One of my favorite reasons for daring is the opportunity to engage different sides of ourselves. At least for a moment, we can slip out from under the tenets of our “civilized”culture and express both our earth-bound animal selves and our more ethereal, spiritual, soul-selves.

Autumn dares us to engage with light and dark, life and death. The air is charged with an electric spark, audible in the scrape of dry leaves blowing down the street. When light passes through them, the dying leaves seem more alive than ever.

During these enchanted, darkening weeks, we beings of the earth are ripe to imagine that anything can happen. As we plan out costumes and put out decorations, we invite fear and make mystery welcome in our homes. In harmony with Earth’s process of death, we celebrate the magical moment when two worlds collide.

This month I dare you to give darkness and death their due.

October Dares

1. Take yourself on a date to the cemetery. Bring flowers and a picnic to the grave that looks the most neglected or forgotten. Raise a glass to the dead and to la muerte herself--the great patron saint of death. She may be the most faithful friend you will ever have.

Great peace can be found in embracing the simple and final facts. No matter what stresses we may endure or how significant our lives seem, the end result is the same for everyone. Everyone. Celebrate this truth.

2. Create an altar to remember the dead. Make an artful dedication to loss and remembrance Place fresh gifts and sweets for loved ones who have transitioned. Take time to celebrate the next chapter, the one known only by those who have left their bodies.

3. Celebrate darkness. Turn off everything and try to find your way around on the dark. Reacquaint yourself with your instincts and unnamed senses that guide you.

The earth depends on fallow times of long dark nights and short cold days. During these times, the earth rests and regenerates. Being of the earth, we need fallow times and darkness as well.

We need time without screens, dings, buzzes and blinking lights. So unplug. Wander around. Have a conversation in complete darkness. Take time to notice the different quality of a conversation without distraction, only voices. Allow yourself to observe the changes in the quality of light as darkness falls each night. Describe those changes aloud or in writing. Find just the right words- or don’t. Perhaps just observe- wordlessly.

Why?

When we dare, we have the opportunity to remember parts ourselves that we forgot. We have access to wonder- we can find the treasures in-between. We stir up energy in our lives when we dare to do things differently- and we have access to the power to create new ways of being. Sometimes new solutions to problems can come in. We can resonate with the energies of the earth easily forgotten in the wheel of routine. Gifts abound there. Find them with me. We will all do this differently- part of the beauty of daring. As before, I welcome your reflections, experiences and feedback. With your permission,I will be glad to publish pictures, journal entries or any other media inspired by this project. Please email me at sarah@souldaring.com