Samhain Musings

As the year grows darker and we sit in the space between death and life, there is still hope and renewal. This is a space of transition, of shifting. A time to confer with our ancestors and spirits as they walk through the thinned veil, a time to divine what it is we need, what it is that we do not and what it is that is holding us back.

It is a time to reap what we have sown since the last dying season, whether it be good or bad, abundant or sparse. It is a time to consider what we want to cultivate as the great wheel spins on and ushers in a new cycle. Time to burn away that which is rotten, fouled and no longer needed to make way for new life once the darkest days of coming Winter are behind us.

I plan to pull out the cards tonight, once trick or treat and Halloween fun have finished, and share wine with the spirits. To leave honey for the fae and whisky for the goblins, in hopes they will continue to keep their mischief to themselves. I plan to make a resolution, as I do at each Witch's New Year... this year to cast of the chains I've bound myself in. To let go of holding back, of hiding, or censoring myself... even a little bit. Because to be anything other than my full, true self is doing a grave disservice to my soul and my emotional state.

I plan to let my freak flag unfurl and fly this year, to become truly brave and step in to my own.

So mote it be.

To my fellow witches, pagans and magic makers a very merry Samhain! May your harvest (both literally and figuratively) be bountiful and the ancestors bless you this evening. May you be blessed with abundance, joy and magic as the great wheel begins its cycle anew.

All Hallows Eve

Happy Hallowe'en, my lovelies!

Once I'm off work this afternoon, I plan to take a second walk around the neighborhood under the cool grey skies and as ever, keep a watchful eye and open heart for messages or signs. And also, to simply enjoy this day and this weather while it lasts. Then I'll be sweeping and cleaning the house, renewing wards and protection charms. I plan to cook and set up the altar, nothing fancy this year... all while wearing my finest pointy hat.

Then tonight I'll entertain guests both living and non, setting out the jack-o-lanterns to ward off the nasty ghouls and ghosts and to guide the honored dead and beloved spirits to my table where a place will be set for them. I'll leave offerings where the fae congregate in our yard; wine and sweets in the garden for those who are gentle and kind and beer and bread at the edge of the thorny patch for the goblins. After all, we shouldn't slight the darkness. Don't believe me? Just look at what happened to Sleeping Beauty.

Candy will be given to those wee souls who are brave enough to ring our bell. I'll be opening a nice bottle of red wine and sipping that while the candles burn and I offer thanks for the blessings of this past year and ponder what needs to go and what I need to call to me in this next one. I'll bind what I must and send my wishes skyward on ash and smoke. Just before bed, I'll pull cards for the coming year and take their advisement to heart.

There's something in the air this year that feels different than recent Hallowe'ens past. I felt a pull to light all of my candles yesterday, to sweep clear the altar area and to keep those candles burning for 3 days and 3 nights. And so, I shall.

Samhain blessings to my fellow Witches and Pagans; may this new year be filled with blessings a plenty! To my cherished muggles, a very happy Hallowe'en, may your night be filled with magic and joy.

Honoring Something Different This Samhain

It was with a heavy heart that I sat before my altar last night, with images of my beloved New Jersey torn asunder sitting firmly in my mind. While my loved ones are all safe and accounted for (thank the gods), places where so many memories were made were washed out to sea, never to be the same. The places where I spent summers in shore towns, my only family vacation to my beloved beautiful asbury park, the weekends spent in shitty motels right out of high school, birthday weekends, my first fledgling attempts at photography, that damned belly button piercing, trips to Atlanic City with my mom when I was younger, the place I threw a bottle into the ocean with a note to the man I love, with a note of sentiment for the sea to carry to him while he was in another country sorting himself out. Heartbroken, I remembered the places that had cleansed my soul, healed my heart and brought calm and joy to my life numerous times. I felt torn, useless for not being there and not being able to do anything from so far away but donate blood and money.

I very nearly walked away from my altar, candles unlit and nothing said. But I didn't, I couldn't. I turned and lit my candles despite the heaviness in my heart, welcomed the elements and praised Hecate and Hermes. As I did, I felt more energized than I had in days - prickles of pins and needles traveled from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. I lit another candle for my homeland, for the memories that are now gone, for the people who lost so much and I let some of it go; left some of it at the end of the Wheel's last cycle and took a step, a little lighter in to the new one. What I have to offer, right now, all that I can do to help - is enough.

