September is the time for Shapel: Connecting to the Source

September has been a month of coming home. September is such a sacred month for me. Outside of it being my birth month, it is also home to the time God called my favorite person home to be an Ancestor three years ago. I always loved Mondays and the month of September. I knew this September would be special because it started on a Sunday and ended on a Monday; I was born on a Sunday, and Mondays are my favorite. September is often associated with new beginnings, especially in the context of academic and personal growth cycles. Spiritually, it’s a time for reflection on past actions and setting intentions for the next phase of life.

Since September has always been a time of death and rebirth, I decided to go deep into the themes naturally surrounding autumn and September. To practice this as authentic as possible, I did something I had never done before. I deactivate every social media platform, Facebook and Instagram, even my business and educational pages not just my personal. This was groundbreaking for me because I usually leave them up for business, etc cetera. But if I was going to seriously unlearn and think critically about entering a new chapter and transformative period of my life. I deserved to pay attention.

September marks the time of harvest in many cultures, a period to reflect on the fruits of labor, both physically and spiritually. It's a moment to express gratitude for the abundance and blessings received throughout the year. I was already still riding off a high of gratitude for life itself after so many major life shifts from the start of the year. Seeing my good sister friend, Malika, and brother, Malcolm, and the babies again, three times in less than two months was so healing for myself and Sage Ali. I appreciate Malika and Malcolm collaborating with me to strengthen their bond.

With the autumn equinox occurring in September, the theme of balance between light and dark is prominent. This mirrors the spiritual call for inner balance—reconciling opposing forces, such as work and rest, outward action, and inward reflection. As nature begins to shed in preparation for winter, September invites individuals to release what no longer serves them—habits, beliefs, or relationships—to make room for inner growth. Losing my cousin, Victor in the complicated and complex way my family lost him was life-defining. Losing friendships or. rather reckoning about the quality of relationships with people still required a sort of grief process that afforded me to truly look at how these relationships were not healthy for where I was headed and not reciprocal. All of these dark times, brought on a spirit of lightness and purpose as I realized life is truly precious and purposeful.

I needed to create a system of healing and balance for Sage Ali and myself, with a lightness of spirit, I looked into a new meditation practice, watching my patterns surrounding sleep and rest and committing to sticking to a routine. The mindset was that everything, even small alterations, would be just fine and nothing could truly disrupt the flow and ease I invited into my life by affirming God's will and believing in my purpose. Sage Ali, starting Kindergarten, and I, starting the First Year as a Doctoral Student in the Philosophy and Education program, birth an overwhelming feeling of anxiety, pressure, and maybe even a little fear if I am being totally honest. So much has changed in five years, a year, and a season, but God reminded me how far I have come and of His enduring Grace within and over my life and I dismissed the reason and logic of society as faith anchored my soul forward.

I am excited for all the new changes and I am feeling sure of the direction in which my life is heading. To God be the Glory in September and beyond.

"Ah, September! You are the doorway to the season that awakens my soul." -Peggy Toney Horton