October is my favorite month—along with May!

There’s just something about it.

The autumn feelings: the leaves changing, the sweater weather, and Halloween just combine to make my inner joy sing!

Here are 10 joyful things about October for me—see if any resonate with you!

#1: October 1st

October 1st brings such a buzz of excitment among people. The anticipation that a month full of exciting things lies ahead. I love when the calendar flips to October, and suddenly people seem abuzz with the extcitment of autumn and this month!

There’s a quote that says,

“October had tremendous possibility. The summer’s oppressive heat was a distant memory, and the golden leaves promised a world full of beautiful adventures. They made me believe in miracles.” -Sarah Guillory

Oh, how true. This month—at least personally— is so awakening. The leaves, the air, the world, the atmosphere are so full of new life to me that I truly feel awe-struck at the miracle of autumntime—what a joyful, amazing creation, world!

#2: Decorating for Halloween

I love how October brings the excitement of taking out Halloween decorations again. Halloween decorations feel so special and kick-off a a season of months where we get to pull out fun decorations!

It really is the start to decorating time after such a long season where your home looked pretty much the same. Halloween decorating allows us to see how joyful it is to see our home transformed into something different. It’s a great reminder of how it can be joyful to take a step outside of the norm and see how it sparks such fun!

#3: The Sense of Magic

Halloween, elicits such a sense of magic that I absolutely love about this month! There’s this sense of feeling and seeking out the magic in life which I love.

I love this quote by Nora Roberts,

“Magic exists. Who can doubt it, when there are rainbows and wildflowers, the music of the wind and the silence of the stars? Anyone who has loved has been touched by magic. It is such a simple and such an extraordinary part of the lives we live.” -Nora Roberts

I remember at the start of my healing journey, I stumbled upon one of my mentor’s posts on social media. She said in her caption, that she believed in magic. And was constantly looking for magic around her.

That really struck me because I—like so many I would surmise— felt that believing in magic is something you do as a child, but then you grow out of it. What a beautiful belief to cultivate once again in adulthood. Who is to say magic doesn’t exist? As my mentor says, take the time and make the effort to seek out the magic in life!

If you go for a walk—take a moment to see the magic in the leaves changing this month, or the magic of Halloween itself (it’s a very mystical holiday!), or perhaps see the magic in seeing a certain bird that you love (maybe it really is a loved one who passed stopping to say “hello!”).

Magic really is all around us. We simply need to make the effort to stop and notice it. Once you do, be prepared to see how much more joy enters your life!

Some Magical Ideas to Try:

• Look for the everyday magic around you—it’s limitless!
• Check out the book The Magic and try some of its’ exercises (I wrote about this as one of my favorites in my post on 10 joyful things for November!)
• Read some of these magic quotes: 62 Inspirational Quotes About Magic To Inspire You To Believe
• Read a magical book/watch a magical show or movie like the Harry Potter series, the Outlander series, or a documentary on Mother Earth (she is pretty magical in her own right!)
• Repeat the affirmation: “I believe in magic, and I am constantly amazed at how much I see of it in my life!”

#4: Witnessing Autumn’s Changes

One thing that is such an amazing thing to witness this time of year is seeing how perfectly orchestrated our season’s changes are.

Suddenly the plentiful summer tomatoes and green beans slow down and make room for autumn’s apples and pumpkins. The endless summer skies give way to making room for the geese to migrate South. And the once green leaves suddenly are hues of red, orange and yellow and eventually give way to stick season.

None of this is orchestrated by a single human being. It is miraculously occuring through a greater intelligence.

It’s amazing to see how this change is not only happening to the Earth around us, but it is also happening within us. Autumn has us start craving heartier meals like soups and stews. All of the sudden, we are wanting earlier bedtimes with the night occuring earlier and earlier. And perhaps we feel more called to just be at home more rather than spending our time being around lots and lots of people.

It is such a joy to see how the seasons change not only the world around us, but also within ourselves!

#5: The Leaves Changing

One of the best things to see change this time of year is the leaves. Seeing the world transform into a new one with the leaves changing is something purely magical! I love watching the greens of leaves change to their vibrant reds, oranges and yellows. As is said by so many, “Autumn reminds us the beauty of letting go”.

But, take a moment and really think about it. Many love this season because it creates some magical views with the leaves changing. Yet, it does that right before it lets the leaves go and prepares for winter.

So so so many of us— I would argue everyone—are holding onto things that no longer serve us. It can be so scary to think about letting these things, stories, patterns, etc. go because we identify as them.

What if we take a note from the trees. They hold onto the leaves, but they know they are not the leaves. In fact the leaves change yearly, but the tree stays the same. Those stories that we tell ourselves which are not in alignment with our most joyful BE-ing are the leaves. We don’t have to confuse ourselves and think, they are me. They are simply just leaves, and when it comes time to let them go, it can beautiful both before, during, and afterward (you might even feel like a tree the winter for a while—no leaves!— but that tree will regrow beautiful, green leaves that do serve it, come springtime again)!

Metaphors aside, seeing the leaves change is such true beauty to witness every single October and autumn. Our whole world we became used to for the past several months suddenly is transformed in a blanket of reds, oranges, and yellows! Then, quietly, it becomes time for the trees to rest.

#6: Halloween Movies

Not a huge fan of the scary-scary, I do enjoy getting to see the fun Halloween movies that October brings. Mostly from my childhood, I love the classics of: Halloween Town, The Scream Team, Hocus Pocus (my all-time favorite and must see every Halloween!) and Phantom of the Megaplex!

