The Story of Me

Well, this journey all started 36 yrs ago when I entered this world at 1:52am AST. I was born in a small town hospital by the doctor who is still my family's doctor. I am the youngest of 3, the 2nd daughter. I have a brother who's the middle child.

I was named after my uncle who was killed 3 wks after my older sister was born. She was supposed to have this name, but my mom named her something else. My uncle was a little ticked & made my mom promise the next daughter would be named for the 2 of them. She kept that promise, but she did consider calling my Trudy, for a name (ugh!).

So, after a few hours of labour, I came into this world making a huge racket and things haven't changed. On Saturday, January 5, 1974 at 1:52am ADT, weighing 8lbs 6oz, Beverley Anne Nickerson entered into the world. I have the male spelling of the name, Beverley and my middle name is after my mom's, Anna, just drop the 'a' & add an 'e'.

Every year, I either stay up to see my birthday or I set the alarm a few minutes beforehand to be awake to turn another year older. This year, I will probably stay awake. I do this also for my son's birthday in July. He was born at 1:35am AST.

I'm not sure if I'll be on tomorrow, I have some plans to go out with a new friend to go Pagan shopping, then I have my son for dinner, where we'll eat copious amounts of chocolate cake. I hope you all have a wonderful day tomorrow. I hope that the Great Mother blesses you all. That is my birthday wish.

Love & Light!!
Rowan
)O(

Fire Festival- Imbolg

Imbolg is one of the four principal festivals of the pre-Christian Celtic calendar, associated with fertility ritual, was subsequently adopted as St Bridghid's Day in the Christian period, and in more recent times has been celebrated as a fire festival, one of eight holidays, festivals (4 Solar and 4 Fire/lunar) or Sabbats of the Witch's Wheel of the Year. Imbolg is arguably one of the predecessors of the Christian holiday of Candlemas.

Celebrating Imbolg

Imbolg is conventionally celebrated on 1 February although the Celtic festival commenced on January 31. In more recent times the occasion has been generally celebrated by modern pagans & witch's on Feb. 1 or 2. Some pagans relate this celebration to the midpoint between the winter solstice and spring equinox, which actually falls on Feb. 4 or 5.

Celtic origins

Evidence of how Imbolg was celebrated in Ireland derives from folklore collected during the 19th and early 20th century in rural Ireland and Scotland, compared with studies of similar customs in Scandinavia. Like other festivals of the Celtic calendar in Irish mythology, Imbolg was celebrated on the eve of 1 February, which marked the beginning of the day according to Celtic custom. The festival was traditionally associated with the onset of lactation of ewes, soon to give birth to the spring lambs. This could vary by as much as two weeks before or after the start of February. The name, in the Irish language, means "in the belly" (i mbolg), referring to the pregnancy of ewes, and is also a Celtic term for spring. Another name is Oimelc, meaning "ewe's milk"; also Bridghid, referring to the Celtic goddess of smithcraft, to whom the day is sacred. That Imbolg was an important time to the ancient inhabitants of Ireland can be seen at the Mound of the Hostages in Tara, Ireland. Here, the inner chamber is perfectly aligned with the rising sun of both Imbolg and Samhain. The holiday is a festival of light, reflecting the lengthening of the day and the hope of spring. It is traditional to light all the lamps of the house for a few minutes on Imbolc, and rituals often involve a great deal of candles.

St. Bridghid's day

In the modern Irish Calendar, Imbolg is variously known as the Feast of St. Bridghid (Secondary Patron of Ireland) and Lá Feabhra - the first day of Spring. One view is that Christianity in an attempt to reconcile the popularity of this festival with its own traditions, took over the feast of Imbolg and effectively redesignated it as St Bridghid's day. One folk tradition that continues in both Christian and Pagan home on St. Bridghid's Day (or Imbolg) is that of the Bridghid's Bed. The young girls of the household or village create a corn dolly, adorning it with ribbons and baubles. The older women then make a bed for Bridghid to lay in. On St. Bridghid's Eve (Jan. 31), the young women gather together in one house to stay up all night with the corn dolly, and are later visited by all the young men of the community who must treat them and the corn dolly with respect. Meanwhile, the older women of the community stay at home and perform other ceremonies. Before going to bed, each household completely douses its hearth and rakes the ashes smooth. In the morning, they look for some kind of mark on the ashes, a sign that Bridghid has passed that way in the night or morning. On the following day, the Bride's Bed is brought from house to house, where she is welcomed with great honor. Since Bridghid represents the Life Force that will bring people from the backside of winter into spring, her presence is very important at this time of year. People often will tap her effigy with an ash wand as well, perhaps an old remnant of more potent fertility rites that were once practiced.

