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My Sacred Wheel: Midfall

 This is what my Wheel of the Year looks like (my Sacred Year actually has more holy days than 8):

  1. Midwinter - Feb 1st - https://substack.com/home/post/p-155668258

  2. Spring Equinox / First Day of Spring - March 20-23 - https://substack.com/home/post/p-158712101

  3. Midspring - May 1st - https://substack.com/home/post/p-162285589

  4. Summer Solstice / First Day of Summer - June 20-23 - https://hearthfoxoracle.substack.com/p/my-sacred-wheel-summer-solstice

  5. Midsummer - August 1st - https://hearthfoxoracle.substack.com/p/my-sacred-wheel-midsummer

  6. Fall Equinox / First Day of Fall- September 20-23 -

    https://hearthfoxoracle.substack.com/p/my-sacred-wheel-fall-equinox

  7. Midfall - November 1st - https://hearthfoxoracle.blogspot.com/2025/10/my-sacred-wheel-midfall.html

  8. Winter Solstice / First Day of Winter - Dec 20-23

Howdy yall. Today is our neighborhood's Trick or Treat, so might as well post about the next High Day. October 31st has many different names, such as:

  • Halloween

  • All Hallows

  • Samhain (Summer's End)

  • Witch’s New Year

  • Feast of the Dead

  • Feast of the Dark Ones (meaning death, spirit, and night time entities, nothing evil)

  • October Feast


Technically Midfall is on November 1st for me, and other folks also celebrate on this day/month, too, such as (1):

  • Calan Gaef (Welsh)

  • November Feast / Samonis (Gaulish)

  • The Thesmophoria (Hellenic—although Hellenic months are different than Gregorian months, so this festival may fall between two months).

  • Winternights (like Hellenic months, Norse months also follow a lunar calendar, so this holy day isn't always on the same day or month [like Easter]).

  • Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos (Mexican)

Given that the other cross quarters are the 1st's, Nov 1st just makes more sense to me for Midfall. Plus my Oct 31st's are slam packed. My husband’s birthday is on the 30th, and then our handfasting anniversary is on the 31st. Trick or Treat is always on Halloween where I live. Then there’s the rituals and Samhain/Halloween parties. Just made more sense for me to move it.

Fun fact about Paganism--tends to be DIY, so make changes where you need to.  

Honestly, all fall long, I honor and celebrate the harvest, seasonal changes, and preparation. 

 All October long, I honor and celebrate the deities of Agriculture and Death—usually saving such rituals for the Dark and Full Moons. October is such a clusterfuck of fall activities with my family, and it’s also a heavy time with divination for other people and for grief for myself. October 15ths used to be a day that I honored my Spirit Son Nathan, whom I lost back in October 2011. Then my mom killed herself on October 14, 2023, and so that kind of overshadowed and changed everything.  At least for now.

October is heavy month for me in terms of spirit activity and grief work. Since my mom’s suicide, I try to focus on rest and joy. I focus on doing fun family stuff, photography, and helping folks with my priestess and oracle work.

November is slowly becoming the month of our Ancestors. For a while, it was just the month of our Indigenous American Ancestors—teaching about the tribes within our family, and the tribes who used to live on this land, the Trail of Tears and other good, bad, and neutral things, like culture, language, art, locations, celebrations—things ancient, old, and modern about our native ancestors.

Things shift. November is just quieter, I think better for Ancestral stuff (not that they don’t enjoy a good party). Ancestral Veneration is a big part of my spiritual path anyway—we keep our Ancestral Shrine up all year round and give frequent offerings. I’m usually working with someone. Plus we’re preparing for winter and Yule.

Our Ancestral Altar, Oct 21, 2025
Includes Ancestors/Friends of Blood and Spirit, and Pets.

Then there’s the Last Harvest at the end of the month, or what most know it as the American Thanksgiving. We do talk about the real Thanksgiving and honor our Ingenuous Ancestors. We still have a big meal—it’s a final celebration of the harvest and the preparation before the coming winter.  The day after is when I set up the tree and Yule decorations.

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One activity our family does is pumpkin magik.  Regardless of the face or design on the pumpkins  (if you can't have a real pumpkin, you can make paper, other materials, decorations, or do it real old school, and use turnips--one is enchanted to draw and welcome our ancestors and friends.  The other pumpkin to ward and protect--scaring away all negative spirits.  

One pumpkin to welcome, the other to protect.  I have layers of protection anyway, this is just one more.  A bit of magik that I do with my kids.  We carve runes and sigils, anoint with oils.  I invite the kids to add their own protection symbols, even if they're names of cartoon characters or their imagination.  Our imaginations can be a powerful thing.  Just because symbols aren't ancient, doesn't mean anything.  

