And just like that - Autumn is here.

 The autumn season is here!

It's cozy candle season;

wandering through mysterious woods season;

harvest abundance season;

cozy blanket and sweater weather season;

pumpkin madness season;

 haunted house season;

 

fall festival season;

 Halloween party season;

 

leaf-peeping season;

 -- and generally, the absolute best time of the year.

HAPPY FALL, EVERYONE!

Sturgeon Full Moon mood

Tuesday, August 1st was the Full Sturgeon Supermoon, a cool clear night good for moon-gazing. It's still summer, but the autumn vibe is definitely in the air.

Kringle Candle 2021 Halloween pre-order hype!

As you might know, I am a huge Kringle Candle fan, especially around Halloween time. They just announced their pre-order is happening on 1st August (just in time for Lughnasadh, an ancient Irish festival marking the beginning of the harvest season). I didn't buy any of these ones last season but I think I will this time around!

What's new & different for the 2021 season?

Comparing it to my post about it last year:

New/Different:
According to the Kringle website, in 2021 there will be 16 different candles! In 2020, there were only 10 (if I recall correctly). The selection seems to be some repeats from last year, plus new ones. There are some scents returning, although some of those classics are being described as new & improved formulas. I've added descriptions from their Instagram site where available. This post will be updated as Kringle posts more info.

The scents this year include:

[* New Scent for 2021!  / ** New scent formula]

1. Poison Apple - One whiff of this enticing scent will transport you to a dreamlike state. Top: Apple, Bergamot Mid: Apple Blossom, Muguet, Jasmine Base: Amber, Vanilla, Oud Wood
2. Lady In White - * All dressed in white, a flicker of light deep in the night, the Lady in White. A pungent but lovely blend of forest greens, woody herbs & patchouli. Top: Forest greens, Earth Mid: Herbal, Ozone Bottom: Patchouli, Wood
3. Graveyard Night - We’ve conjured a mixture of savory & sizzling aromas of pumpkin with cinnamon, clove & nutmeg. It's a flaming favorite! Top: Pumpkin, Apple, Clove; Mid: Vanilla Pumpkin, Orange; Base: Spice, Vanilla Cream
4. Witches Cauldron - Primary notes of clove and cedar dance mysteriously with hints of incense, citrus and other exotics to create this utterly bewitching fragrance. Top: Cedar, Clove; Mid: Incense; Base: Incense
5. It's Alive! ** - Fresh Fir, fresh balsam, zest of lime & life. Top: Green, Herbal; Mid: Fourgere, Smoke; Base: Wood, Amber
6. Sleepy Hollow - * Don’t lose your head over Halloween, betwixt in the twilight of pumpkin & spices, musk & smoke… Top: Pumpkin, Spices, Anise Star Mid: Clove, Cinnamon, Caramel, Bayberry Bottom: Sweet Smoke
7. Spectre - * Someone there? A waft of this mostly ghostly scent captivates. Top: Bergamot, Red Currant, Fig Leaves Mid: Waterlily, Gardenia, Pomegranate Seeds Bottom: Must, Warm Amber, Galbanum
8. Wolf's Bane - While folklore suggests this unassuming yellow woodland flower might repel werewolves, we're sure its delightful floral fragrance will have you happily howling at the moon! Top: Floral; Mid: Amber; Base: Powder
9. Fright Night - Fiendishly delightful citrus notes swirl intriguingly with rare wood accords to create a fragrance that will drive you batty with pleasure! Top: Fruit; Mid: Patchouli; Base: Citrus
10. Haunted House - This fragrance will haunt you with warm clove, fresh pine and touches of spice and floral spookily brought together. Top: Smokey Firewood, Cedar; Mid: Black Pepper, Sweet-Spicy Pomander
11. Day of the Dead - A magical elixir of sparkling citrus mingles with spiced florals and rich oriental accords. Top: Citrus Mid: Florals Base: Oriental, Wood, Jasmine
12. Blood Moon * - A combination of super fruits within a shadow of earthy notes, our Blood Moon fragrance is total lunar magic. Top: Vibrant Cassis, Tamarind Pulp, Cedar, Bergamot Extract Mid: Pomegranate Seed, Blood Orange, Cassis, Clove Bottom: Incense, Acai Berry, Orange Blossom, Wild Ivy
13. Nightmare - * A nightmarish combination of herbals & florals or is it just a dream? You decide. Top: Cardamom, Green Palms Mid: Lily of the Valley, Orris, Violet Bottom: Musk, Cedarwood, Ambergris, Sandalwood
14. Scarecrow * - Welcoming this scarecrow into your house with open arms is a no-brainer. Top: Tobacco, Oriental Mid: Bergamot, Herbal Bottom: Leather, Amber
15. Candy Corn - Who can ever pass by that dish of tri-colored Halloween candy? Nobody! Here's our take on the classic creamy vanilla, honey and light spice that bedevils every autumnal sweet tooth. Top: Creamy Vanilla Mid: Sweet Honey Base: Light Spice
16. Black Cat - Good things happen when this cat crosses your path. A complex blend of wood, citrus and musk create a bright freshness. Top: Spicy Cinnamon Mid: Clove Base: Cedar, Frankincense

