05/02/2026
Anyone else noticed a little shift around them lately? Some cooler mornings, that early morning chill, more pockets of cool and a bit more wind, the light changing? It’s not officially autumn, but this solar node, Li Qiu, is known as the Beginning of Autumn. It’s the point where the seed of Yin emerges within peak Yang. Think of the little black dot in the white half of the Taijitu ☯️.
In Five Elements Theory, we are moving from Fire into Earth before we arrive at the Metal phase of true autumn. From a Noongar seasonal perspective, we are in the transition between Birak and Bunuru. This transition is read through the land itself, not dates on a calendar, as winds shift, heat settles, and movement becomes more conserving rather than expansive. There are some clear similarities across both systems.
Most people in clinic lately have commented on how sh*tty their sleep has been over the last week. The full moon has copped a lot of blame, but this also tracks with seasonal Yang reaching its peak and disrupting our nighttime Yin cycle.
Here are some supports that might be useful in the flux:
* Shifting to warmer, cooked foods, such as soups, stews, and lightly spiced broths
* Avoiding wind and cold, especially around the neck, chest, and low back in early mornings and evenings
* Supporting Yin as it deepens at night with good sleep routines.
* Supporting the lungs in preparation for Metal season, using herbs like lily bulb or Mai D**g, and foods such as pear, white fungus, almonds, or small amounts of honey to moisten dryness
* Honouring what’s been grown and achieved over summer, and reflecting on what you might want to let go of as we move through autumn toward the stillness of winter and peak Yin
Even if the weather still feels mostly summery, this node marks the start of inward movement, when the body and spirit begin to prepare for the rest and consolidation of the Yin season to come. We’ll start to notice this as a little more chill in the air and a little less light.
