Welcoming a new season can be a lovely way to feel prepared for all that this time of year has in store for you. Many pagan rituals center around the phases of the moon and the shifting of one season to the next. The autumn is no exception, and there are countless rituals and traditions that pagans have practiced to celebrate. No matter what your own religious background might be, exploring these rituals may be a nice way to feel connected to nature and your own wishes for the fall.
Create an Altar
A number of pagan rituals center around the creation of an altar. Though altars serve many purposes, a majority of pagans will change their existing structures to match the time of year. To create an altar, you simply need a short table or similar surface. The idea is to decorate the altar with symbols that mean something to you and connect you with the season. This can be anything from fallen leaves to little gourds to a wooden statue of an owl. Whatever captures the autumn in your eyes is a perfect fit for your altar.
One element all altars should have is a candle. When you are feeling particularly stressed or in need of connection with the season, you can go to your altar and light the candle. Some pagans like to use many candles on their altars to create a warm and welcoming glow. Do what is safe for your home and tailored to your sensibilities. If you’re someone who is nervous around an open flame, then you can easily use an electric candle or similar light source to create the same effect without feeling uncomfortable or worried.
Explore the Season’s Bounty
Connecting with nature is another excellent way to use pagan traditions to enhance the way you experience the season. The autumn is a particularly interesting time of year because it plays a very important part in most communities that are centered around agriculture. The autumn marks the time of year before the winter, when the growing and cultivating tasks that pepper the rest of the year are put on hold. It is also when the year’s harvest is collected and tallied to see how much food will be available for the colder seasons.
When you are looking to connect with the season, using the harvest is an excellent way to go. The best way to achieve this goal is by cooking. From apples to pumpkins, butternut squash to carrots, there are so many lovely ingredients available as the autumn arrives. Look online and find recipes that help you use the bounty of the season in your cooking. You will feel much more connected with the season when your home is filled with the fresh aroma of what nature has provided.
Assess Your Summer
Each season offers the chance to reflect back on the one before. As the fall carries on, you may want to more closely examine your summer. Think about your successes and failures, about the adventures you experienced and the heartbreak you felt. What was most important in defining the summer of this year? Often, people move from one season to the next without taking stock, and this can lead to all kinds of anxiety and missed opportunities for growth. Give yourself a chance to look back and analyze your previous season and see how it benefits your spirit.
Pagan communities often vary in terms of the rituals and traditions practiced consistently each year. If you are looking to connect with the autumn on a deeper level, explore the various ways pagans have shown appreciation for the seasons and see which practices may help you with your goals.