Transitions of August

The Wal-Mart parking lot is way too crowded for me in August! Shopping carts overflow with back-to-school items, including new shoes, a nice first-day outfit, or a gift for the teacher. Shelves are crammed with colorful backpacks, pencils, crayons, notebooks, and all sorts of other items that make going back to school easier.

Parents begin to feel a mix of relief and sadness for the start of another school year. Even though they may enjoy the initial quiet of a house no longer bustling with the sounds of children, they also might feel the loss of the energy that was alive in their homes during the first part of the summer. As they watch their children get on the bus, or drop them off at school, they may also be heading to their workplace, where they will continue to process the transition from summer vacation to the start of a new school year. Parents now begin their journey of finding a balance of these emotions.

August is the eighth month. It’s also a period signifying balance, reverence, or admiration…as the other pronunciation of the word (au -‘gust) indicates. Throughout the world, and throughout history, numbers are said to carry certain vibrational frequencies that can influence and guide our lives, like the sun and moon are known to do.

If the number 8 is turned on its side, it is the symbol adopted by many religions to mean infinity, or infinite possibilities of the universe. In Christianity, as in other major religions and cultures, the number 8 is often associated with new beginnings, hope, and divine intervention. It also holds a significant place in the qualities of abundance and prosperity, balance and harmony, inner strength, and resilience.

These qualities of life come into focus as we ease into August, entering a new learning cycle, shopping at Wal-Mart, and flowing toward the end of the year.

We bring our awareness to the fullness of the sometimes-chaotic frenzy of getting ready for the new school year. That is the time to breathe deeply and rely on your inner strength for assurance that balance is returning to your mind and life.

You got this!