I absolutely love this time of year. The nights are cool, the trees are starting to turn yellow, orange and red. I start to make pumpkin everything, like pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin waffles. I even make rice pudding baked in a pumpkin. I can put on a sweater, sit outside next to the firepit and drink warm spiced wine. I wish I had a fall birthday so that I could celebrate the season even more.
In a few weeks, it will be Samhain, the witches’ sabbath that coincides with Halloween. The veil between the living and the dead will thin… but that’s a topic for later in the month.
Now is the time to turn inward and reflect.
Rituals can be powerful. Something as simple as lighting a candle at dusk can bring meaning to an otherwise ordinary evening. Say a few words of gratitude as you touch the match to the wick.
Build a fire, in the fireplace or outdoors, and release what no longer serves you. Write down what you’re ready to let go of on small slips of paper and feed them into the flames. Feel the freedom of no longer holding onto negativity, grudges, and hurts. Maybe it’s even time to release a relationship or a job.
As the darkness begins to come earlier and earlier, face and accept the darkness within you rather than turning away from it. Remember that both light and shadow are a part of life. Befriend your inner shadow, those parts you don’t like others to see.
The energy of fall correlates to the lungs and large intestines. Do some breath work and a colon cleanse to help your body harmonize with the changes in nature.
Autumn is a time of transition. Embrace the changes around you and allow them to usher changes into your life.