Autumn - A Daoist Perspective Through a Witch's Lens

As a Green Witch I follow the seasons and cycles - a very Animistic practice. And I think this is why Qigong seemed to make such sense to me.

From a Daoist perspective every season corresponds to an element, an animal, a colour, a sound, seasonal foods and organs of the body - it all seemed to click into place. We are natural beings, designed to be connected to the natural world - we are a part of nature, not separate from it - So come and join me as I take you on a journey through the seasons, as a Green Witch who practices Qigong......

Autumn corresponds to the Metal Element.

• It's traditional organ associations include the Lungs and Large Intestine,

• the colours white and silver,

• a pungent taste,

• the emotion of grief or sadness,

• the climate of dryness

• the direction west.

• the nose is the associated sense organ

• and the skin..

The movement of Metal is one of contraction, gathering, refinement and release.

The Autumn, and Metal Element, follows the abundance of the Fire and Earth Elements - Summer and late Summer, that are associated with growth, flowering and harvest.

Autumn begins the process of release and composting. The leaves fall, plants die back and the animals begin preparing for Winter. The natural world becomes less expansive and more selective...we begin to ask; what is worth keeping and what can be released?

In the Daoist tradition, all the seasons, organs, and elements have an emotion connected to them. The emotion for the Autumn, the Metal Element, is grief. We can learn to help process these emotions as we practice Qigong and move through and connect with the seasons - giving us an opportunity to reflect on our experiences of loss and change alongside the Autumn shift, and through our practice give us an anchor to help process things.

The association with the Lungs makes the breath our focus for Autumn Qigong. Movements that open and close the chest, expand the ribs, raise and lower the arms and coordinate movement with the breath are included in our Autumn practice.

Conscious exhalation is particularly relevant to the metaphor of letting go. We breathe in, receive and expand; we breathe out and release, let go.

If you want to bring in the Six Healing Sounds, the Lungs are traditionally represented by an "Ssss" or "Zzzz"  sound. Using the healing sounds helps to engage the vagus nerve, and creates a vibration and frequency through the body that can help shift stagnant energy and reduce inflammation.

Soup Season!

Each season has an associated taste - the traditional taste associated with Metal is pungent. Foods like ginger, garlic, onions, mustard, horseradish and radish.

These foods fit perfectly into our seasonal Autumn cooking. As the weather cools, many people naturally begin eating more soups, stews and roasted vegetables rather than the raw salads of Summer....and Autumn produce provides plenty of material for our food choices.

Apples, pears, blackberries, plums, squash, swede, carrots, parsnips, kale, beetroot, onions, garlic, leeks and mushrooms all become part of our natural diet. This is also the point when warming spices and herbal teas come into their own! Eating seasonally has so many health benefits - it's what we were designed to do!.

The Ebb & Flow

The colour of Metal is traditionally white and sliver. In nature in China, this can be seen in mist, pale grasses, silver birch, white flowers, frost and the increasingly pale Autumn landscape.

In our Western society we associate the Autumn to be more connected with the reds, oranges and golds of our trees as they shift down a gear and prepare to let go.

Qigong very much aligns with and takes it's cues from nature. In the Autumn we can look to the animals behaviour to help us connect more deeply with each season.

Birds migrate, some animals begin storing food, others develop thicker coats and creatures, such as hedgehogs prepare for hibernation. Nature is becoming more economical with its energy.

I weave some of the Five Animal Frolics into my Qigong practice, but animal associations vary between different schools. Some traditions, and the one I follow, associate the White Crane, or Bird, with Metal and the Lungs, emphasising qualities such as balance, grace, lightness and opening.

What am I Ready to Release?

As a Green Witch, Autumn gives me an obvious bridge between the Daoist traditions and my own seasonal wheel of the year framework.

From the harvest at Lughnasadh, the Autumn Equinox, and Samhain, the seasonal themes of release and letting go connects so naturally with leaves falling, plants dying back, composting and returning nutrients to the Earth, the cycles of life, death and rebirth. This time of year can also provide a natural way of releasing grief, letting go and thinking about endings and the things we no longer need to carry, which perfectly aligns with the energy of Samhain.

A really useful question to ask ourselves at this time of year is; What am I ready to release?

This can be woven into our own personal seasonal rituals as well as our Qigong practice.

If you'd like to feel the peace and serenity of aligning with the seasons on a deeper level, I'd love for you to join me in one of my regular classes, open to all, in person and online.

Or maybe you feel the need to be held gently in a smaller community? Come and join in one of my women's circles.

To learn more about Qigong and when my classes are, you can find out more below....

Classes, Events, Workshops & Retreats

And you can read all about Qigong and how it can be such an amazing practice to bring into your life here....Qi-gong & Sound Healing: Everything You Need to Know

© 2026 Sam AuroraStar, The Green Witchery. All rights reserved. Thank you for walking the Wheel of the Year with me. This blog is written by a human witch - AI used for research and SEO purposes only.