Bringing Autumn Magic In
Adapted from Witch in the Kitchen, by Cait Johnson (Inner Traditions,
2001).
There’s nothing more luscious than inviting nature indoors in the Fall:
the brilliant colors of Autumn make our homes feel deliciously warm and
cozy as the weather turns cooler. Changing leaves, swags of grapevine,
and vibrantly-colored apples and squashes make gorgeous, inexpensive
decorations
Find out how to connect with the abundant bounty and beauty of this
harvest season with these fun, easy tips for decorating with nature:
1. Preserve some colorful leaves. You can iron them between sheets of
waxed paper, microwave them for a few seconds, put them in a solution of
glycerin, or press them between the pages of a heavy book. Then you can
apply them to backsplashes, place them artfully in a vase, mound them
around a pile of gourds or squashes, or even use them as coasters for
your favorite beverages
2. Food is art. Find a local Farmer’s Market or roadside stand and load
up on apples, pears, pumpkins, decorative squashes, nuts, gourds, and
Native American corn. A simple wooden bowl loaded with these treasures
makes an abundant centerpiece. You can parade them in a line on a
mantel-piece or pile them in a basket. What you don’t eat, you can enjoy
looking at.
3. Other treasures. Bring in grapevines to twine along the countertops,
or make wreaths for doors or cabinets (see our article on making your
own Inner Harvest Wreath). If you live in an area where bittersweet is
not a protected plant, harvest some to put in an earthen vase Corn
shocks are traditional to stand beside a door, but broom corn makes a
beautiful and less usual alternative with its graceful russet fronds.
4. Beeswax candles. The amber color and honey-sweet aroma of these safe,
all-natural candles just evoke the golden glow of autumn. As the days
get shorter, it can be a soothing ritual to burn a beeswax candle at
dusk.
5. Echo Fall colors. Bring in the Autumn hues of russet-red, vibrant
shades of orange, deep greens, mellow golds, wine-reds, and vivid
scarlet with cushions, towels, scatter-rugs, or other decorative
accents. My family has a brightly-colored autumn leaf potholder and a
set of pumpkin-shaped mugs that we use with pleasure year after year.
Find the simple treasures your family will enjoy.
6. Try this creative and relaxing Leaf Meditation. Find a perfect autumn
leaf and spend some time really looking at it, noticing the variations
in color and shape. Trace its outline on a piece of paper, then try your
hand at coloring it in with colored pencils, markers, or paints. Slowing
down and taking time to savor the beauty of something as simple and
commonplace as a leaf opens our eyes and hearts to nature’s magical
variety. You may want to cut your colored leaf out and glue it on the
cover of a journal to keep you company throughout the autumn months. Or
do several leaves to decorate your cabinets or walls!
7. Think water. Western European traditions often associate Autumn with
the element of water, since it is a time of deep feeling and flowing
away: birds migrate, trees shed their leaves. Honor this ancient idea
with a bowl of water in a special place. Notice how water evaporates. As
you refill your bowl throughout the autumn months, give a little thought
to your own feelings, and the things that you are in the process of
releasing from your life.
