Good morning and welcome to Fractal Flowers. It is November 2, 2022, and we are officially welcoming the season of darkness. I hope you had a wonderful Halloween or Samhain, whichever celebration you prefer and now we are in the wonderful, autumn month of November. I will use several autumn-themed decks throughout this month to bring you daily messages from Spirit. As leaves and flowers fall to the ground and decay, we are reminded of the cycles of life that include death and rebirth. Without death, there is no room for something new to grow in its place. As we welcome autumn and prepare for winter, we often focus on many Americanized holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Many of these holidays draw their roots from pagan festivals and it is important to remember where our celebrations come from. Halloween, Samhain, and All Souls' Day (celebrated on November 2) all stem from pagan festivals and rituals that celebrate, recognize and honor those who have passed beyond the veil.
I pulled one card for you today from my Autumn's Delight Oracle Deck. You will see this deck repeatedly throughout the months of September, October and November and it is perfect for all things autumn, Samhain, and November readings. Not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving and I will celebrate the holiday by focusing on gratitude and a spirit of giving.
The card I pulled for you today from Autumn's Delight Oracle Deck. The card is 'Creation.' You may think its strange that Spirit chose 'Creation' when we globally celebrate the festival of the dead, but it makes great sense.
Death is always followed by creation and this is evidenced in our plants and flowers. In autumn, plants, flowers, and trees shed their leaves or blooms and often fall to the ground in a process of death and release. Trees give up their nuts and many people celebrate harvest feasts during the months of autumn as they collect bounties that will sustain them throughout the winter months. After the vast emptiness of winter comes new creation and new life in spring.
It may be said that nature releases the things that no longer serve during autumn in preparation for the new life that blossoms forth in spring.
Is this reflective of your own life? I hear Spirit saying to you: 'What is it that you need to let go of during this season of darkness?' 'What no longer serves you as you ready yourself for your new creation? When you set your intentions and purpose to manifest something in your life, are you not in the process of creation? Just as the Oak tree releases her acorns every year in order to prepare for new growth, you too must release things that you can no longer hold on to. This is the process of creation but one many try to skip over. It isn't enough to set your intentions or quote your affirmations. You must first do the hard work of releasing those things (situations, beliefs, even toxic relationships) that hold you back and hinder your growth.
You must protect your intention as a pregnant woman guards and nourishes her own womb which is the host for new life. A wise woman feeds her embryo the highest quality nutrients and avoids/shuns those things that are harmful or jeopardize the new life within. Guard the seed of creation as you grow it to fruition. Protect that seed as Spirit germinates your ideas and watch the miracle of creativity bring your intention through the many stages of necessary growth until it manifests and becomes reality.
November also is a month that is linked to apples which represent immortality. In many traditions, it is common to leave apples on your doorstep in order to welcome your spirit loved ones into your home. Throughout this month, consider bringing apples into your home and enjoy them in their many forms. Apples have many metaphysical properties and are commonly seen in Halloween and Samhain rituals but are also common throughout the months of November and even into December.
Apples are a common theme in numerous myths ranging from Ancient Greek and Rome to fairy tales and the Garden of Eden. Apples are very 'witchy' as they contain seeds that comprise a pentagram.
Apples are tools used in divination and if you are familiar with the Halloween tradition of bobbing for apples, you've witnessed a practice that began as a divination game for determining whom someone would marry.
Though apples are associated with Mabon (September) and Samhain (October 31-November 1) you will find apples throughout the month of November as this fruit is recognized and revered for its many physical and metaphysical properties.
Have you put out apples for your Spirit loved ones? What are you ready to release in your life as you prepare for the new period of growth and creation that will comes as you move through the season of darkness into the season of light?
Check out the following video clip below showing some Day of the Dead celebrations.
