Halloween Plans?

In the Middle Ages it was believed that witches communed with the devil on Halloween night, which was then known as the witches’ Black Sabbath, and that they did all sorts of heinous things on this night. It was believed that witches celebrated this sabbat by sacrificing and eating children, dining on bread made from human feces and urine, kissing the asses of cats, and fornicating with the devil and his consorts. They rode their broomsticks to secret locations where they held Black Masses during which they summoned the devil, entered into blood pacts with him, and ultimately sold their souls to him. They also plotted ways to destroy all the god-fearing Christians in their villages. In other words, this was one busy night for witches. History shows us that these misguided beliefs were drummed up by the early Christian church in an attempt to squelch any pagan rituals still being carried out, though obviously with none of the above activities as any part of them. But by the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, these beliefs were so widespread and ingrained in the people, it was only natural and certainly no surprise that witch hunts were carried out to the degree they were.

Personally, I much prefer eating chocolate to eating children or feces, but I wouldn't mind the occasional, and most likely highly exhilarating, ride on a broomstick.

Boneset Ghost Spell

Boneset: : any of several composite herbs; especially a perennial of central and eastern North America with opposite perfoliate leaves and white-rayed flower heads used in folk medicine. The first known use of boneset was in 1764.

As we all know, this is the time of the year when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest and those who practice necromancy, or just wish to contact the spirits of loved ones passed, are paying tribute to ancestors, honoring them with offerings of food, and engaging in various necromantic practices of divination. It's also the time when hungry ghosts, or those with no family or friends to remember them or feed them, restlessly wander the earth. It's traditional to place barley and milk outside as an offering to those wayward spirits, thus easing their hunger and preventing their mischief. Alternately, you can keep them away completely with a small bouquet of flowers and herbs.

Boneset will chase away the nastier spirits while drawing to your home benevolent spirits who have only the best intentions. Hang a bouquet of boneset (with sprigs of white pine and any other protective herbs you'd like to incorporate into your bundle) over your front door, as well as any other entrances that are used regularly. Tie the bouquets with black satin ribbon. Keep in mind that folk tradition believes that the most potent boneset is found growing on or near graves (though I am in no way condoning any indiscriminate picking of a person's grave). You can burn small boneset branches or twigs in a cauldron to drive away any existing ghosts, and should you be a little too involved with the practice of necromancy this Samhain season, boneset can also be used in small bundles hung over the beds of anyone deemed to have "ghost sickness," an illness believed to develop after engaging in extended contact with the dead. If your pets have been actively engaging in necromancy, this will protect them too!

Photo courtesy of gmayfield10 on flickr.

Leaf Lore

There's powerful magick in the fallen leaves on Samhain, but in order for that magick to manifest the leaves must be caught in the recipient's hands as they fall from the trees and before they hit the ground. According to folk tradition, once a leaf has touched the earth, its magick is forever lost. The tradition of catching fallen leaves began in England centuries ago and it was believed that catching a fallen leaf would not only empower the lucky grabber with great magick, but would also ensure that that person would have profound happiness for the next year and would suffer no sorrows (if only it were this easy). Upon catching a leaf, you could also make a wish and be sure by your lucky catch that it would come true. Another folk belief says that the catching of a falling leaf will bring a year of health to the recipient.

An old witch's spell states that for every leaf caught between Michaelmas on September 29th and Samhain, the lucky catcher will be granted one day of pure happiness. But once these leaves are caught, be sure to keep them outside, for an ancient belief states that you will bring very bad luck to your family and all who dwell within your walls should you bring the leaves indoors with you. Dead leaves that may blow into your house on their own through a doorway on a blustery day are perfectly safe though!

This gorgeous photo of falling leaves courtesy of Jooliree on flickr.

Autumn Pumpkin Prosperity Spell

This is a spell that can be done anytime within the season but is best performed close to Samhain.

What you'll need:

one glass or pottery plate

one small pumpkin

one small plastic or wax skull that will fit inside the pumpkin

a small amount of seeds from the pumpkin, dried

a teaspoon of cinnamon

small slips of paper, with the name of one ancestor you wish to honor written on each

a black cloth big enough to shroud the pumpkin

a candle in the color of your choice

sage incense

Carve out the pumpkin (saving the stem lid) so it is very clean and wash a small amount of the seeds. Place the seeds on a lightly oiled baking sheet (to prevent them from sticking) and dry in the oven at 375f degrees for about 15 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on them as cooking times will vary from oven to oven! Let cool.

