Not Quite Autumn, But Not Quite Summer Either

The dog days of August are over and now we usher in September, the month that’s not quite Fall, but also not quite Summer; it’s more a mix of the two. It can be as hot and humid as mid-July or as chill as a late October evening. Oftentimes, September finds a way of being both at the same time.

The sun is setting earlier and earlier each day as we work our way towards the Fall/Autumn Equinox — and if you’re anything like how I use to be, then I know you’re just chomping at the bit to get all things pumpkin spice and fall home decor. I implore you, however, to try something a bit different this year. What? Just wait. Wait a little longer before you go full force into Fall mode and enjoy the last little bits of summer we have.

A Seasonal September Checklist

So what can you do to seasonally enjoy the month of September?

Deep clean your home in preparation for the next season.
Plan your Halloween costume.
Go to your local bookstore or library and get some new books to read.
Make a list of the things you want to decorate your home with for Fall.
Take a walk outside and notice the shifts as the seasons begin to change. Are the leaves beginning to change? Is the sun setting later? Are the nights getting cooler?
Have a cookout to celebrate the end of Summer [Labor Day is a great day to do this].
Go and pick apples at an apple orchard.
Watch a football game.
Make fresh fruit jam.
Explore a local park.
Plan your Fall wardrobe.
Make homemade soup.
Listen to a September-themed music playlist.
Decorate your phone with pictures that remind of you September to get you in the mood.
Read a book outside as the air cools with a hot cup of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate.
Make some canned/preserved veggies or fruits.
Take a hot bath as the nights get longer and cooler.
Get a journal and write out your feelings, or talk about where you currently are in life and where you want to go next. You can also simply use it to doodle, to express yourself however you want. Put dried flowers and leaves in to flatten them. Decorate with photos and stickers.
Take a scenic train ride feeling like you’re Harry Potter on your way to Hogwarts for the first time.
Make apple pie.
Read a September-themed book [you can see my September book recommendations below or check out my September Books section o m Amazon Shop here].
Celebrate the Fall Equinox [usually around September 21st — all depending on the sun].
Listen to a September-themed playlist [you can check mine out on Apple Music or Spotify].
Listen to a Summer-themed playlist.
Listen to a Fall-themed playlist.
Eat foods seasonal to the month of September [see the list below].
Wear and use the colors/other correspondences associated with September [ideas for that are further below].

Some Things I Did This Month

Went To A Safari

Celebrated My Birthday

Spent Time With Family

Got A Birthday Tattoo

Ate At My Favorite Diner

Went To The Bookstore

Took A Scenic Walk

Had A Picnic In The Park

The Energy Of September

The Basic Energetic Themes Of September: rest after labor; balance of light and dark; protection and security; abundance and gratitude; returning to the earth; reflection; home and hearth.

September’s energy is all about balance. Mabon, the second harvest festival of the year and the Autumnal Equinox, arrives later this month, bringing equal hours of day and night. You should be actively reaping the fruit of most of the seeds you sowed back in Spring and preparing for the final harvest next month. As you welcome and rejoice in your abundance, it’s also a great time to begin to clear out clutter — emotional, spiritual, and physical — to get ready for the dark time of the year.

