Cleaning Up and Letting Go:  It is Fall, the time of Metal.

Have you ever noticed that when fall hits you want to start cleaning out your closets?  This is the Metal energy in action.

• I create order.
• I can let go of what is no longer needed.
• I crave organization and am thoughtful around decisions.
• Sometimes I can be a bit rigid about the rules.
• I can easily notice if others are doing something wrong.

 

I write this right after the equinox, the official start to the fall.  We have entered the season of Metal in the 5 Element paradigm.

Metal creates rules, structure and order. It is thoughtful, and process oriented, and wants to do things correctly.

When I first learned about Metal, I have to admit, I did not like it.  Metal first was introduced to me as ‘the judge’.  My own metal energy (being judgmental,  ironic eh?) had determined metal to be the element I did not want to be a part of. I wanted to be creative, a go getter, and at the same time, so relaxed (Water – we will talk about that next) that nothing ever got to me.  But metal’s rules and order, no thank you.

Metal often gets a bad rap.  It can be cast as the element of grief, sadness, and rigidity.  Really, who wants a tightly strung, judgmental and sad person around?

All elements have aspects that are attractive, and signs that they are falling out of line.  The sad judgmental and rigid person, that is metal not in balance.

So what is Metal in balance?  It is elegance, order, refinement, and the ability to release, or let things go that are no longer useful.  Think of the tidying craze of a few years back, that is very Metal in nature.

Characteristics of Metal Personalities

Metal energy can present as someone who easily gets caught up in the details.  They read the fine print, make sure that things are done correctly.  Metal knows what is useful and what to let go.  They create order, systems, and elegance around them.  Metal can easily pick out what is wrong in a situation, and have this amazing ability to create growth and improvements for those around them.

Metal is also associated with intuition.  This is the aspect of metal that can turn inward and find wisdom not from the thinking mind, but a deeper knowing within.

What Nourishes Metal, What Drains Metal, and How to Keep Metal in Balance

Metal follows Earth in the 5 Element sequence, and comes right before Water.  The saying goes ‘Earth is the mother of Metal, and Metal is the mother of Water.’ The giving and nurturing energy of Earth can nourish a tired metal. And the nonchalance, go with the flow energy of water may drain metals energy.

For the Rigid Tired Metal

• Hang out with your earthy friends, you know, the ones that want to make you soup and watch movies.
• Make soup and watch movies yourself.
• Turn off the news and spend time in the woods.
• Make sure you have routine, structure, with some flexibility built into your daily routines.
• Clean out those closets, create the order that will help you relax.
• Dig in the dirt a bit: if possible work in your garden, or tend to some houseplants, touching the actual earth will help nourish Earth energy.
• Get enough sleep: metal is yin element, the days are shorter and we are being asked to go within and nourish ourselves, getting more sleep and rest than we were in the summer months.
• Get to know your intuition – take time to listen to those impulses deep within, you have a gift here to develop.

 

And, as always, if you want more support we are here to help (we are pretty much Earth types over here after all).