Welcome to November!
Did you trick or treat last night? These days Halloween is not associated to religion but is still very popular excuse to light candles, carve pumpkins, dress up, have fun and eat lots of sweets! But did you know that Halloween originates from the Celtic celebrations of Samhain? On 31 Oct/1 Nov it is believed that the souls of those who had died returned home. People set fires on top of hills to frighten away evil spirits. They wore masks and disguises to avoid being recognised by the spirits (or ghosts as we often refer to them as). This is why witches, hobgoblins, fairies and demons are now associated with Halloween.
Later in history it became a pagan religious holiday. The 1 Nov was known as All Saints Day. The day before (31 Oct) became a hallowed eve which is where the word Halloween comes from.
Whilst I didn’t get the opportunity to celebrate Halloween yesterday I will be partaking in a Samhain celebration tonight hosted by my friend Anais of Unfurling Alchemy (Unfurling Alchemy Offerings). Do look her up if you’re in the South of the UK and look out for photos hitting social media tomorrow.
1 November 2024 is also the start of the 5 day festival of Diwali – a significant festival in Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism which represents new beginnings, the victory of light over darkness, and good over evil. It is the triumph of righteousness; knowledge in place of ignorance.
The end of Diwali will coincide with the UK celebration of Guy Fawkes night on 5 November – the skies will be alight with colour and homes will be filled with fun, friends and family celebrations.
In astrology we are now in the energy of Scorpio governing the period from 23 October to 23 November. Scorpio is represented by a scorpion which according to Egyptian mythology is a guardian for souls moving between the worlds.
Whilst there is much to celebrate during the early part of November, it can be a challenging time. The clocks change. The nights draw in early. We go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. Last weekend, here in the UK the clocks went back and as such, we marked the end of summer.
Previously I used to dislike this change – the dark mornings and dark evenings made me sad and frustrated that my activities were now limited by the lack of light – commuting to work in the dark and home in the dark meant rarely seeing day light – my resistance to the seasonal change brought on a depression (seasonal affective disorder SAD).
But now I choose to embrace the season because dark mornings mean I get to meditate by candle light (with my very cool Moroccan lamp that I bought last November on retreat) and the dark evenings mean I can switch on my garden lights and snuggle with a blanket and fire under the gazebo. I make time to get outside during the working day to see the day light and get some vitamin D. Still doing the things I did in summer but doing it differently and at different times. Where there is darkness we can bring light.
Everything in life is in a state of constant change and transformation, the seasons, our bodies, our perceptions. As we let go of the ego we can lean into learning, growth and evolution. We can honour the cycle and flow with it rather than resisting it. So the theme for November is impermanence. Being at ease and embracing impermanence offers us the opportunity for our dreams to come true.
“One we notice that all things are impermanent, we have no problem enjoying them. In fact, real peace and joy are the only possibility when we see clearly into the nature of impermanence.”
THICH NHAT HANH – VIETNAMESE MONK
Here are some tips to embrace impermanence this November:
- Move your body as it feels called – No plan – no agenda – just lean into what feels nourishing for you – Yoga, Walking, Running, Swimming – maybe it is something different to your ‘usual’ form of movement – just go with the flow of what you are called to do
- Mindful creation – create a Mandala – Mandala is the Sanskrit word for circle, representation of the never ending circle of life – it is a geometric design in the shape of a circle with a centre focal point. It is believed that through mindful creation of a mandala the maker is also is helping the world move in the direction of peace. In the embracement of imperpenance, perhaps create one with items gathered from nature such as leaves and twigs that have fallen during autumn. You could also make it in nature knowing that it won’t last forever but still enjoying the act of creation and mindful time spent in nature
- Journal about your feelings towards change using these prompt
- What feelings arise when change happens to me?
- How do I react to unplanned change versus planned change?
- What could open up to me if I embraced, rather than resisted change?
- Spend time connecting with loved ones – Life itself is impermeant so embrace every moment with your loved ones – use November to connect with and spend time with people who you love and who love you.
- Repeat these affirmations to help you find peace, curiosity and optimism in impermanence
- This too shall pass
- I embrace change and the opportunities it brings
- I shine my light when times are dark
- Our only constant is change
- I flow with life with curiosity and gratitude
I hope you enjoy some of the early November celebrations and flow with the seasonal changes this November – do let me know in the comments if you try any of these activities and let me know how you chose to embrace impermanence this November. Here is the mandala I made from leaves, rocks, crystals and sticks.