The pumpkins magik fades as the pumpkins rot.  

Perhaps this year, we'll enchant by making energy balls?

--

Toxic Ancestors and Other Spirits

Despite what some believe, not all of our ancestors want us to succeed.  I have nothing to learn from those assholes.

Some have committed such atrocities to their own family and to others.  Rapists, slavers, criminals, abusers--I don't permit those ancestors in my home or around my kids.  I banish them.  They are included in the records, with lists of their crimes, but not honored on the altar or shrines (hey I rhymed!).  But don't worry, you don't have to be at their mercy.  You can make a list of Spirit House Rules, and ask your good ancestors, spirits, guardians and what not to enforce them.  Or simply do without the the list and get on good terms with your guardians and spirits.  

--

Some Rules could include:

  1. No Intentionally Scaring Us. (sometimes they unintentionally scare us trying to communicate)
  2. Unless its an emergency, don't bother us when we're sleeping or in bed.
  3. No appearing in reflections.
  4. No grabbing our feet.
  5. Leave the kids/pets alone.
  6. If you don't like the rules, leave.
  7. No Bigots.
  8. No Abusers.
  9. If you want something, tell me (or whomever can sense them in the house), and give a how to, like knocking on a specific spot.
  10. If you give offerings, tell them when and what.  Ask them what they'd like as offering.  I like to give offerings on full and dark moons and holidays, and sometimes on birth/deathdays--easy to remember days.  
You should also respect them.  Be polite.  You want them to be polite to you, you also need to be polite to them. 

If they're being dicks, be firm and speak with conviction, especially if you're laying down the rules or telling them to leave.  BUT if they are being dicks, ask why before you kick them out.  Could be that they feel disrespected for some reason.  Or that you're not listening and they're frustrated.  Or you're a being a dick.

In my experience, you can't show weakness (you can absolutely be afraid, but don't let it stop you from taking control), because sometimes they'll take advantage of that fear.  Spirits can harm you, but you don't need to be their victim.  Also I'm not saying that demons and devils aren't real, but a lot of times when you run into demons and devils--they're lying.  They're just trying to scare you, knowing that most people tend to be massively misinformed about spirits, due to fearmongering, willful ignorance, and Hollywood horror.  Also just because they may not be a demon, doesn't mean they're not a negative entity either.  Again, some spirits lie and they can harm you.  However not all non-human spirits are evil demons--some are just animal spirits, nature spirits, or other kinds of spirits.  The worlds of spirit aren't just Human and Devil.  A lot of spirits just exist--they're not out to get us.  Some don't even give a shit about us.  Often times, we're the scary intruder, and they're reacting to us.

--

Some Ways to Protect Yourself Against Asshole Entities:
  • Burning Herbs, such as Palo Santo, Sage, Sweetgrass, Cedar, etc.
  • Use rattles around your property, declaring what you're removing from your space: Negative energies and entities.
  • Sprinkling Salt and/or Pepper.  You can sprinkle with intention and either leave it there or sweep/vacuum it up with intention of purification.
  • Sprinkling Black Salt (ash and salt mixed together.  This is a fantastic mix used for protection, purification, and bane).
  • Letting in some sunlight.
  • Cleaning.
  • Enchanting items like jewelry, decorations, door wreaths, or pumpkins.
  • Speaking with Conviction.  Let em know you ain't gonna be pushed around.  
  • Blessed/Lustral/Holy Waters.  You don't need to be a clergy to ask your Gods/Ancestors to bless some water for purification and protection.
  • Carrying or placing certain kinds of stones on yourself/your property, such as quartz and many black stones.  Cleanse the stone and hold it in your hand, speak your intention for the stone/crystal.
  • Iron--Carry a bit on yourself, or place on doors.
  • Symbols, like runes, sigils, pentacles, crosses, etc.
  • Asking your Spirit Companions/Helpers and Gods to help.  We can't get rid of everything.  Some are simply too strong for us mortals.  Sometimes we need help when dealing with troublesome or frustrated entities.
Do your research, different regions, cultures, faiths, etc, have different ways of protection.  

Experiment and see what works best for you.  

Also, layers of different kinds of protections, too.  Just because one thing works, doesn't mean it'll work against everything.

All of your protections have to be done with intention.  They're just not going to automatically work.  Give these tools a job, give them direction, permission even.  If you're an animist, you're working with the spirits of objects.  Give them direction.

Last, places are supposed to have spirits--a place without some kind of spirit is bad.  It's not a place that I want to be in.  Don't get obsessed with removing everything.  Spirits are like germs, you need some of them--not all are out to get you, make you sick, or "swallow your soul".  They're our invisible incorporeal neighbors, visitors, room mates, companions, and family.  Treat them how you'd like to be treated.  Most spirits are neutral, and they all have their own personalities and agendas, no different than living and corporeal beings.