Modern Day Imbolg

Today, most modern neopagans celebrate it on the 1st or 2nd, the 2nd being more popular in America, perhaps because of the holiday's later identification with Candlemas. In the southern hemisphere it is celebrated in August. Some modern Pagans argue that the Christian feast of Candlemas, whose date depends upon Christmas, was a Christianization of the feast of Imbolg. On the other hand, there is no evidence that Imbolg was celebrated in pre-Christian times anywhere other than in Ireland whereas the celebration of Candlemas began in the eastern Mediterranean.

Roots of Imbolg

Imbolg is often defined as a cross-quarter day midway between the winter solstice (Yule) and the spring equinox (Ostara), and the precise midpoint is half way through Aquarius (in the northern hemisphere) or Leo (in the southern hemisphere). By this definition Imbolg in the northern hemisphere coincides with Lughnasadh (Lammas) in the southern hemisphere. Fire is important for this festival as Bridghid (also known as Bride, Brigit, Brid) is the Goddess of fire, healing and fertility. The lighting of fires represents the increasing power of the Sun over the coming months. References to the festival of the growing light can even be traced to modern America in the Groundhog Day custom on February 2. If the groundhog sees his shadow on this morning and is frightened back into his burrow, it means there will be six more weeks of winter. The custom comes directly from Europe, and Germany in particular, where an old couplet goes: If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year.

**Not sure where I got this, but it was in my BOS from last year**

Some New Changes

As you may see, I have taken down the Yule theme to my blog and put up a New Year's theme. I chose a blue theme, as a calming & refreshing way to come down after all the holiday craziness. I know that the Julian Calendar doesn't celebrate it til this upcoming weekend and we Pagans already had our New Year's with Samhain. I have a little montage of New Year's pix off to the upper right.

This is a busy time for me as well. First, there was Yule/Solstice, then came Christmas and now, next week I will be celebrating my birthday (as well as my son's father, too, the day after) School stars back on the 4th for my little guy. Busy, busy, busy!!

I managed to get my 2010 Witches Datebook (Llewellyn) and the Sabbats Almanac & the Witches Almanac (not published by Llewellyn) all before the New Year arrives. I just have to get out to the calendar kiosk in the mall to pick up the Witches Calendar & a mother's calendar for the kitchen. They're starting to go on sale, now that Christmas is done. They're even cheaper after Jan 1st, but the pickins are slim.

Well, that's about all that I have for now. I've been cleaning a lot around the house, since I was away last week for the holidays. I spent 4 lovely nights with my family and I am glad to be back home with my 2 kitties, who missed their mommy a lot.

Love & Light!! )O(
Rowan

Holly, Ivy & Yule Decor

At Yuletide, the Elder Heathens decorated their homes with ivy, holly, and boughs of evergreens. Ribbons were also used and the entire home covered with garlands and wreathes. Modern Heathen should do not less in an attempt to capture the Yuletide spirit. Below are three of the more common house decorations.

Yule Tree: The tradition of the Yule tree comes from Germany. Originally, it is believed the trees were decorated outside and gifts left for the land wights. This custom can still be observed in other parts of Northern Europe. With Christianity, the trees were brought inside to hide from the church. Modern Heathen trees can be decorated with Heathen symbols as well as the commercial lights, glitter, and ornaments. If one wants they can decorate a tree outside instead as the Heathens of old did.

Yule Wreaths: Modern tradition uses a Yule wreath at the Mothers' Night symbol as an oath ring. This wreath is oathed upon as well as wished upon, and then burned at the Twelfth Night blot. Therefore these wreathes are best made out of natural substances such as cedar branches. Other wreathes can be used as decorations around the house.

Lights: In the more northern countries, Lucy Day, which was a festival of lights, is celebrated and seems an ancient holiday in connection with Yule. Candles, torches, and other forms of light were left burning to light up the night skies. Today we can use electric lights for the same purpose.

~Source: Asiya's Shadows

My Spell Candle Box

Ok, since I'm unemployed and it's rainy outside (no bus fare to go out looking) I've been gettin' crafty. I found a wooden box in my craft stuff that was screaming to be decorated. It's about 6"x 9", a good size to store all my spell candles. So, last night after putting the youngling to bed, I pulled out some of my paints and went at it.


I started by painting the whole box black, inside & out. When it dried, I drew a Spiral Goddess in pencil on it. I then filled it in with purple shimmery paint. I added her breasts & the spiral with a darker purple paint.


There are 2 rows of 17 candles, separated by tissue paper. I have the darker candles on the bottom & the lighter ones on the top. I also had room to place my 6 white candles perpendicular to the 34. There was also room for my 2 white candle holders.

