|
History: At Samhain (October 31) the Pagans say farewell to the God. This is a temporary farewell. He isn?t wrapped in eternal darkness, but readies to be reborn of the Goddess at Yule. Samhain, also known as November Eve, Feast of the Dead, Feast of Apples, Hallows, All Hallows, once marked the time of sacrifice. In some places this was the time when animals were slaughtered to ensure food throughout the depths of winter. The God, identified with animals, fell as well to ensure our continuing existence.
Samhain is a time of reflection, of looking back over the last year, of coming to terms with the one phenomenon of life over which we have no control, death. The Pagan feel that on this night the separation between the physical and spiritual realities is thin. Pagans remember their ancestors and all those who have gone before. After Samhain, Pagans celebrate Yule, and so the wheel of the year is complete.
Samhain is known as the Witches New year. It is traditional to leave an offering of food or drink at the doorstep on this night to refresh those souls who may wander between the two worlds. This is our origin of our Western Halloween. Carved turnips were the original Jack-O-Lanterns and were carried by travelers going from feast to feast on Samhain night to dissuade any wandering spirits from interfering. This Sabbat celebrates the eternal cycle of reincarnation and marks the beginning of winter. Samhain is not a totally somber Sabbat, it is also a time of games and frivolity. Fall fruits such as apples, harvest foods of gourds and melons, and fall grains or nuts are typical decorations.
Colors:
Black, Brown, Gold, Orange, Red, Silver, and Yellow
Black:
The color of protection and binding of negativity. We use black to release that which needs to be let go of and to help those who need the assistance in crossing.
White:
Attainment of a higher spirituality through leaving the physical body. White is thus symbolic during this time of year as those who have left us attain greater understandings than they had in life and we acknowledge that with white flowers and robes.
Red:
Energy and strength. The essence of the color conjures up courage and the will power to conquer the fear of the unknown. It is what remains of the sexual, reproductive potency of the Sun God as he is lain to rest on this night. It is also the energy of what we have reaped throughout the three harvests, both literally and figuratively, as we stand on the brink of the pagan new year ready to apply what we?ve learned, to our lives.
Stones:
Amethyst, Asbestos, Beryl, Bloodstone, Cat?s Eye, Coal, Coral, Carnelian, Danburite, Fossil, Herkimer Diamond, Jasper, Jet, Marble, Mother of Pearl, Obsidian, Onyx, Petrified Wood, Pumice, Quart, Rhodonite, Smoky Quartz, Salt, Pink Tourmaline.
Incense and Oils:
Cedar, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, Ginger, Lavender, Lime, Mint, Myrrh, Orange, Sagebrush, Sandalwood, Copal, Mastic Resin, Benzoin, Sweetgrass, Wormwood, Mugwort, Sage, or Patchouli.
Animals and Mythical Beasts:
Stag, Cat, Bat, Owl, Jackal, Elephant, Ram, Scorpion, Heron, Crow, Robin, Phooka, Goblin, Medusa, Beansidhe, Fylgiar, Peryton, Erlkonig, and Harpies.
God and Goddesses:
Any figure of the Goddess in her Crone aspect, as well as Gods of death, such as: Hecate (Goddess of fertility, moon magic, and the witches? protectress, Morrigan (Celtic Goddess of death), Cernunnos (Celtic fertility God), Persephone (Greek Goddess who dies and is reborn every year after being tricked by Hades), Arawn (Welsh King of Hel), Gywnn Ap Nudd (King of Faeries and of the Underworld), macha (Irish mother of life and death, one of the triple Goddesses of Morrigu), Scathach/Scota and Osiris (Egyptian God who dies and is reborn every year. Full Listing of Gods and Goddess: Anubis, Arianrhod, Astarte, Baba Yaga, Beansidhe (Banshee), Belili, Bran, Cailleach Beara, Cernunnos, Cerridwen, Crone, Dark Lord and Lady, Demeter, Hathor, Hecate, Hel, Horned God, Inanna, Ishtar, Isis, Kali, Kore, Lakshmi, Lilith, the Morrigan, Nephthys, Odin, Osiris, Oya, Persephone, Pomona, Rhiannon, and Tlzaoteotl.
Symbols:
Apples, autumn flowers, acorns, bat, black cat, bones, corn stalks, cauldrons, colored leaves, crows, death/dying, divination and the tools associated with it, ghosts, gourds, Indian corn, jack-o-lantern, nuts, oak leaves, pomegranates, pumpkins, scarecrows, scythes, and waning moon.
Foods:
Apples, apple dishes, cider, meat (traditionally this is the meat harvest), especially pork, mulled cider with spices, nuts, pomegranates, potatoes, pumpkins, cranberry muffins and breads, turnips, beets, ale, herbal tea (mugwort).
