THE

BONES

bowing to the season of transition

a compendium of seasonal things.

words, photography, styling:

Jennifer Mizel
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2017 JENNIFER MIZEL
 THE WELCOME

Let’s call this a place out of time,

a sacred space,
to meander and take a moment,
to step into the mystery,
and get a glimpse,
outside of the mundane.
Imagine
Just perhaps...
You are sitting somewhere cozy
sipping something hot.
A fire cracking,
candles dancing,
the last of the autum leaves,
drifting to the ground.
Your surrounded by warmth, and calm,
as we fall into the meaning & magic of the
Season of Transition, together.
 THE MEANING
Birth to life,
Fruition to harvest,
Death to renewal.

Halloween, Day of the Dead, Samhain, All Souls Day...

all different names, for a cross-quarter day,
marking the midpoint between the seasons*.
There are four cross-quarter days every year, and along with the equinoxes
and solstices, these are the eight hallmarks of our solar cycle,
that teach us how to navigate nature’s ebbs and flows.
All eight of these dates were celebrated by the ancient earth–based
traditions. And, each of them, represent a unique energetic opportunity.
This moment, between the Autumnal equinox and the Winter solstice is
the darkest of cross–quarter days, when in the Northern Hemisphere, the
days are growing short, the nights are getting long, and the magic of this
mid-point is all about the thinning of the veils – here we witness the space
in between life and death.
This is the time when our labors are complete...
The harvest is over, hibernation is what’s to come.

Metaphorically,
there is nothing left to do, but “die.”
This juncture, between Fall and Winter
gives us a sacred opportunity...
To de-mystify the mystery, celebrate the ancestors,
bring completion to the past, remember what is precious in life,
and gain a glimpse into that great Beyond.
So we let go, gather our resources, and, fall inward,
knowing it is all part of the grand cycle.
And, we trust, that Spring,
is always, on the other side.

*it’s important to note that the seasonal holiday dates are a fixture of tradition, the actual
cross-quarter day is November 7th.
 THE TRANSITION
transitioning
It was a Spring evening of catching up...
with drinks, with friends...
My 92 year old father made his transition
a month ago...I said matter-of-factly.
My main concern more on the gin martini
in front of me, than on my choice of words.
The friends looked at me rather
quizzically.
One friend piping up to say, in a sort of
sniffy way...
When you say “transitioned,” we think
you mean your father became a woman.
I’d thought nothing of my wording. Surely,
in the safe company of an old friend, and a
yoga instructor, it was okay to speak in my
more esoteric, airy-fairy way.
I couldn’t refer to my father as having
“died.” Not because I was in unspeakable
grief, or deep denial, or, wanted to sound
like I was holier-than-thou.
It’s just that, over the years, through some
little deaths and a few big ones, I’ve gotten
to know Death.
I’ve gotten to know her. Intimately. And
I know, that she can be a fierce ally and
guide, but Death, is most definitely not,
the End.
Much of what happens once we leave the
physical, I believe, is meant to be a mystery,
but one thing I know for certain. Dead and
gone, is the furthest thing from the Truth.
Transitions come in all shapes and sizes:
Summer to Fall
Death to Rebirth,
Ms. to Mrs.,
Dawn to day.
It could be a change of gender, a change of
career, or merely a quick change of plans.
But all of them, big or small, are the most
sacred component that we can witness in
our natural rhythm of life.
It’s the part of the wheel, that remains the
most hidden, and yet when a transition hits,
it is the time when you are required to have
an unfathomable level of trust.
Transitions test our ability to surrender, give
it up... and ultimately decide, when it’s time
to let it all go.
But something cool happens, in that
moment, of making such a decision. A kind
of Herculean-strength swoops in, propelling
you toward the transitionary tunnel, a birth
canal of sorts, where suddenly, there is no
where else to go.
I remember this point of the transition
with my father. Suddenly, both he and I
knew, now...there was no place else to go,
but through.
 THE TRANSITION

A sort of magic crept in.