--

How to build a relationship?

  • Just talk to them.  You don't need an altar or fancy tools--you can if you want.  Even if you can't hear them, they can hear you.  This goes for your ancestors, too.  Just talk to them.  Acknowledge them.
    • Most of the time when we experience spirit activity in the home, it's an ancestors trying to make contact.
    • We're hardly ever alone.  There's usually some kind of entity around us.  This is normal.
  • Give offerings.  Give from the heart.  If you can hear them or use meditation/trance or divination tools, like a coin or a pendulum, ask them what offerings they'd like.  

    When I give offerings, I end with, "May this offering strengthen you and our relationship."
  • Then keep at it.  Like any relationship, it takes time, effort, and trust.

Sometimes people change when they die, sometimes they don't.  Sometimes ancestors can really surprise you.  For example, when I became a priestess, all of the "Men of Faith" from my family line came forward.  Not to shame or condemn me, but to congratulate me.  They were genuinely proud, despite that I was Pagan, Witch, and Seer and they were Christians, Catholics, and even a Rabbi.  Color me fuckin surprised.  Dispell your expectations about your ancestors if you can.  Let them show you who they are.  Listen to the others around you.  Be aware that Spirits can lie--they can be extremely manipulative.

Some ancestors may not want so-and-so on the altar with them.  Or they may not want to be on your altar for other reasons.  Pay attention.  Ask questions.  Make changes.  You want your altar to be a safe space of love, healing, veneration, and power.  Not conflict and trauma.

The gods are great and all that, but our ancestors are closer to us--Ancestors of Blood and Spirit, from your currant DNA to past lives.  Even if you're adopted, they haven't lost track of you.  Even if you're adopted, I bet your new family's ancestors still accept you as their own.

We have A LOT of ancestors.  It's impossible that all of them are bigoted problematic assholes.  Just because you don't know their names, doesn't mean they don't know yours.

Just gotta make contact.  Talk to them, which you can do in your head, too.  They can still hear you.

---

A Simple Communication Tool:

Pendulums - Super simple.  It's just a bit of weight dangling from something that you're holding.  You don't need those expensive ones made with stones, crystals, or metals.  You can simply use:

  • Necklace with a pendant
  • A nut/ring on a string
  • A crochet hook hanging from a piece of yarn
  • An earbud on a cord
  • Keys/keychain
  • Anything with a cord, really, as long as it's heavy enough to swing on its own.
In a pinch, I've used tampons, my cane (although due to my cane's size, it was more like "if yes move"), and toys.

Now you may need to experiment with different materials to see what works best for you.  I usually ask, "Will this work as a pendulum?"  Any maybe nothing does.  Is what it is.  There are some tools that I'm not good with--like dowsing rods and ouija/spirit boards.  Can't get those to work for me at all, but I can use almost anything as a pendulum.  Even a controller plugged into a cord.  Natural, man-made, electronic, whatever.  Spirit ain't picky with me.

Once you have a pendulum, you need to ask baseline questions:
  • Show me what yes, no, maybe, I don't know, etc means.
  • Then ask it questions that you know to be true, like your name, the weather, day or night time, etc.
Make sure there's no wind and that you're as still as you can be.  But don't get discouraged if there is a tiny bit of movement from your hand.   I communicate with entities, I've seen them move my pendulum by themselves, and move my hand from time-to-time.  If you really want to test the accuracy, work with a partner.  Close your eyes and have your partner asked the pendulum questions in their head.  Answers that you don't know, but they do.  Once they're finished, open your eyes, and talk about those answers.

If it works for you, then you can work with it.  Although I'd suggest cleansing and warding it first.  I've cleansed my pendulums with herbal smoke, water, rattle, singing bowls, moon/sun light, or just my own energy.

Since I use my pendulum to communicate with entities, I ward it, to prevent unwanted speakers.  I say who or what has permission to use my tools.  Sometimes I may reenforce with some kind of protections, such as blessed water, anointing it with oil, my own energy, or energy from my Kindreds.

Like all my tools, I cleanse them when they need it.  Such as, the tools aren't accurate or they feel off,  heavy, or bitey (a painful tingle when I touch them).

For more in-depth answers, you can use pendulums with boards with letters, numbers, or words.  Kind of like an ouija/spirit board, only pendulum boards tend to be circular.  

---

After nearly a month of being in a depression fog, it's lifting and I'm finally seeing spirits again. The other day I was having a session with Hekate and got a glimpse of an ancestor starting to enter my room, realizing that I was busy, gesturing an apology with their hand, and leave.

