The Ritual Master Is it just me, or are the days passing by at an incredible speed ? I feel like Christmas is just a few weeks away, and I haven’t even taken in all the autumn. So first thing’s first : when I feel like the world is spinning is when I need a meditation break. With or without an app, take a few moments and get centered.
For this month, I chose to enjoy an aromatic rooibos from Lupicia teahouse. Its french name, Velouté d’automne, is a universe in itself : velvety autumn. Imagine the mild natural caramel of rooibos, with aromas of sweet potato, pumpkin and chestnut. The beautiful intense red infusion is a dream. I can enjoy it as late in the evening as I like, and the flavour is just perfect for my October state of mind.
My reading is adapting to this new season, as I feel more and more nostalgic and looking for that cosy feeling of Octobers past. It seems to be the perfect moment to read this anthology of stories and legends from the Champagne region. I picked it up a few years back when in Reims, the capital of Champagne, a city of many beauties. Between the history and the gastronomy, you cannot help being fascinated by its people and the wonders they have achieved for centuries. The book seems to have a folktale feel to it, a misty aura of legend and mistery. Autumn appropriate, I believe !
Of course, no October is right without some poetry. For this, I can always rely on Ion Minulescu, my favourite Romanian poet, sadly not translated into English. Influenced by the French Symbolist movement, he was one of the first Romanian poets to use free verse, and to gracefully combine what he most admired in Baudelaire or Rimbaud, with a very Romanian way of feeling, profoundly European, yet sunkissed here and there by the Orient. I will not dessecrate his work by trying my hand in poetry translation, I personnally believe it to be the highest form of treason there is in terms of translation. But I do advise looking up a Symbolist poet of your choice this autumn and give it a try.
And while we’re on the subject of Romania, I think the time has come to let myself be inspired by this historic description of Paddy Leigh Fermor in Romania, called The Vagabond and the Princess. Sir Patrick Michael Leigh Fermor was widely regarded as Britain’s greatest living travel writer during his lifetime, a cross between Indiana Jones, James Bond and Graham Greene. Alan Ogden documents the adventures of Paddy Fermor in Romania, with wonderful anecdotes and precious photographs of the early 20th century. Allow me to quote the introduction : Romania was but one of many countries that Paddy Leigh Fermor traversed in his epic journey on foot from London to Instanbul in the 1930s. Hungary was in many respects the first brush he had with the unfamiliar and once he had crossed the border into Romania, he discovered a romantic remote world where , free of inhibitions and conformity, he found his true self. He was by no means the first Englishman to become enamored with this alluring country on the edge of Europe.
I have my tea, the choice of books is wonderful, all that I’m missing is a snack. When it comes to healthy baking, I find things a bit tricky. But luckily, this version of an ayurvedic cookie is just what my cup of tea needed. Oats, pumpkin seed, tahini and maple syrup. Are you salivating yet ? If not, then add generous amounts of cinnamon and cardamom, and you will… The full recipe is in the Recipes menu, as always. An easy to make healthy cookie for your reading time.
October evenings are when I start to feel the real, deep change of season. At 7 pm it’s already dark outside, so the bedtime ritual becomes a must. You can experiment with all kinds of wise treasures passed on through generations in ancient cultures. The important thing is to find your own relaxing ritual, and be consistend so that your brain can identify those actions with the calmness and safety of your bed. Some evenings I soak my feet in epsom salt, others I pun on a face mask, but there are two things that always remain the same. Rubbing oil on my skin before bedtime is a moment of sheer luxury. I have a collection of body oils, so right from the beginning I feel like a princess, chosing the oil of the evening. Then I take the time to massage the oil into my skin, especially since autumn is the starting point of dry flaky skin. Putting on my PJ’s after my oil massage, I feel divine. And now the moment comes, when I choose my pillow mist. Collection is my middle name, or maybe since I get easily bored, I like to have a choice. Most pillow mists have lavender, patchouli and some citrus scent, as they promote relaxation and restful sleep. But you can find other notes to suit your mood, you just have to look more carefully when you shop. My latest guilty pleasure is one with hemp, vanilla and lavender. And I promise you, spritzing some pillow mist every night for two years, my brain is like a well trained dog. It’s time for bed, my adrenals calm down, my focus dims down as well, and I’m ready for a well deserved night’s rest.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my October ritual and maybe got inspired to try one of these suggestions.Until next time, enjoy your reading, and your rituals !
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