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The Oracle’s Autumn Refresh Challenge 2024

Welcome to Fall.

Stargazers across the Americas recently peeked through their windows to witness the recent “celestial trifecta” lunar eclipse, where September’s harvest moon, a supermoon and a blood moon coincided to produce an eerily orange nightlight. Spiritual astrologists see this rare event as a symbol of balance and transformation: an opportunity to purge negative energy and anger while repairing their emotional relationships. Essentially, it’s a seasonal restart. The change of seasons offers a clean slate to dust off the sand from summer and head into cozy weather with intention. And yes, Los Angeles does in fact change temperatures. Below is your guide to flourishing this fall and thriving under the falling leaves and rainy sidewalks.

An array of festive pumpkins adorn a front doorstep. As the mascot of the autumn season, pumpkins are the perfect natural decoration, colorful gourds by day and jack-o-laterns by night.
1. Setting the Mood

As chill-averse Angelenos prepare for hibernation, we’ll begin spending a lot of time inside, meaning we’d benefit from tapping into the five senses. Visually, you’ll want to begin by decluttering your common places: make your bed every morning, put the dishes away and organize your desk. With a clean space, you’re free to decorate for the season, either taking the Halloween and turkey-themed Michaels approach or simply changing the colors of your flower vases, kitchen towels and bedding. Candlelight is the key to a cozy household, but this year, forget about toxic, unsustainable wax sticks and buy a make-your-own beeswax kit. If you’re somehow missing that poisonous fake citrus smell, try boiling a pot of orange peels, lemons, apples and cinnamon sticks to provide a quiet spiced aroma in the kitchen.

An array of festive pumpkins adorn a front doorstep. As the mascot of the autumn season, pumpkins are the perfect natural decoration, colorful gourds by day and jack-o-laterns by night. (Photo credit: Lucy Williams)
My mom sips a steaming mug of coffee on a chilly day. With plummeting temperatures comes the resurgence of fuzzy beanies and plushy coats, and their endless designs allow for many styling possibilities.
2. Songs and Style

Crisp weather calls for crisp outfits, and as the fashionistas say, more layers mean more opportunities to try unique styles. As you look through your closet, relocate your summer tanks and spotlight the puffers and pants for easy access. My 50-degree go-to is a grey fitted sweater with dark wash ’90s jeans, some fuzzy Uggs and gold hoops. To compliment your outfit, walk (or skate) through the chill with a main-character autumn playlist. To create your personal playlist, start with soft, moody artists including Fiona Apple, Bon Iver, Jack Johnson, Sade, beabadoobee and Norah Jones.

My mom sips a steaming mug of coffee on a chilly day. With plummeting temperatures comes the resurgence of fuzzy beanies and plushy coats, and their endless designs allow for many styling possibilities. (Photo credit: Lucy Williams)
Last autumn, I hosted an elaborate Spanish tapas dinner party for my school friends. Hosting is a staple on my dopamine menu, as it combines my cooking hobby with the joy of spending time with friends.
3. The Dopamine Menu

A good friend of mine recently told me about this ingenious way to make your mindless obsession with lists productive. Instead of scribbling in a half-hearted “things I’m grateful for” journal for the 5th year in a row, try creating a menu of things that trigger your happiness. When winter blues threaten to hit early, and it seems as if New Year’s will never come, this three-tiered spread gives you a seasonal spark of joy to cure any occasion. Tired of robotic school days? Try an appetizer — a quick remedy, such as a soothing bubble bath. Fighting with a friend?  Pick an entree — something fun you don’t do often, like a day trip to an autumnal forest. Experiencing loss? Choose a dessert — return to your support system by Facetiming a cousin.

Last autumn, I hosted an elaborate Spanish tapas dinner party for my school friends. Hosting is a staple on my dopamine menu, as it combines my cooking hobby with the joy of spending time with friends. (Photo credit: Lucy Williams)
These buttery, rosemary sweet potato "Christmas trees" are a Thanksgiving staple in our family. Once an experimental recipe failed by my middle school self, we've come to innovate new ways to cook it, proving that trying new recipes can result in your next favorite dishes.
4. Sweets & Savories

It’s no secret that fall is the season of spice. There’s nothing more pristinely autumnal than a freshly baked pumpkin loaf with a crackly top and steamy moist inside, glazed with salty butter and served with tea. Pumpkin is quite versatile in terms of baked goods, especially after Halloween when supply greatly exceeds demand and price plummets, but gourd objectors can experiment with apples, zucchini, carrots and even persimmons. Not a sweets person? Cold-ridden or not, this weather brings cravings for thick, soupy dishes. My worldwide fall rotation always spotlights a pumpkin or squash soup with feta crackers, classic French cassoulet, Italian minestrone and Puerto Rican arroz con pollo. My challenge to you: Get off of the couch and have everyone in the family make a new dish for Thanksgiving dinner — flop or not, the result will surely bring a hilarious day of family bonding.

These buttery, rosemary sweet potato “Christmas trees” are a Thanksgiving staple in our family. Once an experimental recipe failed by my middle school self, we’ve come to innovate new ways to cook it, proving that trying new recipes can result in your next favorite dishes. (Photo credit: Lucy Williams)
Los Angeles' Haunted Hayride is an annual Halloween theme park located near Griffith Park. A cheap country version of Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights, the venue boasts interactive mazes, zombie concerts, wagon rides, axe throwing and escape rooms, surely spooking you into the Halloween spirit.
5. An Epic Bucket List

Whether you’re hibernating or hustling in the harvest season, autumn is a chance to make as many memories as you did in summer, if not more. Your fall bucket list should include a mix of cozy indoor activities such as themed bake-offs, yoga challenges, movie marathons and game nights. Consider adding some seasonal adventures to embark on with friends and family, from rainy ramen dates at a small mom-and-pop restaurant to a weekend road trip to see a national park.

Los Angeles’ Haunted Hayride is an annual Halloween theme park located near Griffith Park. A cheap country version of Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights, the venue boasts interactive mazes, zombie concerts, wagon rides, axe throwing and escape rooms, surely spooking you into the Halloween spirit. (Photo credit: Lucy Williams)
My sister climbs a tree we discovered on one of our morning hikes. Even in colder weather, exploring nature can inspire gratitude and spiritual reflection, from venturing through national park forests to taking impromptu walks on the beach.
6. Find real peace.

With a fall as fabulous as yours, it’s important to slow down, take three deep breaths and recognize how special this season of gratitude is. To reach that state of “autumn alignment,” try walking without a destination, and see who you meet and what you discover. Talk without technology, and ask your loved ones real questions. Most importantly, document everything: Pour yourself into a journal and take photos of each adventure you go on. This will alleviate your mind and save memories to cherish in the future. Or simply take my fellow reporter Vivi’s advice and do more nothing. You’d be surprised how much clearer you’ll see when the world sits still.

My sister climbs a tree we discovered on one of our morning hikes. Even in colder weather, exploring nature can inspire gratitude and spiritual reflection, from venturing through national park forests to taking impromptu walks on the beach. (Photo credit: Lucy Williams)
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