Being one who celebrates the people who have passed on in my life on Dia de Los Muertos, I chose to honor the history, dreams, memories and lives lost to that hateful storm. I thanked the far off crippled shoreline for all it had done for me with the last remnants of the water I gathered there under the full moon on my third anniversary. My usual Samhain workings came after. Though tired, I lit a black candle and burned away the things I wish to leave behind in the old year and a white candle to attract the things I wish to call to me in the new one. Finally, I sat with my faerie oracle deck for a while, pulling three cards. I didn't pull a full wheel of the year reading as I normally do; I was too drained to focus well.

Seems I need to be wary of what I hear this coming year; of gossip and messages mangled and mixed. Or is this wee Fae simply bearing my messenger god's greetings to me? Either way, the beginning of this new turn will be heralding in a shift in several of my perspectives, a lot of introspection and deep work and hopefully - an arrival to a place of true renewal and healing.

Blessed Samhain, lovelies.

Witches Brew and Pumpkin Soup

I've always been incredibly fond of witches (for the obvious reasons!) and a few years ago, when I was gifted the Wicked Witch of the West music box and the witchy toad hopped in to my home a coven of sorts began. When the purple ceramic witch with her fabulous black curls was given to me as an engagement gift, a seasonal Autumn tradition was born.

The two Elphies have important magical business to discuss.

When the first signs of pumpkins and black cats hit the shelves, I begin to look for the new witch who will join my wee coven this year. As I only allow myself to purchase a single one (I'll accept any and all as gifts!) I don't just settle for the first one I see but rather explore small shops in different towns as we adventure and travel, until the right one pops out at me.

Jim Shore's Elphaba practically jumped into my arms at a Hallmark store on our first Hallowe'en season in our first apartment. The little red dressed witch and her familiar were found at a teeny shop during an apple festival in North Carolina. The witch queen in her velvet finery, came to our home to throw a ball last year and decided she didn't want to leave.

I felt a lot like a high school yearbook photographer snapping this picture!

This year, three newcomers have joined the foray; all of them gifts from my mister for our anniversary! The wee witch reminiscent of a Charlie Brown tale, as well as Jim Shore's pint sized thorny lady and her cat in a hat!

There are a few other witches, zipping around the house on their brooms, but they were too camera shy or quick for me to take a proper photo of them! These ladies will get their cackle on until the end of November, when they'll retire to the place of pride in (or atop in the Witch Queen's case) my china hutch until they welcome a new sister (or two!) next season.

And for being such delightful guests, the coven has decided to share a recipe for pumpkin soup:

Ingredients:
* 2 - 3 sugar pumpkins
* 4 cups of vegetable stock
* 2 cups of milk
* 1 cup diced yellow onions
* Minced fresh garlic (to taste - if you're like me and like a lot of garlic, use half to a whole head!)
* Salt, Pepper and Coriander to taste.
* Butter

Directions:
* Cut the pumpkins in half, scoop out the seeds and pulp and place rind up in a baking dish with 1/4" of water. Place in a 350° oven for 30 - 40 minutes, until soft. Once cooked, scoop out the insides, discarding the rind.
* Puree the pumpkin using a hand or standing mixer and put aside. Add a wee bit of water if you need to.
* In a sauce pan, melt enough butter to saute your onions. (I personally don't use a lot of butter and use unsalted). Add in minced garlic and saute until fragrant and soft. Add spices.
* Add in pumpkin puree and broth, stirring until smooth and well blended. Bring to a boil while stirring, then allow to simmer about 10 minutes stirring occasionally to keep it smooth.
* Turn the heat to medium low and begin to slowly add your milk while stirring. If you add it too quickly, it will pool up and not blend easily! Add more spices, allow to simmer 5 - 10 minutes until everything is well incorporated and serve.

note You can adjust this recipe to be on the savory, garlicky side by adding extra garlic and a pinch of cayenne pepper OR you can leave the garlic, salt/pepper/coriander out and make it a sweeter, pie like soup by adding nutmeg, cinnamon and 1/2 cup of brown sugar.

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If you're visiting from The Bewitching Home blog party at The Witch of Howling Creek, thank you for stopping by! To visit our hostess, Tenaé and the other partiers, please click the image below:

The Charm of Pumpkins

This post originally appeared as a guest post at the Samhain's Sirens blog on October 9, 2012. I'm reposting it here, in case you missed it.

For as long as I can remember, pumpkins, those shiny globes of Atumnal joy, have been one of my favorite parts of this season. When the first pumpkins would show up in roadside stands and super markets, gleaming orange and white under natural light or fluorescent, my heart would beat a little faster. There they were, heralding in the season of crisp evenings, colorful leaves, hot apple cider and trips to orchards, corn fields and pumpkin patches.