More Yule Stuff

Yule is the time of year when Pagans and Wiccans celebrate the Winter Solstice. If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, this will be on around December 21, but if you're below the Equator, your Yule celebration will fall in June. This Sabbat is considered the longest night of the year, and following Yule, the sun begins its long journey back to earth. Try some or even all of these ideas -- obviously, space may be a limiting factor for some, but use what calls to you most.

Colors of the Season:

Winter is here, and even if the snow hasn't fallen yet, there's a definite chill in the air. Use cold colors to decorate your altar, such as blues and silvers and whites. Also find ways to include thereds, whites and greens of the season. Evergreen boughs never go out of style, so add some dark greens as well. Cover your altar with a cloth in a cool color, and then add candles in a variety of different wintery shades. Use candles in silvers and golds -- and sparkle is always good too!

Symbols of Winter:

Yule is a Sabbat that reflects the return of the sun, so add solar symbols to your altar. Gold discs, yellow candles, anything bright and shiny can represent the sun. Some people even get a large pillar candle, inscribe it with solar symbols, and designate it as their sun candle. You can also add evergreen boughs, sprigs of holly, pinecones, aYule log, and even Santa Claus. Consider antlers or reindeer, along with other symbols of fertility.

Other Signs of the Season:

There's no limit to the number of things you can put on your Yule altar, as long as you've got the space. Consider some of these items as part of your Sabbat decor:

• Fruit and nuts
• Mistletoe
• Snowflakes, icicles, even a bowl of snow
• Candy canes
• Bells
• Sun Wheels
  

~~Courtesy of About.com: Paganism/Wicca

Yule Correspondences:

* Incense: Pine, Cedar, Rosemary, Bayberry, Juniper, Frankincense, Sandalwood, Myrrh

* Metal: Gold

* Stones/Gems: Sapphire, Turquoise, Serpentine, Peridot, Jacinth

* Colors: Red, Green, White, Silver, Gold

* Foods: Nuts, Apples, Oranges, Mulled Wine, Turkey, Goose or Ham , Popcorn

* Herbs and Flowers : Holly, Mistletoe, Rosemary, Oak, Spruce, Pine, Ivy, Fir, Poinsettia

* Animals: reindeer, the stag, mouse, deer, horse, bear

Yule Customs and Origins

Nearly every ancient culture held a celebration to mark the shortest day of the year and the return of the Sun. Celebrated annually on the Winter Solstice, generally falling on December 20th or December 21st, it is known as Yule, and serves as the origin for many Christmas traditions.

Celtic tradition holds life as a cycle rather than a linear state, and also teaches that what is exoteric is intrinsic, what is within is without . At the time of the Winter Solstice as the earth is undergoing the process of death to rebirth and renewal, so also must the human soul. Yule marks that spiral of time when the old sun surrenders its life in order that the new one might come. This corresponds to the belief that the Celtic Sun God, Bel was interrelated with the Celtic Death God, Bile. As with the celebration of Litha, the two Gods appear in form as the Oak King and the Holly King battling for supremacy. This is only one reason that the Druids were initially so accepting of Christianity with Christ as the human embodiment of the new Sun. It is also one of the reasons that Christmas is celebrated at this time, both from a pagan perspective and a spiritually metaphorical one.

The Yule Log

Although not recorded in the Coligny (the Celtic Calendar which dates back to the first century A.D) as one of the great fire festivals, the custom of lighting the Yule log is derived from the Celtic tradition of tending a continual hearth fire to keep spirits from entering the home. In order to keep the fire burning, a large tree was cut down and brought into the home, where the tree was placed trunk first in the hearth and the last remnants of it set aside to burn with the next year's fire.

Yule is a solar festival and one of the Minor Sabbats. This is when the Goddess gives birth to the God. The Sun represents the God reborn. Fires are lit to welcome him. The ancient Pagans had rituals to hasten the end of winter and bring in the spring when nature’s bounty would, again, prevail. The day is a reminder that death isn’t final; there will be rebirth.

The Celebration

The altar cloth is green and candles are red, gold and white in silver holders, the colors of Yule. Holly, ivy, evergreens, mistletoe and fruit studded with cloves decorate the altar as well as the Yule crystals: ruby, cat’s eye, garnets, bloodstone, diamonds and emerald. Incense is myrrh, frankincense, cedar, pine, bayberry or cinnamon.

The tree is adorned with strings of popcorn and cranberries, quartz crystals wrapped wire, oranges, apples and lemons and small sachet bags with cinnamon, rosemary and bay leaves. Wishes written in parchment are hung from holly branches. The Yule log is lit and a piece of it is saved to protect the home and for next year’s celebration.

