Autumn In The Shire (Part 1 Of 2)

A warm welcome to part one of Halloween in the Shire.

Tonight you will enjoy a relaxing morning in the heart of Middle-earth as summer turns to autumn and spend an exciting afternoon with your friendly halfling Samwise as you take a rowboat to his famous pumpkin patch.

Begin by making yourself nice and comfortable where you are and give yourself permission to let go of everything tonight.

This is your story and your adventure.

And when you are ready,

Just allow the eyelids to feel heavier and heavier until they gently close.

Before we begin,

We will do a short guided breathing pattern called 3-4-5.

This will allow you to slow down and relax,

Preparing your body and your mind for a wonderful,

Peaceful rest.

When you are ready,

Breathe in through the nose for three,

Hold for four,

And breathe out for five.

Let all of it go now.

Again that's in for three,

Hold for four,

And release,

Blowing away the thoughts of yesterday,

Today and tomorrow.

Again in for three,

Hold,

And let it go.

Continue to breathe in this way in your own time,

And with each breath out,

Allow your body to sink just that bit deeper into your mattress.

And now,

Allow the breath to fall back into a natural rhythm.

Enjoy this new relaxation flowing through your body.

Allow your mind to soften and for your imagination to come alive as we begin our adventure and enjoy an autumn morning with Samwise Gamgee.

You wake up in your soft,

Cozy bed in the heart of Middle Earth.

You are inside your house under the hill,

Enjoying a quiet,

Lazy morning.

The porthole window to your right is wide open,

Letting in a lovely,

Fresh breeze and the autumn bird songs ring in the distance.

If you could,

You would stay here for the entire day,

Sipping tea and tending to your plants in the garden,

But this is no day to slouch.

Today is the day of the famous Pumpkin Festival of the Shire,

And you have an exciting adventure ahead.

In fact,

You are expecting a special visitor any time soon,

A very dear friend.

With that,

You gently kick your feet out of bed and take your time to change into your favorite outfit this morning,

Enjoying the slower pace that life here provides.

As you wander sleepily into the kitchen,

The morning sun beams through the porthole window in front of you,

Creating a dazzling golden spotlight on the wooden floor of the kitchen.

The many plants by your window are thriving,

Their lush green leaves and autumn flowers are blooming with joy,

Spreading color across your cozy little abode.

You fill your copper kettle and place it over the small fire,

Which is already bubbling away this morning with flames of orange,

Blue and soft green.

The fire is fueled by the eternal magic of your dear old wizard,

It will keep the house at a perfect temperature and it will never go out.

There is an undeniable comfort in being back home.

No matter where your adventures may take you,

You will always return to this haven,

To this soothing sanctuary of peace,

To the land where you truly belong.

With a deep breath,

You take in all the little details of your beautiful house under the hill.

There is the fireplace,

Of course,

Made from a red brick archway and tucked in one corner of the room.

The beautiful farmhouse kitchen sink is perched in front of the window with a picture-perfect view overlooking the emerald green hills of home.

The curved wooden beams above,

Made from a thick dark oak,

Are supporting your lovely house and all of the little trinkets and souvenirs from your adventures are dotted around the living room.

You have so many wonderful memories here already and today it is time to make some more.

As the cattle bubbles away now,

You lift it from the stove and pour yourself a nice pot of tea infused with enchanting,

Healing herbs from the gardens of the elves,

One of the many gifts you have received over the years from your friends across Middle-Earth.

You pick up the small wooden tray that holds the teapot,

A small teacup and a jug of fresh cold milk and you head to your front door.

Suddenly you are met by a beautiful warmth from the morning sun and an autumn breeze brushes your face.

You breathe in this fresh,

Healing air and you step out into your beautiful,

Cozy garden.

The first friend to greet you is your lovely red squirrel.

They wait patiently on your garden table with their hands clasped together.

Their innocent eyes gaze up at you,

But already you can sense a mischief lurking in this beautiful animal.

