Tag: Samhain

A SPELL TO SEE SPIRITS

The following ingredients are needed
aloe,
pepper,
musk,
Vervain,
saffron
cemetery

To see spirits

To see spirits mix together aloe, pepper, musk, Vervain, and saffron and burning this in a cemetery. You can adapt this for other locations (like those in which the spirit lived) by adding a bit of sweet grass or tobacco to a specially prepared incense. Create the incense on the anniversary of the death of the individual you wish to contact. This is then burned at 11 am, in the safety of a magic circle that also holds symbolic items to connect you to the entity. An incantation to encourage the spirit’s presence is “Guardians of the Spirit realm, hear and guide my plea. When the witching hour rings true, bring my friend (loved one, etc.) ____ to me. Other souls who hear my call are not welcome in this place. Only the one known as _____ may enter sacred space.” Repeat the request three times, twenty minutes apart, then wait quietly for indications of a presence. Signs include the scent of flowers or a favored cologne, a cool wind, movement of curtains, and candles going out or twitching erratically. Once you feel sure the spirit is with you, do not make it tarry overly long. Take care of your business, say farewell, and thank the guardians for their assistance.

Welcome, Darkest Night

Welcome, Darkest Night

by Janice Van Cleve

I love this season of growing dark. The night starts earlier to cast its blanket of quiet and peace upon the land and calls me to wrap up what I am doing. Early darkness coaxes me to sit down to supper at six o’clock instead of nine, so I can digest properly before I go to sleep. Longer nights delay the prodding light of morning, so I can grab a few more winks. It encourages me to work more efficiently with the daylight that I do have. The dark time of the year is a healthy time for me.

It is a healthy time for plants and animals as well. Perennials focus on building up their root systems during the dark time, and annuals spread their seeds. Leaves fall to the ground to be leached and composted into next year ‘s soil. Animals feast on the yield of crops and orchards and store up surplus to see them through the winter and spring. In the dark time, all nature refocuses on renewing itself, sloughing off that which is no longer necessary and nurturing the best for the new year.

For northern tribes who lived where night falls longest and deepest, the dark time of the year was a time of great creativity. Bards honed their songs and added new verses for the entertainment and education of their audiences. Farmers turned to woodworking to fashion furniture or to decorate the interiors of their homes. Tradespeople made cloth, tools, jewelry, clothes and other goods to sell the merchants when they returned in the spring. Cooks became more and more inventive as the darkness lingered and the variety in the larder grew more limited. Even today, most school and university classes are scheduled for the winter months. In the business world, new product releases from software to movies to automobiles are debuted during this time.

In short, the dark time of the year is a busy, industrious and very creative time for nature and for human activity. So why in modern society does it get such a bad rap? The ancients certainly figured out that spring followed winter every year, and they used their skills to create solstice calculators like Stonehenge to predict how much more winter they had left. Were they really immobilized in fear of the dark, waiting for solstice to give them hope of spring? Or, on the other hand, did they grumble at solstice that they only had a few more months to play, eat, sing and finish their carvings before they had to get back out and work the farm again? Ancient peoples, after all, did not create surpluses for profit or a year-round global economy. They simply raised enough to sustain themselves so they could devote their time to crafts and play.

Perhaps it was the new religion of Christianity that tried to separate light from dark, exalting the former and disparaging the latter. Perhaps it was Christians’ idea to create fear of the dark so they could make light seem like a sort of salvation. However, nature doesn’t seem to need saving from anything, except from human greed. Nature goes on, year after year, with summer and winter alternating appropriate to the latitude. Nature values the dark time as much as the light and uses both to its advantage. The dark time is healthy and wholesome. It is as necessary for life as rain and sun, decay and bacteria.

And so it is appropriate that our pagan new year starts with Samhain, the beginning of the darkest time of the year. We rest before we work. We focus inwardly before we focus on the wider world. We sleep, we feast, we meditate, and we renew ourselves so that when spring’s light returns and calls us to next year’s work we can respond with new health and strength. These are gifts of the dark time. We are fortunate to have them!

About Samhain: A Guide to the Sabbat’s Symbolism

About Samhain: A Guide to the Sabbat’s Symbolism

by Arwynn MacFeylynnd

Editor’s note: Readers have asked for Widdershins to run a short piece in each paper to give a guide to the symbolism of the current Sabbat for new pagans and witches. Following is the first of these.

Date: October 31.

Alternative names: All Hallow’s Eve, Halloween, the Witches’ New Year, Third Festival of Harvest.