Love, camaraderie and accomplishments of the past year are celebrated. Reflection is on aspirations for the next year.

Love and accomplishments of the past year are also celebrated. This is also a good time to reflect on your achievements of the last year and what you desire to achieve in the coming year.

A Slow Week for Rowan

Hey there!! I know I haven't been on as much, my bad. There's nothing new going on right now with me, except that I joined the unemployed yesterday. But don't worry, I'm a resilient gal who always bounces back, like a red rubber ball.

Found a really cool site that you all may like. A friend on Facebook recommended it to me. It's the Pagan Radio Network. You can stream it from Windows Media Player, Quicktime, iTunes, etc. It's all Pagan music. There are podcasts there, as well. I'm listening to it right now as I blog.

I've been noticing already that some of the other blogs I follow are decorated for Yule. It's hard to believe that the Solstice will be upon us in a few short weeks. I started putting out my outside icicle lights on my patio, since the weather here is uncommonly mild for November. This time last year we were under 30cm of snow. Speaking of Yule, I had designs on getting myself a really nice Yule basket that I saw at the Sacred Mists Shoppe. It's a basket filled with yummy goodies to help you this Sabbat. There are incenses, an altar cloth, candles, a mini besom, etc. But now as I am jobless, I will hopefully get the Imbolg basket instead. They offer baskets for the 8 Sabbats.

Ok, if you haven't figured it out, I am a Twihard. I'm a 35 yr old Twilight freak!! I saw New Moon on Thursday night, it was a sneak peak showing. All I have to say is: "Holy Crap, Batman!!" It is a little over 2 hrs long. Lots of bare chests (Note to self: Don't look at Taylor Lautner, he's old enough to be your son) and a sparkly Edward. The movie has a good pace to it and it follows the book about 90%. I did have to laugh at the girlfriends dragging their boyfriends to this movie. There was a huge group of gay guys who gasped everytime you see Jacob shirtless.. I had a really good time. Now I can't wait for it to come out onto DVD this spring.

Oh, before I forget, I became a member this week of the Black Hat Society. Yay!! Thanks, Jennifer for accepting me. From what I can see, there are a few other Canadians there. It's a great group, I've been on joining groups, reading posts, getting to know the group of wonderful witches there. I love it!!

Blessing to you all,
Rowan

Busy, Busy, Busy!!

Well, so far November is going by without a hitch. I went to the Witch's Ball last weekend, met a lot of great folks there. See posting below about it. Had a really great time!!

Found a few more blogs to follow, as if I need to follow anymore, but I can't resist. I hope to be adding more Buttons to my new Button scroll thingie **Thanks, Bella** So, if you have a button,let me know, I'll add it. Speaking of Blog Buttons, I think it's time for me to update mine. Now that I have a more fitting picture up top, I should have a button that reflects that, right??


I found a new (to me) online Pagan shop. It's called Sacred Mists Shoppe. They have a ton of wonderful goodies for sale. From altar supplies, to clothing to bath & body, even mineral makeup. I want one of everything they have...no, seriously, I do. I ordered some silver & gold mini candles, as I find them hard to find at a good price, and I also ordered a Yule altar basket. They take PayPal, which is great. I also found while surfing on eBay, 2 Celestial mini candle holders and a purple & black Pentacle altar cloth. These are my Yule gifts to myself.

I've also been doing some major housecleaning in my BOS. You see, a while back I was given a lot of pages (a couple hundred, approx.) that my so-called "mentor" printed off for me. All she did was Google a ton of stuff and did it up in a 3-ring binder. I knew what she did, but being a nice person, I didn't call her out on it when I should have. So, for the past day, I've been going through what she gave me (what a waste of good paper, not very Pagan of such wastage to deceive) and tossing most of it in the recycling bin. A lot of it repeated itself, repeatedly. Recycle. Since I received this "gift" around Imbolc last year, there was a lot of Imbolc stuff that, again, repeated itself. With all that repeating, she should've been more careful proof-reading what she was passing off to me, right?? That was how I knew she was Googling. So about 80% of what she gave me is now going to be recycled & made into new products that would serve a better purpose than what she intended for me.

I found a great book over the summer that I'm finally getting a chance to read now. I got behind with my reading when I was momentarily caught up in an "eMance" with a guy I met online. I should've listened to my gut about him, but nooooo, I had to lose myself over a wee bit of testosterone. Anyway, I digress. This book is called "Faery Magick" by Sirona Knight. I love it so far, and I just started it last night. I'm about 1/2 way through it already. It has some really great ways to build a faery circle, spells, rituals to attract different faeries to you, as well as tales about the Wee Folk. If you're into the Fae, I do recommend this book.