Instantly,

They jump from the table and land perfectly in your left pocket.

It just so happens that this is the same pocket where you always keep a handful of nuts and seeds.

Hmm,

How did they guess?

You cannot help but laugh at your beautiful friend and you feel a deep love filling your heart.

Together you have shared many wonderful moments here,

Including a very magical Christmas.

And whenever you have left the Shire off on one of your adventures,

They have always been here to greet you when you return.

You sit comfortably in your garden now,

Basking in the morning sun with your furry friend perched in your pocket,

And you just take this moment to enjoy the breathtaking scenery.

There is an eternal landscape of emerald hills rolling across the horizon.

Dotted through the land are huge trees waving in the wind and full of golden brown leaves that have just started to fall.

The leaves are carried on the autumn breeze and they drift across the hills,

Each on their own unique journey.

Through the hills you can see the many streams and rivers that gently carve through the land.

The sunlight's reflections dance upon the water,

And in the distance you see halfling children playing in the rivers,

And some of the older halflings are fishing or simply enjoying the sun.

The heat and radiance of summer is finally giving way to the cozy comfort and mellow magic of autumn.

It is a picture-perfect view,

One that even the most beautiful watercolour painting would not be able to capture.

Life moves at a much slower pace here.

There is no need to rush or race around.

Here there are no deadlines and no worries at all.

The folk of this land strive for nothing more than peace and comfort,

And the simple pleasures that make life so precious.

There is no importance placed on money or material wealth.

Here the people live for good food,

A warm hearth,

And all the comforts of home.

It is a place where friendship and love is valued above all the gold in the world.

You feel so blessed to be part of this land,

To live among such excellent folk,

And to call the Shire your home.

It truly is the most enchanting place on earth.

In the next moment you are greeted by the distant clip-clopping of hooves drawing nearer and nearer.

Trotting round the corner now is the lovely Bill,

A chestnut white pony,

Pulling a little cart behind him,

Where,

Perched happily on top,

Pipe in mouth,

Is one of your favourite halflings,

Samwise the Brave.

A stout halfling with curly golden hair,

He is the famous gardener of the land,

But you know that there is much more to him than meets the eye.

He greets you with a tight-lipped smile and a mischievous raise of his eyebrows as he puffs on his pipe and brings Bill the Pony to a stop just outside your front gate.

With a chuckle,

Sam calls out to you,

Insisting that there is no time for tea this morning,

For you have a pumpkin to harvest and a competition to win.

Without another hesitation,

You quickly pop your tea back inside the front door and pull it closed behind you.

You place your squirrel on the garden table with the remainder of their breakfast and you ask them to hold the fort while you're gone,

Promising them a hearty reward of all the seeds in the shire.

With a glint in their eye,

They sniff your hand affectionately and stand guard on the table.

Your little companion will watch over your home and wait here patiently for your return.

You climb aboard the cart and give Bill the Pony a gentle stroke on his mane as he sets off once again,

Clip-clopping along the winding track road,

Taking you on a peaceful journey through the rolling hills of home.

In the next moment,

The lovely Sam brings you in for a tight hug,

Asking you all about your recent adventures.

The two of you catch up on old times and reminisce on many wonderful memories together.

It has been a little while since the two of you spent some time together,

But that is what makes today all the more special.

Samwise is a very dear friend to you,

Reliable,

Honest and true with the purest heart in all the land.

You know that no matter what,

He will always be there for you,

And just being in this lovely halfling's presence is an instant comfort.

As you follow the track road through the hills,

Your journey takes you into the heart of the Shire.

The autumn leaves are dancing across the hills,

And the late morning sun is beaming across the land.

You ride past collections of enchanted houses,

All of them nestled under their own little hill with their own little gardens lined with picket fences.

The homes have perfectly round doors in different colors and are decorated with festive lights,

Many pumpkins and beautiful plants.