Primary meaning: Samhain, pronounced “sow-en” — not “sam hain” — marks the beginning of the cold months or winter; it is the Day Between the Years. Primary elements to contemplate are endings and beginnings, change, reflection and reincarnation. Celebrations honor the dead, ancestors, the wisdom of the Crone and the death of the God.

Symbols: Cauldrons, jack o’ lanterns, masks, balefires, besoms (brooms), bats, owls, ravens and the ever-present witch and black cat.

Colors: Orange, black, brown, golden yellow and red.

Gemstones: Carnelian, jet, obsidian and onyx.

Herbs: Aborvitae (yellow cedar), acorn, allspice, apple, autumn flowers, catnip, corn, chrysanthemums, dittany of Crete, fall leaves (especially oak), ferns, flax, fumitory, gourds, grains, hazel, heather, mandrake, mugwort, mullein, nightshade, pear, pumpkin, sage, straw, thistle, turnip, wormwood.

Gods and goddesses: Crone goddesses, the Father or dying gods, gods of the underworld or death including Arawn, Cerridwen, Cernunnos, the Dagdha, Dis Pater, Hades, Hecate, Hel, Inanna, Ishtar, Kali, Lilith, Macha, Mari, the Morrigan, Osiris, Pomona, Psyche, Rhiannon, Samana, Sekhmet, Teutates and Taranis.

Customs and myths: In England, it formerly was the custom to go “a-souling” on this night, asking for little “soul cakes” and offering prayers for the dead in return.

In the British Isles, lanterns carved out of turnips (in the New World pumpkins) were at one time used to provide light on a night when bale fires were lit, and all households let their fires go out so they could be rekindled from the new fire.

Another custom was the Dumb Supper, in which an extra plate was laid for the dead and the meal was eaten in silence. Bobbing for apples, roasting nuts in the fire and baking cakes that contained tokens of luck are ancient methods of telling the future now. Ducking for apples was a divination for marriage. The first person to bite an apple would be the first to marry in the coming year. Apple peeling was a divination to see how long your life would be. The longer the unbroken apple peel, the longer your life was destined to be.

In Scotland, people would place stones in the ashes of the hearth before retiring for the night. Anyone whose stone had been disturbed during the night was said to be destined to die during the coming year.

Communicating with the Spirits of the Departed

While it is true that Samhain is the time when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest, you can converse with spirits of the departed at any time of the year. Prepare your altar as you normally do, but place several fresh apples upon it to represent the other-world. Also, use juniper and wormwood as your incense. Speak the name of the person you are trying to contact. State what you need to tell them or that you need to ask. Don’t expect a physical manifestation, but you will very soon find your response in your dreams.


By: Nuala Drago

Halloween Spell

For many witches throughout the world, Halloween is an ideal time to magically do away with weaknesses. The Celts of old, for instance, on Samhain slaughtered all livestock that were too weak to live through the coming winter. Using a quill pen and dragon’s blood ink, write upon a piece of parchment the weaknesses you wish to be rid of. As you concentrate on your intent, crumple up the paper in your “power hand” and toss it into a fire or set it ablaze by holding it above the flame of a black candle. Place it into a fireproof container such as a cast iron cauldron, and as the parchment burns away into ashes, so too shall your weaknesses be consumed by the flames of magic.

 

By: Gerina Dunwich

Inviting in your Ancestors

A good time to pay homage to you ancestors is just before Samhain. For this spell, gather at your altar or sacred space some black cloth, a black candle, a bowl of water, a feather, a citrine, amethyst or lapis lazuli crystal, and photos and mementos from your loved ones who have passed beyond. Place the black cloth on your altar or on the floor. Position the feather in the east, the candle in the south, the bowl of water in the west, and the crystal in the north. Arrange the photos and other objects in the middle as you chant or whisper: “May my loved ones touch me again—in the kiss of a breeze, in the light of candle flame, in the laughter of the rain, in the ground beneath my feet. Spirits of air, fire, water, earth, bring my loved ones close again.” You may want to hold a photo or object and take time to feel the spirit of your loved one.

 

By: Sedwin

Honoring Ancestors

Autumn is the season when the dark of the year arrives. It is a time to turn inward and reflect on our ancestors and on those we love who have crossed to the other side of the veil. Begin building energy to welcome your loved ones on Samhain by placing photos or mementos of them on a table, bookshelf, or windowsill in the east area of a room. (East is the direction associated with ancestors and family.) Along with ancestral photos, you may want to include goddess images of Hecate, Cerridwen, Kali, Inanna, or Cybele. Samhain is when the goddess enters her crone aspect as Dark Mother and Wise One. She takes away what she has created, but in her dark womb is the seed of the next New Year. All that is old is new again.
 