And, Death held out held out her hand.

The hazy, frail 92 year old in front of me

shape-shifted, and became, once again,
the man, I always knew.

Suddenly, there was my Dad...strong,

determined, obstinate, impatient, the
one always insisting HE knew best.

For the first time in a long time, he

had a big goal in front of him, and
that goal, was to get this thing done.
And deciding to pursue that goal, gave
him focused clarity, renewed stamina,
and the bonus of restored hearing...
all of which, I hadn’t witnessed in years.
THE TRANSITION

Transitions.
The ultimate of initiations.
They ask us to believe.
Not just sort of, kind of, believe...
but to really, truly Believe.
Because one thing in this process is always
certain...once you step into that tunnel of
transition, you most certainly will not be
able to see the other side.

They leave us with no other option but to

trust, in the bigger rhythm, in the greater
flow, and in something much, much
larger than ourselves.
Yes, built into any transition is the
bittersweet taste of a loss. But with
that, comes a glimmer, of some new,
unknown possibility.
Through a transition, we start to get a
sense, that the Universe knows of some
bigger and better plan.

Such is the precious, sacred

medicine of any Transition.
You get to witness the beauty that can
only come from those moments of
twilight in-between...
when we’ve released our grip on one
thing, and haven’t yet met, that thing,
that is meant to come.
 THE RHYTHM

STriPPED

The momentum to gather is strong,

but adjacent to that is an energy
of dissolution.

it is a stripping down,
prioritizing, only the
core essence of our being.

like the crumbling of old relics,

the slate gets wiped clean,
leaving monochromatic textures
and grey.

We see the beauty that is present,

when the clutter clears,
and that which is no longer
necessary, quite naturally releases
and dissolves away.
 THE RHYTHM

Fall. Falling. Fallen. The trees are bare.

The leaves have fallen.
The harvest is now done.
Nature has disintegrated
it’s outer display,
pulling itself inward,
rooting deep into the ground.
The weight of Winter can be
heavy, this is the season of
preparation,
taking the life force underground.
It's a big season of change.
One that ripples through our
environment, into our life, out
into the collective
and deep inside ourselves.
It’s a sacred journey...
the season that plunges us into
the Underworld.
It’s a time to unearth the
mystery and witness the beauty,
that we can only see when the
superfluous adornment has
drifted away.
THE SUNSET SEASON

The setting Sun.

The waning Moon.
The winding down of Autumn.

A rhythmic reminder to wrap it up:

a day, a month, a life, or a year.

This cosmic influence gives us the

formula, and instills the faith,
to navigate the currents of life,
in those moments when the tide
starts to feel more like an ebb,
than a flow.

Light dwindles,
the day fades, a hush takes over,
and the Spirit starts to
pay attention.

The Sun gives it up, in one last

flash...covering the world in a
minute of awe, mixed in with a
bittersweet glow.

The day’s met it’s end, with the

final illumination.
Inviting us, to take a moment,
to have some reverence for the
fleeting preciousness of it all, but
reminding us, to also trust –
Because everything, always,
begins again.
 THE COSMOLOGY

The ancient Suf language, Khemit, did not have a word for death.
These Egyptian wise ones called it “westing”... going west.
“We believe in resurrection, the sun sets in the West, and then
resurrection happens the next day, when the sun rises in the East.”
–Dr. Abd’el Hakim Awyan, archaeologist & wisdom keeper
 THE COSMOLOGY

N
i ng N ew M oon
et
pl
W inter S olsti c e
midnight

m
co E arth E L E M E N T
hibernation / gestation

WA N I N G M O O N

W
FA L L E Q U I N O X
SUNSET
WAT E R E L E M E N T
H A R V E S T / D E AT H

FULL MOON
ff

SUMMER SOLSTICE
o

NOON
ax

w FIRE ELEMENT
F R U I T I O N / E X PA N S I O N

S
WA X ON , WA X O F F
T h e c o smic dance, the sacred cycle.
F r o m t he macrocosm to the microcosm, the formula for all things.
 Life starts all over
when it gets crisp in fall
–F. Scott Fitzgerald
THE PRIMAL PRACTICES
Preserve what’s nourishing,
Gather what’s needed.
Close up the energy leaks.
Conserve the resources required to get us through.

