I think I was nine years old when I started my first journal. It was dusty purple and a unicorn reared up on its back legs graced the cover. I mostly wrote stories (there was one about an alien poinsettia) and sometimes wrote about stuff my sister and I did that day: played a game, had a fight, whatever kids do. 

I'm 38 now and on journal #42. Yes, I've numbered them. :)

My journals are my constant companions, always providing a safe space for me to find out what I'm thinking, how I'm feeling, what I want and what I fear. I've uncovered so many things through journaling and learned much about myself. I don't think I'll ever stop journaling.

Keeping a journal isn't just about recording thoughts and uncovering deep truths though. It's also great for creativity, inspiration, gratitude, and personal growth. 

Today I'm sharing 6 types of journals you can start now to help you with your unique goals. Infographic courtesy of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. 

Check out the visual below on how journaling can enhance your life. To see the full visual, which highlights 6 types of journals you can start, click here.
​

I'm sitting in an air-conditioned room (one of only two in the house), looking out the window, watching the sky grow dark with rain. It's a temporary reprieve from the sweltering heat. When it stops raining, the air will be heavy with humidity. Such is life in the tropics. 

Autumn is less than a day away, but everything is still green. The coconut trees soak up the sun. People still swarm to the beach on Sundays. I'm still wearing the lightest clothes I can possibly find, which is sometimes just a bathing suit top and shorts. 

It will be like this until maybe December, but more likely January, and even then it's only a bit cooler.

Still, Autumn is more than a season for me. It's a feeling, a mood, a shift. It's in the air, even though the air is like a warm breath. It's in the way the sun shines at 3 p.m. Golden afternoons. 

As a witchy woman, I like to celebrate the seasons, no matter the weather. Mabon is the celebration of autumn, the balance between light and dark. It's a time for harvesting and letting go. For taking stock of what we've grown and what we've lost. It's a time of transition and transformation. The nights grow longer, but it's okay - we still have our own light to guide us into and through Shadow season. 

Mabon reminds us to step back from all that was and look at what is. Look within. Where have you been and where are you going? More importantly, where are you in this moment? How do you feel? 

There are many ways to celebrate Mabon and welcome Autumn, once again. Things may not look or feel like they always have, but that's okay, too. Just as the world keeps spinning and the wheel of the year keeps turning, we will adapt and progress and celebrate. We must. 

Here are 5 of my favorite ways to celebrate Mabon and the Autumn Equinox.
​

Magical Apple Witchcraft

Apples are Autumn's fruit. I find them especially sacred, since they aren't exactly the most affordable fruit one can buy in the Philippines. In fact, apples are given as gifts and put in New Year's Eve baskets (along with other fruits and coins) as a way of bringing in abundance. 

Celebrate the season by:

• Consuming apples in some way (baked goods, apple cider, raw apple, etc.).
• Infuse your home with spice by placing apple peels, cinnamon, allspice, and ginger into a pot of boiling water.
• Place apples on your altar, along with coins, to bring in prosperity.
• Use apple seeds in spells and amulets for protection.

​

​Read Witch Baby by Francesca Lia Block

This is a personal Autumn ritual of mine. I started reading Francesca Lia Block's books in my late teens, Witch Baby being one of the first. I'm not sure why it holds a magical Autumn feeling for me, but I enjoy re-reading it around this time of year. 

It's only $1.99 on Kindle, so what do you have to lose?

Say Goodbye on a Leaf

Write things you want to let go of on a fallen leaf. Just as the trees are shedding what they no longer need, so too can we say goodbye to what no longer serves us.

​After writing on the leaf, you can crush it or leave it whole, let it blow away, burn it, bury it, whatever feels good to you. 
​

Show Gratitude for the Earth

Oh, Mama Earth...she's hurting so much right now. Let's celebrate another turn of the wheel by showing our appreciation for this little blue ball we call home. 
​

• Plant a tree
• Clean up trash
• Take steps to reduce waste (start a compost bin, use reusable bags, buy gently used clothes/items or renew what you have instead of buying brand new)
• Take a walk in nature, sit beneath a tree, be fully present and offer thanks to the beauty around you

​

Create an Autumn Altar 

Setting up an altar is one of the easiest ways to celebrate the season. Use gifts you find in nature, candles, and the magical tools you already own to decorate your Mabon altar. 