By: Sedwin

Samhain Prosperity Spell

Pass a skull (plastic or wax), some pumpkin spice and some dried pumpkin seed, a large white plate, a small bowl, a black bag, and a gold cord through incense smoke. Mix the seeds and spice in a bowl and stir counterclockwise to banish negativity, clockwise for the blessings of your ancestors. Place a list of your ancestors on the plate, and set the skull on top, sprinkling it with the seed and spice mixture. Hold your hands over the skull asking that your ancestors bring harmony and prosperity into your life, and cover the skull with the bag for seven days. On the seventh day, place the spice, seeds, and skull in the bag, and tie it all securely with the gold cord. Place it in the west part of your attic or basement. 

By: Silver RavenWolf

‘Twas the Night of Samhain

‘Twas the Night of Samhain

 

‘Twas the night of Samhain and all through the house,
Not a creatures was stirring except for my spouse.
The incense it burned in his cauldron so black,
For witchcraft and magick he’d a wondrous knack.
The circle was drawn with the athame of power,
The guardians were called to each quarter tower.
The Lord and the Lady attended our rite,
In wonder and glory and power and mite.
The dearly departed came as our guest,
To live once again after their rest.
We bid them goodbye with a tear in our eye,
Such a lovely presence of loved ones so nigh.
The candles danced in the flickering light,
With the Great Rite we bid them all a good night.
The guardians thanked, have all sped away,
The Lord and the Lady, thanks for the day.
The night of Samhain, Gods bless this house,
A circle of wonder ’round me and my spouse.
—(Unknown)

Tarot Reading for the Season of the Crone

Tarot Reading for the Season of the Crone
 
This reading was done with The Druid Craft Tarot, by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Grom, with illustrations by Will Worthington.
Samhain, October 31, 2011
 
October 31st – November 5th
Queen of Cups
You are full of love and maternal instinct. You lead the way toward healing, connection with others and emotional happiness.
 
November 6th – November 12th
Four of Pentacles
You have the capacity to plan your finances wisely, or to build to ensure a strong foundation, but guard against a tendency toward avaricious greediness, if you have a foundation of loss or insecurity.
 
November 13th – November 19th
The World
You know you are complete, and you feel deep satisfaction and fulfillment. After such good work, it’s time to celebrate!
 
November 20th – November 26th
The Hermit
Turn inward, away from the distraction of the outer world, and seek guidance from a place of solitude. Don’t be tempted to make important pragmatic decisions, as now is the time to withdraw from the distractions of everyday life.
 
November 27th – December 3rd
Two of Pentacles
You may feel the need to seek balance in your life, but the best results may come from trust and playfulness, rather than caution and deliberation. Juggling may be a joy for you, rather than a burden.
 
December 4th – December 10th
The High Priestess
Tap into the power of reflection and depth, and rely on your dreams and your inner wisdom as the gateway to an initiation into higher consciousness.
 
December 11th – December 17th
Seven of Wands
Someone may challenge your leadership or engage you in a struggle, but you will find it exhilarating, as it will strengthen your abilities and your character.
 
December 18th – Yule, December 22nd, 2011
Rebirth
Though you have entered the darkness and sipped from the cup of silence, now you hear the call to awaken, and are re-born. You have chosen vibrant life!
 
HP Kerritwyn Ceannaire is the elected President of the Board, and the Head of the Order. She teaches White Moon lessons to women in The Sacred Three Goddess School, and to mtf transgendered seekers in the Rainbow Moon School.

