Samhain Goodies- Updated 10/30/05

[The Bookwyrm]

Ideas for Celebrating the Season - Putting Samhain Back into Halloween

By C. Austin

Keep it simple! It is the act of doing that is important not the polish
of the finished product or event. Always be sure to take appropriate
precautions - fire and child safety are a must!

Nature

* Ceremoniously finish cleaning up your garden or lawn by October
31. Gather in remaining fruit or produce from your garden -
anything not gathered in by Samhain should be left to the Pooka.
Preserve flowers, a grain sheaf or garden produce for enjoyment in
the coming winter season as well as to insure successful planting
in the spring.
* Make a simple Samhain wreath of apples, nuts, leaves and a few
grain stalks.
* Plant flower bulbs for Samhain - observe the moment when the bulbs
rest within the welcoming underground of the Goddess.
* Kindle a bonfire or a single candle to welcome the underworld tide
of Samhain. Ignite the fire ceremoniously, noting the kindling of
a new fire to welcome a new season, a new year. During the bonfire
evening, join hands with those present and lead a procession or a
spirited dance. Spiral in toward the light, around it and then
spiral away again to invite the season and the spirits. Observe
the welcoming darkness surrounding your bonfire or candlelight.
Darkness enhances the brilliance of the light, just as the light
deepens the surrounding darkness. There is comfort in both. The
light within the depths of Samhain speaks to the burning tide of
underworld life as well as the fecundity and light that will again
be ours at Beltaine. When the fire has died down, jump a safe
part of the fire for luck. Or if you have the space, do it the
original way and light two bonfires and dance/run/walk between
them for luck.
* Tell stories around the bonfire or your indoor candle; myths,
folktales, ghost stories or personal stories will do well.
* Organize a night or daytime nature walk to sharpen the senses to
the passage of time and season.
* Wind down ambitious projects and ideas for the winter. Hold the
seeds of your ideas until Imbolg when they can germinate in the
ambition of spring.
* Paint or colour black a picture to represent the underworld. Paste
a spiral or other design of apple seeds and/or nuts onto it.
* Wear black - not in mourning but in celebration and synchronicity
with the season around you.
* Sit alone or with friends in a cornfield at twilight and listen
for whispers that tell of the year to come.
* Create and carry out any simple ritual that to you, honours
year-end, acceptance of change and the turning of the New Year.
* Celebrations
* Host a multi-generational gathering big or small to unite your own
community. Wear costumes, play games, feast, dance and welcome the
New Year.
* Bake a cake with one token (wrapped in wax paper large enough to
prevent swallowing) in it. The recipient of this piece becomes the
"Lord (or Lady) of Misrule," for Samhain evening. He or she is
given a staff or wand (a stick with crepe paper streamers, or some
other inexpensive decoration or paint) and is thereby permitted to
rule over the proceedings, interrupting wherever they feel,
leading the dances and games, etc.
* Host your own individual ceremony, light a bonfire or candle and
welcome the tides of time.
* Celebrate year-end by volunteering by yourself or with friends to
complete a helpful community project by Samhain.
* Organize a festive celebration at a retirement home to honour
community elders.
* Participate in a harvest food drive with friends; donate the
gathered feast to your local food bank.
* Make costumes or just masques with friends or by yourself. Gather
paints, colourful leaves, feathers, beads, acorns, corn leaves and
other bits to resemble any creature, animal or bird (otherworldly
or otherwise) that you admire. Or create an entirely original
masque with
* designs or numbers and such on it that are special to you.