Incorporate fall colors like brown, crimson, gold, and orange. Decorate with harvest symbols like corn, apples, pomegranates, and pumpkins. Scatter seeds, seed pods, and nuts. Adorn the altar with crystals, leaves, flowers, and incense. I recommend using items that are natural to your area. Not everyone has access to pine cones and acorns, after all. 

I like decorating my altar with coconut branches because they look like little twisty wands!

How will you celebrate the Autumn Equinox this year? Do you have your own Mabon ritual? I think I'll drink a cup of apple tea and read Witch Baby. 

​Happy Autumn!

Do you ever avoid doing something because it feels uncomfortable? You look at it and think, too much work or too hard or I'll just look stupid. 

*raises hand*

I've been a ballet dancer off and on for two decades. One of my biggest challenges throughout my dancing history has been the pirouette. It's a turn in place that prima ballerinas make look incredibly easy, but to get it right takes a combination of balance, strength, and alignment. I could always do a single, but was never able to master the double.

Why? I think in large part because I was comfortable just doing one. Working on double pirouettes felt uncomfortable, especially in class, especially in front of dancers who could do triples. 

I felt like a fool trying, like a wonky spinning top. I also felt like the more I tried, the worse I got, so I would settle for a few practice doubles, then defeat. 

I'm 38 and only took up ballet again about four years ago. Only recently did I embrace the uncomfortable feeling and start practicing those dreaded double pirouettes. 

Guess what?

Sometimes I stumble and sometimes it looks really ugly, but sometimes I nail it. And when I do...WOW! What a feeling! All the practice and hard work and looking like a wonky spinning top pays off and totally outweighs the discomfort I feel in the beginning.  

There is discomfort in doing lots of things that we actually want to do. We fear looking and feeling like a failure. We can't stand the thought of being messy or ugly. We approach our novel, our dance, our painting, our creative projects with fear in our bellies because what if it doesn't turn out right? What if I mess it up? What if people laugh?

I love, love, love what Gabriela Pereira of DIY MFA wrote in her recent newsletter:

This is the key to getting unstuck, facing your obstacles, pushing through procrastination, and allowing yourself to create.

Embrace the ugly, messy, disastrous process that is creating.

Sometimes you're going to write and it's going to sound awful when you re-read it.

Sometimes you're going to work on an art project and totally mess it up.

Sometimes you're going to approach a project and not know where to start or feel overwhelmed or hate what you've already produced. 

But you know what? That's all okay! That's how you become a better artist, a fearless creator, and fearless creators show up and do the work knowing that it might get messy, but they can clean it up later. Fearless creators do the work knowing that done is better than perfect.  

Get comfortable with failure. Not only that, but get comfortable with just doing the work, whether you fail or not, because you won't always fail. Get comfortable with doing whatever it is that scares you.

You are your own barrier. You place personal limitations on yourself that keep you from doing the creative work you crave. 

Erase the personal limitations and break down the barriers.  

Complacency is comfortable, but hardly anything gets done in that zone. 

​Allow yourself to play, explore, discover, and get messy. ​You can clean it up later.

The first few years I lived in the Philippines I became obsessed with goats. My husband and I lived right up the mountain from a goat farmer and everyday I'd go down to the fence line and say hello to the nanny goat I named Big Mama and whatever other goats happened to pass me by. 

I enjoyed pulling leaves down for Big Mama, watching the kids grow, and just simply watching the goat herds walk around the pasture and graze. There is something so peaceful, almost meditative about it. 

On my 34th birthday my husband said I could have my very own goat. We went to the local livestock market and I walked around looking for "the one." The goat who would be my familiar - my loving, stinky, curious, hilarious familiar. 

I looked and looked and looked. Sellers came up to me - "How about this one, ma'am?" No. "This one?" No, no, no.

