Merry meet all,
Trees are showing off their autumn colours. Pumpkins fill the shelves outside the grocery store here, orange and ripe. I’ve bought a number of Halloween- ish items – a rat figurine, a bird skeleton, ghostly napkins, a skeleton figurine (life size), white ceramic pumpkin, 2 leafy placemats, a black plate for Samhain, and small wooden decorative items I have yet to paint and then glue onto the bookcase. I will get around to that. I recently realized that the skeleton will help me with my herbal studies. I have to learn how the whole human body works and it may just come in handy!
I am so excited! The Horror Zine that published my short story, Skin, is now released on Amazon. Here is the link:
Also, I found out that the people or organization that is hosting the Paranormal Symposium offers online courses. I already saved up money for the courses. The courses are Demonology for four weeks and Parapsychology for 8 weeks. They are both offered in October. So that along with my story being published in the Horror Zine and my articles appearing in The Plant Healer Quarterly and Witches and Pagans magazine, I am so excited for fall. I also anticipate the honkin’ huge October issue of the Horror Writers Association newsletter. Lots of fun coming my way soon.
I sent a photo of me in my favourite October costume for the HWA October newsletter. I hope they like it. See photo below:
It’s spider season here. They are everywhere. My garden looks beautiful. I feel a bittersweetness now though, because I know the frost lurks in the near future. After months of caring for my garden and watching it grow and bloom, this is hard for me. I am ok with my garden growing all year round and being green. I know the climate I am in does not provide that. I guess all things need to rest. It is just the natural way of things. I will miss my garden but today it is still hot out. The fan is cranked way up. The heat helps my veggies grow, such as my beans, celery, tomatoes and peppers. I can’t wait to harvest all this goodness.
I’m not sure if I will get a squash. It may be too late in the season. But the bees enjoy the pollen rich flowers and so that’s good. We need to help the bees as much as we can. I’m planting garlic and onions this fall. I have a large wood box built by my brother to grow the onions and garlic in. I plan to protect them from any mischievous squirrels, rats, raccoons, and bluejays by leaving a large rock on top. That way, they can’t get to it and that way my garlic and onions get a good chance to grow well. I want to harvest lots of dandelion roots and elderberries. I’m waiting for the berries to ripen.
That is a lot to look forward to! If only my stove would work. Anyway, I plan to be busy this fall, whether that is making cider (I don’t know how I will do that with this stove), carving pumpkins, foraging dandelion roots or learning about demonology. Lots to keep me busy!
I wish you all a wonderful, magickal Mabon!
Blessings, Spiderwitch
