With the beginning of October, autumn is in full swing! The days are definitely growing shorter, the weather has also cooled off, and you may have also noticed that the veil is growing thin.
Most nurseries have a good selection of chrysanthemums by now. So go and pick up some magickal mums! They come in all sizes. Here is an article I wrote about creating an enchanted bouquet of mums.
https://themagickalcottage.com/?s=Mums&submit=Search
This year the Harvest Moon is on October 7th. The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the equinox. This full moon will be in the fiery sign of Aries and it is also a super moon.
This would be a great time for a ritual celebrating your yearly harvest around a fire pit or even a lit candle. Let’s give thanks for all we have and allow that fire to burn away what doesn’t serve us!
October always conjures images of pumpkins! Their Magickal properties include protection, prosperity, fertility and harvest. Of course, their protective quality is obvious in the popular Halloween custom of carving jack-o-lanterns. You may know, by the way, that the original custom in Europe actually involved carving turnips to chase away evil spirits, but customs do evolve! I love the way pumpkins look much more than turnips, so it’s all good.
I bet you could use those abundant pumpkin seeds to produce more fertility in your life as you munch their lovely goodness. Just be careful what you wish for!
The new moon on October 21 will be in the last few degrees of Libra. So if you want to bring in some romantic energies to help you find that special someone this could be the time for that! Here’s a video to help you manifest a romantic relationship:
Samhain is the ancient festival that lead to our modern day Halloween. I’ve decided Samhain or Halloween both have certain benefits that other holidays don’t have. There’s no huge meal to cook, you don’t need to fuss over the whole gift buying scene, you can dress up if you like and be anything you want, plus those trick or treaters are pretty cute!
Here’s a post I wrote a few years back that captures the spirit of Samhain for me:
In our coven we honor the Morrigan at this time of year. She is the Celtic goddess that for me helps to examine my shadow side. She is actually considered three goddesses in one. Look her up! The Irish Pagan School is a good resource:
https://youtube.com/@irishpaganschool?si=Hdff03XDWyjcXuQ3
Which brings me to our October animal spirit, the corvid, which includes ravens and crows.
There are many ways to distinguish between crows and ravens, but my main method of telling them apart is that ravens are larger and they have a more pronounced curved beak. Crows go “caw” and ravens makes a gronking sound. But I’m no authority.
Here’s an interesting article by someone who does seem to know a lot about these beautiful black birds:
So Happy Harvest Moon, Happy Samhain and have a Blessed October!
Bright Blessings,
Sarina 🐦⬛🎃
The Magickal Cottage 