Samhain Blessings

Samhain Blessings
 
The festival of Samhain marks the end of the third and final harvest of the year. The last of the fruit and vegetables have ripened and are now stored away, the seeds set aside for Spring planting. The bright colours of Autumn leaves signal their death knell, and soon they are borne away on the cold and bitter winds. Left behind are the naked branches, skeletal limbs reaching up to the skies. It is a time of death and decay, and it is no surprise that our thoughts may gravitate toward sorrow and loss, for this is the beginning of the dark half of the year. It is not surprising that many cultures pay their respects to the ancestors and departed family members at this time of year.
It is customary to light bonfires on Samhain eve to burn away the miseries of the past year. Hearth fires are extinguished and relit with the Samhain flame, ensuring a fresh start to the New Year. People would often set up two bonfires side by side and walk through them as a purification ritual.
Ritual feasts to honour the dead often occur. A place at the table is reserved for the departed and stories are shared. This may also offer an opportunity to converse with the dead about unresolved issues and then let them go.
Dressing up in costumes is an ancient custom which is sometimes called Soul-caking. Mummers would visit houses and stage a play to honour the dead which consisted of a challenge, a battle, a death and a rebirth. Special cakes were handed out to the performers afterwards. Children would dress up and go door to door, offering songs in exchange for food or coins. Large turnips were hollowed out, carved with faces and placed in windows to ward off evil spirits.
It is said that the veil between the worlds is thinnest at this time of year and is an excellent time for divination. Toss a peeled apple over your shoulder, the shape that arises will be the first letter of your future spouse’s name. Egg whites dropped in a glass of water foretells the number of future children. Try tossing some nuts onto a fire, if the nuts stay together, so will you and your spouse. Or, try to pick up as many warm nuts from the fire as possible, an even number indicates faithful love, an odd number indicates betrayal. Toss a single nut on the fire and make a wish. If the nut burns brightly, the wish will come true. Another activity is to set out three bowls, one with clear water, one with cloudy water, and the third one empty. Determine what each of the bowls will mean, for example, the clear water indicates success, the cloudy water struggle, and the third failure. Or simply yes, no, maybe. Blindfold a friend and have her ask a question then dip a hand into one of the bowls discover the outcome.
Samhain, though primarily a festival of darkness and death, also marks a new beginning. This is the Witch’s New Year and though we may look on the past with regret and sorrow, we know that the Wheel continues to turn, and fresh opportunities for growth and transformation are immanent.

Today’s Goddess: Nicneven

Today’s Goddess: Nicneven
Halloween (Various Locations)
 
Themes: Protection; Ghosts; Divination; Peace; Winter
Symbols: Pumpkins; Gourds; Traditional Halloween Fare

 

About Nicneven: In Scotland, Nicneven is the Crone goddess of Samhain, which is the predecessor of modern Halloween festivals. Nicneven governs the realms of magic and witchcraft and also represents the imminent onset of winter.

 

To Do Today: In magic and Celtic traditions, this is the new year – a time when the veil between worlds grows thin and spirits can communicate with the living. Follow the usual customs of carving a pumpkin or turnip for protection and to illuminate the way for family spirits to join you in today’s celebrations.

 

In druidical tradition, Samhain was a time to rectify any matters causing dissent. Nicneven provides the magical glue for this purpose. Take a white piece of paper on which you’ve written the reason for anger in a relationship, then burn it in any hallowed fire source (the pumpkin candle, or ritual fires). As you do, ask Nicneven to empower the spell and destroy the negativity completely.

 

To inspire Nicneven’s wisdom or magical aptitude within, enjoy traditional Halloween fare – apple pie, for example, brings sagacity. Sparkling apple cider tickles magical energy. And root crops provide solid foundations and protection while magical creatures are afoot!.

By Patricia Telesco

Samhain Song

 

Samhain Song

“Soul! Soul! For a soul cake!
I pray you, good missus, a soul cake!
An apple, a pear, a plum, or a cherry,
Or any good thing to make us merry.
One for Peter, two for Paul,
Three for Them who made us all.
Up with the kettle and down with the pan.
Give us good alms, and we’ll be gone.”

~ Unknown

 

Seasons of the Witch

 

  • The Witches New Year.
  • Halloween
  • Samhain
  • Magic Day
  • Druid’s Samhain Autumn Sun Festival.
  • Ancient Roman Feast To Pomona.
  • All Hallow’s Eve, 10th Century.
  • All Saint’s Eve.
  • Old Celtic New Year’s Eve. Struggle Between Old & New Years.
  • Festival Of Inner Worlds.
  • Joseph Campbell, 83, Dies. Mythologist.1987
  • National UNICEF Day
  • Beggar’s Night
  • Apple & Candle Night (Wales)
  • National Caramel Apple Day
  • 10/31 eve to 11/2 eve: Old Sumerian & Canaanite-Hebrew fast recalling the descent of Inanna/Astarte (Goddess of Life) to the Underworld. Ereshkigal/Sheol (Goddess of Death and Rebirth) detained Her until She agreed to have Dumuzi/Baal (God of Life and Death) remain there each Winter.
  • 10/31 eve to 11/2 eve: Samhain–Old Celtic New Year and feast of Morrigan/Cerridwen (Goddess of Death) and Balor/Beli (the Holly King – God of the Waning Sun).
  • 10/31 eve to 11/2 eve: Old Teutonic fast marking Hod (God of Darkness) unintentionally killing Balder (God of Light), and devoted Nanna (Goddess of Flowers) dying of a broken heart.
  • 10/31 eve to 11/6 eve: Mid-Autumn/Day of the Dead/Hallowmas–Festival marking the transformation of life to death – the end of the agricultural year, departure of migrating and hibernating animals, and decay and death of vegetal and animal life. Observed by remembering departed ancestors and contemplating one’s own mortality.
  • Witchcraft Hysteria (This isn’t a game-very interesting) http://www.nationalgeographic.com/salem/index.html
 