In a small bowl, mix the seeds and the cinnamon. Stir widdershins, or counter-clockwise, to banish negative energy from your home while visualizing your home being purged of everything negative. Then stir deosil, or clockwise, to honor your ancestors and to ask for their blessings. Now place your pumpkin on the plate, light your candle and fire up your incense. While gazing at the candle flame, take a moment to meditate upon your loved ones past. Pass the small skull and the slips with your ancestors' names through the incense smoke. Place the slips inside the pumpkin, arranged neatly in a circle on the bottom. Place the small skull, centered, on top of them and sprinkle the seeds and cinnamon around the skull. Hold your hands over the top of the pumpkin and request that your ancestors bring harmony and prosperity into your life. Place the stem lid back on the top, cover the pumpkin with the black cloth and put it in a safe place for seven days. On the seventh day, uncover your pumpkin and bring it outside, placing it either on an outdoor altar that you won't be using for the season, or in an inconspicuous place, allowing it to decay throughout the winter season.

Note for those who live in warmer climates where leaving a pumpkin to rot outside wouldn't smell very pleasant for either yourselves or your neighbors and for those living in apartments who'd rather not look at a rotting pumpkin sitting on your terrace: eliminate the pumpkin entirely after you cull the seeds from it and do the entire spell on the plate. Cover the plate with the black cloth and on the seventh day, tie up the black cloth with a golden string, securing the seed/spice mixture, ancestor names, and skull inside. Place in a corner of your attic, your cellar or in a room where it won't be disturbed. Keep till the following Samhain season.

Photo courtesy of StGrundy on flickr.

Happy Halloween

The candy is by the door, I've donned my "traditional" witch look, (which I know upsets a lot of modern day witches, but I think it's rather whimsical and fun), I've got everything ready for circle tonight, the bread has been baked for offerings, my ancestor altar is decorated and ready for ceremony, I've made time to do a tarot reading and it's the perfect autumn day: blustery, dry and not too chilly. So what's left? Only the fun of Halloween and the joy and excitement of Samhain.

A very blessed, joyous and safe Samhain to all!

Magick Lore

At one time it was believed that the skull was where the soul was carried in one’s body, that it was capable of possessing very powerful magical properties and thus was a hotbed of supernatural power. Light a skull-shaped candle on Halloween when you do spell work or circle ritual.

Necromancers use skull-shaped candles in their rituals to summon the dead. Anise essential oil is used to anoint candles used in spells to conjure spirits, while orris oil is a known protection against accidentally conjuring evil spirits. Ancient lore states that lavender oil can be used to give a witch the power to see ghosts.

Cabbage Lore

For those who don't like to eat cabbage for Halloween (see recipe below) or at any other time for that matter, here's a bit of lore for you instead.

Did you know that cabbage stalks were once used by early Christians to divine whether or not they were going to go to heaven or hell when they died? A person would be blindfolded, sent into a cabbage patch and would then pull up a stalk at random. The stalk was then carefully examined. If it was clean and light-colored, it was said the person was sure to go to heaven. But if it was darkened by frost and rot, that person was going to burn in hell for all eternity.

In England, it was believed that if an unmarried woman went into a cabbage garden at midnight on Halloween and cut a stalk of cabbage, she would see an apparition of her future husband. If she saw nothing, she was destined to die a spinster. It was likewise for single men as well.

Personally, I prefer to eat my cabbage indoors on a cold Halloween night rather than stumbling blindfolded through a dark and chilly garden hoping for a bright future!

Colcannon

The traditional Irish food for Halloween is a potato dish known as colcannon. While it was eaten all year round by the poor due to its few ingredients, low cost to make and its ability to fill the belly quite nicely, it was considered special on Halloween as the cook would hide small trinkets within the dish. Traditionally it was a ring, a coin, a thimble and a tiny porcelain doll. The ring was said to signify marriage for the lucky recipient of that prize, the coin was said to foretell wealth, the unfortunate thimble bachelorhood or spinsterhood, and the little doll meant that that person would be the first in the group to have children. In modern times coins alone are hidden within the dish and it's believed to bring good luck for the coming year to those who find one (or more) in their serving. Colcannon also contains cabbage and butter, but many other ingredients can be added to it as well: milk, cream, bacon or ham, and garlic. Like the traditional Christmas pudding with its hidden prizes still served in England, cook up a batch of colcannon, add a few (safe!) lucky charms to it, and enjoy it with your guests after your Samhain rituals are over.

The traditional recipe called for an alarming amount of butter, and as most of us no longer live in sod huts, and with our modern central heating, we really don't need to pile on an excess layer of fat to see us through the colder months till spring. As such, I've reduced the fat content substantially and by browning the onions in a healthy oil (rather than adding them raw as in the original recipe), have maintained a nice hearty flavor in this dish without using multiple cups of butter. Feel free to add to it whatever your hungry heart desires!