In terms of energy, September is a month for both celebration and letting go. Let’s look at it from the aspect of a farmer, or even of our ancestors who were often in the midst of harvesting the crops they worked so hard to grow all summer long. You celebrate, full of gratitude for all that you’ve manifested or grown while also continuing to maintain those fruits that are just not quite ripe yet. At the same time, you might find yourself beginning to clear out the fields that once held the fruits of your labor as you harvest your crops.
September is the doorway to Fall, the season of both celebration and introspection [it’s also the season of death — as in the leaves on the trees dying and nature taking its rest].
September is a complicated month energetically. While it is a month of love, accomplishment, and personal satisfaction. It is also a month of tying up loose ends and embracing a rollercoaster of emotions. It is a month where you may find yourself reflecting on the year thus far, peering deeply into your accomplishments and your mess-ups. It’s a month where you may find yourself becoming acutely aware of how you’re sabotaging yourself, of the habits and actions you’ve been taking that have been keeping you from the life you want to live. It’s a month where you want to scrap all your ‘bad habits’ and start anew; a month where you want to organize everything, get a new calendar or planner, and manifest a new life. Is it no wonder this is the time when the new school year starts for many students? I bet if you did the research, you’d find the sale of planners and calendars increase astronomically during this time [aside from December/January].
September might feel like you’re thrown for a loop. In a way, you’re moving forward mentally, solidifying who it is you want to be from now on, and yet, at the same time you might feel you’re also moving backwards as you get caught up in old ways and memories, releasing any pent up energy that may be holding you back. It often feels like a limbo or purgatory of sorts, like you’re just sitting in a waiting room [you’ll find the following months — October through December — also feel quite similar; more on that when we cover the Fall/Autumn season as a whole]. And you are, really. Energetically, September is just like it is seasonally — that month where it’s hot and then cold. Yep, energetically you will feel the same: hot and then cold, ready to move forward and then falling backwards.
The biggest thing I’ve learned about the month of September [along with those to follow it with the Fall/Autumn season] is to embrace it for what it is: a month to conclude any unresolved issues of the past so that you can move on to the next level of your life. It’s a month where you decide what serves you and what doesn’t, cutting the ties between what’s no longer serving you for good, unless you’d like to carry it with you again in the next year. September is a month of reflection, celebration, and deciding what stays and what goes as your life continues on.
Only move forward on the things you feel a deep fiery passion about this month. You may have plenty of ideas pop into your head: ideas of new habits to incorporate or new projects to start. Write them all down on a list and then only take action on the ones you feel most excited about right now. This month requires a lot of focus from you, otherwise you will spread yourself too thin and accomplish nothing.

An Energetic Checklist For September

So here’s a quick checklist of things to energetically do this month so that you can finally enjoy September to the fullest:

Reflect on where you are currently and what got you here. Celebrate yourself for how hard you’ve worked. Show gratitude for what you’ve manifested up until now.
Let yourself naturally look forward to what it is you want in life. Get excited about the life you’re creating for yourself.
Reassess your current path. Is what you’re doing now going to get you to where you want to go? Is the vision you’ve been working towards still the one you want? Be honest with yourself. If your vision has changed, then don’t be afraid to rewrite it; this is YOUR life. If, however, your vision remains the same but your current habits aren’t allowing you to reach it, then you’ll need to do the work to figure out what habits need to be cut and what new habits need to be incorporated. Then, make a plan to do just that. List any new habits or actions you’d like to take, put them in an order than makes sense to you, and then loosely schedule when you’d like to accomplish those things. By doing this, you’ve just created a plan to get to where you want to be. Pair that with your own genuine excitement for your vision, and then the action on the things that currently make you most excited and you are well on your way towards living the life you want.
Go back to the past and release yourself from any old habits, projects, actions, memories, relationships, etc. Release anything [and anyone] who is no longer serving you or your vision. You don’t have to part on bad terms. All can be done in a loving way, but you must put yourself first; you must put your vision first.
Let go of any unexpressed emotions you’ve been holding onto. Any disappointments, sadness, guilt, blame, anger [you get the gist] — let it all go.
Put the focus back on yourself. It is easy to get caught up in your standards for those around you. This often leads to disappointment after disappointment. Ultimately, it’s important to learn to love people as they are and to stop trying to intervene in their lives. Let them have their own standards as you have yours, and if, for whatever reason, the relationship you have with then is no longer serving you, end it cleanly so you can take back your energy to put towards moving forward.
Be open to change this month. Not only is this a month where things change seasonally as Fall kisses summer goodbye, but energetically you may find things shifting as well. This could be actually events upending something in your life [always working out in your favor in the end] or it could an internal upending where you have a major epiphany or breakthrough, forever changing the trajectory of your life.

The Symbols Of September

September brings a shift in energy as summer fades and autumn begins to whisper its arrival. This month is symbolized by the earthy tones of harvest, inviting reflection and renewal. The sunflower, known for its vibrant, sunny disposition, represents adoration and loyalty, while the Autumn Equinox signifies balance, as day and night align. Virgo, the zodiac sign of the month, embodies practicality and attention to detail, encouraging us to focus on organization and self-improvement. As we transition into a new season, September invites us to embrace change and cultivate gratitude for the abundance around us.

