A Letter for October: The Season of Gathering What’s Yours
Beloved Soul,
October always has a way of slowing us down, doesn’t it? The light leans golden, the days shrink, and suddenly everything feels a little more tender, a little more fleeting. Collectively, there’s this hum of urgency—end-of-year deadlines, the heaviness of the news cycle, the sense that we’re moving faster than our hearts can process.
And yet, beneath all that noise, there’s a quieter rhythm: one of gathering. October invites us to notice what has ripened, what’s ready to be harvested—not just in gardens, but in our lives. The efforts, the lessons, the truths that have been growing all year are now ready to be claimed.
The Collective Energy
Across sessions, in conversations, and even in the quiet corners of social media, I’ve been noticing a thread: many of us are realizing we’ve been carrying things that aren’t ours anymore. The people-pleasing. The fear of being “too much” or “not enough.” The self-criticism that sneaks in the moment we slow down.
October offers us a mirror: What can be released, like leaves falling from their branches?
And at the same time, this month asks: What is yours to keep? What do you want to carry with you through the darker months ahead? Think of this as soul-level gathering. The harvest of your year. The clarity that comes when you name what has grown and what you’re willing to release.
If you’re noticing more fatigue, brain fog, or even waves of sadness right now, you’re not alone. You’re not broken. You’re human, moving in rhythm with the season. October carries a shadow current: it brings up endings, slows our pace, and sometimes reveals what we’d rather avoid. This isn’t failure—it’s honesty. A reminder that you can’t tend everything at once, and you don’t need to.
Grounding Into Practice
October invites not just reflection, but ritual. Here are a few ways to root into this season:
Name Your Harvest: At the end of each day, jot down one thing you’ve gained this year—wisdom, perspective, or growth you want to carry into winter.
Practice Seasonal Release: Burn a note, clear a drawer, or exhale tension through movement—physical rituals of letting go signal safety to the nervous system.
Digital Pruning: Just as trees drop leaves, let yourself unfollow accounts, unsubscribe from emails, or delete apps that drain you. Clear space for what nourishes.
Golden Hour Walks: Even ten minutes outside in the slanted afternoon light helps reset your circadian rhythm and soften seasonal heaviness.
Warm Grounding Rituals: Try an evening tea or golden milk to soothe the body and mark the day’s close.
Journaling Prompt: What feels heavy that I no longer need to carry into winter? What would feel lighter if I allowed it to fall away?
October whispers: Gather what’s yours. Let the rest fall away.
You are not behind. You are not missing it. You are right here, standing in the richness of everything you’ve lived, everything you’re learning.
With you in the harvest,
Abby
@groundingu.therapy
