When the Summer ends on the West Coast of Scotland, over just a few weeks we loose many hours of sunlight. I have always loved the longer and darker nights, but I know that many struggle through this change. This week I want to share some of the ways in which I love to embrace this beautiful time of transition.
Crafty Hobbies
Although creativity is a lifeline of mine throughout the year, I have much more time and space available for it during the colder and darker months. There are less demands on my time, the plants are sleeping and need less care, so I can re-center, incubate and create many new projects. Night time has always been inspiring for my art and comes back regularly in what I create, so it feels quite natural for me to be even more creative as the nights grow longer and darker. When Autumn sets in, it is a very fertile time which I relish and appreciate deeply. Whatever we enjoy making and experimenting with, Autumn is a perfect time to explore our talents and creativity!
Candlelight
Natural daylight might be in shorter supply, but we can still enjoy plenty of natural light from candles. That kind of light aligns our internal clock with the seasons and is a great support to completely relax and prepare the body for a restful sleep. I like to keep some evenings without artificial light and just follow that deeply natural rhythm which is so soothing and rejuvenating to the body and soul. I am a great fan of magnesium baths as a foundation of my self-care protocol, and I always think that Autumn and Winter baths are extra special, because they give me warmth when I need more of it, but also because they are a brilliant opportunity for more candlelight.
Candlelit Dinner
Warm, nutritious food is a delightful comfort that I appreciate even more as the nights grow longer and colder. Knowing that I nourish myself well is important to me and serves many aspects of my life. No need to wait for romance to light a candle at dinner. This has been a habit of mine for many years, whether I am on my own or have company, and it really creates a beautiful, warm and loving atmosphere. I particularly love the blue light of dusk, and infusing it with the golden light of a candle is a lovely ritual. Especially on a drizzly stormy day, where everything outside is grey, it feels really cosy to eat inside by candlelight.
Fairy Lights
My fairy lights come back into full use at this time of year. I love when dusk arrives, the light in liquid blue is beautifully soothing. I enjoy it for as long as I can without artificial light, and when it’s time to switch on the lamps, I put on all the fairy lights first. It is such a joy to me to have these tiny stars everywhere. I love the merging of twilight and fairylights. I leave the curtains open for as long as the blue dusk light stays so I can enjoy the best of both.
Cosy by the Fire
A long night by the fire is the definition of comfort to me. I have never had a television in the house and never yearned for one. I love gazing at the flames in the stove and feel sure that it is the ancestral version of our modern screens. Maybe you don’t have a fire to admire, but you could also look at a candle. There are whole relaxation and meditation practices based on that, and indeed, to me looking at a flame gently dancing truly calms the senses and brings a great sense of peace.
Hot Drinks
Mmh, holding a hot drink and sipping it mindfully is a beautiful thing to do during a long and cool evening, keeping the hands toasty, warming up the body and just enjoying the peace. I love very earthy teas like kukicha, pu’er, genmaicha, and ginger tea to warm up and soothe pains.
Blanket Love
Wrapping up in a blanket and feeling totally comfortable and hugged by millions of little stitches is one of my greatest joys. I love everything about handmade blankets, touching them, using them, making them. While I am working away at these large pieces, they keep me warm, content and occupied. The gently repetitive movement is one of my creative meditations, and I enjoy seeing the work as it builds up, improvising the next row and colour with pure delight. This time of year rekindles this activity beautifully. If I am not working on a blanket, you can be certain I am always wrapped up in one!
Lovely Books
Having my hands occupied with making art while listening to an audiobook is an immense pleasure that I enjoy as often as I can. I have a great collection of audiobooks, mainly old English classics and children’s books. Nowadays there are many reading actors to choose from, and I enjoy discovering my favourite readers and building my collections around those voices. Audiobooks are such a delightful way to spend a long dark night while I craft away or rest up in bed, immersed in another world, meeting new characters and improving my English. When the nights get colder and longer, I also love to dedicate entire evenings just cosying up in bed with hot water bottles and beautiful books to read and look at.
Stargazing
Throughout the Scottish Summer we have to stay up quite late if we want to admire the stars, as we only get a few hours of dark sky. When Autumn arrives, I rejoice that I can once again see the stars during my waking hours. Starry nights are an endless source of inspiration when I paint my soothing landscapes. Looking at the stars also brings me back to a healthy perspective, seeing how tiny I am, how vast the universe is, and how little I know.
Getting Things in Order
Now that we stay indoors more, it’s a perfect opportunity to look around the house and sort out these vague corners that have a tendency to become mysterious piles of stuff within our homes! We don’t quite know what might be there, it is in dire need of decluttering and organising, and this is the perfect time for it. I love the idea of an Autumn clean as well as a Spring clean. Getting our nests neat, tidy, and comfortable for the colder months makes perfect sense, sorting through our wardrobes, looking around the pantry or kitchen cupboards to use up what needs to be used up, see that all is in order, ordering what might have ran out. Longer nights are also a great time to sort out letters and paperwork.
Keeping in Touch
Enjoying the long evenings to keep in touch with friends and family is a lovely thing to do. Maybe you know someone who is particularly affected by the seasonal change, and hearing from you might really help them through that. I don't much like being on the phone, but I love writing letters, emails and messages, as well as sending audio messages. We have so many options these days to keep in touch in a way that suits us. I also enjoy sending little parcels of gifts especially made or selected for the person in mind so they know they are thought of and cared for. I love choosing writing material I know they will appreciate. In Summer there might be less time to do that, but longer nights give us more space to quietly reflect and send news.
Longer nights bring me a great sense of fulfillment and gentle productivity, an invitation to enjoy great self-care but also to reach out to loved ones, to create and quietly reflect. I hope you have enjoyed these cosy gentle ways to embrace the longer evenings. What do you like to do when the nights get darker? I wish you much enjoyment!