Those trips to the pumpkin patches were the thing I looked most forward to all year long. My family would all pull on their sweatshirts and scarves and pile into the car to head out to one of the local patches. Once we got there, we were greeted by brisk breezes wafting the smell of kettle corn and caramel apples our way. We'd climb aboard the tractor pulled hay cart and bumble up the dirt trails leading from the parking field, country store and concession stand away in the trees. Often times the people driving the tractor would tell us about the farm or treat us to some seasonal folk lore and legends.

Once the ride was over, the best part started; the hunt for the perfect pumpkin. I'd search high and low, wandering through tangled vines and over ditches looking for the one I'd bring home to turn into my one and only Jack-O-Lantern. Often times, I'd find one far too large to carry and would con my dad, despite his earlier admonishment that I had to find one I could pick up, into lugging it around for me. Once we were all set, it was onto the next wagon down to pay and grab a nip of warm cider and a fresh baked doughnut before piling back in the car to bring our treasures home.

Once there, my mom would lay out layers of newspaper on the table and give each of us a marker to draw our design onto our pumpkin. This usually took a while as we all waffled over making a face or a scene - a very difficult task, you know! Eventually, we'd get it hammered out and drawn on and mom would 'cut open the pumpkins heads!' so we could get in there and scoop out their cold, seedy brain. My brother and sister always loved this part. Me? I wanted to get on to the carving and the eating of the seeds. They could mush pumpkin brains around in their hands and toss it at each other all night long, but I had serious business to get to!

Eventually, the pumpkins would be clean and mom would carve them - or when we got older - we'd carve them. And then, finally, the magic happened! We'd put them all on the kitchen table, turn off all the lights and light the candles. There are still few joys that make me smile harder than seeing my perfect pumpkin come to life with the golden flicker of a candle. We'd leave them burning until bed time and then light them every night through Hallowe'en.

These jacks were done by myself, my husband and my sister a few years ago.

At a hair shy of 30, these traditions are still the ones I most cling to and cherish. The trip to the pumpkin patch remains one of my favorite things to do throughout the entire year, I look so forward to it and when I do go, it is just once and we spend a good chunk of time there. Everyone who knows me knows how special these trips are to me, so much so in fact, that a pumpkin patch is where my husband proposed to me five years ago; down on his knee in the tall grass amidst those magical gourds. I can honestly say, as I've gotten older, those trips and the ritual of carving haven't lost a single speck of their magic!

Speaking of Magic, here is a wee jack-o-lantern charm that I whipped up to use when I light my candles:

Jack 'O Lantern Light the way,
For the spirits and the Fae,
Ward off those that mean us harm,
With this candle I seal this charm.
(light the candle)

Blessed Samhain

On this night of thinning veils, pumpkins light the way and spirits come to call. The wind blows brisk and chill and the leaves have mostly fallen. The Earth goes to her rest as the plants die back and animals prepare to slumber.

The Crone begins her reign over this, the introspective and dark time of the year. This is a time of mysteries, of journeys and of self discoveries for those willing to face the darkness. This is a time of dying and letting go, but also of new beginnings and growth. For as in all cycles and circles, here on Samhain night, you will find balance.

May those who are here and those who have gone before us be muchly blessed as the wheel is begun anew. On this night of beginnings and endings, may you find that which your heart is seeking and let die that which you no longer need. Samhain blessings, my loves.

Samhain Festivities

I hope you all had a Happy Halloween and Samhain!

We had a very mischievous Mischief Night on the 30th, with our annual Hallowe'en party, which I am pleased to report had a great turn out! One of my former Coffeebucks coworkers even came by with two of her friends and the 4 of us made merry... perhaps a bit too merry, as my head and belly told me yesterday morning.

Our festivities yesterday were low key. We spent the day napping, watching horror movies and getting the candy ready for the droves of trick or treaters we were sure we'd get. By 7:00pm we had answered the door twice, handed out candy to four kids and only two of them were in costume. There is still way too much candy in my plastic candy cauldron this year.

However, the lack of trick or treaters had a plus side as we had saved the carving of our annual jack-o-lanterns for sundown. No knocking at the door meant we were free to carve to our heart's content.

Since we neglected to take our annual Halloween photo at the party, we took a bunch of silly photos with the pumpkins. This is my favorite one, I'm thinking it's frame worthy:

When Joe retired around the witching hour to get up for work this morning, I stayed up a while longer to sit down and perform my Samhain ritual. For the first time in a very long time, I felt called to cast and work within a circle. I welcomed my elemental brethren and bade farewell to the Sun and welcomed the Crone into my life once more. With all of their energies around me, I released the things I wished not to bring forward with me by black candle flame. To fill the void, I contemplated what I wished to call to me and welcomed it with the flame of a white candle.