Divinations

* Suspend apples from a string or bob them in a barrel - whoever
takes the first bite will be lucky indeed
* Walnuts or hazel nuts roasted in a fire or on the stove will glow
steadily to represent true love, while those that crack and pop
reflect love's decline.
* Empty a walnut shell, affix a small candle (birthday cake size)
within the shell and light it. Set it afloat in a long tub, a
wading pool or pond. Name each walnut boat for a member of the
party and watch as the boats navigate toward or away from each
other signifying the course of fate.
* Make a paperboard with "yes" or "no" on it. Suspend a hazel nut, a
shell or a crystal over it and ask the nut a question, it will
swing gently toward the answer (the origin of the Ouiji board games).
* Carve an apple in a single peel; throw the apple over your left
shoulder and turn to find your true love's initial formed by the
peel.
* Eat an apple while looking in a mirror - look over your shoulder
to try to catch the image of your true love in the background.
* Ask an apple a "yes" or "no" question, twist out the stem, saying,
"yes..no" for each turn for the answer.
* Make a Samhain light by hollowing out an apple and putting a
candle in it.
* Carve a "jack-o-lantern" out of a pumpkin, turnip or beet. When
carving a small pumpkin or turnip, the carved lantern can be
suspended from or on a stick and carried through the night as a
ghostly lantern.
* When kindling a bonfire, place stones within the bonfire
signifying people present - when the fire is ashes, note whether
any of the stone
<>are missing or misplaced - a portent of ill fortune to come.
* <>On Samhain night (early), find a field with kale or cabbage
within. Without looking, pick one - the freshness of the leaves,
the strength and form of the root will all give clues to the
fortitude and form of your future life partner.
* Look into a well or pond or a cauldron or pot on Samhain night by
candlelight - you will see your future love.
* Prepare three bowls of water or "luggies" - one clear, one cloudy,
one empty. Blindfolded, have participants dip their finger in one
bowl. If clear water is chosen, true love, cloudy leads to
misbegotten love and the empty bowl portends a life just as empty.
Two bowls, one of red coloured water and one of blue can be
prepared and used the same way - the blue bowl foretelling travel,
the red bowl foretelling a good fortune.
* <>Bring the magic of reflective water indoor. Look in a mirror as
you combyour hair and be aware of images that appear behind you or
in your mind <>that foretell the future (as the looking glass
holds the reflection of your soul, so it is bad luck to drop or
break a mirror. The particular <>mirror and comb to be used should
be utilized only for this type of scrying).
* <><><>Bake Colcannon (a dish with potatoes, parsnip and onion) or
a cake with wax-paper wrapped tokens inside. Have a married person
cut the food into pieces for distribution among adult
participants. Given the possibility of choking, it is probably
wise to bake an alternative cake for actual consumption. A key can
mean a journey, a thimble for finding a job, wheel for traveling,
coins for fortune, ring for marriage and health.


Feile na Marb - Supper for the Dead

* Light a candle or jack-o-lantern and keep it glowing late into the
night to welcome the Hungry ghosts
* On October 31 make a simple display of photographs and/or tokens
of loved ones since passed. Write a brief message to each, burn
the message in your bonfire or jack-o-lantern at evening's end to
send the message to the Otherworld.
* Leave or designate an empty chair(s) at your table, leave a bit of
food and drink for visiting spirits as well as any token or
special object they loved in life (in the morning, throw food away
as the spirits will have thankfully absorbed its essence).
* Hold hands with friends and family and lead a simple spiral dance
throughout your space to welcome visiting spirits (always make
sure to invite, never demand the attendance of the deceased.)  

[The Bookwyrm]

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[Nihilistic Seraph]

I'm going to actually have to read all of this soon instead of just skimming it.

Allthogh I quite like the night before Samhain. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

And also hit home that Samhain is actually coming soon. (Never mind that I'm going to a rit, wrote some poetry for it and all that...)  

[The Bookwyrm]

I'm a pack rat for information, especially about Samhain. I'm going to sort through and see if I can find some more info and get it up here when I find time. I actually have a lot of useful info, a bit for all of teh Sabbats, and a lot of just general, that I just have to sift through. A lot of the tarot info hit home for me tonight that I stumbled across, but that's because of my big tarot fundraiser for a friend tomorrow that I'm anxious about. redface  

[The Bookwyrm]

Eve of Samhain Spell to Connect with the Spirit World

October 30th, 2004

Color of the day: Gray
Incense of the day: Lavender

Get a white candle, matches, and a mirror for this spell. At dusk,
go to a haunted area or a place you feel the spirits are especially
powerful. Make contact by walking about and allowing your mind to roam.
Light your white candle, and stare into it saying:

Clear as midnight,
the spirits are bright.
Ghostly curiosity
brings you to me.
As a form takes shape,
I am not asleep.
Spirit awake,
take your shape.

