How to Get in Touch with the Energy of Late Summer

The end of summer brings us Virgo season to help wrap up summer and transition into a shift in season.

The sun begins to wane to a warm golden light at this time of year, and we see the first shades of gold in the trees as autumn beckons and Nature starts to go to ground. The summer blooms have given way to seed heads, which will begin to drop over the coming weeks and remain in the earth over winter until they burst into life again next spring. The crop fields have been cut, leaving stubble behind, and vegetation is dying back; yet we also see seeds and nuts ripening, and the hedgerows are heavy with berries.

There is a contrasting energy in Nature at this time of year, and we may feel the same: not quite ready for summer to be over but recognizing that it’s time to knuckle down again and get back on track with our lives.

Nature can look a little messy throughout this season as she prepares her last harvest for autumn, and we are asked to do the same. This is the time to look at what in our lives feels untidy, having abandoned certain things over the height of summer. It’s the time to do what’s needed to make the most of the last part of the year.

And just as Nature is dropping her seeds to ensure future growth, we need to start looking ahead at what we can do now so that we may grow and create in the future.

Nature is winding down summer, and she is asking us to do the same: Consider what we need to finish up and where we need to begin to draw our energy inwards, and gather what we need to sustain us through the darker months ahead.

A Sacred Pause for the End of Summer

For many people, this season brings a back-to-school kind of feeling, so take a sacred pause here to feel where you need to get back on track. Look at what got left behind in the wild abandon of summer and where you left things unfinished (or not even started), as well as what needs wrapping up, finishing up, or what you need to be getting on with now.

This season sets a lot of the groundwork for what will sustain you through autumn and winter and what will grow in your life again come next spring. Look, too, at any last big push you can give now to achieve what you wanted this year and to end the year on a high.

Journaling Prompts for the Sacred Pause

• Where did you go off track over summer?

• What do you need to wrap up, complete, and finish this season?

• What do you need to start now to finish the year on a high and prepare for future growth?

Crafting an End-of-Summer Altar

Green, yellow, and brown are the colors of this season. Perhaps gather some green and golden leaves for your altar to represent the beauty of this time of transition between summer and autumn.

Gather seeds, acorns, and horse chestnuts as a reminder of what you want to germinate over the autumn and winter so that it can grow in your life in the future. Add visual representations and symbols of what you are growing in your life long term. Add reminders, too, of what you want to wrap up, finish, and complete—maybe even a to-do list that you can check in with daily to get you back on track.

End-of-Summer Daily Rituals

Embrace these daily rituals to help you connect to the essence of this season and Nature’s guidance.

Find a Ritual and Routine

Find a daily ritual and routine that you can stick to this whole season to bring you back into alignment with yourself and your life after summer. This could be meditation, exercise, journaling, or anything that nurtures you at this point. Pick a time of day and decide how long you can commit to this daily—and make sure that you do it.

In the same way, create a bedtime ritual. Often, we stay up much later in summer, but now is the time to begin to turn toward getting more rest again. Set a bedtime, prepare for it through winding down, meditation, and conscious quiet time. Carve out this time for you as a non-negotiable every day, and you’ll see such a huge difference in your life after only a few weeks.

Prioritize Passion Projects

Spend some time each day on a passion project, hobby, or anything that brings you joy. This is important not only for general wellbeing, but also to see how your side hustle could grow into a full-time dream in the future. Perhaps invest in a course that you can dedicate some time to every day to take you closer to what you want.

Look to the Longer Term

As the light begins to fade and it becomes clear that the darker months are coming, look ahead to what you are growing in your life in the long term. Let your future dreams be the fuel that keeps you alight from within over the autumn and winter. Create a vision board under the Virgo new moon and look at it every day, visualizing and staying connected to what you want. Do one little thing daily to take you a step closer to the future you want.

Crystals for the End of Summer

• Black Tourmaline. This crystal will help ground you and come back to the earth. It will support you in creating healthy new habits and help you to take care of yourself and your energy.

• Amethyst. This is a crystal that will help you visualize what you want from your life so you can then set realistic goals and steps to take you there. It will support your efforts in organization and planning and encourage you to believe that you can create what you want for your future.

Affirmations for the End of Summer

• “My daily rituals and routines support me.”

• “I take care of myself and my wellbeing.”

• “Small steps take me closer to where I want to be.”