I thought I’d share an official Equinox blog alongside today’s interview to celebrate this change of season. I’ll let this one be mostly photos, as sometimes just immersing in the energy of things can be inspiring, supportive, offer reflection, and even at times be like a  transmission of energy that activates or helps integrate something at the moment of your seeing it.

Here’s a little walk with me over the last three days, as a way to initiate the seasonal change at hand with reflections I found along the paths I wandered.

This weekend and today we’ve focused on being outdoors a lot to really anchor in this shift and it’s been fun to see Autumn’s arrival, which also came along with more gifts from nature – since my last post of treasures – that both delight and reflect wisdom.

This included an owl feather with downy barbules (these are contour feathers closest to the skin) and lots of little nature beauties like mini acorns, pine cones, and berries that are going to become part of a project I’m creating for the holidays.

Saturday we revisited three hikes – one of which we hadn’t done for a year and felt full circle because last time was with Laura when she came for the Equinox week then. You can see photos of her and I both at this tree portal in that post. But this is me from Saturday when a rainbow appeared above the Faery doorway. I note the difference in me energetically even from last year by looking at these photos.

Yesterday we went on a brand new hike I found that was 9 1/4 miles of gorgeous vistas and tons of beautiful discoveries, which included the very first signs of Autumn with beautiful changing foliage and tons of berries in a few select places. Really gets you excited for when this kind of color dance will be everywhere soon. This is when I found the owl feather above, in the forest at top right before reaching our destination of Gilmore Lake.

Here are some of the vistas and Autumn beauty.

This hike even had an official Equinox offering to celebrate the last day of Summer and transition to Autumn. Finding this tree stump with all this gorgeous abundance of nature that hikers had placed there was such a delightful bounty to behold.

This hike also included likely my favorite tree ever (so far) that I of course had to climb and explore. It was actually two trees growing as one. I may have given it a kiss too.

It had an inside hidden chamber between the two trees – too hard to photograph, but oh so magickal to experience. Check out all of the guardian faces and wise tree spirits that inhabit this tree.

I giggle at these next photos because I look so Faery and definitely at home. Why I chose to wear braids on this day I don’t know (something I rarely do), but somehow it seems fitting.

Today’s hike down to the lake from the house had two snakes – garter snakes – crossing our path twice within a minute of each other.

Talk about potent and transformational energy perfect for this shift in season. Snakes carry so much wisdom with their rebirthing energy and do help us navigate the shadow worlds with ultra awareness, as well as initiate new experiences, sudden changes, and deep healing transformation.

Just like Autumn calls us within and sheds off the old leaves, snake heralds a time for “shedding” the very deep-rooted old in order to release and begin anew.

I also saw hawk flying above in the meadow, and said maybe he’ll leave me a feather. Well, two minutes after, I find a small hawk feather, similar in size to the owl one from the day before. And later at the edge of where the beach meets forest I found the feather you see next to it, which I don’t know its origin. It’s so tiny that it just oozes magick.

It’s been a deepening weekend that has felt very nurturing and nourishing.

I hope that you will find this season to be similar and rather than lose yourself in the outside bustle of holidays nearing, perhaps you can create new traditions and self rituals even within your time with others that you share.

Wishing everyone gentle and restorative balancing.