Anyhoo, I have to get going, I have witchy things to do around the house, things to pick up at Little Mysteries and finish my errands I have to get done on my day off. No rest for the "wicked", huh??


)O( Blessed Be,
Rowan

Blessed Samhain!!!!!

Are You Ready??

I love this time of year!! The autumn chill is in the air, leaves have turned into wonderful shades of golds, reds & oranges. The chestnuts are falling from their limbs. And...can you feel it?? I can. The Veil is getting thinner as the days go by. It feels thinner this year, over last year. The Goddess is showing us those who have gone on before us.

Samahin is a very special Sabbat for me. It was the very first ritual I ever got to participate in when I was in college. It was with a group of eclectic witches. I can still feel the magick it had that night. That was when I first saw one of my Patron Deities, Cernunnos. I didn't know who he was at that time, as I was was still very fresh to the Pagan ways.

I have a "To Do: list that I have been working on this past week. To prepare of the Samhain Sabbat, I have been getting things in order. I cleaned up my Facebook, by deleting those who I really don't talk to, or do not want to talk to anymore.

I've been cleaning house, as well. As this is the Pagan New Year, I wanted to make sure things are fresh & clean. I changed all the bedding in my house, caught up on my laundry, I cleaned my patio outside by sweeping all the dead leaves away, brought in all the summer things (patio chairs, etc) I refreshed my protection barriers around the outside of my place, including the main doors to the building. I swept & mopped all my floors, vacuumed what needed to be. Everything got a good dusting and now I feel I'm ready to proceed with the Sabbat.

My altar cloth is ironed and I've set up my altar for Samhain. I'll be using my copper cauldron, in honor of Hecate, this year. My meal is planned for the Dumb Supper, hopefully my son will be as quiet as he can be (he has Autism). After we return from "Trick or Treating" I will be doing my ritual, honoring those who have gone on before me. I will listen to what the Great Mother has to say to me. And what would a New Year's be without a resolution?? I will be making one, but it won't be the usual things that muggles do on the 1st of January. mine will be a special resolution.

Anyway, I have some folding of laundry to do. May the Goddess bless you this special time of the year. May you behold visions & wonders this Samhain.

)O( Blessed Be,
Rowan

How to 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.

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.

**About.com: Paganism/Wicca**

Samhain Traditions & Lore

I found this great website all about Samhain. Thought I would share a bit here:



Samhain (pronounced sow-en) is the most important and least understood of all Celtic festivals. Unlike its counterparts of Halloween and All Hallow's Eve, the Witch holiday of Samhain has nothing to do with evil practices or horrific costumes. There are no poison apples, razor blades, or scary masks. Witches do not have green faces or wear pointy hats. Tall pointy hats were simply the fashion of the day among the peasants during the late Middle Ages. In ancient Celtic times, everyone was a Witch and everyone practiced Witchcraft. Witchcraft is still very much alive, and it is a way of life for many people today.

Samhain is a holiday infused with positive energy and filled with hope for the planet's future. With the icy cold months of Winter ahead of us, it is fitting that on every Samhain Eve, the Morrighan, one of a triplicity of Celtic Goddesses with the power to give birth to a new land, celebrates her ritual with the Dagda, the "Good God", one of the highest most illustrious of Celtic Gods. The Morrighan is a Goddess of gigantic proportions, who is straddling the two sides of the river when she encounters the Dagda eating from a cauldron along the river's edge. Although she possesses many abilities and has many roles, the Morrighan's role on that night is to reaffirm life in the face of Winter's impending hardships.

To the ancient Celts, the great holiday divided the year into two seasons -- Winter and Summer. Samhain the day on which the Celtic New Year and Winter begin together, so it is the time for both beginnings and endings. On Samhain the ancient tribes celebrated the Celtic feast of the Dead. Today, we continue to honor the memories of our ancestors. This practice has directly influenced countless other religions and folk customs. All Soul's Day on November 2nd, commemorates the Christian dead. On Samhain, the veil between the worlds in the thinnest, and the living and dead are more likely to exchange psychic information. On Samhain Witches celebrate and perform rituals to keep anything negative from the past -- evil, harm, corruption, and greed -- out of the future. We cast spells to psychically contact our deceased friends and relatives, and retrieve ancient knowledge. Thus, we preserve the great web that stretches through many generations of human families.

Samhain is a time for change and a time to look to the future. Today, Pagans dress for Samhain in costumes reflecting what we hope to achieve in the coming year. How we dress for Samhain is, in a manner of speaking, a Witch's New Years Resolution.

