Menopause, Midlife, and Magic
Autumn Collective (AC) is an event series that explores and celebrates wellbeing in midlife and the menopausal transition. Its name is inspired by the metaphor of the “seasons” of our lives; menopause thus marking the transition from Summer (adulthood) to Autumn (middle age.) “Collective” speaks to community and connection.
Featuring diverse media, discussion, somatic practices, ritual and creative acts of joy and resistance, AC is for anyone approaching (peri-menopause), at, or beyond the biological marker of menopause (one calendar year following one’s last menstrual period.) We use “menopause”, “midlife” and/or “menopausal transition” as catch-all phrases inclusive of all of these phases. Autumn Collective is gender inclusive.
Midlife and menopause have traditionally been depicted primarily as a loss of fertility and the onset of aging. We are here to hold up its insights and freedoms and explore how embracing this fascinating season can be a singular time of joy, liberation, creativity and immense power.
Rather than being exclusively focused on scientific research and medical advice, Autumn Collective is about sharing and validating our individual stories and experiences in a supportive community. We look forward to welcoming you.
We have chosen the Gingko Biloba tree as a symbol for AC for its unique beauty and remarkable resilience. It is one of the oldest, strongest tree varieties on Earth, and is at its most radiant appearance in Autumn, when its leaves turn vibrant yellow.
AC Founder Madeleine Shaw (she/her) is an eco-feminist activist, designer, writer and entrepreneur. Her career arc has closely followed her passion for cyclical wisdom. As an adolescent, she was fascinated by menarche, and in 2014 she created G Day, a national rite of passage event series for girls and non-binary youth that honoured the transition between childhood and adolescence. In 1993 co-founded Lunapads, a groundbreaking menstrual health venture, and from 2018 to 2023 she explored the possibility of “re-villaging” through Nestworks, a family-friendly coworking community.
Autumn Collective was inspired by her own transition into menopause, which she thinks of as “the other end of the rainbow” from G Day. In 2025, she resurrected her original brand, everyware designs, to upcycle denim and vintage fabric into one-of-a-kind garments and housewares.
~ Madeleine
Founder, Autumn Collective
We are Here: A Credo
- We are here to fully inhabit and embrace ourselves in this season of our lives.
- We are here to connect, to listen, to be present with one another.
- We are here to acquire the tools and knowledge that we need to fully step into our sovereignty, self-love and wellbeing.
- We are not here to “fight ageing” or attempt to conform to a worldview that does not honour our agency and resplendence.
- We are powerful beyond measure, not a problem to be fixed or condition to be cured.
- We are here to claim ourselves.
Sign up for our Autumn Collective launch event in Autumn 2025!
Sign up for our Autumn Collective launch event in Autumn 2025!
Resources
Listen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2AwsWyLlRwEOeWaZyaALuB To survive hustle culture, family and career pressures and world affairs we often decompress with social media, our phones or alcohol. In this episode Jennifer talks with social entrepreneur, author and cyclical wisdom devotee Madeleine Shaw about the gift of sobriety in a culture that just wants to take the edge off. In this intimate and honest conversation, we explore- Join Jennifer and Madeleine for a heart-opening conversation on how to face the messy middle of “gray area” drinking and attune to what deeply nourishes our bodies, minds and relationships instead.
{ Read More }
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/2CzzCpGvLtlXcseYC2XEhS?utm_source=generator In this Club Soda podcast episode, Club Soda founder Laura Willoughby, herself an advocate of social change, talks to Madeleine Shaw. Madeleine talks candidly about how being a strong advocate for social change can also mean coming from an anti-authoritarian background. Being rebellious at a young age linked Madeleine with alcohol – “drinking was kind of a bad-ass thing that was bound up with rebellion”. But as both Laura and Madeleine agree, when you become an advocate for social change, the rebellious act of harmful drinking can morph into something that looks sophisticated and quasi-cultural but is just as problematic. This discord between behaviour and values, about how we present ourselves versus how we actually feel, caused both women to impact community and social sectors in ways they never thought imaginable.
{ Read More }
On Tales of Triumph Podcast In this episode of the Love Medals podcast, I’m interviewed about my journey from entrepreneurship to writing, my triumph over gray area addiction, and how it redefined my life and relationships. I share insights on societal pressures, the health risks associated with alcohol, the importance of self-regulation and how menopause played a role in my recovery. We discuss breaking the stigma around addiction and creating meaningful conversations about sobriety and mental health.
{ Read More }
The Greater Good: Social Entrepreneurship for Everyday People Who Want to Change the World is a book by Madeleine Shaw, the groundbreaking founder of multiple for-profit and charitable ventures, all with social and environmental impact at their heart. Visit the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thegreatergood
{ Read More }
From the Lunar cycle to the menstrual cycle to the cycles of business, all relate in this engaging talk Madeleine Shaw at the Vancouver chapter of CreativeMornings on Dec 6, 2024.
{ Read More }
I’m in my mid-50s and reached menopause almost three years ago. Contemporaneously, I also managed to quit drinking, following years of questioning and struggle. On their own, either of these life changes is momentous and worthy of reflection. That they dovetailed so closely has given me pause to consider their relationship to one another. A useful tool in this exploration has been the archetype of the Wise Woman(also called the Wild Woman), a metaphorical frame I use to think about this stage of my life. The Wise Woman is the third of four traditional feminine archetypes: the Maiden, Mother, Wise Woman and Crone. These archetypes are further associated with the seasons, as in Maiden (Spring), Mother (Summer) and so on. The Wise Woman is thus paired with Autumn. When viewed through this lens, as I relinquish my youth and biological fertility, the trees outside are shedding their leaves, and the world prepares itself for Winter’s rest. This poetic take on ageing gives it a ripe, fully expressed quality that reassures me that I don’t need to fight it. The Wise Woman gently encourages the release of things that no longer serve me, while reminding me of the potent value my years…
{ Read More }
“Hitting menopause was another critical milestone in my final decision to break up with alcohol. As if night sweats weren’t bad enough, waking up at 3 am, parched, with a mild headache and nagging feeling of regret did me in.” ~ Madeleine Shaw, Member of the Menopause Chicks Community, on the Menopause Chicks podcast.
{ Read More }Find Autumn Collective On:
