Cozy Coven Chats: A Witch’s Journey Back to Simplicity
A weekly audio altar for witches, intuitives, and soul seekers.
Join author Jenny C. Bell as she shares her lived experience as a slow living modern witch offering seasonal wisdom, lunar guidance, astrological updates, cozy rituals, and journal prompts to help you stay aligned and empowered through the Wheel of the Year. Jenny will keep it real, simple and honest. It's time to return to a simple practice free of glitz and performance. Grab a cup a tea, your journal and get cozy. Get my monthly newsletters at Jennycbell.com
Cozy Coven Chats: A Witch’s Journey Back to Simplicity
Balance, Release, and Renewal: Navigating the Autumn Equinox
The autumn equinox marks a powerful transition in the witch's wheel of the year—a perfect moment of balance when day and night stand equal before darkness begins to dominate. This episode explores this magical threshold from multiple perspectives, offering both practical and spiritual guidance for harnessing equinox energies.
We begin by examining how this equinox arrives at the closing of an intense eclipse season, creating a unique energetic landscape focused more on release than manifestation. The Chariot tarot card appears as our weekly guide, representing both balance (with its black and white imagery) and surprisingly swift movement forward after a period of feeling stuck. This combination perfectly captures the essence of autumn's beginning—finding equilibrium while preparing for rapid seasonal changes.
The heart of autumn magic lies in balancing through conscious release. Unlike spring's growth-oriented energy, fall invites us to let go—of commitments that no longer serve us, of habits that drain rather than nourish, and of expectations that keep us from present-moment joy. This shedding creates space for the cozy comforts that make this season so special: candle-lit evenings, nature-inspired altar decorations, warming foods, and what we playfully call "hobbit living" (think fresh bread, hearty stews, and unhurried afternoons).
Practical suggestions abound for honoring this season through slow living practices: collecting leaves for natural decorations, preparing herbal remedies for winter wellness, embracing Libra season's beautifying influences, and creating intentional cozy moments that require no special purchases. The episode concludes with journal prompts to help you identify what needs releasing for greater balance, where you're seeking momentum, and how you might invite more beauty into your daily life as we enter this magical season of transformation.
Connect with me here: https://www.jennycbell.com/
Hey witches, welcome to another Cozy Coven Chat. I'm your host, jenny C Bell, and today's episode we're really going to focus on the autumn equinox, what that means for us as witches, how to celebrate, how to tune in all of that, because we like to talk about the energies first. That's going to be the focus of this episode more than anything. So we're going to talk a little bit about the other energies that are going on, because a lot's going on. So today is the eclipse in Virgo, which we talked about last episode, and this is the closing of eclipse season, the closing of the portal or threshold season, the closing of the portal or threshold, and so by this point, hopefully you have kind of figured out what has been your story or theme of the eclipse, because we talked about it last week and you may still feel eclipse energy for this entire week. You know, astrologers will say sometimes up to like seven days to process major astrological events, which is always talk about like if you're going to celebrate a new moon, you can celebrate it three days before, three days after, same with the Fulmin. So seven days total before and after. So if, like, today goes by and you're like I didn't, I don't really know what this is about for me. It might come to you later this week, so just trust that it'll come to you. Um, as we talked about last week, it's in Virgo and Virgo season pretty much ends today. It's very interesting. It's like I think of new moon all the time is like fresh start energy, but the season's ending and this is the last of the eclipse, because you know, every ending is a beginning, every beginning is an end. So you know it's just two sides of the same coin, and so today may not feel like typical new moon energy. Personally, new moons can go either way, right, like they can be the end of the cycle or celebrated as a dark moon of the cycle, or celebrated as a dark moon, um, or they can be seen as a new, fresh start.
Speaker 1:Now we talked about, with eclipses, like it's just not a regular new moon. So we talked about how it's not a regular full moon when there's an eclipse. It's the same for this new moon. So you know, I may not actually do much of anything today. It's going to be probably a good tarot reading to see if lessons have been learned and what's energy still hanging around. Other than that, I just feel like I might journal and rest. I'm not really feeling like. I'm not feeling fresh start. This is not manifesting new moon energy. This is like coming to the end of the season. We're coming to the end of summer, we're coming to the end of Virgo season and we're coming to the end of the eclipse season, like it's a lot of ending energy.
Speaker 1:So, um, it might be a good day, if you're gonna do anything to release the lessons learned, could be to release the lessons learned of summer to show gratitude for whatever happened for you for summer. Um, yeah, I think the key theme would be release. So, if you're going to do any kind of magic, do any kind of ritual or spell release, it's time to release. So, burning paper, burning things we're doing that in our coven, um, on Monday I'm doing a live where we're going to, um, I'm gonna lead everybody through a little prayer and a meditation, a short meditation. We're going to journal and then we're going to burn some things. We need to release and just live in the our coven, um mighty network app. So no link or anything. They just need to show up and it'll be recorded for people that can't make it. Alternatively, if you want to do something similar, but you don't like to have fire, you don't really vibe with that. You can write what you need to write in pen and then rip it up and put in a bowl of water because same kind of idea, right and then throw that, the, the um, the wet paper away. Totally up to you. So, yeah, release. I really think it's what needs to be done at this time. All right, let's get our tarot card for the week week.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we have the chariot Interesting because we are going into the equinox, which is a day of balance, right. Equinoxes we get two a year and they are balancing days because the night and the day are the exact same length. So from here on out, the nights will grow longer all the way until winter solstice, and so these equinoxes are our two days, spring and fall, twice a year for us to check in with balance for ourselves. So, chariot being like black and white, very balancing Chariots, associated with the moon and cancer, and whenever chariot comes in, for me I always think of it as fast moving energy, like it's pushing energy quickly. So what makes me, what makes me think of, is the balancing, like I just talked about with you, that we really need to focus on balancing this week and how to balance for the equinox and what's standing in our way of balance and what does it even mean to be balanced? And in the different parts of our life, like work-life balance, friend versus mom balance, healthy eating versus having fun, balance, you know, exercise versus rest. There's so many different aspects you don't have to look at all of them. We will talk more at the end with journal questions. But this is definitely a week to be reflecting on that.
Speaker 1:But with the chariot, the other part of the chariot is that fast moving energy, like when you are reading like a spread and the tarot comes into or that card comes into that spread of the chariot. It often means that whatever you're seeing in those cards is going to happen quickly. It's either going to happen soon or it's going to happen fast. However, you know it's that temperament so fast, fast change, quick movement which is interesting because this whole eclipse has made me feel slowed down. So it makes me think. Does that mean that we won't feel so slowed down or stuck? We'll feel like we can move quickly. Possibly it may unstick some things for some of us, hopefully. Um, yeah, so you can reflect that and you may want to ask yourself, like, if you're like again, if you're looking for something to do for the new moon, take the chariot cart out, prop her up on the altar and say, okay, where do I need a little help, where do I need a little quickening, where do I need to speed things up or help things move a little quicker right now and reflect on that. Okay, so very interesting.
Speaker 1:Before I dive into the autumn equinox and all that it means, which is quite a bit, I want to tell you that I was talking about this last time, but I'm going to be on Granddaughter Crow's podcast Belief, being and Beyond on October 14th, so if you don't already subscribe to her podcast, do that. She's having a whole series on the veil thinning and I get to kick it off and talk about Samhain. So super excited and I'd love for you to listen to that, okay, so I want to talk a little bit about a couple things. I want to talk a little bit about a couple things. I guess we'll just jump into the equinox and then we'll go from there, okay, so, like I said already, the two equinoxes we get are our time to check in with balance and with spring. We are looking at like what do we need to balance in order to put things into motion, to manifest? You know that manifesting energy because planting seeds and growing season and all of that Spring is that way. Fall is the opposite. Right, look around you, leaves are falling and it's not really a time I would say to plant seeds now. You could definitely it's never too late to manifest or work on something, but that's just not really the energy at the moment. So we are really looking at what needs to be released, what do we need to let go of?
Speaker 1:I always look at this time of year. We get into September and then it just seems like we are suddenly in January. September and then it just seems like we are suddenly in January because holidays happen and it's just very fast moving energy. So I look at September as okay, this is my chance to rebalance some things, to let go of some things, to maybe release some things from my calendar or from my to-do list, or I can. I like to always revisit my goals from the beginning of the year and be like, okay, that's just not realistically going to happen, let's put that off for next year, because I want to start to conserve that energy that I will need for Halloween, thanksgiving, christmas, new Year's.