The idea of trick or treating, though radically altered, is also descended from Witch tradition. In our celebrations, there is no trick -- only treat. Witches pull no pranks and perform no mischief on Samhain Eve. After the rituals of the magick circle, we go not to the houses of strangers, but to the houses of friends and show off our costumes and sample treats.

Samhain is a magickal and enchanted night when magick can be done to benefit ourselves and our plant.

What Do Witches Do On Samhain?

Well, most people think we all dress up and go to Salem MA to cause trouble. Seriously, many of us try to avoid the Salem tourist rush, or avoid the trick-or-treating scene. Most Witches dislike the commercialization of the sacred holiday.

So what do we really do? The following is a list of some of the things Witches tend to do on this holiday:

* Decorate our altars with pine cones, pumpkins, gourds, autumn leaves, pictures of deceased loved ones, and the colors approprate to the holiday.

* Performing rituals of divination to predict the future. We may use the i-ching, a pendulum, tarot cards, runes, rods, etc.

* remember our loved ones who have passed on.

* Reflect upon changes we would like to bring about in our lives, and perform rituals to manifest those changes.

The Samhain Altar

Deep golds, scarlets, dark browns and bronze are predominant colors of Autumn and the Samhain altar. The candles on the altar should be black, orange, white, silver, and gold. Black absorbs light and keeps you warm. Orange represents the magic of fire as well as the remainder of fire in the autumn leaves. White sends out energy, and silver and gold represent the moon and the sun. Candles should always be lit with altar matches (matches with no advertising on the box). A stone native to your region might be present on the altar as a symbol of the Earth. An animal horn, feather or talon can be placed on the altar to represent the final harvest.

What to Wear

On Samhain, Witch's should wear black robes for ritual. Orange and gold, the fire colors of the sun, are used during this time to attract sunlight to the Wheel of the Year. A costume to signify light or a glittery robe or headdress is also appropriate. Face painting, an old Celtic art, can be practices and glitter can be added to the paint.

Samhain Correspondences

Symbols used to represent Samhain: jack-o'-lantern, balefire, besom, masks, cauldron, Waning Moon

Foods appropriate for Smahain: apples, pumpkin pie, beets, turnips, hazelnuts, corn, gingerbread, pomegrantates, cider, herbal teas, pork dishes

Plants and herbs associated with Samhain: mugwort, allspice, sage, gourds, catnip, apple trees.

Incense and oils appropriate for Samhain: : frankincense, basil, yarrow, lilac, ylang-ylang, clove, camphor

Colors associated with Samhain: black, orange, red, brown, golden yellow, silver, gold

Stones associated with Samhain: obsidian, onyx, carnelian

Animals and mystical creatures associated with Samhain: bats, cats, dogs, Phooka, goblins, Medusa

Goddesses appropriate for Samhain (Crone Goddesses and Underworld Goddesses): Hecate (Greek), Carlin (Scottish), Edda (Norse), Pamona (Roman), Crobh Dearg (Irish), Lilith (Hebrew), Psyche (Greek), the Morrigu/Morrigan

Appropriate Samhain Gods (all Death Gods, Aged Gods, Underworld Gods): Arawn (Welsh), Dis (Roman), Kronos/Cronus (Greco-Phoenician), Xocatl (Aztec), Woden (Teutonic), Pluto (Greco-Roman), Hades (Greek), Nefertum (Egyptian)

Altar appropriate for Samhain: small jack-'o-laterns, foods from the harvest, photographs of your loved ones who have departed this world, statue or figurine of the Goddess in her Crone aspect.

Activities appropriate for Samhain: divination, past-life recall, spirit contact, drying of winter herbs.

Spellwork appropriate for Samhain: protection, neutralizing harm

Sources

Celebrating the Earth by Laurie Cabot

A Tour of my Apt. for Samhain

Samhain Poetry to Get You All in the Mood!!

It is the time of burning leaves,

The crispness of the air has awakened

Memories both dark and hidden,

Memories of past feasts partaken.

I sit comfortly in this silent room

Computer keyboard beneath my fingers

Yet...my mind is never frozen here

In times past it wants to linger.

I 'see' a bonfire raging on a hilltop

With my people all gathered around

Our prayers to the Gods I shout,

Yet, in my dreams I hear not a sound.

The drums beat, the people dance

Wildness fills the autumn night.

The Other Side is so very close--

The Veil just beyond the fire light.

I reach, I feel, I almost touch...

Spirit fingers entwine with mortal

Then dawn's first light appears

And seals again the fragile portal.

I turn away from the cold ashes

Let the wildness leave my aching soul.

Another year til another Samhain...

On that night again I'll be whole.

