October, for those who find themselves in the northern hemisphere of the planet, falls in the middle of a season of change. It’s when we all marvel at the beautiful shades of gold and rust that decorate the dying appendages of our deciduous trees. It is the time when we grab our cozy sweaters out of the back of our closets for cooling temperatures and readjust our expectations after a day’s work when we are met with darkening nights. It’s the transitional time of death and rebirth as the summer fun ends and a new school year begins. However, many treat this time of change as a last chance in the calendar year to make big life changes. 

For many, the month of October functions as a second New Year. It’s a time when people realize the year is almost over and feel motivated to begin changing their lives, whether in personal growth, relationships, or self-care. There’s a collective sense of urgency to reassess goals, reflect, take action, and embrace the fast-paced nature of the last few months of the year. 

This has always been the case for pagans celebrating Samhain from the ancient Celtic spiritual tradition, rural farm workers enjoying the harvest season, Jewish people celebrating Yom Kippur in the lunar month of Tishri, and me, marking another year of life on this earth circling the sun. It is a time to reflect on the year and what has happened since last October and to make plans for the upcoming year.  

As the birds begin to migrate, small animals feast on fruits, ivy flowers, seeds fall, fungi thrive, and bears finish their fishing for hibernation. The human animals reap their neatly planted crops and prepare for the winter holiday season. It’s a never-ending cycle of life, and it is how we should approach all things that end. 

Whenever one door closes, another opens, as Newton’s third law of motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When something ends, something always takes its place, as the first law of thermodynamics, or the law of conservation of energy, states that energy is neither created nor destroyed. Something gained always follows something lost, and how we prepare for these transitions helps us navigate life changes.  

October is that calendar reminder that we are all changing and that this is the time that many “new” things will begin replacing other “older” things. We should all take this time Mother Nature has given us to reflect as we prepare for the New Year.