Speaker 1:You know it's as a parent especially it's a lot of making the magic happen, and so I need to make space for that for myself. So you might want to do the same. You might want to look at making space, because you know this podcast is about slow living, right? You start overbooking yourself and wanting to do all the cozy things. It can feel overwhelming, so you want to maybe start doing that. Make some space, figure out what can you let go of, and that includes like habits that are no longer serving you and it's time to change it up. Anyway, like all of summer, I pretty much eat not a cold breakfast, but not a hot breakfast, like toast or something like that. But as soon as the cold sits in, I start eating like oatmeal or like a cup of miso soup, like warm foods, because I want to start my body able to digest in the morning. I'm getting to that age, but that's really for all of us. But it's this time of starting to build in these more cozy activities, right? The pumpkin spice, which we all know is protective. It's the sipping the coffee slowly, the making the pot of tea and enjoying it throughout the morning.
Speaker 1:It's the writing a good book to read, which, by the way, if you don't already have a library card, please get one. And once you get your library card, please get the Libby app, which is amazing. It's free and it works with your library card and it gets you digital books and audio books Very helpful. And this time of year, personally, I like to read cozy books, so there are sub genres called cozy fantasy and cozy mystery and I highly recommend checking some of those out. We just we've been reading this fairy bargains book Let me get the actual full name. I swear one day I'll have everything prepared. Okay, so it's called the Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill. Most people are already done reading it by Rowena Miller and we're reading it first time reading a fiction book in our coven and I gave them lots of different options and this one won and it's a cozy fantasy, meaning like it's not. You don't have to study a map, people have relatively normal names, it's just there's magic in it, but it's not like you know, I don't know, it's not as intense. These cozy books are like more chill and I really like that, um, for this time of year and also for slow living in general.
Speaker 1:Some other autumn equinox ideas and activities for slow living are getting outside and being a leafer right, like going and admiring the leaves or driving somewhere where you can go admire the leaves, collecting leaves. We did a funny family photo shoot last year where we all went to the local park together and we each picked out a leaf and then put that in front of our face and took a family photo. It was really fun. My son's goal was to find the biggest maple leaf and he definitely won. Making a leaf bouquet. Find the biggest maple leaf, um, and he definitely won.
Speaker 1:Making a leaf bouquet, right, um, putting leaves or acorns on your altar. I've been seeing it's. It's funny to me. On TikTok. There's been a trend about like um, because of the recession or whatever. People are saying it's like I can't afford to decorate for autumn and they just put some leaves out. But yeah, that's what witches do out here. Buying leaves like you can wax, dip them, you can do all kinds of stuff, but um, that's the best fall decoration.
Speaker 1:Talked about apples last time. Like cutting an apple in half for your autumn equinox altar. Yes, putting some leaves in a jar and arranging them nicely, adding a few egghorns, like that's a perfect altar to me. Like, what else do you need? You don't need to buy like a fake pine cone, like just get one. So anyway, doing those kinds of things, um, lighting candles, right, like we're going to start getting where it's darker earlier. So if you don't like fire, get the little battery ones.
Speaker 1:But I love I just found I've had forever on my thrift wishlist. Yes, I do have a thrift wishlist. It keeps me honest because I'll go to the thrift store and be like, oh, I really like this, but it's not on, it's not on the dream list, but forever I've had on my list were brass candlesticks and I just went to recently, went with the family to this city wide yard sale near me and I got two for $2 and it was amazing, like what a steal. Um, super nice lady too. And so now I have those for the center of the dining room table so we can have a nice little candle at dinners. And you know, of course my son will play with the candle. But such it is to be a mom Always burn things safely and keep your children away from fire. But some of them are like moths and so, yeah, having the candles coming out the warm drinks, the cozy blankets, you know, and slow living too.
Speaker 1:It's not about spending money, you know, like you don't have to go and buy all the things that we just talked about. This is more about, like, finding the nature things or upcycling things, going to the thrift store, going to the garage sale, whatever. Um, but yeah, it's more about that. And then other things, for the equinox is, um, like I said, you can take it in two ways it's a time to release, but it's also time to balance. So really, what you're doing is figuring out what you need to release to find your balance. And if you just go with that idea or that theme what do I need to release to find balance you will find all kinds of things right. You'll start releasing habits. You may start releasing things on your to-do list. You may start releasing things you originally said yes to but find you have no actual want or energy to do.