Colcannon serves approximately 10 as a generous side dish

six or seven good-sized potatoes (approximately 4 1/2 - 5 pounds), peeled and coarsely chopped

one medium head of green cabbage, chopped or shredded (not too finely)

one medium onion, chopped

3/4 cup milk (approximate)

2-3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

freshly ground black pepper to taste

one pound bacon cooked and cooled or ham cooked the previous day and chopped into small pieces (optional)

Peel the potatoes, coarsely chop them and put them in a medium pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil, cooking until just tender, but not mushy. Drain and mash. Add butter and milk to potatoes and mash until well blended. Adjust the milk so potatoes are neither too wet nor too dry. In a small skillet, place chopped onion in olive oil and saute over low flame until lightly golden in color, adding a bit more olive oil if necessary to keep from sticking. Add to mashed potatoes and pepper to taste. Steam the chopped cabbage just until color darkens slightly. Cabbage should be cooked, but not be mushy. Drain and add to potatoes, mixing thoroughly. An additional pat of butter can be added to each serving in an indentation made on the top of each.

And if you've added any prizes, please eat with care so as not to break any teeth! Enjoy!

Samhain "prize lore" information came in part from The Pagan Book of Halloween by Gerina Dunwich.

Additional information courtesy of Wikipedia.

Photo courtesy of teenytinyturkey on flickr.

Bread and Baking Lore

So, should you bake bread (or cookies) on Halloween or not? One old wives' tale says you should never bake bread on this sabbat, for if you do you will have nothing but bad luck and misery for the next twelve months. This one lonely bit of lore doesn't seem to be as popular as the belief that baking bread and other treats in honor of Samhain is not only favorable for the living, but also for all those loved ones who have passed before us.

In the Middle Ages on All Soul's Day, “Soul Cakes” were baked, which traditionally were little buns with currants and spices in them. They were eaten by Christians to honor those who had died within the last twelve months and were considered as important as hot cross buns were on Good Friday. They are believed to be directly derived from the ancient pagan custom of baking bread from the grain of the last harvest specifically to be eaten on Samhain, making this another pagan ritual adapted for the new Christian church.

Also, in early England was begun the custom of baking "saumas," or soul mass breads, which were then given away to bring good luck. It was important that a few loaves be kept uneaten in each household until the next All Soul’s Day as a charm against an early death befalling anyone who lived under that roof.

In Belgium, it was a custom on Halloween for children to stand beside little shrines they built in front of their homes and sell “cakes for the dead” which were always small white cakes or cookies. The buyer of the baked goods would eat one for each spirit of a loved one that had passed. It was believed that the more cakes you ate, the greater the blessings that would be received by your loved ones who in turn would bestow those blessings back onto the living.

Personally, I love to bake on Samhain: bread, cakes and especially whimsical cookies in the shape of everything Halloween and spooky. And for the record, it's never brought me any noticeable bad luck yet!

Many thanks to Gerina Dunwich and The Pagan Book of Halloween.

Photo courtesy of chelseyanne55 on flickr.

Candle Superstitions

Many people around the world think it's extremely unlucky to look at their reflection in a mirror by candlelight on Halloween night (although oddly enough, there's an old witch's ritual of making a wish by candlelight while gazing into a mirror on Halloween night). It was believed that gazing into a mirror lit only by candle(s) -especially a red or black candle- would summon the devil.

A burning candle placed within a carved pumpkin keeps evil spirits and demons away, especially on Samhain night when they are most active walking the earth. This is the basis of the tradition of lighting jack o' lanterns, which began in Ireland with the carving of gourds which were then used as lanterns to not only light a traveler's way, but to keep them safe from the things that go bump in the night.

For good luck burn black and orange candles on Halloween as these are the traditional colors of this sabbat and their color vibrations are at their highest on this day. Always burn new candles on Samhain for this will bring you good luck. And never burn your Samhain candles at any other time of the year as this will bring you bad luck.

If a candle should go out by itself on Halloween, by either wind, breath or an unknown force, it’s believed to be a sign that a ghostly spirit has arrived, so look lively!

Scrying into a candle flame on Halloween night is a good way to divine the future and to receive clairvoyant visions and messages. Or burn a white candle on Halloween, pour the melted wax from it into a cauldron full of cold water and divine the future by reading the patterns formed by the hardened wax floating in the water. There doesn't seem to be any literature on how to read this candle wax, unlike say, tea leaves, so it's up to you to divine the signs!

Burn a new orange candle at the Witching Hour of Midnight on Halloween and let it burn till the sun rises on the morning of November 1st and you will have very good luck, but be sure to burn it safely in a sink or bathtub if you aren't planning to stay up until the sun rises.