Activities:
Honoring the Dead, dumb supper, carving jack-o-lanterns (then making pie), making masks representing the Gods and Goddesses of Samhain, making a besom, divination, and most importantly, don?t forget to leave milk and honey out for the Faerie folk.
Spellwork:
Release of bad habits, banishing, fairy magic, divination of any kinds, candle magic, astral projection, past life work, dark moon mysteries, mirror spells (reflection), casting protection, inner work, propitiation, clearing obstacles, uncrossing, inspiration, working of transitioner culmination, manifesting transformation, creative visualization, contacting those who have departed this plane.
Herb and Plants:
Apple, Cedar, Cherry, Elder, Eucalyptus, Holly, Horse Chestnut, Lime, Orange, Palm-Date, Oak, Peach, Pear, Pine, Plum, Quince, Rowan, Sandalwood, Willow, Witch Hazel, African Violet, Agaric, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cinnamon, Coconut, Cuckoo-Flower, Cyclamen, Deerstongue, Devil?s Bit, Elderflower, Garlic, Ginger, Grape, Hemp, Huckleberry, Kalbs Cross, Lavender, Liquorice, Mandrake, Mint, Myrrh, Nettle, Nightshade, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Raspberry, Rhubarb, Saffron, Sage, Sarsaparilla, Sassafras, Sloe, Star Anise, Strawberry, Sugar Cane, Tea, Tobacco, Vanilla, Witch Grass, Wolfsbane.
Plant of the Season:
Oak
Magickal Uses:
Magickally, the Oak represents strength and protection. It teaches persistence and endurance. Known as the King of the forest, the mighty Oak is traditionally associated with strength and courage. It grows to a huge size and great girth and is a very long-lived tree spanning centuries. Offering its gifts of protection, strength, and courage, Oak makes wonderful magical tools to last a lifetime or even a special heirloom to be passed down for generations.
Sacred to the Druids and the Greeks, the Oak is a tree of strength, protection, and durability. It represents inner fire, courage and nobility of spirit. At the Greek oracle of Dodoni, The God Zeus speaks by rustling the leaves of the sacred oak. Many Germanic and Celtic tribes made truce and administered justice under the oak, and the Yule log is traditionally of oak as well. As it both attracts lightning and yet seems resilient to it, the oak is sacred to many storm and wind Gods, and its power to stand to lightning?s transformative power may have something to do with its meaning in the Ogham, where it is Dur, ?door? and Ogham of transformation, the ability to step through the door and create change. Dur is the turning point in the Oghamic calendar, falling at Summer Solstice, with Tinne (Holly) in the next month, representing the transition from the Oak to the Holly King. The acorn symbolizes the huge potential in small things.
Uses:
Protection, Health, Money, Healing, Potency, Fertility, and Luck.
Medicinal Uses:
The astringent effects of the Oak were well known to the Ancients, by whom different parts of the tree were used, but it is the bark which is now employed in medicine. Its action is slightly tonic, strongly astringent and antiseptic. It has a strong astringent bitter taste, and its qualities are extracted both by water and spirit. The odour is slightly aromatic. Like other astringents, it has been recommended in agues and hemorrhages, and is a good substitute for Quinine in intermittent fever, especially when given with Chamomile flowers. It is useful in chronic diarrhea and dysentery, either alone or in conjunction with aromatics. A decoction is made from 1 oz. of bark in a quart of water, boiled down to a pint and taken in wineglass full doses. Externally, this decoction has been advantageously employed as a serviceable as an injection for leucorrhoea, and applied locally to bleeding gums and piles.
Incense
3 parts Frankincense
2 parts Sandalwood
2 parts Mugwort
1 part Sage
? part Nutmeg
? part Lavender
Pathworking
Take a long walk and thing about what is happening in the spirit world. Enjoy the cool, crisp weather, and collect a few pretty leaves to decorate the house with. Think about your mask and what the world sees that you don?t agree with. Decide to more true to yourself.
For dinner, make the favorite dish (or dishes) of a loved one, and enjoy some good memories as you eat. Share the food and the memories with someone you love, if you like. For dessert, have something made from pumpkin.
Throughout the month, you can make small shrines to your departed loved ones by first placing their picture on a little out of the way shelf or corner of the room, and then add any memorabilia you have of them. Include items that you thinks they would have liked. You may have a poem or song that reminds you of them. You can leave a copy there, and maybe read or recite it to them on Samhain or sometime during the month. Don?t forget to add a candle!
Do some divination using whatever method you like. Try a few of them.
Concentrate on your own Mysteries, where you are going on this path, who you really want to become. Meditate on the forces of dark and light, life and death.
Notice how the dead, decaying plant life becomes compost for the seeds to feed on in the spring. Understand how all life feeds on life, and that all aspects of this process are necessary and sacred. Speak to a dark goddess you feel close to, if you will, of your fears and doubts. Let her take them from you. Know that she is the eternal Wise Grandmother---stern, yet loving and utterly powerful.
