Halloween has always been one of my favourite times of year. There’s something about the changing light, the wild weather and the feeling of everything drawing in that makes my witchy heart very happy.
We’ve been lucky with plenty of dry walks lately, with a couple of rather wet ones thrown in to keep us humble. The colours have been beautiful, and between the fallen leaves and the storms, there’s been plenty to bring home in the way of inspiration.
There’s also a weekend trip to London this month to see my daughter amongst all the making, a little change of scenery from my Cornish surroundings. Quite a different (busy) sort of energy, but stepping away from the workbench can be good for a head that’s usually full of stones, silver and several half-formed ideas competing for my attention.
With October’s full moon just behind us and Samhain here, it feels like a lovely time to pause and catch up with you.
The magic behind Halloween
Long before the pumpkins in windows and bowls of sweets by the door, Samhain marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter in the Gaelic calendar. It was a turning point in the year, celebrated with gatherings, fires and stories of the otherworld drawing closer.
Over time, these seasonal traditions intertwined with the Christian observances of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days. The name Halloween comes from All Hallows’ Eve, the evening before All Saints’ Day, and the celebration we know today carries pieces of that layered history.
For me, Samhain is one of the most meaningful sabbats. I love its mystery, of course, but I’m especially drawn to the space it gives us to remember our loved ones and welcome their presence into our lives.
In folklore, this is a time when the boundary between worlds grows thin, when those who have gone before us might return home. There’s something very tender in that thought.
Calling in our loved ones can be as personal as we need it to be. Sometimes there are words we want to say; sometimes it’s enough to sit quietly and think of them. I like the thought of making room for that connection, especially when everyday life is so good at keeping us busy.
We carry so much of the people we love in the smallest things. A habit, a favourite colour, something we say without realising where it came from. Samhain feels like an invitation to notice.
Busy hands and a small golden secret
Back at the workbench, I’ve been working through lots of your made-to-order pieces. Thank you for keeping my hands so busy and for trusting me to make things that will become part of your lives, or gifts for someone you love.
There’s something particularly lovely about making at this time of year. Outside, everything is shifting towards winter, while inside there are all these little treasures coming together.
And because I’m not especially good at keeping an exciting jewellery secret to myself, I do have a small spoiler…
Gold-plated versions of The Planetary Spinner Charm and The Spinning Elements are coming.
They aren’t available just yet, but I wanted you to hear it here first. Those tiny spinning worlds with a little golden warmth around them have been occupying rather a lot of space in my thoughts, and I’m looking forward to showing you more.
It’s something a little different from this silver world, but has been something I’ve always been asked about.
For now, consider that a little glimpse behind the curtain.
Even a witch has to keep a few things up her sleeve.
What’s coming next week
Next week, I’ll be releasing more Spinning Elements, Planetary Spinner Charms, Crystal Balls and Capturing Moon pieces, so there will be some fresh magic to explore.
I’ll confirm the release time on my Instagram Stories once everything is ready and photographed.
All my photographs are taken in natural light, which means that at this time of year, the weather has rather more say in my schedule than I would like.
The storms may be wonderful for inspiration, but they’re considerably less helpful when I’m trying to show you the colours inside a tiny sphere. Apparently, “beautifully atmospheric” and “suitable for product photography” are two very different things.
Keep an eye on Stories for the finished pieces and the confirmed time. I want you to be able to see all those little details properly before choosing the one that calls to you.
A little Christmas housekeeping
I know, I know. We’re still talking about Halloween and here I am mentioning Christmas, but handmade gifts need a little head start.
If you’re hoping for a made-to-order piece for Christmas, please get your order in early so I can plan the making. There’s only one pair of hands here, however useful a small team of workshop elves might be.
And a gentle but important reminder: if we’ve discussed an order that requires a deposit, it isn’t booked into my making schedule until that deposit has been paid.
We might have had a lovely chat about it, chosen a stone and got thoroughly excited together, but if it isn’t showing in my website orders, there’s a very good chance my brain has filed it somewhere between a leaf I saw on Tuesday and an idea I had while making tea.
Please do pay your deposit if you’d like me to go ahead with your piece. It gives your order a proper place in the queue and means neither of us has to rely on my somewhat enchanted filing system.
Until then, I hope you find a little time to enjoy this turning of the year. Light a candle, remember someone you love, or head outside and see what the season has left along your path.
Thank you for being here, for sharing in the making, and for giving these little pieces of my world a place in yours.
Wishing you a beautiful Samhain and a little magic of your own.
Jo x