October 2022: Welcome to Autumn and the "Spooky" Season
Updated: Oct 1, 2022
Northern Hemisphere October Season:
Autumn Equinox (equal light to night).
The Autumn equinox is a time of equanimity when light and dark are equal. It is also when we enter the dying stage of the sun cycle here in the Northern hemisphere.
Spirit of equanimity reigns in October with balanced energies, rhythm, and pulsation. The elements come into harmony with air orchestrating the dying time. As we head from October into November when the light energies begin to wane, things will shift, and the energies will take a darker, more contemplative turn. Shadows are taller and longer. Dark creeps upon us quicker, inviting us to turn to hearth and home and tend the flame of our hearts, bringing the torchlight of the waxing and waning moon into the darker night places to see what is hidden there. October is marked with the Spirit of celebration and connection as we harvest the fruits of this year's work and efforts. This is a time of joy and happiness, fun and excitement.
Invitation: Spend it in celebration as we come to the Halloween/Samhain celebrations. Cultivate community. Reach for connection and embodied joy, even if you have no one to spend the season with.
Samhain closes off the October festivities as we move into the time between the veil. Here, the culmination of the equanimity energies peak as the veil between Spirit and material thins.
Halloween is a time of sacred initiation for the youth. Celebrations center on the energy of happy and excited children filled with imaginative wonder and innocence as they walk through the portal of darkness and threat; they dance on the borders of danger and fear by staying in celebration and social safety. The first signs of resiliency are embodied with the lengthening of shadow. The festivities, treats, and fun imparts resiliency in the face of scary uncertainty and terror, teaching us that celebration is a sweet medicine society could use more of.
Invitation: Spend time with children during the season and let their exuberance, excitement for life, and resiliency inspire you
There is also the aspect of communing with the sacred energies of this thinning time. I always feel such a profound depth and mystery here, often sensing and feeling the power and grace of the Mother profoundly present. Soul reaping and mercy are dished out to the souls of the dead and the living equally. We are reminded of our ancestral connections and lineages. We pause to remember precious passed loved ones: people and pets. We bless our ancestors and their continued journey in the next life. We connect with the changing energies of the season, decorate our homes and porches, and tend to our yards for the Fall season. The weather reaches that perfect equilibrium when some of us can enjoy evening woodstove fires while still enjoying the warmth of the daytime.
Invitation: Create an altar for your passed loved ones/ancestors and offer them a blessing of peace and wellness.
As we move forward in the coming months, there is an invitation to deepen in the felt sense experience of the season. Experience what Autumn and the dying season feel like in the body and allow ourselves to shift instinctually.