Below, you will find all of the things [from food to colors to trees and more] associated with the month of September, followed by plenty of ideas on how you can incorporate some of these things into your life.

Colors: purple, yellow-green, and brown.
Scents and Oils: bergamot, sage, and gardenia.
Trees: larch, oak, bay, hazel, and hawthorn.
Nature Spirits: trooping fairies and gnomes.
Animals and Birds: snake, jackal, grey wolf, sparrow, and birds of prey.
Food: bread, nuts, apples, grapes, wine, and cider.
Stones and Crystals: citrine, peridot, sapphire, lapis lazuli, and bloodstone.
Herbs and Flowers: valerian, skullcap, sage, aster, fennel, mugwort, thyme, and morning glory.
Deities: Ceres, Vesta, Demeter, and Freya.
Astrological Signs: Virgo and Libra.
Elements: earth and air.
Holidays: Labor Day and Mabon/Autumn Equinox.
Symbols and Decorations: fall leaves, grapevines, nuts, corn dollies, bread, acorns, purple candles, and herbs of the season.

A Playlist For September

I’ve personally curated this playlist to take into account the numeric and seasonal energy of September. It’s something I’ve been listening to all month.

You can listen below via Apple Music or Spotify. Don’t forget to give me a follow on whichever platform you use most and add the playlists to your library as new playlists and music are always being added!

Did you listen to the playlist? Let me know what you thought of it in a comment below or tag me on instagram [@shenayesuggs] or use my hashtags #shenayesuggs so I can see that you’re listening!

September Eats And Drinks

Eating seasonally is a game changer. Not only does it bring your body back into harmony with the Earth, but it also makes each month feel new and exciting. I mean, have you ever gotten tired of eating the same foods over and over again? Yep, me too. When I started eating more seasonally, however, I found myself stepping back into my zone of excitement and creativity. I get excited about the foods and ingredients each month has to offer. Now, this doesn't mean you have to box yourself in by any means. I’m all for balance — and with all the technology we have these days, many foods are available almost all year round. So, if I am having a major craving for something that might not be so seasonal, I still let myself have it. I have found, however, that eating seasonally makes it so I don’t crave ‘out of season’ foods as often, because when they are in season, I get my fill and am ready to hold off until that season rolls around again.

With all that being said, let’s list the foods that are considered ‘in season’ for the month of September. Keep in mind that some foods may vary depending on where in the world you live. I’m in the southwest of the United States, so adjust as you need to where you are located.

Seasonal Eats Checklist

Vegetables: Artichokes, beetroot, bell peppers, broccoli, butternut squash, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, kale, leek, mushrooms, onions, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, spinach, summer squash, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, tomatoes, and zucchini.
Fruits: Apples, blackberries, cantaloupe, figs, grapes, melons, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries, and red currants.
Herbs/Seasonings: [Most of these are grown all year round, but have a special correspondence energetically and seasonally with September]. Thyme, cinnamon, valerian, skullcap, fennel, and sage.

Food And Drinks To Try This September

All Posts

The Selby: A Spiced Cider And Whiskey Cocktail

Pumpkin Spice Espresso Latte

Hot Spiced Apple Cider

Lavender & Oat Milk Latte

Sausage, Kale & Pumpkin Alfredo

Peach Whiskey Iced Tea

Smoked Sausage & Squash Skillet

September Fashion & Beauty

September is a month of limbo weather. You still get the heat of the remnants of Summer while also gaining the cool breezes of Autumn. The temperatures slowly drop bit by bit [depending on where you live, of course] and by the end of the month, you’re wanting to change out some of your pieces for warmer items. Then, keeping in mind the color themes of the month [purple, brown, and yellow-green], below you will find just a few ideas of items you can incorporate into your wardrobe [and beauty routine] to live in tune with the month of September and the seasons of late-Summer and early-Fall.

You can see more fashion, beauty, and even home decor picks for the month of September in my Amazon Shop here.