September, Dragons and Fresh Starts

I've spent most of today, sorting things out and doing the kinds of things that I usually do when I am spring cleaning my office. Why all this activity, well my partner went back to work after his late summer holiday today. And for me, working at home, it feels like the beginning of the Autumn term and the long run up to Christmas.

When I think about it, September is all about change and transitions. Not all of them good - the end of summer, for example. We also have the anniversary of 9/11 which for many of us marked an end to innocence. It is also the month my Mother died in and that is always pretty hard to bear. But as well as that it is a month for fresh starts - at work and particularly for students and academics.

September begins on the same day of the week as December every year, because there are 91 days separating September and December. 91 is a multiple of seven, the number of days in the week, and seven has always been a mystic or sacred number.

In Latin, septem means "seven" and septimus means "seventh"; September was the seventh month of the Roman calendar until 46 BC,

Now,of course, September is the ninth month.

The number nine is special in China as it is the largest possible single digit and Chinese dragons are frequently connected with it.There are nine animals that make up a Chinese Dragon. Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, hurricane, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck. The Emperor of China usually used the dragon as a symbol of his imperial power and strength. Here those nine animals.

Head of a camel
Eyes of a demon
Ears of a cow
Horns are branched antlers of a stag
Neck of a snake
Belly of a clam
Soles of its feet are a tigers,
Claws are that of an eagles
117 scales of a carp.

Nine is pretty special in Europe too. In French the word neuf means both nine and new. In German, the words for nine and new are neun and neu, and in Spanish, nueve and nuevo.
As you count and reach nine, you know you are about to make a new start.

So I'm going to do what we all should and think positive. I'm going to make sure my new term gets off to a lovely clean and fresh new start. And may your dragon go with you.

Wendy Mason is a career coach. She helps people reach their goals and aspirations, without sacrificing their home and personal life. Before working as a coach, Wendy had a long career in both the public and private sectors in general management and consultancy as well as spells in HR. She now divides her time between coaching and writing. You can contact Wendy at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com and find out more at http://wisewolfcoaching.com

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