Let the candle flicker. Glance into the mirror, and look past your
shoulder. Do you see mists or lighted balls in the reflection? This is
how ghosts typically appear. Return to the area on the next three
nights. Take some pictures. At home, place your mirror facedown. Mirrors
trap spirits. Some spirits will track you as you search for their
reflections. If you want your ghost to leave, just say so. Follow this
up by putting a broom over your transom and burning sage.

By: Susan Sheppard  

[The Bookwyrm]

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[The Bookwyrm]

How to make your own altar The Day of the Dead

Source Unknown

The Dead of the Dead altar is a prehispanic tradition that has lasted
throughout the years. It has become an integrated part of the Catholic
religion in Mexico. Every year it becomes a bigger and bigger event, with
school classes, government employees and artists throughout Mexico
competing
for the most creative and interesting altar. Halloween is not a tradition
in Mexico, and every year the Catholic church fights against the
celebration
and promotes the Day of the Dead Altars. November 1 (for dead little
children - santos inocentes) and November 2 for adults.

What you need

The most important thing to put on your Day of the Dead altar is a
photograph of the person to whom you are dedicating the altar. The three
tier altar is covered in "papel picado" - which is bright colored tissue
paper with cut out designs. The paper can be either handmade or
purchased.
Three important colors are purple (for pain) white (for hope) and pink (for
the celebration). Candles are also placed all over the altar. Purple
candles again are used to signify pain. On the top level of the altar, four
candles need to be placed - signifying the four cardinal points. The light
of the candle will iluminate the way for the dead upon their return. Three
candy skulls are placed on the second level. These represent the Holy
Trinity. On the center of the third level a large skull is placed - this
represents the Giver of Life. All bad spirits must be whisked away and
leave a clear path for the dead soul by burning in a bracero, a small
burner
used to cook outside. Or you can use a sahumerio to burn copal or
incense.
A small cross of ash is made so that the ghost will expell all its guilt
when it is stepped on. The Day of the Dead bread, pan de muerto, should be
accompanied by fruit and candy placed on the altar. Pan de Muerto is plain
round sweet bread sprinkled with white sugar and a crisscrossed bone
shape laid on top.
You can also add the person's favorite food. A towel, soap and small bowl
are put on the altar so that the returning ghost can wash their hands after
their long trip. There is a pitcher of fresh water to quench their thirst
and a bottle of liquor to remember the good times of their life. To
decorate and leave a fragrance on the altar, the traditional cempasuchil
flower is placed around the other figures. Cempasuchil comes from Nahuatl
cempoalxochitl, that means the flower with four hundred lives. The flower
petals form a path for the spirits to bring them to their banquete.  

[The Bookwyrm]

The Great Pumpkin

Pumpkin carving is a popular part of modern America's Halloween
celebration. Come October, pumpkins can be found everywhere in the
country from doorsteps to dinner tables. Despite the widespread carving
that goes on in this country every autumn, few Americans really know why
or when the jack o'lantern tradition began. Or, for that matter, whether
the pumpkin is a fruit or a vegetable. Read on to find out!
People have been making jack o'lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The
practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy
Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a
drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his
drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack
could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to
keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which
prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack
eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother
Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his
soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a
tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved
a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not
come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more
years.

Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an
unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had
played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not
allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a
burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out
turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish began
to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then,
simply "Jack O'Lantern."

In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of
Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and
placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and
other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used.
Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o'lantern tradition
with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that
pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack o'lanterns.

*Pumpkins are fruits. A pumpkin is a type of squash and is a member of
the gourd family (Cucurbitacae), which also includes squash, cucumbers,
gherkins, and melons.