Along the way,

You cross paths with many halflings who greet you with a tip of the hat or a good morning.

All of these halflings are pushing wheelbarrows and carrying their prized pumpkins over to the main square.

Some faces are glowing with pride,

And their pumpkins might give you cause for concern.

However,

There are more than a few pumpkins that don't look too prized and haven't had the growth spurt that was planned.

These are accompanied by sour-faced halflings who have perhaps already accepted defeat.

With a mischievous smile,

Sam turns to you and whispers not to worry,

For Summer has been very kind to your pumpkin patch,

And he thinks he might have found the winner.

A short trip on his rowboat should take you directly to the field where this mighty pumpkin can be found.

You feel a new excitement bubbling in your stomach in anticipation for the festival tonight.

But there is still one thing on your mind.

You haven't seen the wizard yet,

And he is the unbeaten champion of the great pumpkin harvest.

And this fact alone makes you a little bit nervous.

Bill the pony leads you across a small stone bridge,

Over a rolling river,

And towards the village square.

You can hear the sound of water lapping from the old wooden mill coming into view on your right.

As you enter the main square,

The morning markets are in full flow.

There are handmade trinkets for sale,

Fresh food,

And barrels of ale.

Party games have already started,

And many halfling children are racing around the market,

Engrossed in a huge game of hide-and-seek.

Down the hill to your left,

In the enormous field,

You see many halflings hard at work putting up the last few decorations and collecting some of the early entries for the pumpkin competition.

The party tree pulses with its usual radiance,

And you cannot wait to see it illuminated by all the festive lights tonight.

Just then,

Bill turns to the left and takes your cart down a thin track lane,

Away from the hustle and bustle of the main square.

You watch the autumn birds flip through the trees and dart above the wisps of cloud.

A cool wind drifts across your face,

And you can smell the freshly mown grass and the strawberries in full bloom in the fields just over the hill.

Before you know it,

Bill comes to a stop at the end of the track road,

On the borders of a small grass clearing,

And you are greeted by the sound of lapping water once again.

A large winding river carves delicately through the land,

And the water is completely transparent.

You can see tiny orange fish,

Large rocks covered with moss and pure white sand at the bottom.

There are lily pads with flowers of pink,

White and blue drifting along the surface of the river.

Perched in the water,

You spot a little rowing boat swaying back and forth on the gentle waves,

Painted in a rusty red.

You step off the cart and give Bill a warm hug and a scratch behind his ears,

Thanking him for bringing you this far.

Samwise offers him an apple and a big bowl of fresh water from the river.

Fully fed and hydrated,

Bill the pony turns around and begins to trot back towards the village square,

Where he will be duly cared for while you cross the river,

Bound for the pumpkin patch.

With a shared smile,

You follow Sam's lead and hop aboard his rowing boat.

Your halfling companion takes the oars,

And the only thing left for you to do is lie back,

Bask in the afternoon sun and completely relax.

In the next moment,

You feel a gentle jerk and your boat begins to move,

Gliding along the water as you delve deeper and deeper into this world of magic.

Right now,

You are approaching the borders of the Shire and drifting through vast farmlands.

You are entirely surrounded by rich green hills dotted with little white daisies,

Where baby rabbits are racing along the riverbank and playing together in the long grass.

There is no sign of anybody out here.

You have completely left the hustle and bustle behind you as you drift at one with nature in a peaceful silence.

This is your time to completely let go and to celebrate the beauty of Middle Earth.

You cannot believe that this perfect land is your home.

There is a wonderful warmth washing over you and you can feel your entire body soften.

The beating sun is melting away any remaining tension and the gentle lapping of the water has become its own little lullaby.

With your eyes closed,

You feel a gentle orange glow illuminating your eyelids.

There is a new softness flowing through your face,

Your neck,

Your shoulders,

Your arms and hands.

This softness and warmth fills your chest and stomach and with each breath in,

You can feel your entire body expand as you release any holding on to night.

