Autumn is, without a doubt, my favorite time of year. It’s more than a season; it’s a soul-deep sigh of relief. We finally get that blessed respite from the heat, a delicious cooling down that makes every sweater feel like a hug. The leaves deliver their spectacular, flamboyant farewell, changing color and tumbling to rest. It’s a time of inherent slowing down, a purposeful darkening, and a profound call to go inward. Samhain is the midpoint of Autumn on the Wheel of the Year. This year, I’ve been fully committed to adopting this seasonal mindset, channeling that cozy, reflective energy into a whirlwind of Crafts and Creations.
🌙 A Witch’s Worth of Wares: Oil Alchemy and Adornments
The turning of the year always involves a practical bit of kitchen witchery in my house. Carrier oils, the good bones of any body product, don’t last forever—most have a shelf-life of about a year. So, the arrival of new stock is always exciting! This year, I stocked up on fresh almond, grapeseed, and Jojoba oil. I immediately put them to work, whipping up a batch of the most comforting things imaginable: an Autumn Coffee Body Scrub and a matching, decadent Body Butter. They’re the perfect way to carry the scent and feel of the season on my skin.
I also created a delightful room spray to literally scent the shift in seasons, combining half distilled water and half witch hazel In a two-ounce amber glass spray bottle with 2 ml oils of vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and clove. It’s instant, enveloping autumn magic for every room. I eyeballed it so I don’t have a specific recipe, but the base was vanilla with the others added a few drops at a time.
To truly honor the dark half of the year, I find joy in simple visual shifts. I’ve embraced the season’s colors in my adornments. My nails have become little altars to October—first, a sassy pumpkin orange with sharp black tips. Another week, I channeled that beautiful, moody vibe with an alternating black and dark purple, a subtle nod to my inner Wednesday Addams.
And of course, the great clothing swap must happen. The lighter textiles of summer are now carefully stored away, replaced by my arsenal of cold-weather comfort: sweaters, soft joggers, and the essential fleece-lined leggings. There are even a few treasures that only emerge for these months, like my favorite black and burnt-orange flower-patterned skirt and matching orange top. It’s like welcoming back an old friend.
🧵 The Magic of the Modest Button
Lately, I’ve been on a major button kick. They feel so delightfully old-world and full of potential! My biggest project has been a button wreath. I didn’t want anything huge, just a little whisper of the season for my bedroom door, so I started with a small, four-pack of Styrofoam wreaths from Amazon. To create the perfect shadowed backdrop, I colored the Styrofoam completely black with a permanent marker. Then came the fun part: gluing on the Halloween-themed buttons—black, orange, purple, and green. The trick is using your hot glue gun to anchor the larger buttons first, then filling the negative space with the smaller ones. A final touch of ribbon and a bow, and voilà! It’s an affordable craft that brings so much joy, and you can absolutely make a million things with the leftovers.
Speaking of leftovers, my button obsession also sparked an idea for hairpins. I’d seen people online just glue them on, but honestly, that never works well for me—I don’t know how they do it! So I found a method that’s much more steadfast: I used sewing thread to weave the button securely onto the end of the bobby pin. Then, just to be sure, I used a drop of hot glue to lock the thread in place. This is the only way to go; I highly recommend this threading technique over relying on glue alone.
🍎 Stuffed Pumpkins
Next up in my autumnal celebration? Pumpkins, of course! I’ve been dying to try a stuffed pumpkin recipe I found on Pinterest here. Since there are four of us, I went and got four perfect pie pumpkins. Though the recipe called for way more rice than necessary, the end result was simply gorgeous! What a presentation! Serving them was such a fun moment, and the family absolutely loved it.
🍎 Story Time
My part-time job at the library gives me little seasonal serendipities. Looking for a Halloween-inspired read to complete my immersion, I spotted The Halloween Tree by one of my favorite authors, Ray Bradbury. I just can’t get enough of his poetic prose—it’s pure magic. I was thrilled to see there was an animated movie made of it, which I’ve added to my list; I know the visuals will be just as wonderfully imaginative as his words.
🗝️ Samhain: Standing at the Thin Veil
As the final page of October is turned, we arrive at the threshold of Samhain. This is the night the veil between the spirit world and ours is said to be at its thinnest. This year, my primary focus is to conduct an ancestor ritual. It is a time for honor, remembrance, and perhaps—if the silence is deep enough—listening for the guidance of those who came before. If you’re looking for more traditional Pagan ways to honor this ancient fire festival, please refer to my previous blog post on Samhain.
