When seasons shift, it can feel like one door closes and another one opens — a new beginning full of opportunities. For me, it’s when summer turns to fall, and the leaves change colors, the sky darkens, and the weather cools — I love everything about autumn.

As the seasons change, Harmonie O’Loughlin shares how you can lock in the warmth you absorbed during the hot months with a body oil that softens skin and steadies the mind. Her seasonal shift oil, featured below, moisturizes as well as acts as a self-massage tool to support skin wellness, aid circulation, and calm the nervous system as you adjust to the colder weather.

Below are a few ways to embrace the shifting seasons in a positive way. Whether you’re excited for the change or mourning summer days, we hope you put a few of these ideas into practice and enjoy this soothing time of year.

How to Embrace the Shifting Seasons

1. 1. Make handmade gifts
2. 2. Dry herbs and flowers
3. 3. Go to a pumpkin patch
4. 4. Freshen the house with a simmer pot
5. 5. Start a gratitude journal
6. 6. Take a hike and embrace nature
7. 7. Bake your favorite fall dessert
8. 8. Cozy up on the couch
9. 9. Bake with apples and pumpkins
10. 10. Walk in the woods
11. 11. Read by lamplight
12. 12. Host a tea party
13. 13. Preserve your garden harvest
14. 14. Feed your soul
15. 15. Focus on self-care
16. 16. Acknowledge small moments of happiness
17. 17. Infuse fall scents in your cleaning supplies
18. 18. Make new candles
19. 19. Use warm colors and earth tones
20. 20. Make an autumn playlist

Seasonal Shift Oil

by Harmonie O’Loughlin from Willow and Sage Autumn 2023

You Will Need

• • Spice grinder
• • 3 TB. calendula
• • 3 TB. marshmallow root, cut & sifted
• • 3 TB. dried ginger, cut & sifted
• • Jar
• • 1 TB. vodka
• • Spoon
• • ½ cup sesame oil
• • ½ cup olive oil
• • Strainer
• • 6 drops orange essential oil
• • 3 drops ginger essential oil
• • 3 drops clove essential oil
• • 2 drops vetiver essential oil
• • 1 drop cinnamon essential oil
• • 1 drop cardamom essential oil

To Make

In a spice grinder, pulse the calendula, marshmallow root, and ginger until the herbs are broken down but before they turn into a powder. Add the herbs to a jar, and sprinkle vodka over them.

Stir to dampen the herbs. Add more vodka if the herbs appear dry, and let it sit for 24 hours. Add the sesame oil and olive oil to the jar, and stir well. Allow it to steep for one week, or longer if desired. Shake the jar daily. Strain the liquid, and add the essential oils.

Autumn Stovetop Potpourri

by Natanja Eilen from Willow and Sage Autumn 2023

You Will Need

• • 2–3 oranges
• • 2 apples
• • 250 g fresh cranberries
• • 3 sprigs rosemary
• • 3 cinnamon sticks
• • 1 TB. cloves
• • 2 whole nutmeg seeds
• • 3 star anise
• • A few drops sweet orange/pine/cinnamon essential oils (optional)
• • Pot: large

To Make

Add all the ingredients to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Let the potpourri simmer for as long as desired, making sure to top it off with more water from time to time. Omit essential oils if you have cats or other pets that are sensitive to them. Only use high-quality essential oils that are made for diffusing, and please consult your physician beforehand if pregnant or nursing.

Discover more recipes to welcome autumn in Willow and Sage Autumn 2024.

Danielle Williams is the managing editor for Willow and Sage, The Natural Home Issue, Mingle, and Art Quilting Studio. She lives with her growing family in Orange County, California.