Samhain

Chat about pagan and Wiccan holidays.
raynelae
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Samhain

Post by raynelae »

Samhain is approaching for those of us in the northern hemisphere...I must say, I'm getting quite excited!! The last post about Mabon was quite helpful and inspirational, so why don't we now share ideas for celebrating Samhain?
I will begin...
I plan to make soul cakes...they're so delicious and such a great treat with deep meaning for Samhain. I plan to set up an ancestral altar as well as an altar where I'll have my rituals for Samhain. I'm going to do an ancestral meditation. I'm thinking about dressing up and handing out candy (or maybe soul cakes...who knows!) to the kids who come to my house trick-or-treating. Of course, I'll carve jack-o-lanterns and light many candles the night of Samhaim to guide the spirit's way as they travel to the Summerland. I could go on, and I'm sure I will as I plan out more. I'm interested to know what you'll be doing for Samhain! :)
Peace cannot be kept by force but can only be achieved through understanding (Albert Einstein) ~coexist~
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Aryn
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Re: Samhain

Post by Aryn »

I love, love, love taking the traditions of Dias De Los Muertos and making them a part of my Samhain rituals. One of the Spanish classes I took in college put together a traditional altar. Now I light candles and place skull decorations around photos of those that have moved on. I also makes sure I put out things that those that I am honoring loved in life. Cigarettes, Boats, etc. That way when I go to parties (as I love to do on Samhain), I feel as though they are partying with me.

I also spend a day or night, near to Samhain walking through a cemetery, cleaning off the more neglected graves.
Some days it's better just to head for the hills and dance in the rain.

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Zili
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Re: Samhain

Post by Zili »

Since the day is pretty special to me and my boyfriend separately we're setting aside two hours for "date night" in which we'll be watching Cabin in the Woods.

We're also making pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and blue velvet cake for friends and family as well as a haunted ginger bread house on top of the cake. We love baking and will pretty much incorporate baking into every holiday lol.
raynelae
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Re: Samhain

Post by raynelae »

Wow guys! Your Samhain celebrations sound great! I forgot to mention that I'll be doing lots of divination as well. I'm probably going to celebrate Samhain as three days..one day set to the ancestors and another to the God and Goddess...I'm not sure what to do for the third day. Aryn, for the altar you set up for those who've come before us, I suggest putting your family tree on the altar as well..ancestry is quite interesting! Zili, if you like baking then I suggest making soul cakes....you'll love them and it's the perfect Samhain treat :)
Peace cannot be kept by force but can only be achieved through understanding (Albert Einstein) ~coexist~
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Aryn
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Re: Samhain

Post by Aryn »

Unfortunately, my family tree is very ... vague. I'm only third generation in the US from a country/tribe in the Carpathian Mountains that doesn't exist anymore on my mother's side, and my dad's family is hard to track without a place to start from and with a last name like "Bounds," there's a million places it could be from.

And I totally forgot about divination! I always make a point of taking my pendulum and tarot out into the woods sometime in October.
Some days it's better just to head for the hills and dance in the rain.

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raynelae
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Re: Samhain

Post by raynelae »

I found my family information online lol. Divination is great for Samhain because the veil between our world and the Other is thinnest!
Peace cannot be kept by force but can only be achieved through understanding (Albert Einstein) ~coexist~
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Firebird
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Re: Samhain

Post by Firebird »

Hi, just gonna slip this one in real quick, Ray...great idea, your the best.
Ok here's one for a real bio-hazard of a Samhain. We used to have this Priestess who was a midwife. She had the ability to draw blood for tests. So we decided we would all have our blood drawn, for a skrying session during the ritual. First we drank a little brew... (a Samhain favorite for opening the mind) then poured our little vile of life force onto a broad clear dish. The HPs had us stare into the red goo, then she threw a handful of rock salt onto the dish, after a few moments the scribe took notes of what we saw...
The one that stands out as was a young man who said, "I don't want to be like a bummer, but I see Bush becoming President and a very horrible terrorist attack in our country." before the next Samhain came around...,
(you guessed it...911) I still get chills.