If we watch closely we can see it in the trees, the animals, the birds.
If we listen quietly, we can recognize this change in our body,
in our spirit, and in the subtle whisper of our Soul.

The downshift from Summer to Fall.

The big preparation for Winter.

The sudden silence.

The strong draw inward.
The primal urge to hunt, gather, to preserve & conserve.

This is the medicine of Fall.

The season of transition is all about preparation...
stocking our bodies and our spirits, clearing away the extraneous and deciding what
we need to stoke and tend our inner fire, when the cold and dark descend in the
months to come.

Just who do you want, and what do you need, in your cozy Winter cave?
For me it shows up with me looking for the perfect turtleneck sweater, stocking up
on smoky black tea, and getting big hunks of waxy candles.

The momentum for me turns, a bit more toward survival... bottling medicinal herbs,
dosing with vitamin D, clearing away annoying clutter, swapping out the juicer for
the crock pot, making broths and stocks and stews.

It’s the primal preparation, an age-old ritual, to take the time to decide what is
needed, as we make the deep dive into the rich, intimate season of Winter.
 THE PRACTICES

hunt & gather

THE PRACTICES

preserve
& conserve
 THE PRACTICES
FIRE CIDER supplies:
32 oz mason jar
A medicinal tonic to
boost immunity during parchment paper
the cold winter months. ingredients:
1/2 cup horseradish, grated
adapted from Herbalist
Rosemary Gladstar. 4 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup ginger root, grated
1/4 cup turmeric, grated
1/2 habanero
1 orange, sliced
1/2 lemon, sliced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 T rosemary
2 T thyme
1 t black peppercorns
apple cider vinegar
optional:
rosehips, astragalus root,
medicinal mushrooms, etc.
to be added later:
1/4 honey
cayenne
First off, a warning!
Grating horseradish is not for the weak of
heart. Doing this outside, or with a gas mask,
or both, is ideal.
Layer all ingredients in 32 ounce mason jar.
Top off with apple cider vinegar, pressing
down all solids so they are thoroughly
covered with vinegar.
Top off again. Cover with a square of
parchment, this protects the mason jar lid
from getting eroded by the vinegar.
Place in a dark area and let macerate for 6
weeks, shaking daily.
These can leak, so protect your furniture. You
might check on fluid levels, few days in, and
top off with more vinegar if needed.
After 6 weeks, strain through cheese cloth
add honey, and cayenne, to taste. It should
be sweet and spicy!
TO USE:
Take a shot glass to boost immunity at first
sign of a cold, use prophylactically, or to help
a sore throat.
Add a splash to soups or broths,
or use as your vinegar in salad dressings.
 THE RITUAL

Potent supplies for Dia de los Muertos ritual, ancient substances to

facilitate clearing, opening and communication with the unseen.
 THE RITUAL

Grinding together a sacred blend of resins from dragon’s blood, gold copal and mayan
copal with dried leaves of sagebrush, and wood shavings of the holy wood, palo santo.
 Bowing to the bones

a smoke offering to the ancestors,

a celebration of life,
a ritual of gratitude for all that has come before.
 You have to die
a few times before
you can really live.

– Charles Bukowski
The People Look at Flowers Last
 LA PETITE MORT

LA PETITE MORT
The “D” Word.

It’s taboo, it’s triggering, or maybe it makes us a little bit sad.

Suffice it to say, we feel if we keep a mention of the Big “D” at arms
length, she might not notice us, and will simply look the other way.
 LA PETITE MORT

But Death isn’t someone we meet at the very end.

She is always near us, not like a ghost hovering in the shadows,
but rather, as a guide, walking beside us, for all our living days.

Death is the nudge that says…

Hey, I know you are really attached to this thing, but I can see a bigger
beauty over there! On the other side!

