Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings. For this week’s Siren Saturday, I have decided to share another entry in my Incarnated Mermaid Diaries series. Today’s topic is The Liminality of Autumn!
As we are finally stepping into the height of Autumn, I thought that it was the ideal time to write a meditation on the liminality of the Autumn season! Both Autumn and Spring have this in common, as they are the temperate seasons that occur between the seasons that boast extreme weather. This is also why we have Autumn and Vernal Equinoxes, as opposed to Solstices. Equinoxes are the days when the amount of daylight and night hours are equal, whereas Solstices are the longest day and longest night!
So, once Autumn begins to bring in the crisp air and the changing leaves, we enter into a full season of liminality. It is a time when it is neither too hot nor too cold. It is neither too sunny nor too dark. It is neither as energetic as Summer nor as restful as Winter. This is a time of middling energy. And it is that sense of being betwixt and between that exemplifies the liminal! It is no wonder that Autumn and Spring have an uptick of spiritual activity, be that from Ghosts or the Fae, as liminal spaces and times make it easier to part the Veil.
Of course, the full season of Autumn is liminal, but there is also more subtle liminality to be found in the transition between seasons. This is a concept I have been thinking about a lot as Summer became Autumn. I have been thinking that the time when late Summer bleeds into early Autumn holds its own special subtle form of liminality, and this is true of all seasonal transitions. However, the Summer into Autumn transition, and the Winter into Spring transition, hold a special potency of preparing us for the full season of liminality. So, there is this shift of subtle liminality into a full-blown liminality as Autumn reaches a peak! This is when we see the leaves changing and feel the chill in the air. This is when even those who are not major horror fans begin to itch to watch horror films. Plans get a bit cozier, and outfits get a bit more layered against cool air in the mornings and evenings. Oh, these changes are small, but they are a sign of the magick in the air!
You see, for me, magick crackles in the air as Autumn reaches a peak. That very Fae sense of the liminal takes over, and it feels as if enchantment is ever present! Yes, this is a time of great transformation of which we often speak. I wonder if this magickal shift is more deeply felt by those like myself, who are Incarnated Mermaids, or simply have Souls that do not originate as human, for I can only speak for myself. Of course, that is why this has been included as a topic for the Incarnated Mermaid Diaries series!
I hope you have enjoyed this short and meditative look at Autumn and liminality. What is your favorite sign of the liminality in Autumn? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is an Incarnated Mermaid Diaries Title Artwork that I created using the Waterhouse painting Hylas and the Nymphs. I found the painting on https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Waterhouse_Hylas_and_the_Nymphs_Manchester_Art_Gallery_1896.15_n2.jpg.
LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries
2 responses to “The Incarnated Mermaid Diaries: The Liminality of Autumn”
What a beautiful, meditative reflection on the liminality of Autumn! You’ve captured something truly special about this season—that sense of being “betwixt and between” that makes Autumn feel so magickal and alive with possibility.
I love how you distinguished between the Equinoxes and Solstices, and how you connected the balance of light and dark to the spiritual activity that seems to stir during these temperate seasons. The idea that the Veil thins more easily in liminal times feels deeply intuitive—there’s a reason why Autumn has always been associated with ghosts, the Fae, and the uncanny.
Your point about the subtle liminality of seasonal transitions is especially evocative. That moment when late Summer bleeds into early Autumn does have its own peculiar energy—like standing in a doorway between two worlds. And you’re right that it carries a special potency, preparing us for the full embrace of liminality as Autumn reaches its peak. The image of cozy plans, layered outfits, and the urge to watch horror films is so relatable—small changes, but ones that signal something deeper stirring beneath the surface.
As for your question—my favorite sign of Autumn’s liminality? I think it’s the scent of the air itself. That crisp, cool breath of wind that carries the smell of fallen leaves and distant woodsmoke, when the world feels both familiar and slightly enchanted. It’s the moment you realize the season has truly turned, and anything feels possible.
Thank you for sharing this entry from your Incarnated Mermaid Diaries, Maranda. It’s a lovely reminder to pause and savor the magick of this in-between time. 🍂✨
Thank you so much for your kind words. I am delighted that my meditation on the magickal liminality of Autumn spoke to you so deeply. I agree with your point that the very scent of the air changing is such a lovely and subtle shift in the atmosphere that is utterly enchanting! As always, thanks for reading and commenting.