But then I saw him. This little bearded, maybe one year old goat with the sweetest eyes and cutest face and he was looking right at me. "That's the one!"

I sat in the truck bed with him, happy as a peach that I was finally a goat mama. 

Four years later, Ezra is no longer that little bearded baby. He's now a strapping buck with a long, bushy beard who has fathered two lots of kids (6 in all). I adore watching him, the nannies, and the little ones - the goat dynamics and hilarity (and sometimes strangeness) that ensues. 

I've spent many hours watching goats just do their thing, and one thing I've noticed quite a bit is that they know nothing about gratitude. 

You may have seen it as some point in your life - a goat with its head stuck through the fence, trying to get to the piece of grass just on the other side. Never mind that it has a full lot of brush and greenery easily within its reach. All it would have to do is turn around and look. 

I've witnessed Ezra doing this. Literally standing in a lush pile of food and ignoring it in pursuit of what I can only assume is the "greener grass on the other side."

Do you see where I'm going with this?

Humans are kind of like goats in that we don't always see what we're already blessed with because we're too focused on getting to the other side or grabbing that piece of whatever is just out of reach. 

We'll often be sitting smack in the middle of a bountiful garden, but wishing for something else or complaining about the insect that chomps on that one leaf.

"If only it weren't for that one insect, life would be better." 
"If only these roses were yellow instead of red."
"I wish I could sit under that tree on the other side of the gate."

There's nothing wrong with hoping, wishing, dreaming, and attaining goals, but let's not overlook what we already have at our fingertips. Let's not neglect the flowers already blooming in our gardens. Let's taste the sweetness flowing from the fountain of here and now. 

April is rebirth, the essence of new life. Everything blooms and awakens from a wintry slumber. 

But our bodies and our spirits seem to be stuck inside those darker days. "The winter of the soul," as Rebecca Campbell recently wrote in an email to subscribers.

The current state of events urges us to stay at home and watch nature from the other side of the window. No picnics in the park, no gatherings for a backyard barbecue, no regular, everyday activities that we are so used to. 

Our lives are rattled, shaken up, and change unfolds before us. This can feel chaotic and unsettling, no?

Rebecca also wrote something that reminded me of what The Sacred Middle is all about - being in the in between and making the most of it.  

The process of creating a collage takes self-discovery to a joyous level.

SoulCollage is art therapy, spiritual awareness, and lots of fun. The idea was created by Seena Frost in the 1980's. Seena used the process of card collage when working with her therapy clients.

"It was a time when I was immersed in world myths and archetypal psychology, and also I was exploring various spiritual paths. I was also practicing psychotherapy in my professional practice. The card-making process evolved over time with the aid of many women in my therapy groups. As they made their powerful, personal cards, shared them with each other and consulted them, we discovered the transforming possibilities of these images." 

Create your own SoulCollage cards using just a few craft items, then read what your cards have to say. This creative process will allow you to dive deeper into your psyche and uncover different parts of your personality.

Here's how to make a SoulCollage card in 5 easy steps.

​And here's how to give yourself a SoulCollage card reading.

This is definitely on my #stayathome to-do list. I'm not sure my stones will look as perfect as Piedra Creativa's, but it's not so much about the artwork as it is the relaxing process of mandala creation. 

Here's a good mandala stones diy tutorial. 

An inspiration board is different than a vision board in that it displays images that, yes, inspire you, but also remind you of all the magic and beauty around you.

When creating your inspiration board, think about things that uplift you and make your heart sing. Fill your board with things you find beautiful, inspiring quotes, pictures that represent fond memories and favorite things. Put on your favorite playlist while you craft and let your heart guide you.
 
Here's a lovely inspiration board tutorial from Bella Grace. (Psst...I'm in the most recent issue!)

​Also, check out this digital mood board maker.

CRAFT A WISH BOTTLE​

Making a wish bottle is as simple as collecting a glass bottle or jar, a candle, and whatever you want to put inside. Magical words, sigils, glitter, crystals, shells, pictures, herbs...

