The Turning Year - Field notes for October
The Turning Year is a monthly collection of moments to notice, savour and celebrate as the natural year unfolds and as the seasons turn.
When the month of October arrives I know we’re in autumn. The leaves start to change, temperatures drop, and it feels like the cosy season really starts as mornings are darker and the nights draw in earlier. October is a favourite month of mine personally as we celebrate the birth of our daughter and our wedding anniversary.
Each month I create a monthly collection of things to notice, savour and celebrate as the natural year unfolds and the seasons turn. Woven into life are our experiences of the season and what we see in the natural world.
I create a set of ‘field notes’ of things I want to notice, seek out, savour and celebrate in the month. It helps me ground into the month and the turning year. Pausing at the start of the month has become part of a rhythm I enjoy and make intentional space for, it helps me think of ways I can connect to the seasonal wisdom I can see in nature. My field notes are prompts I come back to and explore in my journal, and with my camera, and act as a reminder of the nourishing things I can appreciate and hold gratitude for in the month ahead.
Creating a set of notes acts as a gentle reminder of seasonal observations, things I want to remember to connect my senses with, and things to think about as the month unfurls. It feels playful, a little poetic and helps me looking at the bigger themes I can draw from the month and also the small details I want to intentionally notice.
These are my notes to help me ground into the month of October.
Field Notes for October
A month of noticing changes in the natural world.
Misty and dew filled mornings highlight the once invisible spider webs.
Reds, oranges and golden yellows glow in the sunlight. Falling leaves fill pathways with vibrant colours.
Cosy season starts. Candles are lit, jumpers worn and blankets unpacked.
Fallen treasures and pumpkins decorate homes.
Comforting autumnal movies are rewatched on dark rain filled evenings.
Fallen leaves break down into compost, nourishing the soil. Fungi appear magically overnight.
Samhain marks the end of the wheel of the year and the final harvest.
It’s a month to appreciate the beauty found within change and letting go.
Wherever you are in the world you can create your own field notes for the month. Find a small notebook and start thinking about what notes you want to make about your seasonal noticings, the things you choose to savour and appreciate in the month and any celebrations you want to make a note of.
Creating a moment each month to look forwards can help you shape your month intentionally, create a seasonal living practice which can feel nourishing and add a rhythm to your month as it begins. Your field notes for the month can be used for years to come, and provide you with a record of your observations of life. In the future these seasonal moments might begin to shift. For now though these field notes can serve a purpose for you and can help guide you through the month.
