Welcome to October 2013, Natural Awakenings-style, marking our 13th anniversary bringing the magazine to the Tampa Bay area. This month’s highlights include the emerging field of Environment and Energy Therapists, and honors National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

October brings extraordinary weather to the Gulf Coast, calling us to the great outdoors. Our Healthy Kids feature, "Starry-Eyed Kids", provides incentive to get outside on a cool October evening, to re-familiarize yourself with the wonders of the night sky, and inspire youthful imaginations with the joy of sky gazing. You might want to kick-start your adventure by getting involved with International Observe the Moon Night activities on Saturday, October 12. Events and activities are held across the planet celebrating the Moon (see observethemoonnight.org). Other options include contacting local clubs or institutions devoted to the astronomical realm, e.g. the Museum Astronomical Resource Society in Tampa (marsastro.org) and the Science Center in St. Petersburg (sciencecenterofpinellas.org).

       World Vegetarian Day, October 1, kicks-off Vegetarian Awareness Month, designed to encourage involvement and spread information on how vegetarianism benefits humans, other animals and our shared Earth. See Conscious Eating, "Ancestral Diets: A Lighter Shade of Paleo", a thoughtful take on the whys and wherefores of a vegetarian diet.

As always, open your mind and read on.