~Elspeth Sapphire~

The Veil Is Getting Thin

As I went out walking this fall afternoon,

I heard a wisper wispering.

I heard a whisper whispering,

Upon this fine fall day...

As I went out walking this fall afternoon,

I heard a laugh a'laughing.

I heard a laugh a'laughing,

Upon this fine fall day...

I heard this whisper and I wondered,

I heard this laugh and then I knew.

The time is getting near my friends,

The time that I hold dear my friends,

The veil is getting thin my friends,

And strange things will pass through.

My Esbat Altar setup

Here is my altar for tonight's full moon. Inside my cauldron, I have Moon Water (I collected water in a bottle and left it out to charge by the full moon) I collected it last month. I forgot my dish of sea salt, but it will be there for my ritual tonight.

Blessed Full Moon!! )O(

Updates

Soon, I will be changing up my background for the upcoming month. I found a cute Hallowe'en/Samhain theme. I'm looking forward to sharing it with you. I've started the painstaking task of decorating my apt. for the holiday. It's going to be different getting to decorate my patio, as I haven't had one before to decorate. The summer furniture will be coming, my sons outdoor toys, as well. It will also be a challenge to decorate my windows & outside door, as my apt. complex is slated to replacing them in the next few weeks. But again, a few dozen window clings shouldn't be too hard to take down, right??

More Samhain/Hallowe'en Goodies

Here are some more things I got over the weekend for my place.



There are, from left to right: A grim reaper gatekeeper, witchy candle holder, Witches Laundry, Witch Tree. In the back is a cackling witch who cackles when you touch her. I also have Witch Hat garland in front.








My new/old Altar cloth I got back in March on clearance.

Mabon: The Second Harvest

The harvest is a time of thanks, and also a time of balance -- after all, there are equal hours of daylight and darkness. While we celebrate the gifts of the earth, we also accept that the soil is dying. We have food to eat, but the crops are brown and going dormant. Warmth is behind us, cold lies ahead.

Some symbols of Mabon include:

• Mid-autumn vegetables, like squashes and gourds
• Apples and anything made from them, such as cider or pies
• Seeds and seed pods
• Baskets, symbolizing the gathering of crops
• Sickles and scythes
• Grapes, vines, wine

You can use any of these to decorate your home or your altar at Mabon.

Feasting and Friends:

Early agricultural societies understood the importance of hospitality -- it was crucial to develop a relationship with your neighbors, because they might be the ones to help you when your family ran out of food. Many people, particularly in rural villages, celebrated the harvest with great deals of feasting, drinking, and eating. After all, the grain had been made into bread, beer and wine had been made, and the cattle were brought down from the summer pastures for the coming winter. Celebrate Mabon yourself with a feast -- and the bigger, the better!

Magic and Mythology:

Nearly all of the myths and legends popular at this time of the year focus on the themes of life, death, and rebirth. Not much of a surprise, when you consider that this is the time at which the earth begins to die before winter sets in!

Demeter and Her Daughter

Perhaps the best known of all the harvest mythologies is the story of Demeter and Persephone. Demeter was a goddess of grain and of the harvest in ancient Greece. Her daughter, Persephone, caught the eye of Hades, god of the Underworld When Hades abducted Persephone and took her back to the underworld, Demeter's grief caused the crops on earth to die and go dormant. By the time she finally recovered her daughter, Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds , and so was doomed to spend six months of the year in the underworld. These six months are the time when the earth dies, beginning at the time of the autumn equinox.

Inanna Takes on the Underworld

The Sumerian goddess Inanna is the incarnation of fertility and abundance. Inanna descended into the underworld where her sister, Ereshkigal, ruled. Erishkigal decreed that Inanna could only enter her world in the traditional ways -- stripping herself of her clothing and earthly posessions. By the time Inanna got there, Erishkigal had unleashed a series of plagues upon her sister, killing Inanna. While Inanna was visiting the underworld, the earth ceased to grow and produce. A vizier restored Inanna to life, and sent her back to earth. As she journeyed home, the earth was restored to its former glory.

Modern Celebrations

For contemporary Druids, this is the celebration of Alban Elfed, which is a time of balance between the light and the dark. Many Asatru groups honor the fall equinox as Winter Nights, a festival sacred to Freyr.

For most Wiccans and NeoPagans, this is a time of community and kinship. It's not uncommon to find a Pagan Pride Day celebration tied in with Mabon. Often, PPD organizers include a food drive as part of the festivities, to celebrate the bounty of the harvest and to share with the less fortunate.

If you choose to celebrate Mabon, give thanks for the things you have, and take time to reflect on the balance within your own life, honoring both the darkness and the light. Invite your friends and family over for a feast, and count the blessings that you have among kin and community.