She’s the whisper that says…

Seize the day! Life is short!, and remember, We can’t be bothered with the
small stuff.

She’s the one that grabs us by the collar, with a swift tug back…
Exclaiming Oh no! Not just yet! when we’ve strayed a little too close to the
edge.

She’s the gentle, but firm reminder…

to love more, and worry less.

She’s always there saying, I’ve got you, Babe!

grasping our hand when we can no longer see where we are going.

Her mantra...
Trust. Surrender. Let it all go.
Never forget, something is always on the other side.

She is the one who gets to know us most intimately, guiding us, every
day, through the little “D’s”
...the dis-ease, the divorce, the destruction, the decay.

Death. Rebirth. Renewal.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
The little deaths –the cycles that teach us of the sacred flow.

They are the experiences, the gifts and the lessons, that serve as the
constant reminder, to help us remember what is really important...
to get back to center, to get going, and to get back on track with living
this thing called Life.
 M emento M O R I

Memento Mori:
the sacred art, the practice, that tells us to remember, that someday, we must die.
 M emento M O R I

Memento MORI
It is through death
that we appreciate life.
It is through darkness
that we experience light.
And, it is through loss
that we understand the
true beauty of what it means to love.

I think that Death, is a she.

Why?
Because to me, she is one of the many facets of the Divine Mother.
The one, that agreed to take the hit...
For when Death said Yes to this cosmic assignment, she knew it would be the
most reviled, the most un-glamourous, the most misunderstood – seemingly the
shittiest of gigs.

We could say it was the luck of the draw...and that her sister, Birth, always gets
first dibs, and maybe, it just wasn’t Death’s lucky day.

But I don’t think such a fateful job was decided by the flip of a coin.

I think Death knew, that even if, no one would ever be happy to see her, that she
was best suited for the task. She had strength and fearlessness, with the most
loving, tenderest of hearts. But ultimately, deep down, she knew, she was taking
on truly the most sacred of job of all time.
 M emento M O R I

Death, no, she may not be glamorous,

but damn, she really is beautiful.
She stretches us, and pushes us right up to the very edge,
cracking us open, until there is only one place left to go.

She demands that we love ourselves, and then she asks that we forgive
ourselves, even more...
Poking and prodding us to trust in something greater, and reach beyond
our own mortality.

Ultimately, I believe, that Death is our ally, a friend to guide us, taking
our hand in those moments, throughout life, where we just can’t see
the future.

And, like, the most doting of Divine Mothers, she is always there, with
just one wish, one hope, one dream for us.

..Always asking, hoping, praying, that each and every day,

we will always remember, to really, truly Live.
 COMING THIS WINTER

DecEMBER 3, 10, 17

ENJOY THE SILENCE

a three part series + virtual retreat
Give yourself a gift of space, as we come
together to understand the practice, and
the art of silence, in a deeply rich group
experience of moving inward, and tending to
our deepest spiritual selves.

A GROUP EXPERIENCE - LEARN MORE:

www.jennifermizel.com
 COMING THIS WINTER

WINTER 2017
THE SEASON
OF SILENCE

cozy up with a digital book to feel into the magic of the sacred season

EMAIL ME IF YOU WANT ONE:

jennifer@jennifermizel.com
 THE OFFERING

the sacred sessions

work with the season of transitions
 THE OFFERING

THIS FALL
A special package of 4 private sessions centered around transitions

Life brings us initiations, portals to walk through...

these transitions can show up big, or small, but as with all transitions,
sometimes, it is hard to see the other side, or find a light at the end of the tunnel

In the Sacred Sessions we guide and support you...

Working together for the season, to find the beauty, ground you in strength,
and gather the inspiration to start something new again.
As always, as your Inuitive guide from the side, utilizing the field of energy
known as the Akashic Records, a catalytic and pragmatic space that is is the
best way to tune into and capture what you need most in this moment.

LEARN MORE:
www.jennifermizel.com
...the bow.