Photo courtesy of Me the Wanderer on flickr.

Decorating for Samhain

With Samhain just over two weeks away, I've been busy decorating for the New Year's celebration. I'm not big on lots of gaudy hoo-haws strung everywhere, but I did buy several lengthy strands of fairy lights in a vibrant orange and a soft purple. The only trouble is, I wanted them for indoors and I've yet to figure out where to string them. I've tried a few places, and even spent some time wrapping two strands together so the orange and purple could play off one another and they looked lovely all lit up, but I still hated them where I had put them and so after all that fussing, I ended up taking them back down anyways. For now, all those sweet lights are sitting in large snarled piles on my dining room table, looking rather forlorn.

I also bought a strand of tiny jack o' lanterns that light up and that I put on the mantel over the main fireplace in our house, letting them meander where they chose. And with a few of the little pumpkins hanging whimsically off the face of the mantel and with some small sized real pumpkins and a few little skulls, I'm pleased with the way they look. Thank goodness, as it would have been really depressing if I couldn't make anything work to my liking.

I use my sideboard in the dining room for my ancestor altar and today I pulled from my cellar the boxes labeled "Samhain" and began going through the items that I traditionally place on my shrine to those I love- and those I never knew but am bound to by blood- who have passed. Crows, skulls, large paper flowers I made years ago to replace the live flowers traditional to "Day of the Dead" celebrations and which are unattainable in New England at this time of year, candles, items that were personal to some of the people whose photos grace my altar, and more. I usually start to set it up about a week or so before Samhain and take it down on November 2. In the last days leading up to the sabbat I'll add fruit, vegetables and vegetation fresh-cut from the wild.

For me the act of going downstairs, pulling from my cellar the cartons where I store all my Samhain items during the year, bringing them up into the house proper and opening them is much like opening gifts on Christmas morning. I always get a small thrill when I see all these beloved things that have shared with me the passing of the seasons and likewise so many loved ones, and who in their own inanimate way have marked the years I have spent in the Craft. This is my favorite sabbat of the year and I can't wait until it's October 31.

Even if I never find a spot for those damn fairy lights!

Hawthorn Samhain Lore

Never sleep or rest on the ground beneath the boughs of a hawthorn tree on Halloween as it's believed that evil spirits and mischievous faeries who are roaming the earth that night hide within the branches of hawthorn trees and cast unpleasant spells on those who innocently stop to rest beneath them.

"Faerie Hawthorne" photograph by the brilliant Giles C. Watson on flickr. Check out his work, I promise you won't be disappointed!

Ivy Leaf Lore

In England, ivy has been used for centuries to divine the future. To foretell if a member of your family is going to die within the next twelve months, write the name of each family member on a leaf of ivy and on Halloween night place the leaves in a bowl of water and go to bed. In the morning, check the leaves: if one is shriveled up, has turned black or dark, or if there is the shape of a coffin marked on any of the leaves, this is believed to be an omen of death for the person whose name is written on that leaf. A leaf with black spots portends sickness, red spots a violent death for that unlucky family member. These events, however, can all be reversed if a wise man with knowledge of protective incantations can be found to magickally help you.

Want to induce dreams of your future love? Place ten ivy leaves beneath your pillow before you go to bed on Halloween night.

Ivy is sacred to Bacchus and Osiris and is said to offer protection against all forms of evil. It's long been used in the art and practice of divination and is ritually paired with holly. It aids in fertility, brings good luck and ensures fidelity. Ivy is a powerful witch's tool, even when it isn't Halloween.

Thanks to The Pagan Book of Halloween by Gerina Dunwich and In Worship of Trees by George Knowles

Witches' Smoke

With Samhain just over a month away, I thought it might be interesting to write (here and there) about some of the lore and beliefs associated with it.

In Europe during the Middle Ages, it was believed that witches' homes could be easily identified by the smoke from their chimneys. On the morning of the first Monday after Halloween, you must climb to the top of a hill above your village, one that affords a good view of the whole town below. You must then watch the smoke rising from all the chimneys of all the houses and the smoke from a witch's fire will be seen to travel against the wind rather than with it, thus making it easy to spot her amongst the villagers.

I especially like this one as I live in a house that used to sit alone in a vast field. When we bought it, a great deal of the land had just been sold for new construction and we're the only ones in our neighborhood who not only live in a very old house, but also the only one with fireplaces and (obviously) chimneys, so our winter smoke stands out amongst all our neighbors' homes. If this belief were truly possible, then it would be a good thing that we have the only chimneys as far as the eye can see as given the fact that a witch does live in this house, I'd be in some serious trouble!

Thanks to Gerina Dunwich and The Pagan Book of Halloween.