A Letter to Autumn

October

A LETTER FOR THE DARKENING EVENINGS

Welcome to the eighth edition of A Winter's Tale.

It's October and autumn has arrived, the leaves are turning properly now, the evenings are darker and the air smells of damp earth and woodsmoke. We now have to remember to take a coat with us when we leave the house and I have a sudden craving for hot chocolate.

The mornings are misty and chilly, but there are still golden afternoons, October can produce some of the loveliest days of the year. But the darkness is returning and, rather than fighting it, we can begin to make ourselves comfortable within it.

This month the clocks go back and we have Halloween/All Hallows' Eve/Samhain (and also my wedding anniversary).

It's a time for apples, pumpkins and ghost stories.

So bring a hot drink, a blanket and a spooky tale.

You are very welcome here.

Heidi x

THE ALMANAC

🌕 Full moon : (Hunter's Moon) 26 October

♎ Libra until 23 October

♏ Scorpio from 24 October 

✨ Constellation : Andromeda

🌼 Flower: Marigold - warmth and endurance

🌿 Herb : Bay - protection and wisdom

🦌 Animal : Red deer - strength and renewal

📜 Dates : 🍎 Apple Day - 21 October

                  🕰️ Clocks go back - 25 October

                  🎃 Halloween/All Hallows' Eve/Samhain - 31 October

October's full moon is traditionally known as the Hunter's Moon. It follows the Harvest Moon and belongs to the point in the old rural calendar when the crops had been gathered and people turned their attention to preparing for winter.

Like the Harvest Moon, it can appear especially warm and golden when it is low in the sky, although this colour comes from seeing it through more of the Earth's atmosphere than from the moon itself.

I think its name is so evocative of October, practical, ancient and a little bit wild.

Libra - Represented by the scales and associated with balance, fairness and harmony. It begins at the autumn equinox, when light and darkness appear to be equal, and continues into the darker half of the year.

Scorpio - Represented by the scorpion and is traditionally associated with intensity, determination and strong intuition. Those born under the sign are often described as loyal, perceptive and resilient, with a tendency to look beneath the surface rather than accept things at face value.

Scorpio is a water sign, linked with emotion and instinct, and is ruled by Pluto in modern astrology and Mars in traditional astrology. It is also associated with transformation: the ability to survive difficult experiences, shed an old skin and begin again.

Andromeda - One of the great constellations of the autumn sky. It lies close to Pegasus, September's constellation, and can be found by using the Great Square of Pegasus as a guide.

The Andromeda Galaxy is the nearest large galaxy to our own Milky Way. On a dark, clear, moonless night it can be seen with the naked eye as a faint misty patch, but binoculars make it easier to find.

The light reaching us from Andromeda has travelled for around two and a half million years. To look at it is to look back in time. It really helps put things in perspective.

In Greek mythology, Andromeda was the daughter of Cassiopeia and Cepheus. She was chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster before being rescued by Perseus. After her death, the goddess Athena placed Andromeda into the night sky near Perseus and Cassiopeia.

Marigold - Cheerful but sturdy flowers bringing small suns into the shortening days. Their yellow, gold and deep orange flowers can continue well into the autumn, often lasting until the first frost.

Their name has long been associated with the Virgin Mary, 'Mary's Gold', although the word is now used for several different groups of flowers. Calendula, or pot marigold, has a long history in cottage gardens, kitchens and household remedies. Its petals have been used to colour butter and cheese and can be scattered sparingly over salads and cakes, provided the flowers have been grown for eating and not treated with chemicals.

Bay - An evergreen plant, aromatic and useful. Its glossy leaves hold their colour through winter, bringing a little interest to the garden when much else is fading. 

The Latin name for bay is Laurus nobilis — also known as bay laurel or sweet bay.

In Ancient Greece and Rome, wreaths of bay were given to poets, scholars and victors. This is where the words laureate and baccalaureate have their roots. Bay was also associated with Apollo, prophecy and protection, and later folklore placed it near doors and windows to guard the household.

In the kitchen, bay belongs to the slower cooking of autumn: soups, stews, casseroles, sauces and pots of beans. Add a leaf while the food cooks and remove it before serving — bay leaves remain decidedly leaf-like, however long they have spent in the saucepan.

A bay tree will grow happily in a large pot and can be clipped into shape, although container-grown plants may need some shelter during very cold weather. Pick the leaves throughout the year and use them fresh or dried.

Bay is a fitting herb for October: enduring, protective and ready for whatever winter brings.

Red Deer - October is the height of the red deer rut. Stags compete for the attention of females, their deep roaring calls carrying across woodland and open ground, particularly around dawn and dusk. The sound can be startling if you are not expecting it. 

Red deer have lived in Britain since the end of the last Ice Age. They appear throughout our history and folklore, sometimes as guides between the familiar world and the wild one beyond it. 

If you are lucky enough to see them this month, watch quietly from a safe distance. Stags are powerful wild animals and need plenty of space, especially during the rut.

Apple Day - Held on 21st October, it was created by the charity Common Ground in 1990 as a celebration of apples, orchards and local distinctiveness.

Britain has grown thousands of named apple varieties with names such as: Beauty of Bath, Egremont Russet, Ashmead's Kernel, Laxton's Superb and Cornish Aromatic.

