It is October, and I see pumpkins adorning the stoops of many homes as part of decorating Autumn. In this article, one view states: Pumpkins are one of the more resilient fruits, finding ways to grow large and bulging amongst sparse soil and sharing nutrients along a connected vine that reaches into the ground to replenish itself. It is perhaps for this reason that pumpkins have become symbols of prosperity, growth, and abundance. The magical form of the pumpkin has long been celebrated in storybooks.
Here are three journal prompts with which to play:
How have you grown large in sparse soil?
How have you reached into the ground, the foundation, of yourself to replenish you?
What magical form(s) are you taking? Include a sense of play. Think metaphorically.
Maybe you prefer a social experiment, a social (distanced) gathering or, well, you choose! It’s your blank canvas upon which to create. Some ideas:
Sit in a pumpkin patch after dark with a faith like Linus anticipating something special.
Try something new like making soap (something I tried a few weeks ago and just loved).
(If you think yes and may want more direction, look for a place in your area like Blue Moon Elise which offers classes).
Create a photo portfolio of pumpkins seen around town.
Then write about it. What was your experience like? What did it evoke? Provoke? What feelings arose? What does it motivate you to want to do next?
Yayoi Kusama is an artist whose work grew in popularity during the age of selfies and Instagram. She has been dedicated to her work since she was a child while managing lifelong mental illness. In her 80s, her work has garnered global appeal, and her pumpkins are magical. “In 2016 and 2017, respectively, she debuted two new pumpkin-themed Mirror Rooms—titled All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins and The Spirits Of The Pumpkins Descended Into The Heavens.”
Possibility abounds! Lean into the prosperity, growth, and abundance of pumpkins and see what happens.
“I would confront the spirit of the pumpkin, forgetting everything else and concentrating my mind entirely on the form before me…I spent as much as a month facing a single pumpkin.”
–Yayoi Kusama
