BY JOANNA C. VALENTE

The last days of summer are upon us and the fall equinox is coming on September 22nd. As a way to celebrate the coming of autumn, I created a playlist to usher in my favorite season (and season of my birth). Autumn is full of beginnings and endings, that lush season between the blossoming and excitement of summer and the quiet of winter.

As someone who lives in a place where all the seasons are felt, I love taking time to appreciate the change of seasons, the mindfulness they bring, and the magic we can channel within ourselves. What lessons have we learned from the season that is coming to an end, and how can we bring them into the new one? Our lives are defined by these changes, and making note, and fostering ritual, help us celebrate each one, with whatever they bring.

Check out some new and old tunes below that I can’t get enough of, that will help us love fully and move forward with grace and style. With 80 songs and five hours of music, you definitely won’t be bored.

Joanna C. Valente is a human who lives in Brooklyn, New York. They are the author of Sirs & Madams, The Gods Are Dead, Marys of the Sea, Sexting Ghosts, Xenos, No(body), #Survivor: A Photo Series (forthcoming), and A Love Story (Vegetarian Alcoholic Press, 2021). They are the editor of A Shadow Map: Writing by Survivors of Sexual Assault and the illustrator of Dead Tongue (Yes Poetry, 2020). They received their MFA in writing at Sarah Lawrence College, and Joanna is the founder of Yes Poetry and the senior managing editor for Luna Luna Magazine.