October 2025 Almanac
A spooky autumnal scene, Ss. Simon & Jude, guest speakers, and a new book club season
October is the month that seems
All woven with midsummer dreams;
She brings for us the golden days
That fill the air with smoky haze.
She brings for us the lisping breeze
And wakes the gossips in the trees,
Who whisper near the vacant nest
Forsaken by its feathered guest.
Now half the birds forget to sing,
And half of them have taken wing,
Before their pathway shall be lost
Beneath the gossamer of frost.
Zigzag across the yellow sky,
They rustle here and flutter there,
Until the boughs hang chill and bare.
What joy for us—what happiness
Shall cheer the day the night shall bless?
‘Tis hallowe’en, the very last
Shall keep for us remembrance fast,
When every child shall duck the head
To find the precious pippin red.Evalyn Callahan Shaw, “October” (19th c.)
Dear friends - thank you for your patience, as I’m a few days late in sending the Almanac! The transition to October is always a busy time here, but I’m so thrilled to share a new Almanac with you.
In each Almanac, you’ll find a ‘book of days’ to track this month’s HF gatherings & resources…a reveal of our monthly in-depth focus…a whimsical coloring page to inspire us throughout all our October days…and a playlist to serenade.
Consider saving this post to peek back at it throughout the month!
Pax+bonum, Kristin.
Online gatherings
OCTOBER 9 | Thursday at 10 am Pacific Time | Gathering with author and Anglican vicar
about his upcoming book Rhythms of Faith: A Devotional Pilgrimage Through the Church Year
» Paid Subscribers: Rev. Claude’s book will be available on October 14, and it’s such a wise, refreshing, timeless devotional that reveals even more nuance and beauty in the spiritual discipline of the Church year!OCTOBER 15 | Wednesday at 5 pm Pacific Time | Fall Book Club welcome gathering
» Paid Subscribers: We’ll open up our time with our cozy new autumnal book club selection - I’m SO excited to share it with you soon! Bring a warm beverage, if you can!OCTOBER 17 | Friday at 9 am Pacific Time | Discussion with Fr. Victor Cancino, SJ, pastor of the historic St. Ignatius Mission in St. Ignatius, MT
» Paid Subscribers: The gorgeous St. Ignatius Mission church was built in 1891, and it remains a co-labor of the Jesuit tradition and the Bitterroot Salish, Pend d’Oreille, & Kootenai peoples of northwest Montana. I’m delighted to have Fr. Victor joining us!Rescheduling Kelly’s chat for November!
OCTOBER 27 | Monday, time TBD | Chat with Kelly ofMorning Star Seeds»Paid Subscribers:Kelly is the illustrator and farmer behind Morning Star Seeds, as well as the voice ofA Green Rule- we’ll get to chat with her about incarnational theology, Marian gardens, ecology & faith, and more!OCTOBER 29 | Wednesday at 11 am Pacific Time | Trick-or-Treat with
- author, educator, and liturgical living kindred spirit!
» All Subscribers: Join Ashley & on Substack Live as we chat about Hallowe’en and more!
Fresh Posts & Previous Archives
OCTOBER 4 | Saturday | October Almanac printable scene available - print out your pieces and place your first layer (for St. Francis’ Day!)
OCTOBER 4 | Saturday | St. Francis’ Day
FIRST HALF OF OCTOBER | Fall Book Club announced - with a giveaway!
SECOND HALF OF OF OCTOBER | Monthly focus & resources available for the Feast of Ss. Simon & Jude (October 28)
OCTOBER 18 | Saturday | Lukismas
OCTOBER 28 | Tuesday | Feast of Ss. Simon & Jude - our focus feast this month
SECOND HALF OF OF OCTOBER | Recap of our liturgical life group’s October celebration
OCTOBER 31 | Friday | Hallowe’en
Founding Membership
MID-OCTOBER | Fall boxes mailed out to founding membership, filled with delights to support autumnal liturgical living.
You can also find this calendar of upcoming events posted in the Village Green - please note that times and dates may need to be shifted (if they are, I’ll let you know!)
In building this charming (and ever-so-slightly-spooky) scene, we’ll remember that our October feasts are not insular…they’re all part of a greater story.
As you add to the scene throughout the month, notice how the different layers build upon each other…creating a fuller picture & more complete liturgical story together as we wind our way toward Hallowtide. By the time we’ve neared the end of October, you’ll have an entire whimsical scene filled with reminders of the month’s feasts.
Print out all of the scene elements on card stock and cut them out, leaving the tabs attached. Fold tabs for stability. Each layer represents a different feast!
Set the elements up one feast at at a time - with the earliest feast in the front, working toward the latest feast at the back.
As you add to the layers of this scene, take a moment to offer a prayer prompted by each feast, learn more about each saint or tradition, and encounter their botanical emblems.
An info sheet is included with more details on the plants, feasts, and connections seen in this month’s Almanac!
Available in the Scriptorium for paid subscribers:
As we move toward the vigil of All Hallows, let’s focus our attention toward a feast that precedes it and carries a Hallowtide flavor: the feast of Ss. Simon & Jude on October 28. It’s often forgotten in the rush toward Hallowe’en, but in considering all these holidays together, we’ll encounter a greater depth of October celebration and remembrance!
Reflections, history, folk traditions, art, and more will be available the second half of October
Paid members will receive a printable cover page and booklet for their liturgical year binders, as well as a peek into how our liturgical living group celebrates this holiday
October might very well be my favorite month of the whole year - our farm’s pumpkin patches are open, fall leaves are bright and fleeting, the mist is rolling in daily…and we’re on the road to Hallowtide! Let’s practice weaving all these holidays together, seeing how their layers influence, discipline, and invigorate our own lives.
Pax et bonum,
Kristin
I’m looking forward to it. Pray for a bountiful sugar beet season for the growers🌸
I can't wait for our live!