A Slow Sunday in October: Your Cosy Reset, Step by Step1 Oct 2026

It's October, which means I'm officially allowed to say it: I'd like to stay in.

Candles lit before it's properly dark. A hot drink within reach. A great blanket, oversized jumper and a day that doesn't ask anything of you.

This is my slow Sunday, in case you'd like to borrow it. No plans, no one to answer to, nothing to prove. Just a handful of small rituals, done in order, with soup at the end.

You don't need to buy anything. Everything here lives in your kitchen drawer. Where I've used pieces from Hearth & Hocus, our autumn ritual gift box, I've said so, in case you'd like the props in one place.

First, clear the room

A slow Sunday starts with me cleansing my space. Open the blinds, let the sun in, and crack a window for five minutes of cold, clean air.

Then, a little smoke. Smudge the room with a heatproof dish underneath and the window open, and light incense. Put a candle on too, even in daylight. It's October. We're allowed.

Then pull on the thickest socks you own. Non-negotiable.

From Hearth & Hocus: the seasonal smudge bundle, incense and moon-face holder. No smudge? A cinnamon stick on a warm pan, or orange peel simmering in a pot, does the same job.

Journal for ten minutes

Give yourself ten minutes and one page. Write whatever's in your head, with no editing and no one reading over your shoulder. It's the quickest way I know to get the noise out.

Stuck for what to write? Borrow one of these journal prompts:

• This autumn I want more…

• What I'm ready to put down before the year ends is…

• What would 16-year-old me think of my life now?

• One thing I'm quietly proud of this year…

• Dear October next year, I hope you find me…

From Hearth & Hocus: the black velvet astrology journal. Any notebook you love works just as well.

Cast a spell

Nothing dramatic. Just small, good-natured magic, and each one takes about five minutes.

Set an intention. Scratch one word into a candle with a pin, pressing firmly so it shows in the candlelight: luck, calm, brave or finished. Say it out loud, then light it and let it burn while you get on with your day.

Let something go. Write what you want gone by Christmas on a bay leaf. Burn it in a heatproof bowl with a window open, or tear it up. Either way counts.

Never leave a lit candle unattended.

From Hearth & Hocus: the spell candle kit, Moon Magic or No Bad Vibes, with 12 candles and a spell card. That's 12 Sundays' worth.

Cleanse body and soul

Pop some vegetables in the oven to roast slowly, then draw a bath and enjoy a long, quiet soak. By the time you're out, the soup is nearly ready to blend.

I'd have made pumpkin soup, but there wasn't a pumpkin in the house. Sweet potato and cauliflower did the job beautifully.

Roasted sweet potato and cauliflower soup (serves 4)

You'll need 3 sweet potatoes, half a cauliflower, 1 onion, 2 peppers, 1 whole garlic bulb, olive oil, salt, 750ml stock, smoked paprika, mixed seeds and bread.

1. Heat the oven to 175°C. Chop the sweet potatoes, cauliflower, onion and peppers, and slice the top off the garlic bulb.

2. Toss everything in oil and salt on a tray and roast for 40 minutes, which is exactly one bath.

3. Run your bath. Candles lit, bath salts in (included), phone out of reach.

4. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skins and blend everything with the stock and a pinch of smoked paprika.

5. Top with a handful of mixed seeds and eat it with torn bread. It makes 4 bowls, so you're sorted for the week.

Your slow Sunday, in a box

If you'd like it all in one place, that's what Hearth & Hocus is for. It's our autumn ritual gift box, and it holds everything above. It also makes a very good gift for the friend who never stops.

• Clear the room: seasonal smudge bundle, incense and a moon-face holder

• Write it down: black velvet astrology journal

• Pick your word: spell candle kit, Moon Magic or No Bad Vibes, with 12 candles and a spell card

• Soak: bath salts

Smudge and incense fragrances vary with the season. In our photos we've styled the box with extra props, such as crystals, plants, a pen, tea and spare smudge bundles, so the list above is what you'll receive.

A little candlelight, a little magic, a whole Sunday to yourself.

£35.55. Shop Hearth & Hocus

So here's to quiet Sundays and candles lit early. To the good blanket and a hot drink in the mug you love. And to a day with nothing in it except you.

Save this for the next Sunday you've got nothing on.

With love,
Kelly x