A Shamanic & Ancestral Journey Through the Threshold of Autumn
As September unfolds, we cross an invisible yet powerful threshold. The days begin to shorten, the winds grow cooler, and the golden light of late summer softens everything it touches. In ancient and shamanic traditions, this time of year wasn’t merely a seasonal shift. It was a sacred turning point. It was also a call to realign with the rhythms of the Earth and the wisdom of the unseen world.
September carries the energy of Virgo — the archetype of sacred service, purification, and order. Before we organize schedules or clean out closets, we should engage in something deeper. This involves a spiritual cleansing. We also aim for a return to harmony. Lastly, it is about reconnecting with our place in the greater web of life.
🪶 A Time of Sacred Order in the Old Ways
In shamanic and earth-honouring cultures across the world, this early part of September was considered significant. It was a time to restore balance. The Earth herself begins to prepare for rest — and so did the people. Crops were nearing harvest, and communities began preparing spiritually and physically for the darker months ahead.
But before the gathering came the clearing — not just of the land, but of the soul.
🌿 Sacred Observances in Ancient Traditions
🔥 Smoke as Prayer
In Indigenous traditions across the Americas and beyond, sacred herbs like sage, mugwort, or cedar were cherished for their spiritual importance. These herbs held a revered place in spiritual practices. They were more than mere cleansing tools. The smoke from these herbs was not used merely to “cleanse.” It served as living medicine and a method to communicate with the spirit world. As the smoke rose, the prayers rose as well. They asked for guidance. They sought protection and the removal of energies no longer aligned with one’s path. Elders taught that the herbs had spirit allies within them. Burning these herbs invited the spirits into the space. This act brought clarity and healing.
🌾 Offerings to the Land
Among Andean, Celtic, and Slavic cultures, the first harvest was sacred. The people would never eat from the early bounty without first making an offering to the land. They honored Pachamama, the spirits of the fields, and the ancestors who had kept the cycles turning. Offerings were placed at trees, springs, stone altars, or crossroads, all considered places where the veil was thin. This was not superstition. It was a form of spiritual etiquette. It was a way to remain in right relationship with the Earth.
🪨 Stone Medicine & Earth Connection
Stones were seen as the elders of the Earth. In many shamanic lineages, they were used to anchor the spirit, to bring healing, and to act as silent teachers. People carried specific stones for grounding — obsidian for cutting through illusions, hematite for stabilizing energy, flint for clarity. Stones were placed on the body during healing rituals. They were also kept on altars to connect with ancestral memory and Earth’s wisdom.
🥁 Ritual Sound & Journeying Between Worlds
In Mongolian, Siberian, and Amazonian shamanism, the drum or rattle was more than an instrument. It served as a vehicle for spiritual travel. Practitioners used rhythmic sound to shift their consciousness and journey into other realms. During this time of year, they would often seek the spirit of the season. They asked what was ready to be released. They inquired what wisdom needed to be integrated. They considered what energies were preparing to emerge. The drumming was both prayer and medicine, both question and answer.
🌗 A Season of Reflection
In all of these traditions, there was a shared understanding: what happens in the Earth is reflected in us. As leaves prepare to fall, we too are called to let go. As the sun lowers in the sky, we are invited to turn inward. This first week of September is not just about cleaning or organizing. It is about returning to rhythm. It is about reweaving ourselves into the deeper cycles of life.
📿 Wisdom to Carry Into the Week
“When the Earth prepares to rest, so must we prepare to return to balance.”
— Andean Q’ero Teaching
“I root into the Earth and release what no longer serves. I return to sacred order.”
— Ancestral mantra for the turning of the season
Gudrun C. Fritz
Healer of Earth & Soul | Mystic Mentor | Ritualist of the Remembered Way
Shamanic Healing 