Navigating October with Decisiveness

Hey there, Beloved.

Welcome to October! 

I believe in the power of vision— and sometimes we forget to look up, getting lost in the daily grind of Life.

May these monthly attunements serve as an invitation for you to deepen into Nature's rhythm, widen your perspective and remember who you are: the Light of the world! Stardust and an infinite soul in human form    

💎 Cycles of Nature:

Welcome to autumn! 🍂

What a glorious time... It feels like this season contains the most dramatic change we see all year as we make the leap from luscious summer heat to cool, swirling breezes on a fall afternoon. What begins as a slow shift in the color palette takes a dramatic turn in temperature. Even the quality of the air feels different, and my animal, mammalian self sniffs the breeze for hints of something both new and ancient.

Blessed Samhain Season 🎃

Samhain (pronounced saow-win) is a Gaelic name for All Hallows Eve, also known as Halloween, which marks the end of the harvest season and the official beginning of the darker half of the year. I was never a huge fan of this holiday to be honest— maybe bc I grew up in the middle of nowhere so 'trick or treating' was pretty lack luster. But as I age, I've developed a new fondness for the final days of October. It is indeed a time to celebrate the theme of harvest, to make merry with beloveds, and to honor the dead. Samhain on October 31st also leads swiftly into Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on November 2nd, so I think of that entire week as an especially potent time to honor my ancestors.

Though it might be obvious how to celebrate, perhaps a pointed invitation might re-inspire your motivation to festivate this year!

Here's a few suggestions, from my hearth to yours:

Visit a pumpkin patch, harvest a few beauties and carve them

I'm not talking about the classic jack o'lantern, I'm talking squash artforms! If you need some inspiration, do some searching on Google or Pinterest. It is truly incredible what humans have come up with. The past few years I've played with carving sugar skulls, owls, forest and tree landscapes and starry nights. This is pumpkin carving 2.0. Btw: It's definitely worth having some good tools on hand - sharp knives or other objects to scrape, poke holes, etc. If you've got some friends around, get a crew together, make a libation or hot herbal tea, put on a playlist and get into it! It's the perfect outlet of play for your inner 8 year old and artistry for your inner DaVinci.

Create an autumn harvest altar

Ahead, a good pumpkin patch can be a great start. Last year, Ben and I stumbled upon one that had a huge array of gorgeous squash and dried corncobs that looked like gemstones! The few items we got there (along with our carving pumpkins) adorned our altar for the entire season. Add beautiful dried leaves, cards from your favorite decks that speak to autumnal energy, written intentions on post-its, photographs or artwork, or anything else that lights you up and embraces this change of the seasons.

Create an ancestors altar

This can be combined with the altar above, in addition to or instead of.

An ancestor altar is a place where you honor all your beloveds who have walked on from this life. They can be blood relatives, or not! I had a huge revelation earlier this year around redefining "ancestor" and I'll be recording a podcast episode on the subject in early November. Place on this altar photographs, written names, and relics from those you loved who are no longer with us in the fresh. Add candles and anything else that welcomes a sense of reverence and fondness for these dear ones who contribute so much to our lives, in life and in memory.

Whatever you do, listen to this playlist

Ben and I might need to find a new one because we've played the $#^! outta this one, but I still love it and I'm excited to get into it again.

[Got a great All Hallow's Eve playlist that isn't full of corny halloween songs like monster mash? Send it my way!!!]

Welcome to Q4  🗓

If you like to operate with a quarterly awareness, then welcome to Q4, the final quarter of 2022! I learned to use quarters as signposts from my first business mentor, Monica Shah. Each new quarter I use to do a process of reflection, assessment and planning. I find this extremely helpful and clarifying for my business and also for my personal aims and intentions.

If you'd like to give my signature system a try, you can find my Luminous Life Design workshop on demand here. Carve out 3 hours (or 2 x 90-minute chunks) to go through the journey. Then let me know what you came up with!