On Thursday, I saw a black cat cross my kitchen and disappear into my fridge, all while my black cat was sleeping on my bed. I saw possibly that same cat spirit again Friday morning.   I'm just happy to see the spirits again.

Do you have any plans for October 31st/November 1st?

For me, Midfall gets divided up into two themes: Harvest Celebration and Honoring the Death/Dark and Agriculture Kindreds.

Some Midall Correspondances (UPG and not):

  • Deities & Spirits: Hekate, Persephone, Hades, Hermes, Thanos, Psychopomps, Artemis, Dionysus, Arachne, Medusa, Ariadne, Ceres, Hel, Odin, Skadi, Sif, Thor, Landvaettir, Lilith, Death, The Morrigan, Manannan mac Lir, Herne, Cernunnos, Elen of the Ways; Ancestors of Blood and Spirit, This life and others, Known and Unknown.

  • Energies: Harvest, Sacrifice, Celebration, Preparation, Grief, Healing, Death, Decay, Remembrance.

  • Symbols: Jack O'Lanterns, Masks, Costumes, Skulls, Bones, Antlers, Leaves, Mums, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Witch Hats, Broomsticks, Calla Lilies, Scythe, hand sickle, Knife, bow,

  • Colors: Oranges, Reds, Yellows, Dark Greens, Purples, Browns, Black.

  • Animals: Fox, Deer, Bats, Cats, Hounds, Snakes, Spiders, Raven, Crow, Moths,

  • Foods & Drinks: Pumpkins, Gourds, Squashes, Apples, Cider, Mead, Candy, Rosemary, Soups, Stews, Deer,

  • Activities: Harvest, Ethical Farming, Ethical Hunting and Fishing, Pumpkin Magik, Divination, Costumes, Celebration, Spirit Work, Remembrance.

  • Some Books About Samhain, Ancestors, and Spirits—Pagan and Non:

    • Artemisia, JC. All the Energy They Were: A Pagan Children’s Guide to Death & Life. 16 Aug 2023.

    • Bruni, Amy. Life with the Afterlife: 13 Truths I Learned About Ghosts. 27 Oct 2020.

    • Bruni, Amy. Food to Die For: Recipes and Stories from America’s Most Legendary Haunted Places. 1 Jan 2024. Childrens.

    • Dominguez, Ivo Jr. Spirit Speak: Knowing and Understanding Spirit Guides, Ancestors, Ghosts, Angels, and the Divine. 1 Jan 2008.

    • Dunwich, Gerina. Witch’s Halloween: A Complete Guide to the Magick, Incantations, Recipes, Spells, and Lore. 1 Jan 2007.

    • Gaddis, Lora Craig. The Elsie and Pooka Wheel of the Year: Autumn. 3 Oct 2019. Childrens.

    • Grimassi, Raven. Communing with the Ancestors: Yours Spirit Guides, Bloodline Allies, and the Cycle of Reincarnation. 1 Mar 2016.

    • Kaehr, Shelley A. Heal Your Ancestors to Heal Your Life. 8 Mar 2021.

    • Joyce, Melanie. Little Acorn. 3 July 2018.

    • Hendrickson, Nancy. Ancestral Tarot: Uncover Your Past and Charter Your Future. 1 Mar 2021.

    • Hulda, Grani. Samhain: Learn About Paganism with Grani Hulda. 18 April 2022. Childrens.

    • McCoy, Edain. Sabbats: A Witch’s Approach to Living the Old Ways. 1 May 2001.

    • Penczak, Christopher. The Mighty Dead. 1 Feb 2013.

    • Rajchel, Diana. Samhain: Ritual, Recipes & Lore for Halloween. 2015 Sept 1.

    • Starhawk. The Pagan Book of Living and Dying: Practical Rituals, Prayers, Blessings, and Meditations on Crossing Over. 1997 Oct 29.

    • Wigington, Patti. Badass Ancestors: Finding Your Power with Ancestral Guides. 8 Sept 2020.

    • Wunderli, Stephen. Little Boo. 12 Aug 2014. Childrens.

Thanks for all of the Hearts, Follows, Subscribing, Purchases, Bookings, and Recommendations. I really do appreciate the support.

Trust in Sunna. Trust in Joy. Follow the Bees…

~ Priestess Foxlyn

  1. ADF. Our Own Druidry. ADF Publishing. 2009. Pages 60-72.

I offer psychic readings if interested. I’m a Psychic Medium who can channel Deities, Spirits, and the Dead—human and animal. These entities may use pendulums, cards, runes, automatic writing/typing/drawing, possession, or energies to answer your questions.

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