iWheel of Wellbeing iWheel of Wellbeing & Essences iUsing Essences Safely and Wisely      iEssences of The Four Seasons iThe Golden Rule in Essence Therapy iEssences and the Cycles of Life     essences of the four seasons In the temperate parts of the world, the seasons are pronounced and markedly affect plant and animal life. Winter is a time when not much happens. Cold, short days do not encourage plant growth. Plants go into survival mode, and beneath the surface, seeds patiently await the signs of spring. Animals too have adaptive strategies of survival in the cold winters.   In spring, seeds germinate, shoots come forth in abundance and there is vital, vigorous growth. Animals emerge and become more active. Spring is followed by summer with its proliferation of plant growth and flowers as the crowning glory of the summer season. Yet even as summer reaches its climax, deterioration and decay are about to set in. There is a great time of release, letting go, and composting. The plant kingdom sheds its summer glory in preparation for yet another winter. The variegated falling leaves of autumn remind us of the impermanence of all things. Although we mostly think of spring, summer, autumn and winter in terms of the calendar, we more so use these seasons with reference to the plant cycle. Whenever a particular plant flowers, then that is its summer season, irrespective of the calendar season in which that occurs. Most flowering plants do so in the calendar summer, but some flower in the calendar spring or autumn, and perhaps even a few in the calendar winter. This cycle of the four seasons also occurs in our own existence. Different aspects of our existence might be in different phases of the cycle at different times. To help us through the cycles of our lives, we need essences derived from the appropriate season of the plant cycle. Here at Advanced Alchemy we use the cycle of the four seasons all the time in working with and understanding essences. We regard essences from each of the four seasons to be of equal importance. For example, we believe that the Falling Leaf Essences of autumn are just as important as the Flower Essences of the summer season of the plant cycle. The Seed Essences of winter are likewise as important as the Shoot Essences of spring. To us, the seasonal concept is the heart and soul of essence therapy and using this understanding grounds essences in the natural world from which they are derived.