Excerpted From GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast Archives, Earth, Moon and Sky and/or School of Seasons
.
Remember the ancient ways and keep them sacred!

Wishing You & Yours A Very Blessed & Prosperious Samhain!

Samhain Comments & Graphics


Double, double, toil and trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble…
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg, and howlet’s wing
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble. 

~William Shakespeare, “Macbeth” 

~Magickal Graphics~

Set Up an Ancestor Shrine – Ancestor Altar

Set Up an Ancestor Shrine – Ancestor Altar

In many Pagan and Wiccan traditions, the ancestors are honored, especially at Samhain. This Sabbat, after all, is the night when the veil between our world and the spirit world is at its most fragile. By setting up an ancestor shrine or altar, you can honor the people of your bloodline — your kinfolk and clansmen who have helped to shape the person you are. This altar or shrine can be set up just for the Samhain season, or you can leave it up all year long for meditation and rituals.

If you’ve got the room, it’s nice to use an entire table for this shrine, but if space is an issue, you can create it in a corner of your dresser top, on a shelf, or on the mantle over your fireplace. Regardless, put it in a place where it can be left undisturbed, so that the spirits of your ancestors may gather there, and you can take time to meditate and honor them without having to move stuff around every time someone needs to use the table.

Also, bear in mind that you can honor anyone you like in this shrine. If you have a deceased pet or friend, go ahead and include them. Someone doesn’t have to be a blood relative to be part of our spiritual ancestry.

Make the Space Special

First, do a physical cleaning of the space. After all, you wouldn’t invite Aunt Gertrude to sit in a dirty chair, would you? Dust the table top or shelf and clear it of any items that are not related to your shrine. If you like, you can consecrate the space as sacred, by saying something like:

I dedicate this space to those
whose blood runs through me.
My fathers and mothers,
my guides and guardians,
and those whose spirits
helped to shape me. 

As you do this, smudge the area with sage or sweetgrass, or asperge with consecrated water. If your tradition requires it, you may wish to consecrate the space with all four elements.

Finally, add an altar cloth of some sort to help welcome the ancestors. In some Eastern religions, a red cloth is always used. In some Celtic-based paths, it is believed that a fringe on the altar cloth helps tie your spirit to those of your ancestors.

Welcome Your Fathers and Mothers

There are different types of ancestors, and which ones you choose to include are up to you. There are our blood ancestors, who are the people from whom we directly descend — parents, grandparents, etc. There are also archetypical ancestors, who represent the place that our clan and family came from. Some people also choose to honor the ancestors of the land — the spirits of the place you are now — as a way of thanking them. Finally, there are our spiritual ancestors — those who we may not be tied to by blood or marriage, but who we claim as family nonetheless.

Start by selecting photos of your ancestors. Choose pictures that have meaning for you — and if the photos happen to have the living in them as well as the dead, that’s okay. Arrange the photos on your altar so that you can see all of them at once.

If you don’t have a photo to represent an ancestor, you can use an item that belonged to him or her. If you’re placing someone on your altar who lived prior to the mid-1800s, chances are good there’s no photograph existing. Instead, use an item that may have been the person’s — a piece of jewelry, a dish that’s part of your family heirloom set, a family Bible, etc.

You can also use symbols of your ancestors. If your family is from Scotland, you can use a kilt pin or a length of plaid to represent your clan. If you come from a family of craftsmen, use an item designed or created to symbolize your family’s artisanship.

Finally, you can add a genealogy sheet or family tree to the shrine. If you have in your possesssion the ashes of a departed loved one, add those as well.

Tying It All Together

Once you have everything in your shrine that represents your ancestors, consider adding a few other items. Some people like to add votive candles, so they can light them while meditating. You may wish to add a cauldron or cup to symbolize the womb of the Earth Mother. You can also add a symbol of your spirituality — a pentagram, ankh, or some other representation of your beliefs.

