September arrives quietly. The air feels sharper. The leaves are starting to turn. Slowly the garden is starting to shut down, as the flowers slowly stop blooming and the seed heads appear. Some plants have already started to wither their growth and put themselves to sleep, in readiness for the cold winter months. Mornings are wrapped in cooler air, and the evenings are inviting us indoors a little earlier each day. The world on this side of the hemisphere is starting to slow its pace. This is a season of balance, reflection, and gentle transition.
September brings Mabon, the Autumn Equinox. For a brief moment, day and night are in perfect balance once more. In pagan traditions, Mabon is a time to celebrate the second and often final harvest of the year, give thanks for the year’s blessings, honour balance and reciprocity and prepare for the darker months ahead. It is not a festival of endings, but of appreciation. The earth asks us to notice what has been gathered before the leaves fall and the fields rest. September teaches us that beauty exists in change. The leaves turn not because they are dying, but because they are transforming. The year is beginning its journey inward once more. May this month bring you balance, gratitude, and the quiet comfort of belonging to the turning seasons.
In the Studio
This September I am having my first Open Studio event as part of the Central Fife Artists’ Collective on the 5th& 6th September and the 12th &13th September from 10am – 4pm. I will be opening the doors of my small pottery studio to the public and showcasing the work of the last 8 months. So, September for me will an exciting time and a chance to meet a lot of new people and get feedback on my work and see what is successful and what is not.
September always feels grounding. When the season shifts, I find myself returning to deeper colours, richer textures, and slower rhythms. I am drawn towards making mugs for warming hands, bowls for soups and stews, candle holders for darkening evenings and pieces that bring comfort and ritual into everyday life. Especially those that celebrate the special festivals that about to come such as Halloween, Christmas and New Year. The studio becomes a place of reflection, mirroring the changing landscape beyond the window.
A Small September Ritual
Light a small candle at dusk. Take a deep breath and focus your thoughts. Spend a few moments considering:
- what has nourished you this year
- what you are grateful for
- what you are ready to release
Balance comes not from holding on to everything, but from knowing what to carry forward.
After a few minutes of consideration, close yours and take a deep breath again. Open your eyes, put out the candle.