I choose colors from the landscape around me to inform the prayer flag I will create each month. October was a bit different. I knew that by the end of the month Autumn colors would be evident and I wanted to represent that in my flag. Yet, all was still green when the month began.
While planning this flag, I was also preparing a free class for my newsletter subscribers, exploring the symbolism behind Halloween colors.* This inspired me to work with black and orange in my October flag, colors rich with their own meaning this time of year.
As I stitched, I thought about falling leaves and chose not to secure every edge of fabric, so the pieces could move gently in the wind. Streamers of ribbon hang from the bottom, mirroring the downward drift of autumn leaves.
The crocheted black circle came from a vintage button. It is serendipitous that the new moon occurs during Halloween this year! The dangling piece of crocheted trim from a vintage tablecloth represents the spider webs that are so prevalent this time of year.
My contemplation and prayers while working on this piece were twofold. I continued to reflect on the personal meanings of orange and black – just as I explored in my newsletter – and found myself remembering Halloweens past, both as a child and as a mother. I don’t dress up anymore, but I still feel the joy I felt watching my mother make costumes for me, and later as I made them for my children. And I can’t forget the fun of costume parties and trick or treating.
Now, as the month draws to a close, autumn has fully transformed the landscape around me, and this prayer flag echoes the season’s shift.
*Receive this free class when you sign up for my newsletter, Soul Tending: Cultivating a Joyful Spirituality.
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