The cyclical nature of the year is also repeated in a human lifetime. The Spring of our youth, Summer of adulthood, Autumn of middle age, and Winter of old age. We are born, we live, and then we die. Now the question is, are we born again? After winter must come spring. 

Protestant Christians teach that once we die, the soul sleeps until the Day of Judgement. Catholics teach that after death we either enter heaven, purgatory or hell. Pythagoreans, Buddhists and Hindus teach that we reincarnate, and scientists teach that we don’t have a soul to begin with. So who is right? 

Nature teaches that death follows life, only for rebirth to follow death which follows life. An endless cycle of creation, preservation, destruction, and recreation. Sunrise, midday, sunset, midnight, sunrise. 

The Four Seasons personified as women, Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress. Frank W. Benson. Spring top left, Summer top right, Autumn bottom left, Winter bottom right.