Celebrations to Welcome Fall

The first night that Daylight Savings kicks in is a magical time. After a full day of light, the darkness falls suddenly, closing in around the open hours of summertime. Crisp air starts its blunt slice through lungs and all I want to do is build a fire.

I've had dreams of bonfires and festivals greeting the shifting seasons, but the closest I've come was a last minute invitation to a Samhain ceremony with some witchy friends in Los Angeles. Granted, that was a powerful experience, but I've been looking for something practicable and accessible that I can bring to my family.

This year, Tobias crafted a simple and poignant ceremony to welcome in Autumn. After Espen was bathed and jammied up, we bundled him in a cozy blanket and headed into our back yard. Darkness shrugged around our shoulders and called our eyes into the trees. A fire was burning, solitary and vibrant in the rain soaked night. We walked the path we'd made that summer to the special spot where our un-initiated fire-pit now crackled with friendly flames.

Espen was entranced by the contrast of dark stillness and illuminated movement. Tobias spoke about the coming of winter and the lessening light and how we must build the light within during this time. I made up a little chant to thank the fire for its light and warmth and to the earth for giving us life and a time to rest. Then we settled into silence and allowed ourselves to fire gaze until Espen started demanding sticks to throw into the blaze.

All in all, it took about fifteen minutes and a couple handfuls of firewood to create a wonderful ritual that we'll definitely be repeating each Fall.

If you live in the city, you can create the same effect. Simply bundle up, light a candle, open the windows, turn off the lights, and bring the kids or your partner or your friends in! 

We all feel the shifting seasons and it makes the transitions something to look forward to when there are celebrations to mark their coming.


Happy Autumning!

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