I felt so drained afterward that I didn't do my annual 12 cards wheel of the year tarot reading, instead opting to crawl under the warm covers of my bed and snooze away the first few hours of the New Year.

Samhain Blessings

Samhain, a time to remember and honor those who have come before. The veil between the land of the living and that of the dead is thinnest, spirits come to call and sit with us a while should we choose to let them in. This is a time for introspection and reflection; a time to rid ourselves of the negative and invite in the positive as the wheel of the year begins anew.

The Earth is beginning to slumber as the days grow shorter and the air colder. The light wanes as we bid farewell to the Lord of the Sun, Darkness rules this half of the wheel. Cailleach, the Queen of Winter steps up to take Brighid's place, amidst the swirl of dead leaves caught in a chill breeze. The harvest is ending and Winter will soon be upon us.

My spirit wishes to worry not for winter just yet, wanting only to celebrate the lives of the dead and dance with the Fae amongst the last rays of the fading sun. To carve jack-o-lanterns to light the way of peaceful spirits and ward off those that would cause harm. I will cast off the old and welcome the new as the wheel renews its endless cycle, beginning my third year on this path. I welcome the Crone and the darkness where I have always been quite comfortable.

May all the blessings and renewal of Samhain be upon you and yours as the days grow cold and dark. And despair not, for Spring is only half the wheel away.

On the Twenty-Seventh day of Hallowe'en...

As Samhain draws closer, I've been thinking more and more about what I'd like to take with me into the magical new year and what I'd like to leave behind. Each year, after the trick-or-treaters and Hallowe'en revelers have gone to count candy and to sleep I slip off to the sanctuary of my altar to perform my Samhain ritual. During my ritual I do a spell for release and balance that out with a new year's wish. I close with a 12 card tarot spread to glimpse into the coming year.

This year, the things I'd wish for are few but the things I'd like to leave behind are plentiful. Some require a lot more work than the few days left between now and Samhain can fully heal, but other ones that have plagued me for entirely too long need to be told they will no longer have power over me and I can think of no better time than Samhain to release them.

The things I am leaving behind are the demons of self doubt and loathing. For as long as I can remember, I've suffered from fairly low self esteem and the wee demons in my head telling me I'm not good, creative, in shape, pretty, clever, funny, talented, likeable, etc, etc, enough have been less than helpful in my getting over it. I am blessed with people who love and praise me, but am completely incapable of graciously accepting a compliment. Until I began this blog a little over a year ago, sharing my art was something I very rarely did. So, I have made progress in some aspects, but now it's time to deal with the rest of them.

Yesterday, I sat down and began work on my project for week one of Tam's Art, Heart and Healing workshop on Willowing.org. Yes, week one actually started last week, but sometimes the universe has you hold off on things until the time is right for them. This was most certainly the case, because as I was pondering letting go of my demons I was watching Tam's videos for this project, which is all about changing how your inner critic speaks to you and letting go of the negativity it can breed in you.

Of course, when you create a void by letting go of something, there's an empty space to be filled with something wonderful. The page is devoted to the wonderful that you wish to focus on; a statement and word that will solidify the positive and keep out the negative. She said we could make a person who represented us and looked nothing like us, but for me, I wanted the girl on my positivity page to be me. I didn't look in a mirror or use photos, I just let my pencil and brush go and ended up with a semi stylized girl who looks almost exactly like me ten years ago.

My glasses and nose ring are present and accounted for and the message is straightforward and simple. Quit beating up on and start loving yourself.

And that my lovelies, is my resolution for this Samhain.

Will you be making any resolutions, releasing or wishing for anything as the Wheel of the Year begins a new cycle? feel free to share in the comments or on your own blogs. If you share elsewhere though, let me know here so I can come visit with you.

A House Cleansing and Blessing

As I mentioned a few posts ago, Autumn is the time I do my annual cleaning rather than Spring. This time of year is great for cleansing and protection spells as well as divination. Since it took me longer than expected to finish my home's decluttering and deep cleaning (there were so many unpacked boxes stuffed in some of our closets) I opted to wait until today to perform my home cleansing and blessing spell work so I could get the extra power of the Full Moon behind me. Once my house is cleaned physically, this is the ritual I came up with and use to cleanse and bless it magically.

First thing's first, get rid of any negativity you flushed out during your cleaning spree. Take up your besom and sweep all that nastiness right out the door! To get rid of any particularly stubborn residual negativity light a black candle in the room where you and your family spend the bulk of your time. As you light it say:

Absorb into thee all negativity,
that our home shall be cleansed,
and our hearts will be free.
As I will it, so shall it be.

Let the candle burn out on its own.

