Looking for the Magic✨: A Nature Almanac

Oct 2025 / It is all about the Marigolds ⚘

Welcome to Looking for the Magic✨: A Nature Almanac

And here we are - the fallen leaves, the pumpkin lattes, and the light sweaters. Skeletons and over-the-top Halloween decorations have been popping up all around my neighborhood this past weekend. These things delight me.

There is something about October and the vibes it brings. Halloween is the holiday you don’t have to participate in unless you want to. However, you can absolutely indulge in everyone else’s effort without a price tag attached. It is the month to feel like a kid again. And who does not enjoy those little candy bars?

Bring on the golden orange pumpkins and crisp leaves under my feet. I want spiced drinks and to collect fallen leaves. October, you are one of my favorites.

Things included this month:

• The Flower of the Month: Marigolds

• Pumpkins: How did they become the most fall thing ever?

• The Harvest Moon: October 6th

• Creative Prompts to indulge the fall season

---

Something about marigolds triggers deep nostalgia in me. They’re a flower from my childhood - my mom planted them in our garden every year. Now, every fall, I plant them in pots and place them on my porch. Their golden orange blooms are like little lanterns, drawing visitors to me year after year.

I quickly learned that marigolds are irresistible to snails. The week I set mine out, I found a snail’s feast unfolding on the porch – the whole chubby family gathered. I didn’t have the heart to save the marigolds. Instead, I let them be and sketched the scene, which became one of my favorite art pieces. Snails, after all, belong to the “alien family,” and I’ve always been smitten with them – just as I am with outer space and black holes.

Then, last year, a bug moved into my marigolds, perched proudly on top for weeks. I named him Fred. Many gardeners use marigolds to deter pests because their roots release natural chemicals that repel certain insects. But not Fred. He adored them.

I discovered he is a “kaydid marigold”. That is what kaydids who inhabit marigolds are called. They eat aphids and other pests. His presence is a good sign that your garden is healthy. And his presence made me feel like I had my own Jiminy Cricket.

Native to Mexico and Central America, marigolds have long been sacred. The Aztecs used them in ceremonies, rituals, and medicine. Their vibrant color is also used to dye fabrics.

Marigolds also take center stage in the Día de los Muertos festivals (an annual Mexican holiday). We have events pop-up all around Los Angeles every October.

On the altars, vibrant marigolds represent the sun and the cycle of life. Their fragrance guides the spirits of people who have passed back home to their loved ones for one day. I love the idea of having a day set aside to celebrate the people we miss most. What a beautiful tradition.

---

My grocery store, Trader Joe’s, has officially been taken over by pumpkins. Shelves are stacked with pumpkin-flavored everything - and yes, I may have caved for the pumpkin pancakes and the brioche bread.

But it got me wondering, what is it about pumpkins in fall? How did they become the symbol of the season?

For starters, pumpkins are ancient – they are the oldest domesticated plant in America, with a history stretching back over 7,500 years. Long before European settlers arrived, they were a vital food source for Indigenous peoples, who roasted, boiled, and stewed them.

Technically, they’re not even a vegetable at all, but a fruit - in fact, a type of berry. And while we think of pumpkin pie as classic, the early versions were more like baked pumpkin custards. Pumpkins were stuffed with milk, honey, and spices because butter and flour weren’t readily available yet.

Then there is Halloween. Oh, how my family loves Halloween and all its traditions. The tradition of carving pumpkins began in Ireland and Scotland, where turnips were hollowed out to ward off wandering spirits. The Legend of Stingy Jack gave the jack-o’-lantern its name. When Irish immigrants came to America, they discovered pumpkins were much larger and way easier to carve. That is where the glowing pumpkin lanterns we have come to adore started.

Pumpkins sure do bring all the fall vibes.

---

The Harvest Moon 🌙 Oct 6th

The Harvest Moon will officially peak on October 6th at 11:48 P.M. ET.

While it usually shows up in September, this year’s Harvest Moon arrives in October – a rare treat that happens only once every five years or so. This is because it is nearest the autumn equinox, which makes it the biggest and brightest moon of the year.

Like last month’s Corn Moon, it once served as a guiding lantern, lighting the way for farmers and Indigenous peoples to gather the season’s final crop of corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice.

Step outside and you’ll see it hanging low and copper-tined, like a big pumpkin in the sky. Remember the end of The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown? Kind of like that.

This is a moon to prepare us for the change of season. A time for gratitude. A nudge to slow down and enjoy the changing of seasons.

✨ The Harvest Moon Meditation:

1. Create a little space: Light a candle or incense, sip some tea.

2. Take some slow breaths: Let yourself be in the moment.

3. Close your eyes: Picture the October moon glowing golden above you, the Harvest Moon. Sit quietly in front of the glow of the candlelight and imagine the leaves falling from the sky around you. What do you want to let go off? What no longer serves you. When we get quiet enough to listen, the answers are always there. What things pop into your head that excite you? What things would you love to spend your time on?

4. Journal: Open your eyes and take out a page of paper. Divide it in half with your pen. One side is: “what I want to release,” and the other side is: “what I want to make room for.” Don’t edit yourself. Just get it all down.

Little moon rituals you can indulge monthly…

Crystal Moon Magic:
Do you collect crystals or gemstones? Ever since I was a kid living in Colorado, you could not keep me away from the table of gems. You can pop one of your favorites on the windowsill to soak up some moon magic energy. I carry a favorite stone in my pocket often. When I change, they go flying across the floor. Essentially, I have little magical stones living all around me.

Moon Water Magic:
Leave a bowl or jar of water out overnight to soak up the moonlight. The next day, use it to water your indoor plants and infuse your space with a little lunar energy. I keep a mason jar of moon water on my desk to water my plants there. It infuses a little bit of moon magic into my workspace. 😊

---

🌿Creative Prompt Ideas for October:

1. Carve a pumpkin: When was the last time you carved a pumpkin? The nostalgia runs deep: the sticky pumpkin goo under your nails, the jagged teeth you almost sliced off by accident, the stubborn strings you eventually give up on pulling out. And yet, in the end, when you tuck a candle inside and watch it glow, it’s pure autumn delight. The squirrels always thank me.

2. A Chai Tea in the Fallen Leaves: Slip into your favorite fall sweater, pick up a chai tea or pumpkin spice latte, and head out for a long walk through a nearby park or trail. Listen to the crunch of leaves beneath your feet and breathe in the crisp autumn air. You won’t regret it.

3. Fall Foliage Collection: Bring along a light canvas bag to gather treasures from your walk. Collect any leaves that catch your eye – maybe a red maple, a golden ginkgo, or even magnolia seed pods and interesting twigs. Place them gently in your bag so they don’t get crushed. (Sometimes I carry two bags: one for delicate finds and another for sturdier rocks or branches.)

4. Bringing the outside in: Once home, press your leaves between the pages of heavy books for about two weeks. Slip sheets of blank paper between the leaves and the book pages to protect against stains. When dried, scatter your finds around your home — tuck them on shelves, arrange them on tables, or nestle them near candles. You’ll create little cozy corners that will delight you. It’s an easy, no-cost way to decorate for fall and bring the design of nature indoors.

5. The Harvest Moon Meditation: Nothing feels better than making a little quiet space for yourself late at night. Light a candle and some incense in a dark room. Make some tea and grab a cozy blanket for the floor. If you can’t sit still, that’s okay. Neither can I. I usually stretch on my yoga mat while I meditate.

Until Next Time✨,
Kim

For a little moment of zen, I bring you the snail feast…

Looking for the Magic ☽✨ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.