​Here's my guide on how to make a wish bottle. 

Sit beneath a tree and listen to its wisdom. Decorate with seashells. Build a faerie altar or house. 

In fact, building a faerie altar is a great way to:

• connect with our winged friends
• honor the beauty in life
• raise your home's vibes
• grow your relationship with magic

You can create a space for you and your faerie friends inside, outside, or both! Don't take yourself too seriously when building the altar - faeries love the lighthearted. Gather materials like wind chimes, herbs, flowers, trinkets, sparkly things, crystals, and sweets (although, if you have an ant/pest problem, it's probably best to skip the sweets). Decorate the space, keep it clean (as well as surrounding areas), play music (Fairy Fantasy on Spotify is beautiful), and keep an eye out for tiny twinkling lights. 

Starlight Witch has a wonderful article on how to attract and work with faeries. 

​GROW SOMETHING 

Now is the perfect time to harness the growth energy of spring by gardening. You could start a full-scale vegetable garden or grow a small houseplant. 

As you nurture the plant, you're also nurturing yourself through these uncertain and changing times. And just as the plant progresses, changes, and grows, so do you. Witnessing the plant's unfolding will help shift your thinking from fear to wonder, doubt to faith, and uncertainty to progress. 

As you care for and watch your plant, herb, vegetable, or flower take root, embody that energy - feel yourself grounded, but growing. 

"...witness the sense of sacred power that breathes life into all things. Feel that same power inside of yourself and visualize however you wish to be." ~Amy Cesari

I've worked at home for seven years now, my husband is at home most of the time, as well, and we have no kids, so life hasn't changed that much for us. Still, something feels different. Especially since we're entering the dry season in the Philippines, and typically that would mean more outdoor time. Kids would be on summer break (March-June) and the beaches would be filling with residents and tourists alike. 

Everything is quiet now as people tuck into their homes. My husband and I will miss our regular Sunday petanque tournament - a whole day of games and friends and music. 

Our regular hangouts are ghost towns. The ballet performance I'd be in this Saturday was postponed, as well as all classes. 

So yeah, things haven't changed drastically for me, but they've changed. There's a bit of heaviness in the air and the anxiety of not knowing what will happen. My work has slowed to a near halt, friends and family have lost jobs, I worry about access to my husband's medicines. 

I know worry and fear won't change or make anything better. I know we can only take it one day at a time and trust that we will be provided for. That's all any of us can do. 

Amidst all this, I know there is still fun and laughter and love to be found. There are still good things and good people and much to cherish. I've been trying to make the most of this time, as I'm sure you have as well. 

Here are some things that have brought me joy lately. Maybe they will bring you joy too. :)

With no ballet classes or rehearsals going on, it's important that I keep up my stamina, strength, and flexibility for when they do start again. Besides, if I go a few days without exercise I get grumpy. 

Here are some of my favorite fitness ladies to follow:

This 4 year old kid makes me smile so much. I don't think he ever stops dancing, and he definitely knows how to shine his light. Watch his family's live dance parties for a serious happiness boost.

Of course my pets, and animals in general, have always brought me joy. I can seriously just sit and watch the goats play for hours and not get bored. 

Yesterday I sat on my usual coconut log and watched a set of new baby chicks peck around their mom while Brownie, the 3 month old goat, continually headbutt me and tried to get in my lap. He loves attention!

Everyday I visit the goats and the chickens and play with my dog. My husband and I get a kick out of watching him try and "play" with the neighborhood cat. It mostly involves a lot of staring and barking. 

Last Sunday I managed to bathe both the dog and the goat. Not at the same time, mind you!​

Normally, my husband and I eat out more than we cook at home. I don't enjoy cooking all that much, and my husband is more of a backyard BBQ party kind of guy. Since we don't have the luxury of either of those things, I'm using this time to learn new recipes. My criteria; must be easy and simple. The less time/ingredients, the better. Here are a few that get a big thumbs up:

I hope you're finding joy and beauty and love and laughter throughout your days. Keep those vibes high and feel free to share your happiness resources in the comments below!