Traditional orchards are valuable places for wildlife as well as food. Old fruit trees, rough grass, fallen fruit and hedges can support insects, birds, bats and small mammals.

Celebrate with a local apple, an apple cake or a glass of cider. Preferably all three, although maybe not for breakfast.

When the clocks go back - British Summer Time ends on Sunday 25th October. At 2am the clocks go back, giving us an extra hour and bringing sunset abruptly earlier.

Most phones update themselves, the cooker clock when we get round to it and my car will stay the same for 6 months as it's too difficult to work out.

The change can feel quite abrupt, although it is something I look forward to. It is time to check outside lights, put a torch somewhere accessible and make the entrance to the house feel welcoming after dark.

All Hallows' Eve - Halloween and also my wedding anniversary, old Goths never change! Halloween's history is layered, drawing on the Christian vigil before All Saints' Day as well as older seasonal customs associated with the beginning of winter, the gathering darkness and the remembrance of the dead.

In earlier times in Britain and Ireland, people marked the night with fires, lanterns, games, food and stories. Lanterns were carved from turnips and swedes before pumpkins became the easier option.

In The Hedgerow

Things to spot this month:

• Beech and Oaks turning from green to copper
• Sweet chestnuts and conkers underfoot
• Skeins of geese crossing the sky
• Black, shiny ivy berries beginning to form
• Hedgehogs foraging hard before hibernation

Plant Now For Winter

Indoor Hyacinths

Scented colour for the darkest part of the year.

Traditionally they are planted in early autumn and encouraged to flower indoors around Christmas or during the weeks that follow.

If you are hoping for flowers at Christmas, look for bulbs specifically labelled prepared hyacinths. These have been treated so that they can flower earlier than ordinary garden bulbs. Plant them as soon as possible and think of Christmas as a possibility rather than a guarantee. If they flower in January instead, they may be even more welcome.

You will need : 

• Prepared hyacinth bulbs
• A shallow bowl or pot
• Peat-free bulb fibre if the container has no drainage holes, or peat-free multi-purpose compost for a pot that does
• Gardening gloves, as hyacinth bulbs can irritate the skin

What to do

1. Moisten the bulb fibre or compost and place a layer in the bottom of the container.
2. Arrange the bulbs closely together, pointed ends upwards. They should not touch one another or the sides of the bowl.
3. Fill around them with more fibre or compost, leaving the tops of the bulbs just visible.
4. Put the container somewhere cool and dark — ideally around 9°C — such as a dark corner of a shed or garage. Check it occasionally and water lightly if the compost begins to dry. Do not let the bulbs sit in water.
5. Leave them in the cool and dark until roots have formed and the shoots are about 4–5cm tall. Depending on the variety, this usually takes several weeks.
6. Bring the bowl into a cool room away from strong light at first. Once the shoots have begun to green, move it nearer a window, but keep it away from radiators and other direct heat.

Hyacinths have a generous, unmistakable scent, so one bowl can be enough for a whole room. White bulbs would look beautiful and wintry; deep blue or purple would feel a little more old-fashioned and mysterious.

After flowering, allow the leaves to die back naturally. The bulbs can then be planted outside in the garden, although after being forced indoors they may take time to recover and are unlikely to produce such a grand display the following year.

Plant the bulbs, put them away and almost forget them. A lovely gift or something to keep for yourself.

Seasonal Table

Sloe Gin

Started now, this will be ready well before Christmas, though it improves the longer it is left.

You will need:

• 500g sloes 
• 250g caster sugar
• 1 litre gin

Or, if you can't find a litre of gin:

• 350g sloes
• 175g caster sugar
• 700ml gin 
• A large sterilised jar or demijohn

Method:

1. Wash the sloes and prick each one with a fork or sharp skewer. Or freeze them overnight and let them thaw, which splits the skins just as well and is easier on the fingers.
2. Tip the sloes and sugar into a large sterilised jar or demijohn, then pour over the gin. Seal tightly and shake gently to start the sugar dissolving.
3. Store somewhere dark and give it a gentle shake every few days for the first fortnight, then leave it largely undisturbed.
4. After at least six to eight weeks, strain through muslin and decant into pretty bottles. 

Lovely on its own or topped up with fizz.

Use a local gin, if you have one, mine is Silent Pool, which is lovely.

Finding sloes:

• Foraging: sloes are the fruit of the blackthorn. Look for dusky blue-black berries, ripe from about now until November
• Farm shops and farmers' markets: these sometimes have them in October
• Online: frozen sloes are sold by foragers and small growers on Etsy and eBay, and by a few specialist suppliers. Frozen is ideal, as the freezing splits the skins for you.

 

Until next month

Thank you for being here again. October is my favourite month; the colours of the trees, the sunny days and chilly evenings can't be beaten as far as I'm concerned. I love a day of going for a walk or wandering around an old town and then returning to light the fire, close the curtains and settle in for the evening.

What everyday thing are you grateful for this autumn? A misty morning or a beautiful tree with its autumnal leaves. The first hot chocolate of the season. Write it down, photograph it or mention it in a letter. 

Or make a list: Ten things making October better.

Until November...

Heidi x