398,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[909,537,325],"tags":[1377,1300,1181,1187,262],"class_list":["post-9445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-autumn","category-beauty","category-death","tag-autumn","tag-beauty","tag-britton-gildersleeve","tag-buddhism","tag-buddhist-blogs"],"yoast_head":"\nin praise of autumn colour and light - Beginner's Heart<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As a kid, summer was my favourite season. Then spring, as I grew into adulthood. 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