Ps. I'll likely offer a live round of Luminous Life Design in January, keep an eye out ;)

💎 The Great Turning

Decision Medicine

For the past few years, I've been chewing on the symbol of the sacred sword as an emblem of Autumn. To me, the sword signifies release and decisiveness. The root of the word decide literally means "to cut" or "to slice", and it's easy to see the commonality between the word "decision" and the word "discernment." When we make a decision, we use our wise discernment to separate out our yes from the no.

When I think of autumn, I think of the leaves gracefully releasing from their branches. I remember the necessity of pruning our fruit trees and rose bushes so they may bloom with vigor next year. It's time to prune our own dead limbs, to trim the fat, and to clarify for ourselves what we'll focus on for the rest of the year, and what we'll clear from our plate.

I also think of Kali, the Destroyer, whose fierce love brings protection and purification, both from outer malevolent sources and from our own unconscious patterns and saboteurs. In the Hindu tradition, it is said there are 3 primal universal forces: Creation, Maintenance, and Destruction. We humans really love to create anew —start new books, new projects, take on new tasks, responsibilities and commitments. We also love to maintain the status quo — in other words, we get really comfortable with what is, we fear change and we resist getting shuffled outside our comfort zone. But what about this third energy of destruction? Generally, we're completely freaked out by it. We equate destruction with failure and we steer clear, without remembering that pruning is a necessity for any healthy garden. All good stories must have a completion. Destruction may often bring a sense of chaos or entropy with it, and it can be a beautiful storm that clears the path for new beginnings.

💎 October Journal Prompts:

Where am I resisting "destruction" in my life?

How might I reframe this energy so I may embrace it as a necessary step towards my growth?

What decisions have I been avoiding, and what needs to happen to move into decisiveness?

Where can I embody more wise discernment?

What Britta's up to?

NEW Podcast Episode 🎙

I've got some really juicy new podcast episodes turning out for you this season! I've literally been dreaming into these episodes for many months now, and was patiently waiting for Autumn to drop them into your headphones...

Decision Medicine

if you like this little dip into Kali, Destruction, the Sacred Sword and Wise Discernment, you'll love this episode, where I deep dive on the vital medicine of being an expert decision-maker. 

Become a Good Quitter

Inspired by a statement made by my friend and Theta healer Alexis, this episode is all about leaving the party before it gets awkward! In other words, knowing when to walk away. I break down the connotations of "quitting" and offer some reframes and some personal stories of when quitting is absolutely the highest and best path to take.

The Karma and Dharma of Names

Hi, I'm Britta Cleghorn Gudmunson. And I've got some serious name karma!

I've been contemplating this topic my entire life, and in this episode I bring you some stories and contemplations on the meaning of names, the power and vulnerability of playing God that comes with giving names to people and things, and lots more.

Find the episodes on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Anchor or wherever you listen to your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please give it a rating! Apparently, that's how podcasts get seen more... And share it with a friend whom you think would benefit and enjoy it 🤡

Spotlight on my fresh new website look 💻

For my 40th birthday, I decided to get some new photos taken and revamp my website aesthetic. My site is gorgeous, and I've wanted to update the color palette, swap out some moody images for grinning ones, and do a bit of simplifying... my aim is to make your experience of visiting my virtual home pleasurable, tactile, pleasure-full and most of all, simplified.

Take a look around and let me know what you think!

You'll find my free and paid courses easier to access, which paves the way for some fresh new offerings coming down the birth canal in the next 6 months ;)

Happy fall.

I hope this October Attunement offers you some fresh ideas and nudges you in the direction of decisiveness for where you'll aim your energy this season.

As a saying from Confucius goes, "the one who chases two rabbits catches neither."

In devotion to your wise discernment,

Join me for my new 10-month group journey! It’s called

Metamorphosis: a mythic mastermind + community council for alchemical leaders

I’m keeping it real small and intimate– 10 journeyers is the cap.

Together, we’ll alchemize the 4 stages of growth and discovery into one transformational journey.

We begin this September, and I cannot wait.