Before the next phase, I like to take a shower or bath. If I'm going to cleanse my space I had get rid of any residual yuck that's clinging to me. Once I'm clean and dressed I gather the following items in the center of my home.

-Small Glass Bowl
-Water
-Salt
-White Candle in a safe container (see my photo above)
-Feather or Smudge Fan
-Loose herbal blend. You can put any herbs that you associate with purification, protection and prosperity in here. I use a blend of sage, thyme, mint and lavender.

Ground and center. In the small dish mix the water and salt. Walk along the edges of your home, through each room, sprinkling the mixture as you go. At each window and exterior door you come to sprinkle the mixture over the door step and window sill. Then pause and draw a star on the window or door with the mixture and your fingertip. As you do so say:

By Earth and Water I bless this entrance.
I bar entry to that which means us harm,
Only love shall enter here.

Once you've gone through each room in your home and made sure to bless each entry point, go back to the center of your home. Set down the bowl and light the candle. Take up the herbal mixture and sprinkle it over the top of the candle. With your feather or smudge fan spread the smoke throughout the room, making sure to get it into each corner and dark space. As you do so say:

By Air and Fire I cleanse and purify this space,
only joy and kindness will dwell and prosper here.

Repeat this for each room in your home taking care to refresh the herbs on top as needed. I usually put my candle and a small pile of the herb mixture on a plate to achieve this easily. Once you've cleansed each room return to the center of your home. Place your items down. Ground and center yourself before blessing your home as follows:

Let Air's laughter ring,
Water's love flow,
Fire's energy protect,
and Earth prosperity bring.
This home is now blessed by the elements four,
No spirits shall hide nor negativity endure.
May blessing enter and darkness flee,
As I will it, so shall it be.

Let the candle burn out. Take any leftover herbs and salt water outside to return to the earth.

Happy 22nd day of Hallowe'en! Get out under the full moon tonight, it's the closest one to Samhain. ;)

I'm sharing my spell with all of you lovelies for your personal use. Please don't republish this in part or full without my permission. That's bad karma.

On the Second, Third and Fourth Days of Halloween...

I went to an Oktoberfest and had some seasonal brews:

And set up my altar for Samhain. If you look closely, you'll spot a few items from the pagan swaps on Craftster, as well as items from Carioca Witch and Anathemum on Etsy. I added the baby pumpkin and gourd on the fourth day after stopping at a stand to grab a few.

The list of Hallowe'en revelers is growing each day and it's not too late to join in on the fun! Click the button below to visit the party post.

On Samhain, I step into the second year...

This Samhain is very special to me; it's been one year since I came out of the broom closet and took the first steps on my current path. From the memories I recall of my childhood, I've been a pagan throughout my life, but I didn't have a name for it until I was out of high school. When I learned about paganism, it was the first time religion of any sort resonated strong and true within me.

Once I found the general name for my belief system, I was path-less. I revered nature, loved the goddess and god, enjoyed divination and had very little difficulty with meditation or energy work... but I felt a pull to put a more specific name to what I felt, since all of the pagans I talked to seemed to be wiccans of Dianic or Gardnerian leanings, though a few of them practiced hoodoo. None of those seemed a fit for me. It wasn't until I met a fantastic pagan woman (and very dear friend) who is a hedgewitch and has been for over 25 years that I became aware of green witchcraft. The path of the green witch is completely personal and flexible, deeply rooted in nature (especially forests and trees), the rituals are loose and spontaneous and can be performed however I please. It was love as soon as I was half way through Ann Moura's book. Once I finished that one and read through Ellen Dugan's I knew this was my path.

I picked Samhain, the witches new year and a time of beginnings and endings, for my dedication and first spell work. I chose to perform a ritual to leave behind the broom closet and a ritual to dedicate myself to my new path. I did a divination for the year by pulling a card for each month of the year and I recorded them in my Book of Shadows. When I was done I just felt... peaceful, in tune, content.

In this past year I have made so much progress on my path. My confidence when spell working has increased dramatically and I no longer hide what I am. Witches abound in my kitchen, small shrines are scattered throughout my home and my husband (who is not a pagan) even put together a table in our bedroom where my beautiful main altar is. My maiden goddess has left me as I've grown out of maidenhood myself, but I've been scooped up into Brighid's loving arms.

I'm looking forward to the celebration of a full turn of the wheel on my path. I'm planning on revisiting the ritual of release to leave the negative behind me but I'm also planning on adding a wish ritual to balance things out. I will also be doing my year long divination and recording it again.

Most of all though, I'm looking forward to Samhain's energy, ready to be renewed and free as I step into the new year.