And as you breathe out,

You let go of any remaining thoughts.

Right now,

There is nothing left to do and nothing left to think.

There is a wonderful freedom and warmth trickling down your legs,

From your thighs,

Across your knees,

Down into your calves and through your feet.

This enchanting land is healing your body,

Your mind and your soul and you are guarded by your wonderful companion,

Surrounded by the simplicity of nature.

In the next moment,

You feel shade covering your eyes and the breeze becomes a fraction cooler.

As you gently open your eyes,

You see that you are drifting through a woodland grove,

Surrounded by tall,

Thick trees,

Each one wrapped with a magical gold dust.

Above you,

The sunlight pierces through the infinite leaves,

Peppering the woodland with a collection of tiny golden spotlights.

In the trees,

You see deer and stag peacefully grazing and occasionally looking over at you.

One by one,

These majestic animals approach the riverbank and begin to drink from these enchanted waters.

Before you know it,

You are surrounded by at least 30 stag and deer,

All welcoming you to this hidden paradise of magic.

And just then,

Peeping out from behind their parents,

You see tiny fawns gazing curiously at you and you are sure that they cannot be more than a week old.

Their little legs can barely hold them up and you smile with a full heart as you watch them enjoying some of their first sips from the river,

Being carefully watched over by their mothers and fathers.

You take in this beautiful sight and bathe in the magic and wonder of this land as you continue to gently glide along the winding river,

Guarded by these majestic creatures.

Right now,

You are completely free.

You allow yourself to give in to the magic,

To let go and to become one with Middle Earth.

This is your haven and your sanctuary.

It is a place where you can return whenever you need to.

As you reach the end of this mysterious woodland,

Your animal guardians give you a low bow,

Bidding you a fond farewell.

And in unison,

They rear up together and gallop away into the depths of the trees.

But the enchantment doesn't end here.

As soon as you leave this tunnel of trees,

You are met by the rich smell of lavender and a golden orange glow washes over you as the late afternoon sun greets you once more.

Very gently,

Your boat drifts to the shore and over to your right,

You can see endless fields of fresh lavender ready for harvest and the hypnotic smell grows stronger.

There is clearly more magic at work here,

As all of a sudden,

You and your lovely halfling feel yourselves being lifted very gently out of your boat and placed down effortlessly in the soft,

Long grass on the edge of the lavender fields.

You let out a deep,

Satisfied sigh and smile from ear to ear.

Right now,

You have never felt more at peace.

Samwise sleepily admits that actually,

You have plenty of time before the festival tonight and now would be the perfect time for a little nap.

After all,

You will need your strength to wheel the prized pumpkin all the way back to the shire,

He adds with a mischievous chuckle.

And who are you to argue?

You are completely relaxed here and if there is some time to spare,

Then a little siesta wouldn't hurt.

Your entire body is heavy and filled with a beautiful warmth.

Here you are,

Lying back in total tranquility and simply bathing in the beauty of the shire.

What more could you wish for?

And then,

As if this enchanted land can hear your thoughts,

A double rainbow begins to paint itself across the sapphire sky in one gentle brush stroke.

It is a magical sight and one that you have seen before in the shire.

It is usually a sign that a certain wizard is not too far away,

Likely plotting his next moment of mischief.

And with that thought,

An involuntary smile creeps across your face.

Soon you will be reunited,

But now is the time for rest.

You allow the hypnotic smell of lavender to just drift around you and soften any remaining thoughts.

One by one you watch them fade out of sight before being washed away down the river.

You allow the warmth of the sun to soften your body and to relax all of your muscles.

A wonderful heaviness is trickling through you and you are drifting deeper,

Deeper and deeper into a world of complete comfort.

Underneath the magic and beauty of this double rainbow,

You are completely protected.

You give yourself final permission to let go of everything,

To become one with the wonderful shire and to enjoy a peaceful rest.