Fall is a time that symbolizes new beginnings, symbolizes pumpkin spice lattes, sweaters, and some of our favorite holidays. For many of us, myself included, fall is our favorite season, but is there more to it than the pumpkins and sweaters?
The Wheel of the Year
If you are Wiccan, Pagan, or any witch that celebrates the wheel of the year, you know that the last day of October represents the witchy new year. This day is Samhain (pronounced Sah-win). If you are unfamiliar with the wheel of the year, Samhain is more commonly known as All Hallows Eve (yes, I’m really going there) or Halloween. In case you are wonderings, Samhain is not dedicated to worshipping cany, Jack Skellington, or Michael Meyers (much to my dismay).
Samhain is very similar to Dia de Muertos, or day of the dead. It is believed that the Viel between our world and the world of those departed is very thin, so contacting our dearly departed loved ones is much easier.
If this intrigues you, I plan on writing about the wheel of the year in a future post, so stay tuned!
*Side note: After Samhain, it is now socially acceptable to do your best impression of the Stark clan by loudly proclaiming “Winter is coming,” wherever you go! Bonus points if you get the accent correct.
Noticing Your Surroundings
I loooove fall, maybe a bit too much. Personally, I find that this is my favorite time to be outside and enjoy nature.
Here are some things to look for:
- Take in the smells
- Notice the changes in weather
- Look at the trees changing colors
- Look at the different colors of the leaves, because one is never the same as the other
- Hear the sounds of the wind rustling through the trees
- Notice the changes in energy
- Observe the animals getting prepared for the colder months
A Fresh Start
For a lot of people, the beginning of fall (or September in the northern hemisphere) can be seen as a new beginning or a fresh start. But Why???
Well, a lot of people are going back to school, college, or are starting jobs. It is common to want to change your style, attitude, try to “glow up” (I do not recommend this because we are all beautiful humans and do not need any improvement, but you do you), or just begin anew in something.
I have worked with a lot of teachers, and they have all stated that for them, the year begins in the fall, not in January.
Because we have been accustomed to always starting a new grade in the fall, the idea that fall is for fresh starts just comes naturally to us.