October and the Beauty of Being In-Between

October has a certain energy about it. The mornings are darker, the evenings stretch out longer and the weather can’t seem to make up its mind. Some days I’m pulling out sweaters and lighting candles, other days I’m cracking open the windows because the sun is warm again. It feels unsettled, in-between, not quite one thing or the other.

That’s what I like about it.

We tend to think of transitions as messy or uncomfortable, something to hurry through. But October reminds me that in-between spaces are a part of life. They’re not just the waiting room before the next chapter. They are the chapter.

What the In-Between Really Is

The word liminal comes from the Latin word for threshold. It’s that space right before you step into something new. You’re no longer where you were, but you’re not yet where you’re going either.

Most of us aren’t great with thresholds. We want answers. We want certainty. We want a plan. When we don’t have that, it’s easy to feel like we’re stuck or falling behind.

I hear this all the time in my sessions.

Women tell me things like:
“I don’t know what’s next but I know it’s not this.”
“I can feel something shifting but I can’t explain it yet.”
“I feel disconnected, like I’ve lost touch with myself.”

That’s the liminal space. It feels foggy and uncomfortable, but it isn’t wasted. It’s where change is quietly brewing underneath the surface.

October as a Teacher

Look around and you can see it. The trees don’t let go of all their leaves in one day. The sun doesn’t suddenly vanish into winter darkness. The season changes little by little.

That’s the beauty of October. It doesn’t rush itself. It doesn’t demand clarity. It lets transition happen in its own timing.

And if you’ve ever been in an in-between season in your life, October is the reminder you need. You don’t have to know the full picture yet. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You’re allowed to be here, even if it feels uncertain.

Grounding When You’re In-Between

Here’s the thing about liminal spaces. They can make even the most grounded person feel a little unsteady. One day you wake up sure of yourself and the next you’re questioning everything. The mind spins, the body tenses and before you know it, you’re trying to think your way out of uncertainty.

But grounding isn’t about figuring things out. It’s about remembering that you are safe in this moment, even when you don’t know what’s coming next. It helps you stay connected to yourself while everything else is shifting.

Grounding doesn’t hand you clarity on demand, but it creates enough steadiness for clarity to find you when it’s ready.

Move your body.
Go for a walk in the crisp air, stretch, dance in your kitchen or lie down on the floor and feel the weight of your body. Movement brings you back into the present. It tells your nervous system, I’m here. I’m safe.

Anchor with your senses.
Light a candle, hold a crystal, sip a warm drink or wrap yourself in a blanket. Let texture, scent and warmth remind you that you belong in your body. The more you come home to your senses, the less power your thoughts have to pull you away.

Breathe intentionally.
When you catch yourself spiraling, pause. Place a hand on your belly and take three slow breaths. Feel the rise and fall under your palm. Breath is the simplest way to return to now, the one place you can actually do something from.

Check in daily.
Ask yourself, What do I need right now? Then honour whatever comes up, even if it’s as small as water, rest or a moment alone. Grounding is a practice of self-listening. It teaches you to meet your needs before the world tells you what they should be.

If you let it, grounding becomes more than a practice. It becomes a way of being. A quiet trust that even when everything is changing, you can always find your way back to yourself.

How to Work With October Energy

If you’re noticing this unsettled energy, try leaning into it instead of fighting it. The goal isn’t to figure everything out, but to stay present enough to notice what’s shifting underneath the surface.

Listen more than you plan.
October isn’t asking you to make big decisions. It’s inviting you to listen. Try swapping your to-do list for a little curiosity. When you catch yourself wondering what’s next, ask instead, “What wants to happen next?” You might be surprised by the small nudges that show up when you give them space.

Create small moments of ritual.
This doesn’t need to be anything elaborate. Light a candle before bed and take a slow breath while it flickers. Stir your morning coffee while thinking of one thing you’re grateful for. Step outside and feel the air before you start your day. When you bring intention into these small acts, they become tiny anchors that remind you you’re part of something unfolding.

Let something go on purpose.
Change always asks for release. It doesn’t have to be dramatic. It could be clearing a drawer, deleting an old note or simply saying goodbye to a story about who you used to be. You can write it down and burn the paper or whisper, “I’m ready to let this go.” That small moment of choosing to make space for what’s coming next.

Spend time in stillness.
Even a few quiet minutes can shift everything. No music, no podcast, no background noise. Just space to notice what’s stirring inside you. Stillness has a way of revealing the next step, not as a plan but as a gentle knowing.

Trust the timing.
Just like October doesn’t turn into winter overnight, your own clarity will arrive in its own time. You don’t need to chase it. The work right now is to stay open, grounded and patient enough to notice when it begins to bloom.

And maybe that’s the quiet gift October gives us, a reminder that the in-between isn’t empty, it’s alive. Things are always shifting beneath the surface, even when we can’t see them yet.

A Reminder for You

We’ve been taught to rush through the in-between, to search for answers, and to move on as quickly as possible. But the in-between isn’t wasted time. It’s where things take shape. It’s where you learn to trust yourself again.

You don’t need to force the next step. You’re already standing at the threshold of it.

Thanks for reading,

Sam 🖤