Equal dark, equal light
Flow in Circle, deep insight
Blessed Be, Blessed Be
The transformation of energy!
So it flows, out it goes
Three-fold back it shall be
Blessed Be, Blessed Be
The transformation of energy!
– Night An’Fey, Transformation of Energy

Welcome to the Autumnal Equinox Project at Café Writing. Our theme this month has an emphasis on fall, because that’s the season we’re entering where I live, but any change of seasons / nature themed work will do.

For many of us, whatever our faith, the changing of the year affects our moods, our energy levels, and even the connection with our creative selves, even if we don’t recognize the subtle pulls until someone mentions “oh, well, the equinox is tomorrow,” or “there was a full moon last night.”

While I’d like to claim that I held this edition of the Project til this weekend on purpose, the reality was that I was feeling my own creativity and energy ebb. I’m feeling better now, which is good, because October 10th marks the first birthday of CafeWriting. Happy birthday to all of us, especially those who contribute here.

For guidelines, please see The Rules. Remember that you should leave a comment with your link, including the title of the piece that you wrote, and the appropriate option number. Also, I would encourage everyone to visit the blogs of CW participants – most of our Regulars have amazing writing on their sites throughout the month.
If this is your first time here, please be aware that comments from first-time posters are held in queue until they’re approved by a live person, and that participant pages go up roughly two weeks after the beginning of each Project, and will be updated until the next Project goes live.

The planned launch date of the next project is October 19th.

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Option One: Pick Three

Spring scarce had greener fields to show than these
Of mid September; through the still warm noon
The rivulets ripple forth a gladder tune
Than ever in the summer; from the trees
Dusk-green, and murmuring inward melodies,
No leaf drops yet; only our evenings swoon
In pallid skies more suddenly, and the moon
Finds motionless white mists out on the leas.
– Edward Dowden, In September

Pick at least three of the following nine words, and write a paragraph, scene, flash-fic, essay, blog entry or poem using them. It’s fine to change tenses, or pluralize if you want to, but please bold the words you choose.

drop, evenings, glad, mist, motionless, murmur, pallid, rivulets, swoon

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Option Two: Can You Picture That?

Use the following photo to inspire an entry in any form – fiction, essay, poetry.. Bonus – somehow connect the two photos in a single piece.

Photo Credit: Goldmund at iStockPhoto

* * * * *

Option Three: Poetry

silence
seeks the center
of every tree and rock,
that thing we hold closest-
the end of songs
– Michael McClintock, Letters in Time

Using the quotation above as your inspiration, write a poem (any form is fine) about silence.
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Option Four: Fiction

She had only to stand in the orchard, to put her hand on a little crab tree and look up at the apples, to make you feel the goodness of planting and tending and harvesting at last.
– Willa Cather

Write a flash-fic, scene, or short story involving either standing in an orchard.

* * * * *

Option Five: Timed Writing

He is outside of everything, and alien everywhere. He is an aesthetic solitary. His beautiful, light imagination is the wing that on the autumn evening just brushes the dusky window.
– Henry James

Take nine minutes (use all nine, but don’t go over), and write on the subject of being outside of everything.
This is a timed exercise and it’s expected that it won’t be perfect. Any format – fiction, essay, verse – is acceptable.

* * * * *

Option Six: Seven Things

No man can taste the fruits of autumn while he is delighting his scent with the flowers of spring.
– Samuel Johnson

In improvisation, one of our exercises is a game called “Seven Things,” in which we go around in a circle giving each other the challenge, “Give me seven things that [whatever].” We are not going to go around in a circle here, but if you’re drawn to lists, this prompt is for you.

So, give me seven tastes or scents that define autumn for you.

You are not required to provide any explanations, but it’s more interesting for readers if you do.

Don’t forget to comment on this post with the direct link, title, and selected option for each piece you create. Happy Writing!