Welcome to the Month of the Rooster!
The Symbol of the Rooster is about "waking up!"
While the warmth of the summer season stretches on, we find ourselves already approaching the autumn equinox on September 22nd. In the Lunar calendar, this month - the month of the Rooster, where the equinox always lands - is considered the middle of autumn. It might sound strange to consider September to be Autumn, but have you noticed the sudden shortening of the days? The chill of the evening air? The quieting of the frenetic pace of summer, in the plants and animals as well as inside yourself? This is the energy of autumn, and of the Rooster month, setting in.
Most often, we think of the Rooster in association with the dawning of the day - all across the world the “cock’s crow” is a harbinger of the rising sun. Yet, in the lunar calendar, the Rooster is positioned right as the days become shorter than the night - which, in terms of the Chinese zodiac cycle, is a sort of sunset rather than sunrise.
As the Rooster is symbolic of sunset and dusk, it sits opposite the Rabbit, symbolizing dawn. These two twilight animals are linked in a paradoxical way. The Rabbit, like in “Alice in Wonderland,” symbolizes the gateway between waking and dreaming, inviting us in the cold months before spring to dream of the world we wish for; it invites us to plant the first seeds that will flourish throughout the summer. Now, as summer comes to a close and the Rooster month beckons, it is the time to “wake up” from the yearly dream that began in early spring, and glean what we can from all we have seen, felt and experienced this year.
So the symbol of the Rooster, more than simply a signal of the coming day, is about “waking up” to the transformations taking place around us that are just dawning, whatever they may be.
Picture this: The rooster waits, high up on a fence post or barn roof, sees before anyone else what is coming over the horizon, and raises the call. This is true of the shortening days and coming of fall & winter just as it is with the rising of the sun in the morning.
The Rooster month calls us back to awareness from the free, open, expansive nature of Summer - the Horse, Monkey, and Snake months - to notice how things are about to change, a change that has indeed already begun. Soon, the nights will be long and cold, the cold temperatures will pull humidity from the air, and plants and trees will grow dry, brittle, and go into their winter dormancy. The abundance of harvest around us right now will not last forever, and in traditional agricultural cultures, surviving the winter depends on gathering up the bounty of the harvest during this time of year, and preserving it for the long cold season ahead. In this way, the season of the Rooster is a time to “wake up” to the incoming fall and winter; it’s a time to take stock of what we have cultivated through the “growing season” (both literal and figurative, as Spring/Summer is all about growth and transformation in ourselves, as well) of the year. The seeds we planted in spring have now come to fruit, with the yearly cycle of life nearing its completion, we can contemplate the ways in which we have changed, what we have learned, and then preserve what is most essential from that learning and make it a permanent part of ourselves.
In this coming month – in between socializing and enjoying the last days of summer – take the Rooster’s invitation to slow down and notice both how you have changed and grown this summer, and begin to plan for the coming months. Take time to reflect and share gratitude for all the lessons, bounty, and growth that has taken place this year. By observing and honoring this bounty of the harvest season, we can consciously preserve those things that we want to stay with us even after the fun, carefree season of summer has drawn to a close. Thanks to the timely Rooster’s call alerting us to the changing seasons, we get to integrate the year’s lessons in time.
Written by Paul Arellano