November
As the last leaves surrender to release and the air turns crisp, the season invites you to turn inward. Slow down, bid a gentle farewell to old stories, and allow yourself to be carried by the quiet current of Life itself.
November is often scorned by many for its grey and foggy days, but if we embrace its energy, it can become a soft threshold month — a time to slow down and process. In the modern Western world, where time seems to move ever faster, November is deeply needed.
As we stand at the doorway of a new month, with no major events on the horizon, we are offered a breather after the busy Summer — a season of outward energy and hard labour — and the fruitful Harvest of Autumn.
Now, we can finally slow down to a place of stillness and peace through a steady platform from which to connect with our inner world and emotional landscape. As the days grow shorter and the darkness enfolds us, we are called to tend to our inner world(s) and begin practices that nurture our inner light.
Think of this month as a soft, cushioned meditation mat that greets you each morning with a gentle whisper:
LIE down, Lovechild.
REST for a bit.
BREATHE.
TELL me your stories.
RELEASE your tears.
WHISPER your dreams
in my ear.
Endings as Transformation
November offers a powerful time of profound transformation, when deep emotions rise to the surface to be transmuted into personal growth. Astrologically, we are entering the intense and mysterious energy of Scorpio Season, a time that promises deep transformation and empowerment for us all.It is the end of the harvest season and the beginning of our descent into winter.
In the Northern Hemisphere, Scorpio Season arrives as the air grows colder and darker, and the trees shed their final leaves. Crops have withered, animals scurry to gather food and prepare their burrows for winter. All around us, nature mirrors a cycle of death, endings, and transformation — a reflection of the same processes stirring within our own psyches.
Scorpio is the sign of depth, passion, and emotional intensity. Its energy invites us to dive into the shadows of the soul — to explore what lies hidden, to release what has outlived its purpose, and to emerge renewed, stronger, and more self-aware.
In many ancient cultures, the Mother Scorpio was seen as the guardian of the threshold, greeting the souls of the dead in the afterlife. The Scorpio archetype teaches us to become intimate with the dark and recognise it not as something to fear, but as a sacred space of regeneration. During this season, when the veils between worlds grow thin, the flow of energy between the seen and unseen realms becomes more vivid, allowing us to commune more deeply with Spirit.
The Ancient Celts celebrated Samhain during this season, marking the turning of the year and honouring the ancestors. Today, we continue to echo these ancient rites through Halloween and Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) — traditions that, each in their own way, revere death, acknowledge fear, and honour the eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Gate of the Great Mystery
The Scorpio constellation is often called the Gate of the Great Mystery — the place where the path of the Sun intersects with the Milky Way, with the very centre of our galaxy lying just beyond its stars. Through this cosmic gateway, we come face to face with death — not as an ending, but as a sacred reminder of what it means to truly live.
Throughout November, we are invited to enter this gateway and explore the darkness within and around us. To become comfortable in its quiet presence. To sit with the insights, clarity, and epiphanies that rise slowly to the surface in their own time.
This is the season to awaken the night vision of winter — a way of seeing that only reveals itself after we have spent some time in the dark.
Discarding the Old
Just as the trees are dropping their leaves, this is the season to shed the old parts of yourself. It may bring a touch of sadness, even though it feels necessary — like saying goodbye to a dear friend who walked with you through hard times. This is okay. As Autumn stirs up old emotions and memories, know that they are being processed so they can be released and recycled.
Think of this process as a cleansing of your emotional nervous system.
Our nervous system holds memories from lived experiences in order to protect us from future pain or danger. Yet, this same mechanism can also hold us back, keeping us from new experiences because of the very patterns and defences once created to keep us safe.
November is the month to gently say fare well to the old versions of who you were — and to honour them as the ones who carried you through and brought you to where you are now. This doesn’t happen overnight, nor should it. Like grief, this process unfolds in its own rhythm. Time is the medicine that helps us make peace with the goodbyes in our lives — whether they are farewells to others or to parts of ourselves.
This is a beautiful time to explore somatic and soul-led practices such as journaling, walking in nature, yoga, or sound baths — slow, embodied rituals that guide you in and out of your inner landscape in a nonlinear dance. Choose practices that help you befriend your emotions and memories, allowing them to surface and release. Invite in whatever feels nurturing, and be gentle with all that arises.
The energy of November is soft and transitional — a tender bridge from the abundant Harvest of Autumn to the deep rest of Winter. It’s a good time to rekindle any practice, habit, or ritual that will support you in the months ahead.
Say goodbye
to the old versions
of who you were,
honouring them as the ones
who carried you through
and brought you to
where you are now.
Trust
As we learn to let go, trust becomes the quiet companion of the journey.
Trust that when we release, we make space for something new to enter.
Trust that our bodies know what we need — whether it’s an extra nap, a healing cry, or a cleansing workout.
When we look at the trees in November, we are reminded of the deep trust woven into Nature’s design. When we let go, we create space for rest. When we rest, we allow ourselves to simply be with Life. We allow our bodies to remember that rest and release are sacred remedies — essential parts of the cycle that make new growth possible after the pause.
Wishing you a beautiful month of November.
Sidsel Solmer Eriksen, Founding Editor
November Practices
Journal
The introspective energy of November is a wonderful time for writing and journaling. If you are new to this practice, the month will be especially supportive in helping you begin. Get yourself a notebook and a pen, keep them close, and use your daily breaks to write a few lines instead of scrolling through social media. Place a notebook by your bed, and try starting your day with a few pages of writing — as the creativity teacher Julia Cameron encourages through her ‘morning pages’ practice.
Whatever approach you choose, experiment with the power of the word — your word.
A journaling practice not only brings clarity to the mind and helps you explore important questions that may be arising; it also refines your ability to express yourself with truth and grace in the conversations you have out in the world.
And speaking of questions — if there is one question to begin this new cycle with, you might write it at the top of your page and return to it often:
How can I voice my opinion more clearly while still creating space for others?
Try, as the poet Rilke said, to “live the question.” Keep it open for the weeks ahead, and see what arrives.
Meditate
The astrological eclipses of October and November have brought high-octave energy and waves of change into our lives. And whenever change occurs, emotions must be processed and certain things released.
Just as the leaves fall in Autumn, consider what you are ready to let go of. Releasing attachments, grudges, or old patterns can open space for new insights and growth to emerge.
November is the perfect month to practise the shamanic art of sitting with it. Whether you already have a meditation practice or simply allow yourself quiet moments during the day to turn off distractions and sit in stillness, this simple act can work wonders for the soul.
Before the age of the internet and social media, our lives naturally held more pauses — moments of idleness where the soul could breathe. We need those moments still. Our spirit longs to be, without pressure or endless to-do lists humming in the background.
Go into another room in your home, or step outside to dwell for a while. In fact, try marking periods of “Dwelling Time” in your calendar — sacred pauses in your week to simply sit, breathe, and be.
Go for a Sandwalk
Sometimes, the best way to shift your thoughts is to move your body. Go for a walk. Explore new ways of unloading the mind-chatter, and allow it to rearrange itself naturally.
One inspiring practice is the “Sandwalk” of Charles Darwin, one of the world’s greatest naturalists. Each day, Darwin solved puzzles and nurtured his curiosity on his daily walking path — a moving meditation that enriched his scientific work and delighted his ever-questioning mind.
Consider creating your own walking meditation — a time to think, to wonder, or simply to let your mind breathe. You can read more about Darwin’s Sandwalk for inspiration and perhaps incorporate elements of it into your own practice here.