Take some time this month to re-watch a movie you have always loved about Halloween or autumn in general. Your inner-child will love it and feel so joyful doing so!

#7: The Flavors of Fall

I love how October brings forth the wonderful flavors of pumpkin and apple spice. Both feel so grounding in nature, and getting to incorporate them into cooking/baking makes this month feel extra filled with joy!

I am really trying to incorporate eating more seasonal foods each month, so it has been so joyful to be cooking and baking with flavors like pumpkin, apples, pears, winter squash and potatoes this month!

#8: Autumn Hygge

With the cooler weather beginning, I love how October brings forth the excitement of having a fire in the fireplace for the first time in a long time. Getting to sit in front the fire, feel its warmth and bask in the glow of autumn—what a fun day it is when it comes!

I’ve talked about the concept of hygge each season during my 10 joyful things series (including kicking off the year with winter hygge in my 10 joyful things post for January!) because it’s truly such a great concept that everyone can benefit from—I believe! After all, hygge teaches us the importance of having—and creating—cozy feelings and atmosphere!

With fall’s sights, sounds, tastes, feels and sounds— it truly is a great time of the year to lean into and practice some joyful hygge. Try some of these ideas!

• Build a bonfire or fire in your fireplace inside and have some friends and/or family over for a nice fall fire! Try to make some autumn recipes for dinner!
• Make a fire for yourself and cozy up with a nice book all on your own!
• Go to a drive-in for some fun Halloween movies!
• Create some pumpkin, apple or pear butter to eat! I like the recipes from the book Naturally Sweet Food in Jars
• Cook with/bake with the flavors of fall: apple, pears, pumpkins, brussel sprouts, etc.
• Watch the series, The Good Witch (and/or its movies!). This series and its movies (which led to the series), is filled with so much coziness and just feels magical!
• Try out some of the ideas from this post: 31 Fall Hygge Traditions and Activities THE BEST IDEAS!

#9: October’s Full Moon

Full moons (moons in general!) are enchanting in their own right, no matter the time of year, but there is really something about October’s full moon.

The moon this month— combined with the leaves changing and falling, the temperatures, the mysticalness of the month— makes itself extra amazingly cool in my mind!

Every month’s full moon actually has a specific name attached to it, and October’s full moon’s name (this year!) is the Hunter’s Moon.

According to The Almanac, October can actually alternate between the Harvest Moon or the Hunter’s Moon. Whatever full moon falls closest to the Autumn Equinox in September(which I talked about in my post on 10 joyful things for September post!) gets called the Harvest Moon. This means September or October can have their full moon being the Harvest Moon!

The full moon following the Harvest Moon is thus called the Hunter’s Moon (like the Harvest Moon, the Hunter’s Moon can fall between October and November!). The Almanac writes, “It is believed that this full Moon came to be called the full Hunter’s Moon because it signaled the time to go hunting in preparation for the cold winter ahead. Animals are beginning to fatten up ahead of winter, and since the farmers had recently cleaned out their fields under the Harvest Moon, hunters could easily see the deer and other animals that had come out to root through the remaining scraps (as well as the foxes and wolves that had come out to prey on them).”

Full moons are spellbinding (and joyful!) in their own right, but I think the message of October’s full moon is to gather and prepare the things you would like to bring with you into wintertime is a wonderful one for this time of year! What relationships, activities, and beliefs would you like to cultivate this month that you will take with you into the upcoming season?

#10: Halloween

Halloween—oh what a fun day! I LOVE this holiday—if I had to pick a favorite, it is probably this one. There’s something about the excitement of the day—getting to be different today by wearing a costume or even just celebrating this day. It has such a fun and mysterious vibe that is truly a delight to experience! For me, I try to end this day by watching my all-time favorite Halloween movie of Hocus Pocus!

Halloween—or All Hallows’ Eve—originates from the Celtic festival called Samhaim, says Sarah Ban Breathnach in her book, Simple Abundance. This day on October 31st was considered to be the Celts’ New Year, and it was a day, “the Druids believed that the supernatural world drew closer to the physical world, so human beings were more susceptible to the power and influence of the unseen.”, Ban Breathnach writes.

The Almanac writes this didn’t necessarily mean scary. According to The Almanac, “This had positive benefits, as it was an ideal time to consider the dead, communicate with the deceased, and also to divine the future”.

Halloween is such a fun holiday, as Ban Breathnach talks about, to embrace the joy of our inner (+outer) magic!

Here are some fun Halloween ideas:

• Read this post all about Halloween Tradition origins: Origins of Halloween Traditions
• Watch this video about the Jack-O-Latnern’s beginnings!: The History of Jack-O-Laterns (+ see this really cool display of pumpkins!)
• Carve a pumpkin (of course!)
• Watch some of your favorite Halloween movies (see above-#6)!
• Lean into and listen to your intuition–Check out this episode: TLS #52 Mini Edition: How to Hear From Your Intuition Today
• Listen to this awesome podcast episode: 098: We are the Witches You Tried to Burn with Sahara Rose AND/OR 393: Reclaiming Your Inner Witch, Sharing Your Voice + Healing The Feminine Wound with Mia Magik
• Think about those who have passed before and talk to them– This is a nice prep before All Soul’s Day on November 2nd.
• Check out this article: How Halloween is celebrated around the world

What’s joyful about October? Comment below!