Mabon

Mabon is one of the eight solar holidays or sabbats of Neopaganism. It is celebrated on the autumn equinox, which in the northern hemisphere is circa September 21 and in the southern hemisphere is circa March 21.

Also called Harvest Home, this holiday is a ritual of thanksgiving for the fruits of the Earth and a recognition of the need to share them to secure the blessings of the Goddess and God during the winter months.

Among the sabbats, it is the second of the three harvest festivals, preceded by Lammas and followed by Samhain.

Mabon was not an authentic ancient festival either in name or date. The autumn equinox was not celebrated in Celtic countries, while all that is known about Anglo-Saxon customs of that time was that September was known as haleg-monath or 'holy month'.

The name Mabon has only been applied to the neopagan festival of the autumn equinox very recently; the term was invented by Aidan Kelly in the 1970s as part of a religious studies project. (The use of Litha for the Summer Solstice is also attributed to Kelly).

Previously, in Gardnerian Wicca the festival was simply known as the 'Autumnal Equinox', and many neopagans still refer to it as such, or use alternative titles such as the neo-Druidical Aban Efed, a term invented by Iolo Morgannwg.

The name Mabon was chosen to impart a more authentic-sounding "Celtic" feel to the event, since all the other festivals either had names deriving from genuine tradition, or had had names grafted on to them. The Spring Equinox had already been misleadingly termed 'Ostara', and so only the Autumn Equinox was left with a technical rather than an evocative title. Accordingly, the name Mabon was given to it, having been drawn (seemingly at random) from Welsh mythology.

The use of the name Mabon is much more prevalent in America than Britain, where many neopagans are scornfully dismissive of it as a blatantly inauthentic practice. The increasing number of American Neopagan publications sold in Britain by such publishers as Llewellyn has however resulted in some British neopagans adopting the term.

The Druids call this celebration, Mea'n Fo'mhair, and honor the The Green Man, the God of the Forest, by offering libations to trees. Offerings of ciders, wines, herbs and fertilizer are appropriate at this time. Wiccans celebrate the aging Goddess as she passes from Mother to Crone, and her consort the God as he prepares for death and re-birth.

Various other names for this Lesser Wiccan Sabbat are The Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest, Feast of Avalon, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), Alben Elfed (Caledonii), or Cornucopia. The Teutonic name, Winter Finding, spans a period of time from the Sabbat to Oct. 15th, Winter's Night, which is the Norse New Year.

At this festival it is appropriate to wear all of your finery and dine and celebrate in a lavish setting. It is the drawing to and of family as we prepare for the winding down of the year at Samhain. It is a time to finish old business as we ready for a period of rest, relaxation, and reflection.

Other names for this Lesser Wiccan Sabbat are The Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest, Feast of Avalon, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), Alben Elfed (Caledonii), or Cornucopia. The Teutonic name, Winter Finding, spans a period of time from the Sabbat to Oct. 15th, Winter's Night, which is the Norse New Year.

Symbolism of Mabon:
Second Harvest, the Mysteries, Equality and Balance.

Symbols of Mabon:
wine, gourds, pine cones, acorns, grains, corn, apples, pomegranates, vines such as ivy, dried seeds, and horns of plenty.

Herbs of Mabon:
Acorn, benzoin, ferns, grains, honeysuckle, marigold, milkweed, myrrh, passion flower, rose, sage, solomon's seal, tobacco, thistle, and vegetables.

Foods of Mabon:
Breads, nuts, apples, pomegranates, and vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and onions.

Incense of Mabon:
Autumn Blend-benzoin, myrrh, and sage.

Colors of Mabon:
Red, orange, russet, maroon, brown, and gold.

Stones of Mabon:
Sapphire, lapis lazuli, and yellow agates.

Activities of Mabon:
Making wine, gathering dried herbs, plants, seeds and seed pods, walking in the woods, scattering offerings in harvested fields, offering libations to trees, adorning burial sites with leaves, acorns, and pine cones to honor those who have passed over.

Spellworkings of Mabon:
Protection, prosperity, security, and self-confidence. Also those of harmony and balance.

Deities of Mabon: Goddesses: Modron, Morgan, Epona, Persephone, Demeter, Pamona and the Muses. Gods: Thor, Toth, Hermes and the Green Man.

Mabon is considered a time of the mysteries. It is a time to honor Aging Deities and the Spirit World. Considered a time of balance, it is when we stop and relax and enjoy the fruits of our personal harvests, whether they be from toiling in our gardens, working at our jobs, raising our families, or just coping with the hussle-bussle of everyday life.