An autumn of the soul may arrive as a brief moment of deep questioning, or unfold over many years as you begin to shake free the leaves of inherited beliefs and conditioned ways of seeing.
Autumn is a season of inquiry. It is marked by the courage to ask the big questions about life, meaning, truth, and purpose.
Each of us inherits a worldview. We absorb beliefs, assumptions, values, and identities from our families, cultures, religions, and the world around us.
Autumn begins when questions naturally arise. Sometimes as whispers. Other times, everything as a fierce hunger for truth.
Seeking truth is brave.
Questioning can pull the rug out from under us, threatening our attachment to certainty, risking our sense of belonging, and even awakening existential terror.
During autumn, it is common to feel alone, especially when others appear comfortable accepting the reality they have been given. It can feel like a Matrix red pill or blue pill moment.
Doubt can feel like a whirlwind. And in today’s world, where the noise of social media and self-appointed gurus is filled with contradiction and polarising pain, it can be tempting to choose the numbness of not seeking. To go back to sleep and pretend the questions in our hearts do not matter.
“Who am I to question?” you may ask, doubting yourself.
We cling to beliefs when we lack the ground of inner knowing.
Autumn takes courage because it requires trust. Not trust in intuition alone. Not trust in hopeful beliefs. But trust that questioning is not a mistake. Trust that confusion is not failure. Trust that uncertainty is part of the path.
When I have cried out, aching for certainty, wisdom has reminded me, “Only cult leaders, sociopaths, and deeply dysfunctional people are certain.”
Doubt and questioning are uncomfortable, as uncomfortable as a tree being stripped bare in the autumn wind. But they are essential.
Your questions matter.
Your question is the bucket you lower into your wisdom well. Learning to ask powerful questions is one of the most important practices of autumn.
Closed questions harvest shallow answers, like tiny buckets. Questions with yes or no outcomes reflect the surface mind’s tendency to divide reality into opposing camps. Deeper wisdom sees openly. It sees in wholeness.
Open questions are stronger buckets. Instead of asking “should I?” or “is this right?”, you might ask, “how does wisdom see this?” or “what is being asked of me here?” These questions invite wisdom and healing.
Remember that the mind translates the wisdom of true seeing and being, and no translation is perfect. Language is always limited. This does not mean inner inquiry is futile. It means we approach even our own insights with humility and discernment.
One simple way to test wisdom is through the body.
• Clear seeing opens. It brings a felt sense of spaciousness in the body, heart, and mind.
• Distorted seeing contracts. It creates tightness, agitation, or narrowing.
This somatic compass becomes a powerful guide during autumn.
Autumn is not about finding final answers. It is about learning how to ask living questions. When honoured, this season strengthens discernment and prepares the ground for the flowering of spring.
Visit www.colleen-joy.com for her free PDF Test and Teachings to discover the Season of your Soul.
