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**We interrupt our regular daily broadcast with this special message!!**

The Autumn we love is all about transitions. Put away tank tops and sandals, and get ready for all things pumpkin spice! Pack away Summer and prepare for the Holidays!

Please do not think you are expected to abruptly switch gears from grasshopper to ant; you have been preparing steadily, maintaining order, getting the work done as needed, making things happen. Though you would like to have spent Summer on a beach, there was work to do and you made sure it was done well. The Fall Transition should be smooth, no trouble at all. Oh, if only. Alas, this Transition lacks subtlety – it is more of an all out Transformation.

BAM!!! The New School Year hits the ground running!!! Who is in charge of snacks? Have you volunteered for lunchroom duty? Are there enough chaperons for the Homecoming Dance? How did you end up PTA Treasurer? Why is the Dean of Students calling?

ZAP!!! WORK HEATS UP!!! The promotion finally came through – and your workload has nearly doubled. Where are the reports? Why were you late to the meeting? Have you met with your staff? Co-workers are looking at you a little differently – weren’t we friends at lunch just last week?

POW!!! Life at home is tense!!! Husband works late, kids have crazy amounts of homework, mother in law wants to move in while “the home” deals with the asbestos problem. Has anyone been to the grocery store? Is there a plan for dinner? Is the laundry sorted? How can we be out of hot water at 6pm?

RULE ONE: DON’T PANIC!!!!!! 

RULE TWO: PLAN THE WORK, WORK THE PLAN

I know what you are thinking: A Mercury Retrograde? Again? Already? How am I going to get anything accomplished??? (Please see Rule One re Panic.)

The triple-whammy in the title is not actually negative if you know what to do:

• Autumnal Equinox: You know how to move from Summer to Fall as you have been making that transition annually, so do not worry about it.
• Mercury Retrograde: This occurs several times a year. By now you have learned some things will require more attention for smooth operations; back up your computer early and often, take your car in for service, triple check any agreements or plans, etc. This is a good time to research, organize, make lists, take inventory, and otherwise think ahead to larger more detailed projects you may like to undertake. Again, no problem.
• Eclipse: There are actually two eclipses, 09/13/15 Partial Solar, 09/27/15 Total Lunar. You may not see them but their energy is available to you nonetheless – and it is transition/transformation energy. What luck!! Exactly the energy you need exactly when you need it!!

WORKING THE PLAN

To work the plan, you must first create the plan – take heart! It is easier than it sounds.

First step: Get rid of absolutely everything that does not serve you. Review your home, car and office with a critical eye. Get rid of all the stuff in your way. Old magazines you have not read (and let’s be honest, you will never read), donate them to an art studio for papier-mache and collages. Beauty and hair products you do not use? Pass them on to friends or throw them away. There are at least six items in your kitchen that have never been used; drop them off at a resale shop or church rummage sale. You do not need it. Let it go!!

Second step: Get organized. Put things away, organize your desk, put all the emergency stuff in your car trunk in a crate. If needed, make labels and color coordinate – whatever works for you! The more organized you are the more at ease you will feel and the fewer anxiety battles you will have to fight with yourself when you need something.

Third step: Set priorities to include self-care. You have much to do – decide your order of operations, include small comforts such a tea break, occasional pedicure or hot bath, and a set bed time – so create a schedule and stick to it.

Fourth step: See it for what it is. Be patient, see things as they are, and deal with them accordingly – no drama, no rose-colored glasses. You do not need to create extra anxiety or disappointment for yourself.

Final and most important step: Enjoy yourself. The Fall Season is full of beauty and fun – falling leaves, carnivals, cider, caramel apples, pumpkins, costumes – do not allow the hectic schedules and pressing responsibilities to ruin this lovely time of year. Be sure to enjoy it with the people you love – otherwise, what’s the point?

((All images courtesy of Google Images.))