Who are you an altar to?
…
This is my favorite time of the year.
I live in New England where all the leaves are different shades of fire and earth tones. I hike as much as I can in the autumn months to immerse myself in the smells of the earth and damp leaves and I surround myself with the sounds of the woods.
It’s an in-between time.
It feels like a preparation for hibernation and introspection.
We are harvesting all of the fruits of the year. Integrating all the lessons we’ve learned and slowing down to take stock of our resources for the dead of winter.
The summer is always full of so much energy. Everything is vibrating with life during the warm months of the year, but the sun can get harsh at times. I find myself yearning for the shade. So I really appreciate the easing back of Autumn.
A stillness is starting to set in.
A maturation.
Autumn Moods
So I have been taking stock of what has shown up in my harvesting. I’ve been reflecting more on what worked for me over the year so far and what do I want to build next year.
Have I been living in the closest alignment with my highest self?
Have I been keeping my promises to myself and getting everything done that I set out to do?
Have I been showing up?
Am I taking the steps needed in order for me to live up to my full potential?
I was watching a YouTuber named Mia Magik recently and she was talking about her Grandmother and how she passed on but lived to be 100. That’s impressive! Unfortunately, she didn’t live the life she deeply wanted to live. She wanted to travel, have adventures, and find the love of her life.
But women had fewer choices then. She had to marry someone who could take care of her financially but didn’t feel love from. And she had to stay home to take care of the home and children.
Mia now says that she is the living altar for her Grandmother. She is paying her respects to her Grandmother by doing all the things she wanted to do but never could. She is making sure that she isn’t taking anything in life for granted.
She is living life to the fullest.
She is living in her Grandmother’s honor and making her proud.
Think of all the people that came before you with limited resources and choices.
What were their lives like? What were their dreams?
Maybe one way of honoring their memory is to do something they wish they could have done. Or something they did courageously and wish you had the guts to do! (Hint: you probably do).
Gratitude and Action
This time of year we do take stock of our lives and feel a deeper sense of gratitude.
Sometimes we might not be able to find the motivation to take those steps to live the life we really want. Maybe we can’t seem to take action or follow through on our dreams.
If you need a little motivation and have heard a lot of the tactics and strategies but are feeling uninspired, maybe find some from the past.
Our ancestors had very different lives than we do today.
How can we make sure we continue making the world a better place?
How can we make sure that we aren’t wasting all that we’ve been given from those that came before us?
Today we have many ways to get information, connect with others, and more chances to live to our full potential. The internet alone opens us to a world of resources our ancestors could only dream of.
Of course, they may have been tapped into nature in a much deeper way and modern technology comes with its problems. But that topic for another post. We all have the power within ourselves to root back down.
We can’t change the past, but we can honor it.
I appreciate that we have technology and conveniences in our lives today that make many things a lot more possible.
I promise myself I will not waste these opportunities.
I will honor the dead.
I will honor the waning light and time we have left. 
How will you celebrate Halloween, Samhain, All Hallows Eve, The Day of The Dead, or the Autumn season in general?
Can you think of anything that you would like to do to honor those that have passed?
Are you living in alignment with your calling?
What are some little things you can do each day or each week to make sure you feel you are heading in the right direction or building something you’d love to bring into existence?
Are you reflecting on how the year has gone and taking stock of your life?
Are you cultivating gratitude?
Let me know how you feel about this time of year and what you do to celebrate or prepare for the winter in the comments below.
Happy Samhain!
<3
Nicole