🥖Baguettes and sunsets🌅
...plus an invitation💌
Hello, I’m Charly, a botanist and lunar lover based in Sheffield. I’m on a mission to adopt a slower pace of life which is more in sync with the energies of the seasons here in the Northern hemisphere. Subscribers enjoy full access to my bi-monthly newsletters. I also offer online courses centred around the Wheel of the Year with the next one beginning on 1 November: Rituals for Rest Winter 2025-26
Welcome to the sixth of this year’s eight free editions of Moontime Musings in line with the Pagan Sabbats of the Wheel of the Year. To receive all my newsletters, subscribe below.
Dear you,
I'm writing to you, still in the dreamy fuzz of having spent a wonderful fortnight cycling and camping on the beautiful island of Guernsey and along the coast of Northern France - witnessing incredible sunsets, marvelling at the warmth of the sea and sampling at least one baguette a day! The simplicity of camping and the rituals embedded in this way of living is such a tonic after a busy summer, and I’m longing to incorporate such simplicity into the months ahead as we wind down into Winter.
Centering ritual was something I feel I did well last Winter thanks to the beautiful community of folk who joined me for my 3 month/13 week journey: Rituals for Rest where we explored 13 different nature-based rituals each week to maintain connection to the more-than-human world and each other at time when hibernating is incredibly tempting! I’m now inviting folks to waitlist for this journey from 1 November - 1 February and will be opening doors to enrol on 21 October - coinciding with the New Moon in Libra. If you’re interested, you can join the waitlist below with no obligation to enrol.
Inside this newsletter I share some musings on the final Eclipse of 2025, Mid Autumn Festival, Autumn Equinox and how we can harness the nutrients we need to combat seasonal colds with an incredible plant who is fruiting right now.
Now onto what’s coming up for the remainder of September:
21 September 20:54 BST: New Hunters Moon in Virgo
21 September 18:29 BST: Partial Solar Eclipse (not visible from U.K)
22 September: Autumn Equinox 19:20 BST
22 September: Mabon (Neo-Pagan)
22 September: Sun moves into Libra
29 September: St Michael the Archangel (Michaelmas; Christian)
30 September: Ivy Moon (Celtic Tree Calendar)
1 October: Surfer’s Against Sewage Dip a Day begins
2 October: Orionids Meteor Shower begins
6 October: Mid-Autumn Festival
7 October: Full Hunters Moon in Aries 04:48 BST
🌒Eclipse Season
We’re rapidly approaching the end of the second eclipse season of 2025 - a time which happens usually twice a year around the Equinoxes and symbolises opportunities for final endings and bright new beginnings.
The Total Lunar Eclipse back on 7 September was visible from the U.K and what a spectacle it was. I’d forgotten it was happening and looked up at the moon (who I’d noticed was almost full the night before), to see a huge chunk missing and realised I was witnessing the Eclipse - such a magical spectacle!
A Lunar Eclipse always occurs about two weeks before or after a Solar Eclipse and usually, there are two eclipses in a row, but sometimes, there are three during the same eclipse season. The Total Lunar Eclipse on 7 September was the second of 2025 and coincided with the Pisces Full Moon.
We’re now only a few days away from a Partial Solar Eclipse on 21 September 2025 (coinciding with the Virgo New Moon) which sadly won’t be visible in the U.K.
🏮Mid Autumn Festival
Second only to the celebrations at Chinese New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a poignant reminder that our ancestors around the world held traditions and celebrations that were deeply connected to the Moon and her cycles. If you’re not familiar with the origins of Mid Autumn Festival, here’s a summary from Sheffield Museums:
The Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, originates from ancient Chinese agricultural society, honouring the harvest and fostering gratitude. Traditionally celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, it's a time for family reunions, moon appreciation, and enjoying mooncakes.1
This year, Mid-Autumn Festival coincides with the Full Hunter’s Moon in Aries on 6-7 October with many celebrations taking place the weekend before.
🌹Rosehip Syrup recipe
This weekend I took myself on an Autumn foraging walk to collect Rosehips. In previous years, a ritual of mine has been to make Rosehip Syrup to ward off Autumn colds as we approach Winter. With some sniffles looming, I wanted to reconnect to this ritual this year and have created a resource for you on how to turn foraged Rosehips into this magical Autumn medicine to keep us thriving as the darkness approaches.
🌄Autumn Equinox
As you may know, at the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes the sun shines directly over the equator giving us equal hours of daylight and darkness on both occasions. In the Northern hemisphere the Equinox at 19:20 BST on 22 September is called the Autumn Equinox, however, in the Southern Hemisphere, this will be the Spring Equinox (Happy first day of Spring to those in Southern climes!).
If you look at your local sunrise and sunset time for 22 Septmber, you’ll notice that they aren’t exactly at the same time (06:51 BST and 19:06 BST for me here in Sheffield). This is because sunrise and sunset are measured when the top edge of the sun can be seen over our (local) horizon, rather than measuring when the centre of the sun reaches the horizon. The day when equal day and night actually occurs will fall on Thursday for me and this is known as the equilux. Take a look at your local sunrise/sunset times and let me know when you’ll be experiencing the same hours of daylight and darkness in the coming days.
That’s all from me for this sixth free edition of 2025. Please consider sharing this newsletter with anyone who you think would like it. Your reciprocity is greatly appreciated 🙏
The next edition comes out in the week of the the next Full Hunters Moon on 7 October 2025 and full access will be for paid subscribers only. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber for less than the price of a good coffee each month (£3.50) or £35 a year.
Thank you for reading and Autumn Equinox blessings.
Love,
Charly x
Mid-Autumn Festival 2025 - Sheffield Museums Trust