(All info from Kringle Candle's official site & social media)

Teaser video below!

 As with last year - This is not a paid promotion! I just love their stuff. 🎃

Full Wolf Moon

Last night was the Full Wolf Moon. 

No matter what time of year it is, the moon always brings me back to the mystical, mysterious feelings that I associate with autumn & the Halloween season.

I spent part of my evening meditating, reading Tarot, and drinking tea. 

Do you feel a connection to the Moon? Do you have any special practices related to the Full Moon or any of its other phases? 

 

Longest night of the year

I love wintertime in the Pacific Northwest. 

It's peaceful, doesn't get that cold, and doesn't snow much, at least where I live.

My partner and I decided to celebrate the Winter Solstice by getting up before dawn to see where the morning would take us. We've caught sunrise on the solstice for the past few years, and unfortunately for us this was the first time it was too cloudy to catch the first rays sunshine. 

It didn't diminish from the beauty and peace of our morning, however. We started by heading to our favorite park in Tacoma, to spend some time in the blue haze down by the waters of Puget Sound.

...And to watch the ferry cross silently to Vashon Island.

Then we hit the road as the day took hold, headed north to Seattle. Along the way, the sun broke through the clouds a few times, sparkling gold, with a faint rainbow guiding us.

The city lights through a blurry rain smeared windshield are no less beautiful.

The hardest decision we made all morning was which amazing breakfast sandwich shop to choose. We went with Biscuit & Bean because of their incredible biscuit & egg sandwiches.

Then we meandered our way through the hilly Queen Anne neighborhood to find the mini Rosebud Motel (of Schitt's Creek fame).

Later in the evening, we lit a ton of candles, spent time enjoying the darkness, did a Zoom chat with friends, and generally had a very relaxing time. My only disappointment is that the skies weren't clear enough to see the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. Next time, perhaps? I wonder what eyes will be looking to those future skies.

Halloween 2020 wrap-up

 Well, it wasn't the ideal Halloween, but it certainly wasn't my worst one.

(screencap from "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown")

Where I currently live, I'm already very limited on what I can do, re: decorating & stuff, anyway. We're in a small apartment near busy roads and we don't get trick-or-treaters. My partner likes Halloween, but not to the extent that I do. It's something I tend to revel in, while my partner just kinda goes along for the ride, but wouldn't put any effort into it otherwise.  

Friday night I spent some time with friends back east on a Zoom chat to have a mini long distance Halloween/Samhain party & read Tarot.

On Halloween itself, we had beautiful weather; my partner & I got sandwiches and coffee and went for a walk. 

Stunning foliage in Wright Park, Tacoma WA

The mountain was out!

Other stuff that I did over the weekend:

• Carved a pumpkin
• Roasted pumpkin seeds
• Made a jello-mold brain
• Stared at the full blue moon for a few zillion hours
• Made barm brack bread
• Lit LED candles on my ancestor altar

And that's about it for my Halloween weekend 2020.

I'll still be posting here, tho less frequently during the off-season.

Pumpkin hearth

    I'm seriously looking forward to cozy, candle-lit evenings and glowing jack o'lanterns.

 

NEW 2020 Halloween Country Candles by Kringle

    Posted earlier today on Instagram by Kringle's CEO public account:

    I can't say for certain whether this person is the actual CEO but they do seem to have insider info. Can't wait to learn more about these!

New Halloween Kringle Candles!

I am definitely a hedonist, especially when it comes to the sensory delights of the Halloween season.

Therefore it might go without saying that I LOVE scented candles, and Kringle Candle (the next-gen, superior version of Yankee Candle) has just announced the pre-order of their 2020 Halloween candles.

There are ten scents available, check out the full line on their website.

This is not a paid promotion! I just love their stuff. 🎃