The fog is rolling in over the mountains, blanketing everything. Fall has arrived, however quickly and unexpectedly. Here in the southwest corner of Colorado, fall seems to come late—often at the end of September. It’s still warm, but there’s an unmistakable chill in the air, and the plants are starting their decent down into the earth where they will soon sleep and await spring.
Today marks the Fall Equinox, and so I wanted to share some ideas for celebrating this magical change, the new balance of the light and dark that we’re entering into.
Ritual is one of those words that often feels like a closed practice. And if you aren’t religious or weren’t born into a tradition of ritual, it can feel especially daunting.
Especially in light of “cancel culture”, leaning into any spiritual practice that isn’t inherently your own can feel wrong. But here’s the thing: I don’t think anyone has the right to tell you how to grow your spiritual connection to the earth. And as long as you’re following the time-old witch’s tradition of “do no harm” and acknowledging your teachers— it’s your right (not appropriation) to harness a spiritual connection with the world around you.
In fact, think of how much better the world would be if as humans we all took time to lean into our natural need for community and connection and practice fostering both with every living being (including animals, trees, plants, soil) around us?
As we ring in the Fall Equinox this week, now is a great time to celebrate the spinning of the wheel with fall rituals. Here are some of my favorite ones.
Release Ritual
One of my favorite fall time rituals is a practice around release. Pick one thing that you are releasing as you head into this next season. It could be a thought pattern, a person, a habit, a physical thing. The idea is to release something that no longer serves your greater good, whatever it may be.
The great work before us is, to learn to understand what around and about us and what within us must live, and what must die.”
- Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Women Who Run With Wolves
Once you’ve chosen something to release, write it down on a piece of paper and burn the paper. You can do this over a sacred container, in a fireplace, or even over your sink. Afterwards, soak the ashes thoroughly in water and return them to the earth.
Sowing Your ‘Sacred Yes’
I first heard about the idea of ‘Sacred Yes’ from the amazing fertility activist and womb guide Samantha Zipporah1. Your ‘Sacred Yes’ can be defined as something which you wholeheartedly are nurturing and growing in your creative center. It also relates to the idea that as women, we are natural creators who have the power to manifest more than just children.
Once you’ve identified your Sacred Yes (hint: You can have more than one), write it down on a piece of paper and bury it in your garden alongside a few seeds. Keep a written note for yourself as well and know that as you work towards growing your Sacred Yes, your intentions are also growing into the soil.
The truth is…
that anything you set your intention to can be a form of ritual. Whisper prayers and intentions over seeds and sow them into your garden. Verbally release what no longer serves you on the strong back of the wind. Set intentions or practice release rituals with friends or family, or do so alone or with your animals. Go to a private place in your garden or the forest and lay on the ground to feel your rhythym aligning with the earth. Say your blessings for a year of good harvest, make space for ritual around cutting down plants that you plan to use for medicine. Create an altar in a corner of your home, with bones and rocks and feathers and cuttings from favorite plants.
All of this and more can become a meaningful form of ritual that you engage in throughout the seasons to come.
Happy Fall Equinox friends <3
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If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about natural methods of contraception or seeking holistic abortion or miscarriage support (or to learn more about any/all of the above) I cannot recommend Sam’s work highly enough. She’s currently offering her online course Conscious Contraception at a sliding scale, which is a great resource for anyone hoping to seek more autonomy (without Rx birth control) over their own fertility.