Speaker 1:Um, it's this is the time of year we start to slow down, which is hard because it gets busy with all the holidays, but we do what we can to slow down even more right and savor the day. Sa, like, I love this. I love the lighting this time of year, I recommend doing like a some photos Like it doesn't have. You don't need to have a fancy camera. Just take like your phone and go to a park and do like, just take photos, and they don't have to be for anyone, you don't have to put them on your Instagram, you don't have to put filters on them. Just like, go check out the way the light is playing. Taking photos will make you get up and close and personal with things, and another thing to do or think about this time of year is stocking your autumn winter apothecary. So if you're into that, if you're into herbs, if you haven't already made like a fire cider or an elderberry syrup or a four thieves vinegar, this might be the time to do that.
Speaker 1:This is the time to like stock up on things that'll help your body through the winter. So, um, cherry bark one of the best things I found for a sore throat as well as dried sage leaves and clove. It's not combined. Don't combine those three things. Those are all separate things. Someone's got a sore throat? Hot water with like three clove in them? Cover always cover your herbal tea so they steep better and that really numbs and feels good. Sage does the same thing. You can make sage honey, you can make garlic honey, which are my favorite things.
Speaker 1:It's a time to if you have get congested a lot, you want to stock up on some mullein, dried mullein, and some dried mints the both together, because mullein doesn't taste that great, but together they really help you breathe and breathe clearly. It's a time, yeah, to like go through your pantry, make sure you have. If you're not into building your own teas or having a pot carry, go get the, you know, throat coat tea or whatever. Make sure you have real honey on hand. That's really good for sore throats, um, cough drops, whatever. It's time Like. If you're not into the herbal aspect of it, that's totally okay. Get your version of that and make sure you're stocked, because it's just, you know, unfortunately bound to happen. People are going to get sick and it's better to be prepared than you suddenly feel terrible but you don't want to go to the store. So this is a time of year I go through our pantry, make sure we have like the proper fever reducers and you know all the like drugstore stuff, and I go through and make sure the apothecary is stocked.
Speaker 1:One of my favorite things to take every day during the winter is lemon balm, because it's a natural antiviral and it's uplifting, like it's energetic, it's uplifting, which helps with when things get darker. And, yeah, it's just a time I don't know. My whole this is called cozy coven jets. My whole like lifestyle. I just like to be cozy, but when it's colder you can get really cozy. So ask yourself that, like, how can I make my day even just 5% more cozy? Is it, you know, wearing soft socks, whatever? Like why are we not living our life more cozy? Um, it's a time to bake too. If you like to bake, definitely been making a lot of things with apples. Um, just made an apple cake recently. Apple butter uh, such a perfect time for that. And time to bake bread. It's time to eat soups and stews. We like to think in this house of fall.
Speaker 1:Winter time is our, our hobbit time. You know, like it's like the ideal dinner when it's a hobbit dinner, which means like a really good fresh baked bread with butter and honey on the table and some kind of super stew, like living our best hobbit life here. Um, so, yeah, that's kind of a favorite thing to do. So, yeah, when we look at the equinox both of them. We're talking about balance, but this one is about shedding skin, about releasing things, about letting go of leaves. Right, we start to see the animals are preparing for winter, they're all caching. Right, All my birds are burying peanuts left and right. And that's what I'm talking about, like getting that apothecary set up, getting your everything ready to go, because it's like might as well.
Speaker 1:And then on top of that we're entering Libra season, which is such a charming time of year. It's like Libras are. So my very close chosen family is Libra and she is just naturally very beautiful, very charming, but always so good with like aesthetic, like really knowing how to put together a room or an outfit. And that's Libra. Like it's just charming, it's beautiful, it makes you because it's such a um Venus ruled sign, like Taurus, it makes you want to beautify everything. So if you find yourself wanting to make things prettier or arranging things nicer, give in. If you're finding yourself wanting to like, try a little harder, put together an outfit a little more, give in. Right, like we cleared and we cleaned and we decluttered with Virgo season to make room for the beautification of Libra season. So I'll leave you kind of with that idea.
Speaker 1:So a couple of journal questions are what do you need to release to find balance? And going back to our chariot card, what or where would you like things in your life to move faster? What or where would you like things in your life to move faster? And reflecting on Libra season, right, where can you add more beauty in your day? And that could be buying yourself flowers. It could be arranging crystals in your bathroom just because you want them in there and you want to look at them while you're in there. It could be, you know, painting your nails, whatever like. Where do you want to add beauty? I hope you have a good week. I hope this eclipse season has been kind to you and that the lessons have been helpful. I hope the equinox finds helps you find some balance, as always. Thank you for listening.