*Pumpkins have been grown in North America for five thousand years. They
are indigenous to the western hemisphere.

In 1584, after French explorer Jacques Cartier explored the St. Lawrence
region of North America, he reported finding "gros melons." The name was
translated into English as "pompions," which has since evolved into the
modern "pumpkin."

*Pumpkins are low in calories, fat, and sodium and high in fiber. They
are good sources of Vitamin A, Vitamin B, potassium, protein, and iron.
*The largest pumpkin ever grown was 1,140 pounds. It was grown by Dave
Stelts of Leetonia, Ohio, in 2000.

*Pumpkin seeds should be planted between the last week of May and the
middle of June. They take between 90 and 120 days to grow and are picked
in October when they are bright orange in color. Their seeds can be
saved to grow new pumpkins the next year.

*The largest pumpkin pie ever baked was 350 pounds and five feet in diameter.  

[The Bookwyrm]

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[The Bookwyrm]

SAMHAIN APPLE DUMPLINGS

2 cups Flour
4 teaspoons Baking powder
1 teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons Shortening
1 cup Milk
6 each Apple Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Pare and core apples. Sift flour, baking powder and salt; cut in
shortening, add milk and mix to smooth dough. Turn onto floured board
and divide into six portions. Roll each portion large enough to cover
one apple. Place an apple on each piece of dough; fill with cinnamon and
sugar; wet edges of dough and fold over apple. Place on greased baking
sheet, and bake at 350-F until apples are tender (about 40 minutes).  

[The Bookwyrm]

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[The Bookwyrm]

Ritual to Honor Loved Ones At Samhain

by Sherry Gilles
October 24, 2000

I use a lovely silver bowl shaped like a shell with wells for three
candles built into it. You can use whatever vessels for candles you
might have. I put small items in the bowl that remind me of or are
from family members that have died.

You need apple or apple blossom incense since this is associated with
not only Love, but with Samhain in particular.

You will need a pink candle signifying affection, a yellow candle
signifying memories and a white candle, signifying peace.

Place pictures of your family or friends who you want to honor or
speak to spiritually on your altar. Purify your candles, releasing
any negativity. You can annoint your candles with rose oil signifying
love and peace if you choose. You might also choose to carve the
symbol of a rune such as Uruz (strength) on them.

Light the candles and say:

My love for you lives on inside
Your love serves as my spirit's guide
I draw your memories close to me
And remember you most lovingly

Sometimes I talk to you and find
You did not leave me far behind
My friend, my love, my heart, my soul
I bring you close and make us whole


Look closely at the pictures you have assembled. Close your eyes and
picture the faces of your loved ones, saying aloud, or thinking
inside about what is on your mind, what you want to share.  

[The Bookwyrm]

Ancestors Invocation

By Jennifer Ellison

We hear your whispered voices speaking words of wisdom into our
unconscious minds. Your whispers awaken our dreams, our hearts, our
desires. You who are our ancestors who once walked upon the earth and
were part of our shared life eternal, we praise you with all that is
sacred in our lives.

You who planted the seed of knowledge, you who sought inner peace, you
who claimed your love for the Gods and Goddesses of old, we give you
honor and praise your name.

Grandmother, without you I would not be here. Grandfather, without you I
would not be here. People that have come before and gone ahead, without
you I would not be here.

I give you honor and praise your name. We ask you for guidance, for you
have the power of knowledge. You have been born in us, part of our
being. We draw upon your strength so that we may move ever forward. Your
footsteps, we follow as all children will. You are our family and with
all the love in my being, I give you honor and call your names.

Ancestors, I praise you with the earth in my palm. I praise you with the
fire in my heart. I praise you with my breath as I give offerings to
your greatness. I praise you with the blood and water of life within my
body. I call forth for you with honor for all eternity.  

[The Bookwyrm]

Inviting in your Ancestors

2001 Spell-A-Day
2001-10-20

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  

[The Bookwyrm]

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