Autumn and Poetry: a Self-Care Ritual
The sun fades earlier and the leaves fall, coloring the ground. Cold winds and deeper darkness return to cover nature with gloomy weather.
Autumn is known to many as the spooky season, but it is also a season of introspection. You can use this time as an opportunity for both reflection and self-care. This list of self-care rituals is for all autumnal, poetic souls.
Collecting Leaves
Were you a child who picked up leaves? Did you put them between the pages of a cherished book? If so, consider taking a walk outside to collect some. Remember your younger days and get lost in nostalgia.
Read a Favorite Poem Every Evening
Reserve your evenings for some quiet time alone with a good book. Brew your beverage of choice, curl up in a blanket, and travel to one of your favorite poems.
Cook Chestnuts
In season from September through November, chestnuts are a staple of autumn. Whether you like them boiled, roasted, or baked into desserts, consider adding chestnuts to your grocery list this season. Chestnuts are incorporated into a number of traditions throughout the world—for example, there is a celebration in Portugal called Magusto where people roast chestnuts in a bonfire and smudge themselves with ashes.
Write Poetry for You
Grab your notebook and pen (or pencil). Light a candle. Take this time to transform your memories and senses into lyrical lines.
Craft a Coraline Inspired Doll
This is a wonderful activity if you love handwork and the book or film adaptation of Coraline. You can create a doll with your features as well. Listen to the movie’s soundtrack while sewing your new doll.
Immersive Bath, Immersive Poetry
Herbal baths recharge your energy and are therapeutic. Fill your bathtub with water—not too hot—and add your choice of herbs. Rosemary and rose petals, for example, are aromatic herbs that promote relaxation. After that, write a poem without thinking. Let your mind act as a conduit.
Disclaimer: Always make sure the herbs you choose are safe to use.
Contemplate the Beaver Moon
November’s Full Moon is called the Beaver Moon or the Frost Moon. Open your window, dream, and gaze.
Jar Haiku
Write a haiku—on paper—about a wish of yours. Roll up the paper and place it in a jar. Add basil, and seal the jar with wax. Put the jar on your desk. Concentrate on your haiku as you work to manifest it.