Some people leave food offerings on their altars as well, so that their ancestors can partake of a meal with the family.

Use the altar when you perform a Samhain ancestor meditation or a ritual to honor the ancestors.

Samhain Spirit Incense

Samhain Spirit Incense

By Patti Wigington

By the time Samhain rolls around, your herb garden is probably looking pretty sad. Now’s the time to take all those goodies you harvested and dried in September, and put them to good use. This incense blend is perfect for a Samhain seance, divination session, or for any other autumn working.This recipe is for loose incense, but you can adapt it for stick or cone recipes. As you mix and blend your incense, focus on the goal of your work. Do you wish to contact the spirit of a long-dead ancestor? Are you hoping to bring some visions your way in a dream? Or are you maybe looking to enhance your own meditative abilities? Focus your intent as you blend your ingredients.

You’ll need:
  • 2 parts Cinnamon
  • 1 part ground cloves
  • 1 part Dragon’s Blood resin
  • 1 part Hyssop
  • 1 part Patchouli
  • 2 parts Rosemary
  • 1 part Sage
  • A dash of sea salt

Mixing the Magic

Add your ingredients to your mixing bowl one at a time. Measure carefully, and if the leaves or blossoms need to be crushed, use your mortar and pestle to do so. As you blend the herbs together, state your intent. You may find it helpful to charge your incense with an incantation. For example, if you were going to use your incense during a seance, you could use this:
 
 
The veil has thinned, the moon is bright
and I blend this magic on Samhain night.
Celebrating life and death and rebirth
with these herbs I’ve harvested from the earth.
I send my intent by smoke in the air
and call on those whose blood I share.
I ask my ancestors to guide and watch over me,
As I will, so it shall be. 
 

Store your incense in a tightly sealed jar. Make sure you label it with its intent and name, as well as the date you created it. Use within three months, so that it remains charged and fresh.

Honoring Yourself

Honoring Yourself
By Artemisia

Most of us know that Samhain is the time of year to honor Mother
Earth with gratitude for the food she has provided us this harvest,
and many of us remember that at Samhain the veil between the worlds
is thin, and that we should honor our Ancestors and those who have
passed over. Many of us honor our loved ones during the holiday
season that follows Samhain, at Thanksgiving, Yule, and Christmas, by
cooking, throwing parties, buying or making gifts, and by attending
gatherings, but how many of us remember to honor ourselves this time
of year?

Just as the moon cycles through its phases thirteen times a year,
from waxing to full to waning to dark again, so do the sun and earth
cycle through their phases together in one year. Beginning at Fall
Equinox, for us here in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun enters the
waning phase in a noticeable way. The days begin to get shorter and
the nights get longer. There is a lot more darkness (and cold
depending on where you live). Samhain marks the point where the
darkness really takes hold and Yule, the winter solstice, is the dark
moon of the solar year.

What does this waning into dark phase mean to us and how can we use
this time to honor ourselves? Well let’s think about the waning moon
for a moment. This time of the month energetically corresponds to a
woman’s cycle just before her bleeding time begins. During this
period, we can become extra sensitive or angry because we are no
longer able to put up with things in our lives that make us unhappy.
We no longer hide our emotions. In fact, we can’t keep them from
coming out. This time of the month is about letting go of old,
negative thought forms or self-talk which hold us back and don’t do
us any good. It’s about speaking up for yourself and communicating
what you need from others around you and how they should treat you.
It’s also a time of letting go of emotional attachments to extraneous
material possessions, projects and people that drain our energy, and
of clearing space in our lives for the transformation and healing
that comes when we finish bleeding and/or the moon breaks from the
dark into the new.

In the bigger, solar picture, during the waning and dark parts of the
year, we can honor ourselves by taking time out of our hectic
schedules just for us. Make time and space to be alone and reflect
upon the past year. What is no longer of use to you? What needs to
change? Get in touch with your heart and find out how you truly feel
and what is really important to you. Once you are clear about what
is holding you back and what needs to be cleaned out, make the time
to release it. You can do this through physical acts like a thorough
housecleaning or a new haircut or symbolically through ritual or
meditation. Whatever it is you need to release, honor yourself by
taking the steps necessary to clear away the excess baggage. After
you have let it all go, take time to enjoy, celebrate, accept and
love the new, lighter you.

