Samhain On The East Coast

Well hurricane Sandy is coming and it looks like it's going to change plans for most trick or treaters. We are in the south east part of Ohio so we may have snow next week.

I had already decided weeks ago that we would not be joining a group this year for Samhain. I felt a need to stay home and keep it all in the family. Especially since this will be the first time we will do a ritual in our new apartment.

My ritual also involves bringing out my genealogy records. That's what I love about rituals, you can use virtually anything that has meaning to you! Have you ever used your family tree during Samhain or when evoking your ancestors? So many pages and I only know the stories of a short few; which is sad when you think about it.

Someone posted a poem on FB yesterday that I thought really put my feelings into words perfectly. I'll also be using this poem in our Samhain ritual. I do not know the author of this poem, so if this is your work or if you know who wrote it please tell me so I may give credit.

STRANGERS IN THE BOX
Come, look with me inside this drawer,
In this box I've often seen,
At the pictures, black and white,
Faces proud, still, and serene.

I wish I knew the people,
These strangers in the box,
Their names and all their memories,
Are lost among my socks.

I wonder what their lives were like,
How did they spend their days?
What about their special times?
I'll never know their ways.

If only someone had taken time,
To tell, who, what, where, and when,
These faces of my heritage,
Would come to life again.

Could this become the fate,
Of the pictures we take today?
The faces and the memories,
Someday to be passed away?

Take time to save your stories,
Seize the opportunity when it knocks,
Or someday you and yours,
Could be strangers in the box.

Will you be changing your Samhain or Halloween plans because of hurricane Sandy?

27. Samhain with the Kids

Samhain is right around the corner and that means its time for my favorite holiday! Every year I've taken off work for Halloween to prepare for Samhain. This year since I'm not working I won't need to do that. This year, money is tight so we won't be able to do our normal 2+ Jack o Lantern carvings. So I'm looking for some inexpensive ideas for Samhain.

For those readers not in the know. Samhain (pronounced SOW-in, SAH-vin, or SAM-hayne) is the last of three harvest festivals. Its celebrated traditionally between OCT 31st and NOV 1st. It is the second time each year where the veil between worlds is thinner and we are able to communicate with our dead (The first being Beltane). It is a time to honor The Crone and our ancestors.

Sierra (My daughter) and I love to carve pumpkins for Samhain to scare away unwelcome spirits! So every year I spend at least a good day online finding exciting (and free) carving patterns. Perhaps this year instead of mutilating real pumpkins, we'll make our jack o lanterns out of paper. Or maybe we can find some other materials around the house. Anything round like a jar or ball would work. Obviously for those options we wouldn't use any heat source to light it.

Sierra as a Witch

Another thing I've loved to do is come up with an inexpensive option for dressing Sierra up. Last year we bought a witches hat and a wig. She wore an old dress and went Trick or Treating as a witch. By far this was my most favorite costume and it only cost me $5. Unfortunately in the move to Ohio the hat had an untimely death. So we'll need to come up with something new this year. Or perhaps I can convince her to stay home and hand out candy to the younger kids. That would make me a happy momma!

As far as the Samhain ritual, we are going to join up with Inanna's Spiritual Center. I've talked Rev. Lynn to do a ritual at her center. There is a small group that wants it to happen at the center too so hopefully it will be a night of ritual and companionship. I can't wait! We are doing it on the 30th so everyone can go without our jobs (For those who have them) and school interfering.

This is apart of 31 Days of Samhain

Like my blog on Facebook

A magical recipe.

What better way to embody magick than in the making of bread. I think this is a lost art and its one I'm trying to get back. I think as early as 100 years ago it would be shameful to not know how to make a simple loaf of bread. How many of us have to look up recipes now? I know I did! So today I decided to make bread. Now let me start off by saying I am in no way a perfect baker. I have my issues with bread. Either it doesn't rise, rises too much, is too gooey in the center or crumbles too much. Today's loaf crumbles too much, but at least I can eat it will a little butter or jam. I didn't get a good color on it though unfortunately. I think it could have used a bit more browning, but it was already very hard on the outer layer and I didn't want it to get too much harder.

One cup warm water (Not hot)

1 package active dry yeast

3 tablespoons sugar

Let yeast proof for 10 minutes.

Proof the yeast

 Mix in all-purpose flour till it has a sticky consistency. Should be able to pinch off a piece of dough easily.

Added my flour

Allow dough to rise

 Allow dough to rise (About 2 hours)

Add 1/2 cup of flour and kneed. Add more flour if too sticky

Finished product. As you can see I couldn't wait till I cut into it! Sorry for not taking a picture before I cut it.

 Allow to rise and bake @ 350 degrees for 1 hour. If your like me, you can't wait till you can cut into it. You really should wait till it cools though. And there we have yummy homemade bread! The magick is in the sharing with family. :)

Pagan Blog Prompt: Tools

Prompt: Your Tools

What tools do you use, if any?
Tarot or other divination tools?
Athame, chalice, candles, wand, etc?

Why have you chosen to use these tools? How do you prepare and maintain them? Where/how do you store them?

Pictures are encouraged and welcomed, if you feel so inclined.

Raw Crystals I mined for.

 I find that the tools that work best for me are ones I've made myself or find in nature. Crystals are a large part of what I use. Most often I use garnet, amethyst, quartz, and tigers eye. Though I have several and a lot I can't even identify because I've forgot what they are! One of the things I have done is mine for our own crystals at a place near Mammoth Cave. It was very neat and I came away with some wonderful raw crystals. 

When I had my own space to dedicate to my hobbies, I made candles. I loved doing this! I found that my own candles were much better in magical uses than store bought. Though the cost of doing it was a bit more than I wanted to spend. It was still worth it to me and I even made back a little bit of my cost by selling some candles to friends.

Because my husband and I often work together we blend Eclectic Wicca & Native American Shamanism. One thing he often does is give an offering of tobacco. So this has become an important tool for us both.
Feathers, water, shells, and other natural elements are things I can incorporate into our craft.

Do you ever just go walking in the woods and find little interesting things? Well when I can I go walking and find natural elements I work with. Its a great time to reflect on what I need to manifest in my life and so soothing for the soul. :)
Blessed Be,

SalemWitchChild

Had a wonderful time meeting new Pagans

Today we went to Chillicothe and met some wonderful men and women. The Inanna Spiritual Center is ran by some wonderful ladies. I didn't ask but I take it the place has just recently opened and thats OK. :) I was asked to join them as a minister. I'm ordained through the Universal Life Church. Though I haven't registered in Ohio as a minister, thats just some technical papers I need to take care of. I've never really used my ordination for anything other than spiritual counseling. But it would be great to take a more active roll in my ministry.
There was also another mother there who breast feeds, delay vaccines, co-sleeps, cloth diaper wearing momma. Yay for meeting new moms. :) Her little girl is 7 months old and Wyatt is as big as her. lol.
For now going to Chillicothe often might be too expensive. But I do want to keep in contact with this group. I was afraid once we moved away from KY we might be isolated from the Pagan community. I'm glad to see there are more Pagans here than I originally thought.