Over the course of the last 12 months, I’ve been honouring my word of the year- Enchantment. I’ve journeyed through the seasons, paying close attention to the signs of the seasons, and looking for the enchantment that each season brings. It feels right that the season that teaches us how beautiful it is to let go, is the season I finish this series on.
Now, as I’m typing, Autumn has taken a firm grip of my homelands. The trees are letting go and the leaves are falling. The sun rises and sets in beautiful colours of fire on the days where mist is not rolling across the land. Dew is clinging to plants that, in just a few more weeks, could turn to frost as temperatures continue to plummet. There’s a spark of electricity in the air, as the end of October approaches and the veil begins to thin in preparation. There’s a chill in the air that requires a few more layers, a crunch underfoot from the dying leaves, and nature is a blaze in the colours of red, orange and yellow.
Autumn is normally a time when my calendar becomes full and plans are made as I fully embrace the magic of this season- it’s easy to do, it’s my favourite season! I take moments out in nature to remind myself that the earth is taking pause, and preparing for the colder, darker months that Winter inevitably brings. As the shift into that season begins for me (usually mid-November) I too, take pause. I retreat and rest, before preparing for the next season. This year, Autumn has been different. My son began school at the start of September, and I prioritised spending time with him, supporting him in this big change in his life. Born at the height of the lockdown in the UK of 2020, my son has never left my side apart from sleepovers with grandparents. This transition has been hard- for him to find his independence, as well as for me to let go.
That is perhaps the biggest lesson and gift of Autumn- the ability to let go.
In this space, where I gave my son the space to find his own independence, I gave myself space. I embraced the changes that were happening, in time with the shift of the season from Summer to Autumn. I left my calendar blank. I stayed home, I went for walks. I rooted back into myself, as more than just a mum; I spent time with myself again. I began to refill my own cup again. I don’t like change- I’m human- but Autumn has taught me the beauty of letting go and embracing the changes that only this season can. It goes a lot smoother when you embrace the shifts and changes.
I channelled my creativity; sometimes bursting at the seams with ideas and words. I wrote down ones that needed time to gestate and placed a seed of intention for 2025. Out in nature, I looked for my muse, inspired as the leaves turned colour and the mists rolled in. I wrote. Goddess, did I write. I channelled the energy into a book- and self-published my first book of poetry.
Autumn’s Enchantment.
Throughout the months of September to December, I embraced the enchanting energy of Autumn. I found it as the leaves turned colour and began their process of letting go. I found it in the changes that came with the season- both in the world around me and in my own life. I found it in the preparation I began to make for the colder months. I found it in the roots I returned to, pausing my life to adjust to the changes that this season brought me this year. I found it in the nourishment I sought, and most importantly, I found it in my muse, inspiring my creativity.
Now, as the season shifts once more into Winter, I’m continuing to root down and ground my energy, embracing the stillness, nourishment and dreaming that only Winter can bring. My cycle of seasons as enchanting is now complete- the lessons will continue, but as Winter claims my homelands, I’ll shift focus from enchantment to magick, as my WOTY changes.