I’d also like to encourage you to honor yourself during this busy
season by tending to your body in addition to your spirit. The
fresh, seasonal foods this time of year are very tempting: bright
orange pumpkins, multi-colored squashes, red and yellow apples,
purple and green grapes, yellow and golden pears, pink pomegranates,
dark leafy greens, brown nuts of all shapes and sizes, red juicy
cranberries. Nourish yourself by taking part of Mother Earth’s
harvest and celebrating the mystery and magic of the growth cycle.
As it gets colder and darker, keep yourself warm with bright,
cheerful, herbs and spices in your drinks and cooking such as ginger,
cayenne, curry, garlic, cinnamon and pepper. This time of year,
especially when we are so busy, it is easy to neglect our bodies.
Take time for yourself to stretch and move around joyfully to keep
your inner healing fire burning. Perhaps even consider learning tai
chi, yoga, pilates or meditation to access the healing power of your
breath and bring yourself peace and calm in the midst of the most
hectic season of the year.

Whatever you do, make sure that it feels good to you. The easiest
way to honor yourself is to live a joyful life.

Many Blessings for a Loving Holiday Season!
..
About The Author: Artemisia is studying to become a Priestess of the Order of the White
Moon. She is a graduate student in Natural Health and a Holistic Lifestyle Counselor

Lady of the Crossroads

Lady of the Crossroads
by Heathwitch

One on three
which way to go
a second stood still
faces outcast
Darkness about clasped
with snake and lion and hound
thin veins under leather
untouched by time
outstretched a touch
with eyes of heaven.
One on three
take a step
make a choice
I will be with you
silent when needed
A fury when you fear
Face the Moon
I will be here.
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At Samhain, our thoughts turn toward the memory of our ancestors, the mysteries of death and rebirth, the practice of divination. We decorate our altars with blacks and oranges, photographs of those who have passed on, and we commune with the Lords and Ladies of the Underworld such as the Greek Goddess Hecate.

Hecate is the Thracian Goddess of the moon, absorbed as a Titan by the Greeks and worshipped at crossroads, for She has the ability to see past, present and future pathways. Though most commonly perceived as a Crone Goddess, Hecate can also appear as a Maiden, terrible and beautiful to behold.

She is the dark Goddess, the Lady of the Wild Hunt and keeper of occult knowledge and wisdom. Known as the “Goddess of Witches” and the “Patroness of Priestesses”, Hecate stands at the gateway between life and death, such is Her role as Queen of the Underworld and the Lady of Spirits. She is also the changer, the one who destroys in order to cause rebirth and regeneration.

Hecate’s roles are not solely tied to the “darker” aspects of life however. She is also the midwife who blesses new life in the world, the teacher who guides seekers and the witness who aides with decision-making and determining truth, the giver of courage and strength. She is intuition and psychic ability, the Lady of dreams and nightmares who helps us see the deeper, shadow-side of our psyches. She is the Wise Woman who sees all and knows all, and who will willingly share Her knowledge and wisdom with you, if you but ask.

Hecate’s colours are deep reds, purples and black, and She rules over all wild animals in particular dragons, dogs, frogs, horses, reptiles, toads and snakes. Her trees are willow and yew, most commonly seen in graveyards, and She can be found in the tarot cards the Hermit, the Moon and the High Priestess.

You can invite Hecate into your life by mixing an oil for Her (add 10 drops cypress oil, 6 drops patchouli oil and 4 drops sandalwood oil to 20ml of base oil) and including it in a ritual or meditation dedicated to Hecate. Alternatively you could make an incense blend to honour this Goddess try the following recipe:

½ part crushed garlic
½ part mandrake root
½ part mugwort
2 parts willow bark
1 part lavender
4 parts myrrh
A few drops of cypress oil
A few drops of myrrh oil

You can also work with Hecate in ritual; She can be invoked to aid in inner exploration, dream-work, divination, healing, spells of all kinds, banishings and the release of negativity, communicating with the dead, and meditations and journeys to your inner self.

At Samhain, Hecate can be called upon to focus your intuition when practicing divination on this night when the veils between the world are thin. She can be invoked for help in spell workings and the making of charms, or to help in soul-searching meditations.

Most often, though, Hecate is invoked at Samhain to aid in honouring and contacting our Beloved Dead, those who have passed from this physical life before us:

Decorate the altar with blacks and oranges. Use flowers of the same colours, and fruits of the season (pumpkins, root vegetables). Light orange and black candles if possible and use a mixture of cedarwood and sweetgrass incense — cedarwood for purification, sweetgrass for your ancestors.

Assemble on your altar pictures of your ancestors and mementos you may have received from them.