Back for more on this Holy-day later. Loving you all, Firebird
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
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“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
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raynelae
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Re: Samhain

Post by raynelae »

Oh my Goddess...that is eerie, Firebird. The things the Goddess sends us, right?! But anyways, I think that is a very cool way of celebrating Samhain...a very unique way of performing divination. I love it!
Peace cannot be kept by force but can only be achieved through understanding (Albert Einstein) ~coexist~
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Firebird
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Re: Samhain

Post by Firebird »

I love all the things everyone is "conjuring up" for this most sacred of nights. We usually have a BIG feast as well, with turkey and all the trimmings, being it is the final harvest, this was the time of thanksgiving, (from which our modern (US) holiday has sprung)...a time of reflection and looking forward. And yes...it's all about the ancestors, good or bad, it's why were here. We have the ability to shape our lives as we will, so on this night we also shed the old, to make way for the new. We enter the chrysalis state, (new potential about to crack open) then at Yule...the Sun/Son returns, and we crack open that cocoon and FLY. So in the weeks after Samhain,... while it is the new year, it is also a time of limbo. It is a good time to learn something new, for you must be with yourself in a time of quiet before enlightenment can occur.
Blessings, Firebird
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
:mrgreen:
raynelae
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Re: Samhain

Post by raynelae »

Well...in honor of this time of newness (big announcement ;) ) I will be leaving the "broom closet"!!!
Peace cannot be kept by force but can only be achieved through understanding (Albert Einstein) ~coexist~
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Firebird
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Re: Samhain

Post by Firebird »

OMG... Ray are you serious? That is great. (sounds kinda scary!) But, definitely a good time for that kind of announcement. Will your family be supportive, or...do you know? Welp,Congratulations! Happy Hallows!
Now some other things to do, like Aryn mentioned ...walking through the cemetery and trimming up neglected graves, and Zili, I wish you could shove the baked good through, sounds yummy. Of course, decorating your home inside and out is always a lot of fun. Adorn your Altar with photos of the dearly departed, animal skulls and bones, acorns, wheat, crystal balls or a black mirror, red & orange flowers, a small plate for food offerings, the sugar skulls are cool too, maybe an hourglass, (would love to have the one from wizard of OZ) Ok...bye for now! Firebird
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
:mrgreen:
raynelae
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Re: Samhain

Post by raynelae »

I'm nervous...I'm just going to put it on my personal Facebook page...tonight actually...wow! Can't wait to set up Samhain altars!!
Peace cannot be kept by force but can only be achieved through understanding (Albert Einstein) ~coexist~
raynelae
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Re: Samhain

Post by raynelae »

I found a great idea for Samhain...as our planet is going through changes, this is important to do. Let's all heal the remains of what our ancestors left us with. Here's how :) please read this article! http://www.wicca-spirituality.com/samhain.html
Peace cannot be kept by force but can only be achieved through understanding (Albert Einstein) ~coexist~
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Firebird
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Re: Samhain

Post by Firebird »

I am a firm believer in the "your word is your wand" kind of mentality.....Thanks for the article Ray, So in the effort to heal, we must watch the words that we speak...for they create vibrations in the air that move towards the manifestations of those ideas. Some of the state of chaos we seem to currently be experiencing is a direct example of that.
I'm in a women's counseling group, and I tried to make this point with one of the girls there...when she kept saying "that wasn't acceptable, I should be shot" (referring to herself) after explaining the above, I added (as gently as I could, "it's kinda negative")....Ya, she blew off the idea, said "I don't believe that". Christian? ...yes she is. And this is part of the dilemma. So many folks are of a mind that is not open, and I do not like to slam other religions, however a closed mind is very hard to work with.
Here's to a Samhain full of hope for the future, with a healthy release of outmoded behaviors.
I really want to do a rite where everyone is fully masked and assumes their animal. Maybe this year? Here's some pics of the chalk drawings at our local Day of the Dead festival. Blessings, Firebird
Attachments
mermaid
mermaid
end the torture
end the torture
chalk drawing at the Day of the Dead
chalk drawing at the Day of the Dead
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
:mrgreen:
raynelae
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Re: Samhain

Post by raynelae »

Amazing artwork!! I agree, closed minds are so hard to work with...but I think we're soon to enter a time of transition :) Samhain is so important because we can really do some healing at this time. Think of it this way...Samhain is a time of death, with death comes mourning, and with mourning comes relying on others to get you through the hard times. The other person tries to be there for the mourning person and to heal them. Hence, we can heal each other at this time! :)
Peace cannot be kept by force but can only be achieved through understanding (Albert Einstein) ~coexist~
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