Poetry, Talismans, and Tarot
During this Hunter’s moon I write many poems in the middle of the night.
I carry bloodstone, rose quartz, amphibole quartz, and moonstone.
The tarot themes this month were heavy in symbols of the inner realms and of ritual work. The cards were encouraging and uplifting. Deer and snake show up many times this month. On a walk along the river with my daughter we spy 7 snakes, a number sacred to the Goddess. We go for a few walks through the older cemeteries and grottoes, reading headstones and imagining their lives.
Finding Fossils: Ancient Bones of The Mother
We gathered Paleozoic era fossils from the wet earth, the ancient bones of our mother who is now preparing for her deep winter slumber. The trees blanket her in leaves from their limbs, we all offer gratitude to her for keeping us rooted and well nourished. As I gather the fossilized deathbeds of the Ordovician period sea, I am greeted by rose hips, I harvest a few, placing them in my sweater pockets. All I have to give in exchange is my thanks and a thread of hair.
As I walk the caves, the creek beds and along the rock faces I am in awe of these ancient beings. I take notice of the sacred spiral in many of the fossils I pull from the rocks, the Goddess symbols repeated in the dirt and ancient rock. With each step I send my gratitude to the earth down through the soles of my feet. I sing songs softly under my breath, trying to ground myself after the excitement of my first few discoveries. My Husband and Father are excellent at uncovering these ancestors of the earth.
Potions, Tinctures, and Cures from the Fall Harvest
On the new moon I make a rose hip tincture to hide away in the dark cupboard for the next two moons before it can be used. I concocted elderberry syrup in my cauldron to nourish my loved ones throughout the cold months of winter. I used the berries we harvested with our own purple stained hands. I am thankful for this medicine when we all get the flu a week after it is made. We harvest pumpkins under willow trees and raspberries in meadows encircled by bluffs.
Nature’s Bounty for Hearth, Home, and Altar
I go out in the wind to gather up Burdock roots, snagging my sweater in its drying seed pods. We collect leaves of all colors, bringing them home to dip into beeswax. Once the colors are preserved and the foliage drip dried we string them from the ceiling to adorn our walls with the colors of autumn. I gather a few Hawthorne berries to place on my ancestor altar, this medicine of the otherworld, hoping it will be a portal opener during this time of the thinning veil.
Journaling, Dancing, and Creating Gifts to Share
I cannot sleep during the full moon in Taurus so I draw in my journal pages and dance to the music of kelsey lu all night. This is good medicine for me during this Venus retrograde.
A Gift for You
I created a small watercolor oracle deck to offer for free to those who may want to begin a journey into the mysteries of the intuition, of magic and the esoteric. I know that magic is your birthright and if you know it too, feel free to download the oracle deck.
Signs of Autumn: Costumes, Cooking, and… Snow!
I hand sew my daughter a costume for trick-or-treating as the first light snow hits the pavement outside. Even though it instantly melts, It is not welcomed by most here. The trees still haven’t dropped all their leaves. It has been an unusual autumn here, colder and wetter than normal. The trees didn’t burst into colors like past years, it was more gradual.
We bake squash in butter and local maple syrup. Sprinkled with cinnamon and rosemary, it fills our space with the sweet aroma of warm autumn nourishment.
Witchcraft, Candle Magic, Dream Work, and More
I dabble in candle magic, rune symbols, and ancestor communication. I build ancestor altars with candles, rings, pumpkins, dried flowers and stones. Fresh rosemary sprigs adorn black and white photographs to invoke memories of passed on loved ones.
My dreams are vivid and interpretations pour out onto dream journal pages faster than my tired eyes can follow or my hand can scribble. One night I dream of my grandmother in a polka dot dress, one I’ve never seen. I must ask my Dad and Grandpa if she ever wore one. In the dream she is vibrant and healthy, far from the way she went out of this world. It gives me comfort to see her smile again.
My Samhain Rituals, Altar, and Offerings
I light altar candles and speak the names of my ancestors on Samhain. Making offerings, and drawing tarot under twinkling stars. My small family carves pumpkins together, adorning the inside with runes and talismans as well as candles. We trick or treat until my daughter’s candy bag is full. Afterwards, We snuggle under the covers to watch Room on the Broom while snacking on candies.
This month has gifted me clarity brought in on the crisp wind and heart strength inherited by the ancestors, aided by Hawthorne medicine. I am grateful to the women of my lineage and this land that I inhabit. I look forward to what November will bring.