Cast circle in your usual way. Invoke Hecate:

“Hecate, Goddess of the Realm of Spirits,
She who stands at the crossroads,
Seer of past, present and future,
Guardian of all Witches and Lady of the Dark,
I ask you to come forth into my circle
And stand with me this night
Hail and welcome!”

Feel Hecate come into your circle. Sit with your altar and slowly focus on each of your ancestors. Speak aloud of their life and their impact on you. Ask Hecate to acknowledge your reverence of those who have gone before, and ask that your ancestors know of your love and thoughts.

Take your time and do not be afraid of the emotions which may come to you; embrace them and welcome them into your circle. As you speak of your ancestors you may feel them draw near from the Summerlands; do not be afraid — instead, feel touched by their presence and thank them for all they mean to you.

Thank Hecate and your ancestors for their presence and say goodbye. Blow out the candles and take up circle.

Have a Blessed Samhain!

Sources:
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Ann, Martha, and Dorothy Myers Imel. Goddesses in World Mythology: A Biographical Dictionary. Oxford University Press: New York (1995).
Ardinger, Barbara. Goddess Meditations. Llewellyn: Minnesota (1998).
Conway, D. J. The Ancient and Shining Ones. Llewellyn: Minnesota (1993).
Franklin, Anna. Magical Incenses and Oils. Capall Bann: Berkshire (2000).
Marashinsky, Amy Sophia. The Goddess Oracle: A Way to Wholeness through the Goddess and Ritual. Element: Boston (1997).
Sjöö, Monica & Mor, Barbara. The Great Cosmic Mother: Rediscovering The Religion of the Earth. HarperCollins: San Francisco (1991).
Zell, Morning Glory. “Manifesting Hecate”, SageWoman # 60 (Winter 2003). Blessed Bee: California (2003).
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About The Author: Heathwitch is a Witch, teacher and author. She runs courses and workshops on energy work, healing, Witchcraft and magic. High Priestess of the Circle of the Moon coven, Heathwitch lives in Cheshire, England.

How To Hold a Samhain Rite to Honor Animals

How To Hold a Samhain Rite to Honor Animals

By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide

Celebrate Samhain and honor the animals in your life.

This ceremony is designed to honor the spirits of the animals – both wild and domestic. Man’s relationship with animals goes back thousands and thousands of years. They have been a source of food and clothing. They have protected us from the things that lurk in the darkness. They have provided comfort and warmth. In some cases, they have even raised and nurtured our discarded children, as in the case of Romulus and Remus. If you have animals in your home — pets or livestock — this is their night. Feed them before you feed the humans in your family. Put some food out for any wild animals that may happen by as well.

Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Varied
Here’s How:
  1. If you have a pet that has passed away during this last year, you may want to include a photo or keepsake of them on your table during this rite.

    Prepare a stew for your family that includes small amounts of as many different meats as you may have available — beef, pork, game, chicken, etc. If your family is vegetarian or vegan, designate a non-meat ingredient to represent each animal and adapt the ritual as needed, eliminating lines that reference the eating of animals. When your stew is ready, gather the family around the altar table you prepared during the previous night’s Harvest End Ritual.

  2. Place the stew pot in the center of the table, with a large serving spoon or ladle. Make sure you have some good dark bread to eat as well. Each member of the family should have a bowl and spoon handy. Say:

    Samhain has come, and it is the end of the Harvest.
    The crops are in from the fields,
    And the animals are preparing for the coming winter.
    Tonight, we honor the animals in our lives.
    Some have died that we may eat.
    Some have provided us with love.
    Some have protected us from that which would do us harm.
    Tonight, we thank them all.     

  3. Go around the family in a circle. Each person should take a scoop of stew from the pot and place it in their bowl. Younger children may need an adult’s help with this. As each person gets their helping, say:

    Blessed are the animals,
    Those who die that we may eat.
    Blessed are the animals,
    Those we love and who love us in return.     

    When every family member has their stew, each takes a piece of bread. As they do, say:

    As the Wheel of the Year continues to turn,
    The harvest has ended, and the grain has been threshed.
    The animals sleep for the winter.
    We thank them for their gifts.     

  4. Take your time finishing your meal. If you have pets, don’t be surprised if they come visit while you’re eating your stew tonight — animals tend to be very aware of the spiritual plane! If there is any stew left over, leave some out for the spirits. Any extra bread can be thrown outside for the wild animals and birds.
Tips:
  1. If you want to mix a bit of stew in with your pet’s everyday food, it’s a good idea to check with your veterinarian first.
What You Need:
  • An altar table
  • A pot of stew
  • Some hearty dark bread