Play spooky music, laugh, give candy generously to children---our future---in order to sweeten their future. Have a great time. Happy haunting!
Decorations:
Make A Paper Twist Pumpkin
You Will Need:
A styrofoam ball - 3 inch or larger in diameter works best
Orange and brown paper twist (available in craft stores)
Tacky glue
Scissors
Something to use as a poker that DOES NOT have a sharp point
Step One
- Decide where the top and the bottom of your pumpkin will be. Use the poker to make a small hole (about 1/4 inch deep) in the top and bottom of the pumpkin.
Step Two
- Measure the length from the top hole to the bottom hole. Add another 3/4 inch. This is the length to cut your strips of orange paper twist.
Step Three
- Untwist a section of orange paper twist. Cut a strip according to above measurement. Put a very small amount of glue in the top and bottom holes. Put an end of the cut section of paper twist in each hole. Use your poker to push the ends in the holes securely.
Step Four
- Repeat Step Three until your pumpkin is covered.
Step Five
- Cut a section of brown paper twist about an inch long. Do Not untwist. Glue the twist/stem into the top of the pumpkin. Let dry. Enjoy!
Make a Scrying Mirror
Samhain is a time to do some serious divination - it's the time of year when the veil between our world and that of the spirits is at its thinnest, and that means it's the perfect season to look for messages from the metaphysical. Scrying is one of the best known forms of divination, and can be done in a variety of ways. Basically, it's the practice of looking into some sort of reflective surface --
such as water, fire, glass, dark stones, etc. -- to see what messages, symbols, or visions may appear. A scrying mirror is a simple black-backed mirror, and it's easy to make one yourself.
To make your scrying mirror, you'll need the following:
A clear glass plate
Matte black spray paint
Additional paints (acrylic) for embellishment
To prepare the mirror, first you'll need to clean it. Use any glass cleaner, or for a more earth-friendly method, use vinegar mixed with water. Once the glass is clean, flip it over so that the back side is facing up. Lightly spray with the matte black spray paint. For the best result, hold the can a couple of feet away, and spray from side to side. If you hold the can too close, the paint will pool, and you don't want this. As each coat dries, add another coat. After five to six coats, the paint should be dense enough that you can't see through the paint if you hold the glass up to a light.
Once the paint has dried, turn the glass right side up. Use your acrylic paint to add embellishments around the outer edge of the plate -- you can add symbols of your tradition, magical sigils, or even your favorite saying. The one in the photo says, ''Thee I invoke by the moonlit sea, the standing stone, and the twisted tree.'' Allow these to dry as well. Your mirror is ready for scrying, but before you use it, you may want to
consecrate it as you would any other magical item.
To Use it
: If your tradition normally requires you to cast a circle, do so now. If you'd like to play some music, start your cd player. If you'd like to light a candle or two, go ahead, but be sure to place them so that they don't interfere with your line of vision. Sit or stand comfortably at your workspace. Begin by closing your eyes, and attuning your mind to the energy around you. Take some time to gather that energy.
When you are ready to begin scrying, open your eyes. Position yourself so that you can look into the mirror. Stare into the glass, looking for patterns, symbols or pictures -- and don't worry about blinking, it's fine if you do. You may see images moving, or perhaps even words forming. You may have thoughts pop spontaneously into your head, that seem to have nothing at all to do with anything. Perhaps you'll suddenly think about someone you haven't seen in decades. Use your journal, and write everything down. Spend as much time as you like gazing into the mirror -- it may be just a few minutes, or even an hour. Stop when you begin to feel restless, or if you're getting distracted by mundane things.
When you are finished gazing into the mirror, make sure you have recorded everything you saw, thought and felt during your scrying session. Messages often come to us from other realms and yet we frequently don't recognize them for what they are. If a bit of information doesn't make sense, don't worry -- sit on it for a few days and let your unconscious mind process it. Chances are, it will make sense eventually. It's also possible that you could receive a message that's meant for someone else -- if something doesn't seem to apply to you, think about your circle of family friends, and who the message might be meant for.
Questions:
What are two other names for Samhain?
Which incense ingredient has only ? part?
Samhain is known as the Witches what?
What is the color of protection and binding negativity?
What was originally carved to keeps spirits from interfering?
What is suggested that you make for dinner on Samhain?
What is traditionally left at the doorstep?
What are the uses of the Oak?
Who is reborn at Yule?
Name two activities good at Samhain?
Who is the Welsh King of Hel?
What are the three colors which are given in detail for this installment?
What kind of reflection spell would you do at Samhain?
Name two animals or mythical beast.
What is the stone of the season?
What is step two of making a paper twist pumpkin?
What does the Acorn symbolize?
What is needed to make a scrying mirror?
Name two traditional plants of Samhain.
What should you do throughout the month?
Write a short Samhain Ritual
|
