As September 22 marks the ending of the endless seeming summer in California, and the beginning of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, many may welcome it (with caution, on the west coast). California and west coast autumns are full of the wonders and challenges of earthly processes: the possibility of rain, and also fire. As I face the burnished light with wonder and a sense of grace, I also respect the elements that shift and transform topographies with a sense of reverence and respect. Respect for the all the assemblages that create and regenerate, and also transform lives. Lands and lives are intertwined. Environmental humanities scholar Deborah Bird Rose called this intertwined movement of life “shimmer” a kind of “iridescence” that the dance of life generates.
For me, the Autumnal Equinox seems a time to rejoice in the midst of shimmering transformations, and celebrate what magic emerges. The season for me is my favorite of holidays, festive and full of the glimmerings of the hummingbird breeding season. All the warrior faeries have been, and continue to migrate. Here’s the current migration map.
Summers are challenging to many species, but especially for hummingbirds. Flowers may become sparse, and heat life-threatening for them. The Autumnal equinox for us marks a season full of magic; for hummingbirds, perhaps they sense that magic, as much as they create it. As they gather for the season, they charge the atmosphere with their bright excitement, as if they are celebrating survival itself—the chance to reproduce, to live on through generations. The ancient ritual ensues: older males staunchly stake claims to their territories, young males practice displays. Females arrive and flash their beautiful fan tails. It is a tens of millions of years old ritual, the mating dance—the dives and whistles, the flamenco fanning and flicking side-to-side, and chasing and hiding. It is a festival of iridescence, to celebrate regeneration, and the interweaving of sparks that makes life’s dazzle.