Because sisterhood, candles, and midnight margaritas are sacred in their own way

Last night, I curled up with a blanket, a cup of tea, and one of my favorite comfort movies: Practical Magic. Because duh — all the fall vibes. 🍂 Midnight margaritas, a cozy old house with ivy-covered walls, a sisterhood of women who love fiercely and a little wildly — it’s everything I love about this season.

And before anyone clutches their pearls — yes, I’m a Jesus-loving girl who also happens to adore a little witchy aesthetic. Faith and fairy lights, scripture and sage-green cardigans — I don’t see them as opposites. I think God delights when we find wonder in the world He made, whether that’s a sunset or a movie about sisterhood and moonlight. So no, I don’t cast spells — unless you count praying over my coffee and asking the Lord for extra patience before school drop-off. 😉

But here’s the truth: I haven’t always identified as a Christian. There was a season when my curiosity led me down other paths — my so-called “witchy phase.” Tarot cards, moon rituals, a fascination with the mystical — all of it was part of me trying to make sense of the ache I carried and the wonder I felt. And honestly? I don’t think that part of me will ever fully go away.

I see it now as a tender piece of my story — the part of me that has always been drawn to beauty, connection, and mystery. Becoming a Christian didn’t erase that; it reframed it. I still love candles flickering in the dark and the sound of wind in the trees. I still believe there’s sacredness in gathering with women, speaking hope into each other’s lives, and finding holy moments in the ordinary.

Which brings me back to Practical Magic. It’s not the spells that draw me in — it’s the heart of the story: the power of women showing up for each other.

Sally and Gillian’s story isn’t perfect. It’s messy and complicated and laced with loss. And yet, when things fall apart, they don’t face it alone. The aunts show up. The town women show up. Even the ones who whispered about them still come through in the end.

That’s the real practical magic, isn’t it?
Not potions, but the quiet, steady strength of women who gather around a kitchen table when life feels too heavy to hold. It’s having someone bring you coffee on your worst day or sit beside you in the dark without needing to fix anything.

As fall approaches, I find myself craving that kind of friendship more than ever — the kind that feels like a warm light in a dark room. The kind that makes space for honesty, laughter, tears, and the occasional midnight margarita (or pumpkin spice latte).

I think we were made for that. To stand in circles of grace with each other. To speak hope when the world feels upside-down. To remember that even in the messy parts of life, love and connection make it all a little more bearable — even magical.

So here’s to fall and to friendships that anchor us.
Here’s to kitchen tables and candlelight, to showing up for each other when it counts, and to believing that ordinary life can hold extraordinary magic.

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to reach out to a friend, consider this it. Call her. Invite her over. Light a candle. Make something warm to drink. Let’s practice a little magic together this season.

— J