Autumn Magic
The seasonality of life turns yet again as we enter the ‘-ber’ months & dream of fall festivities. The closer time shifts towards the autumn equinox and crosses into the darker half of the year, the thinner the veil between the worlds of physical & metaphysical becomes. To some, this is nothing more than entering Spooky season. For others, it’s a deliberate turn inward for protection, self-maintenance, & preparation for the often isolating winter months.
The veil thinning is often used as a means to explain the uptick of paranormal/spiritual phenomena that happens around the fall & spring equinoxes, most notably via media, the fall equinox because of upcoming holidays like Halloween, Samhain, Dia de los Muertos and a plethora of other cultural fall holidays!
But the truth about that ‘veil’ is that it can be perceived as ‘thin’ in any area/time of liminality or threshold-ness. Just as the full moon typically brings an uptick of energy, I believe the few weeks surrounding both equinoxes and both solstices bring about a period of ‘veil thinning.’ For me, the equinoxes are more liminal space whilst the solstices are more threshold space. And, while the spiritual energy might be raised during these periods, the energetic, seasonal & cultural applications of each period differ.
Spring gives more of a liminal ‘growth’ or ‘planting a seed’ type of energy where Fall gives more of a liminal ‘decay’ or ‘needing to harvest’ type of energy. Summer feels like a climax threshold and Winter feels like an anti-climax. It’s almost like a sinusoidal graph of energy over time! Life around us is very cyclical and I view the energies surrounding these cycles as sinusoidal which allows me to make cycle-long routines that compliment all “phases” of who I am.
Seasons, moon phases, the rising & setting of the sun, the push & pull of being awake & sleeping, creativity to resting, the four parts of our breath… everything around us has a pattern underlining it. Working with these cycles of life & the cycles within my own essence instead of against them has been the most fulfilling wellbeing journey I’ve ever embarked on.
Here in Texas, fall is often longed for but short lived. Summer gets excruciatingly scorching and the heat bleeds into our “fall.” Just like the hottest hours of the day are closer to sunset than midday, then after sunset the temperatures quickly drop, this is how Texas seasons work. A prolonged heat from mid/late spring until mid fall, resulting in short periods of true spring/fall weather. So, the magic of this time period within my practice varies from survival & perseverance to ‘harvesting’ my goals of the year & small preparations for winter energies.
Here are 3 main magical & energetic topics/practices I like to do & recommend around this time of year:
Energetic Wellbeing
On an energetic note, liminal time periods often bring a bout of restlessness for me. I’m sure I’m not alone on this though! When I read tarot for others experiencing a liminal period of their life, we more often than not end up chatting about the restless impatience & anticipation they have. But the key points to learn while in a liminal period (as inspired by the seasons themselves) is that you can’t rush it. Being ‘in-between’ is extremely important for integration.
To work through the restlessness, I approach on two fronts. One front is to move through that energy, allowing it space to be processed within me and flow out of me. Moving meditations, stretching, yoga practices, singing and dancing tend to be my go-to for this. It may not be outwardly magical in all honesty, but the energetic awareness of what’s going on plus the intent to channel/manipulate that energy makes these moments profound.
The other front is to focus on acceptance & presence within the discomfort of liminality. This has a bit more inner-alchemical spin via utilizing my breath to help ground me in presence—energetically using my breath to actively transform that restlessness into intentional stillness. It’s like anchoring myself in the eye of the storm of Uncertainty. With firm presence within myself & acceptance of the unknown, I let go of plans & control and just ride the waves. In practice, this ranges between breath-work meditations, self-reiki, journal/tarot prompts, and grounding & shielding visualizations. Building up my self-trust that I can handle whatever is thrown at me tends to be the focus of these stillness practices.
Bits of action and bits of slowing. What better way to be liminal than to float between both states?
Energetic Protection
As mentioned earlier, moments of liminality & spaces of thresholds heighten spiritual activity. Protection is necessary for me not only because I’m sensitive to these shifts & the Beings that pop up, but because of the work I do. To maintain safe space for my work in a spiritual sense, it’s better for me to be extra prepared for weirdness and/or paranormal things going on.
Regularly cleansing with smoke, water, sound and/or carrying protective crystals can be helpful. Patchouli is my go-to for smoke cleansing & for crystals, a good smoky quartz, tourmaline, or onyx.
Within periods of heightened spiritual activity, energetic protection can take the ‘edge’ off as we deal with the energetic swirls of the equinox & possible paranormal things on top of the craze of normal human things.
I also have protective balms I make & energetically charge, protective wards around my house that often need recharging around this time of year, and a handful of other things in my tool box for preparation or “in case of extra weird sh*t, break glass.”
I often recommend people pay attention to their energetic balance around this time of year. Noticing the way their energy feels daily; that way if something feels off you can cleanse & grab a protective stone or jewelry as a preemptive approach. Nightmares, sudden mood swings, & intense anxiety are a pretty common sign of energy weirdness.
‘Harvesting’ Goals & Small Winter Preparations
‘Harvesting’ goals of the year looks different every year. Some years my goals were quite literally just to try my best & follow joy. Other past years, the focus was on finding new jobs. In both of those situations ‘harvesting’ was more about the acceptance and contentment I would feel or the mental separation from stress/‘go mode’ rather than if I could technically cross the goal off as completed. The harvesting type of energy would fall into place here with the after ‘glow’ of goal completion (in a sometimes literal and sometimes metaphorical sense of completion).
Think about the ‘cool down’ lap runners take around the track after they’ve finished their run length. That cool down lap serves as a transitional period before they come to a complete stop to fully rest. Fall is that cool down lap for us, otherwise it’d be completely jarring going from the high energy/output of summer to the intense input/inward focus of winter.
This year, fall is going to be a space for me to integrate all the growth I’ve had. So instead of focusing on new partnerships for me to do pop-up sessions or markets with my business, I’ll be nurturing the ones I already have. As I shift from eternal output to internal, I may do more writing this winter than I had done over summer. Etc. etc. On a personal note, I’ve been nose deep in fantasy books these past few weeks instead of planning a lot of nights out with the girls.
This ‘little of this internally, little of that externally’ approach to how I direct my energy input/output is how I intentionally prep for winter. I’m an extrovert and with everyone generally busy over the holiday season of winter, I tend to get lonely & under-stimulated. So I ease into the isolation in a way that feels natural & keeps me from crashing out.
Think of how winter usually affect you, and then utilize your ‘cool down lap’ to start transitioning or preparing for that time!
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So, to take away, address your liminal restlessness, protect your energy, and utilize your cool down lap! And lets get ready for Octoberrrrr— oh! How I want pumpkin treats!
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Alyssa
