1 October 2026
The light has changed.
Evenings arrive sooner. The air carries that first proper chill.
October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For me that is not a ribbon on a calendar. It is personal. After my own cancer journey, I became fiercely protective of the small, quiet ways we look after ourselves - what we breathe, how we rest, and whether we actually know our own bodies.
So this month’s rituals are simple. A walk among the trees. A bowl of soup. A book. A few honest minutes to check. And a candle that asks the day to soften.
October Ritual 1: A few quiet minutes to check
You know your body better than anyone. Checking your breasts or chest does not need a special technique, or a particular day of the month. I do find that the turn of a new month reminds me, though. October is as good a prompt as any.
One of the clearest guides I return to is Know Your Lemons. Their chart shows, simply, how a breast can change - and it is the image I wish more of us had seen earlier.
Know Your Lemons — know the signs
Touch your whole breast area, up to your collarbone and into your armpits. Look for anything new or unusual for you: a lump or swelling, dimpling or puckering, a change in colour or shape, a nipple that has turned in, a rash, or discharge that is not normal for you. Many changes aren’t cancer, but it’s important to have any new or unusual change checked by your GP.
I do mine in the shower, or while getting dressed. No ceremony. Just a habit. If anything feels unfamiliar, I book the appointment rather than waiting to see if it goes away.
October Ritual 2: Forest bathing
Nothing is better, this time of year, than the changing colours. Twenty minutes. No destination. Just fresh air, and a little time among the trees.
October Ritual 3: A bowl of something golden
I love soup once the evenings draw in. A favourite, while squash is in season, is roasted butternut with sage and ginger. I roast the squash until the edges caramelise, then blend it into something the colour of the trees.
Roasted butternut, sage & ginger soup (serves 4, about 35 minutes)
- 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 thumb of fresh ginger, sliced
- A small handful of sage leaves
- Olive oil, sea salt, black pepper
- 750ml vegetable stock
- A swirl of cream or coconut cream to finish
Toss the squash, onion, garlic, ginger and sage in oil. Roast at 200°C for 25 minutes until golden. Blend with the hot stock until velvet-smooth. Taste, season, swirl.
October Ritual 4: Book, flame, early night
I am trying to read more. I have just begun Theo of Golden by Allen Levi, and I am loving it so far — gentle, human, the sort of book that suits an earlier night.
These are the rituals I am trying to keep as the season turns. A check. A walk. A bowl. A book. After the walk, I might light Joy Burst; with soup, Velvet Ember or Spiced Sanctuary; and with a book, Lunar Bloom. Keep the amber jar and refill it, or let Candle Club choose the next one.
What are you turning toward, or looking forward to, this month? I would love to know.
If you want to bring a little of this quiet home, explore the candles above and their refills.
Love Rebecca Jayne x
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