Stepping into Fall
Autumn is Underway
Depending on where you live, this past week may have felt like a relief that autumn is finally underway, with cool crips nights and turning leaves. For others, though you will still be experiencing the shorter days, warm temps can make this transition period more difficult - summerlike temperatures seem incongruous with everything traditionally "autumnal".
My own experience this week? I felt shocked to see that pumpkins and mums were just about sold out at my favorite source (no - not a garden center, but my local Stop & Shop supermarket has an excellent selection at reasonable prices). I had to remind myself that according to the calendar, we are securely into autumn and October is less than a week away! Most days, high temperatures here have been in the mid to high 70's (in degrees Fahrenheit) and most nights have been balmy. While some days the temperature did dip low enough to make a sweater desirable, this back and forth, transitional weather can be energetically challenging. I personally faced a difficult time keeping my mums well watered in the hot, dry weather. Even the "seasonal" plants are feeling the challenge!
It this transition period makes you feel uneasy, you may want to go back to my last blog and be sure to practice some of the simple grounding exercises. Once you feel grounded, you are hopefully ready to fully embrace this time of change. Below are some of my favorite autumn activities.
Stepping into Fall
Harvest the last of the blooms from my garden with an eye toward creating dried floral arrangements to enjoy throughout the approaching winter months.
"Flipping the Porch" - a colloquial term here on Long Island used to describe cleaning and decorating the front porch to reflect the current season. Ferns are brought inside and out go the bales of straw, pumpkins, mums, and cornstalks. Personally, I refrain from adding any "Halloween" themed decorations for a week or two in order to fully enjoy this transitional time.
Enjoy pumpkin spice everything! Iced coffees, lattes, donuts, and sugared rims on my favorite pumpkin beer.
Add autumn themed fragrance to my home with candles and room sprays. For me, once the days are actually cooler, nothing does more to warm up a space than a fragrance rooted in cardamom, cinnamon, and pumpkin.
Early Autumn Products We Are Loving this Week
NEW! They Conjure . . . Room & Linen Spray
The first in our line of in-house artisanal, all natural room & linen sprays, this scent embodies all the warm feels of autumn and Halloween. Inspired by the opening scene of the movie Hocus Pocus, which I faithfully watch every autumn, this toxin-free room spray has scent notes of cardamom, cinnamon, pumpkin, cedar and burning embers.
Seasons of the Witch Mabon Oracle
One of my favorite practices at home and in the shop is to switch out the oracle cards that I'm using for readings to match the current season. This week, I enjoyed breaking out my Mabon Oracle cards Their orange gilded edges and backing (which also features crows!) always make me smile and put me in an Autumnal mood.
The Smoke Box by Heretic Parfum
Nothing evokes memories like a scent. I've been enjoying this new line of natural fragrances from Heretic Parfum for their unique scents that are poised to become "signatures of the season". The Smoke Box is an alluring curated collection of smoky, woody, and highly sensual scents, including Poltergeist and Smudge - perfect autumnal scents!
From the Bookshelves
Curl up in a cozy chair on a rainy fall day with one of these titles to help you prepare for the spooky season ahead....
A practical guide to using the sacred herbs of Samhain for healing, divination, purification, protection, magic, and as tools for contacting the Spirits.
The Witch’s Cookbook brings you 75 recipes and gorgeous photographs inspired by literature, film, and television’s most adored witches.
