Across the Northern Hemisphere’s temperate bands, autumn takes the stage, cueing shorter days and longer shadows.  Autumn arrives like a gentle bell, cool air on the skin, golden light slanting low, trees releasing what they no longer need. 

Why autumn is a “cosmic” season

In Montessori’s cosmic view, every element sun, soil, seed, bird, human has a role in the grand story of life. Autumn puts that story on stage:

• Cycles: leaves fall, soil gains nutrients, seeds sleep, life returns nothing wasted.
• Balance: the equinox reminds us that light and darkness share the day.
• Interdependence: trees, fungi, insects, and weather “collaborate” to recycle matter and store energy for spring.
• Belonging: seasonal rituals harvests, family gatherings, community festivals anchor us to place and to each other.

The science tucked inside the color

Through a cosmic lens, though, autumn is a living lesson in cycles, interdependence, and belonging. It shows us how the world changes and renews itself and how we’re part of that pattern.

In fall, maples write poems in the air, mushrooms stitch the forest seams, and geese draw invisible arrows toward warmer skies. None of them are rushed. Nothing is wasted. Everything belongs. When we walk through autumn with open eyes, we’re not just watching leaves turn; we’re witnessing the universe practicing balance, reciprocity, and renewal.

As we talk about the future of this right and the biggest threats it is facing, we should not just refer to the ignominy of Afghanistan and of those countries affected by conflict, where the violations are blatant.