Samhain Poems

Samhain

by: Elspeth Sapphire

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.

 

The Veil Is Getting Thin

(unknown)

As I went out walking this fall afternoon,
I heard a wisper wispering.
I heard a wisper wispering,
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 wisper 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.

Samhain

by Yvonne Aburrow

As night draws its veil over the land,
And autumn draws on her cloak of leaves,
The other world draws nearer to our own,
And the dead gather in the place of shadows.

 

The dark mother stands revealed
In her terrible naked glory.
The heartstopping beauty of Autumn
Is like a spear roaring for blood.

Even as the Sun recedes from us
To journey over the dark dreaming river
Into the country of death -
So we seek within ourselves the seed of life.

The seed of life: Demeter's mystery,
Kernel within the dark husk,
The Child of Light turning within the womb,
Reflected in the burnished gold of autumn leaves.

Pumpkin Seed projects

One of the most popular symbol for Samhain, Halloween and Thanksgiving is Pumpkin. Pumpkin pie is one of the most popular desert for after Halloween and Thanksgiving. After you carve your jack-o-lantern you have lots of pumpkin seeds. There are lots of different crafts that you can do with pumpkin seeds. Depending on your project will determine if you need to color them. You should try coloring them as it will spruce up any project.


You can paint or draw on a pumpkin seeds. I have used markers, but you will need to get the fine tip as the seeds are so small. I had a friend that was proficient at using a pin as a paintbrush. I am not that artistic but it is worth trying. One idea is to make a rune set out of the pumpkin seeds. I was a mini tarot card set on the seeds. It was amazing to see.

Now I have done some research on how to color pumpkin seeds and I got a lot of mix and match suggestions. I will give several different tips of the different ways to color them.

First you need to wash them, pumpkin seeds have a film on them and it needs to be washed off. You need to lay them out on a towel or parchment paper to dry. Let them dry completely before trying to color them, so it may take 24-48 hours to dry.

One tip is that you take a glass jar and put 2 teaspoons of rubbing alcohol and add food coloring to the color that you want. Stir them up after a couple of minutes. It may take a few minutes to get the color. Remember that they will dry lighter so if you need to add more drops of food coloring add them. Once they have reached the desired color, take them out and let them dry on parchment paper or a towel. Turn them over after a couple of hours so they don't stick to each other. Let them dry for 24-48 hours before making your projects.

In another tip is to take a sealed baggie and put 1-2 teaspoons of warm water and drops of food coloring then add your seeds and shake them up. Don't add too much water on this one and make sure the bag is sealed before you start to shake. Kids will always like this part, you can throw on some music and let them shake and shake. Open up the bag and lay them out on a towel or parchment paper to dry. Again turn them over after a couple of hours so they don't stick. Let them dry for 24-48 hours before making your projects.

Yet another tip is to take a sealed baggie and put a tablespoon of vinegar and food coloring and add your seeds and shake them up like above. Again don't add too much vinegar and just keep shaking. Once they are evenly coated take them out. Now in a couple of blogs people just let them dry but some said to bake them at 375F for 45 minutes.

Another version is to add a 1/2 cup of warm water and a tablespoon of vinegar then add your seeds. Now to get the appropriate color could take an hour. After wards take them out to dry for 24-48 hours. Remember to turn them over after a couple hours. Some suggestions is to bake them for 20 minutes at 200 degrees.

You have several different ideas on coloring seeds, now you need to choose which way to color them. You will need to experiment and choose the one that you prefer. We do not bake our seeds, mostly because we do not have an oven, so it takes longer to dry.

So now you are ready for some cute projects. Jewelry is the most popular craft that I have been told. You can make pumpkin seed necklaces that are not colored and they still look cool. There are different ways to sting a necklace together. Just to warn you that unless you poke a hole in the seed first, it may not be suitable for young kids. I have poked my fingers until they bleed while stringing seeds. Again you may want to experiment a head of time so you can tell what kind of help your kids will need.

The other thing to take in account is the wasted seeds that you will be using. There will be mistakes so make sure you have more than you need for the project. You can always store them in a plastic bottle to use for next year or for more projects.

Like I said there are different ways to make the jewelry and what kind of string. I have read that some people use regular string, embossing thread or even fishing line. I prefer using fishing line but embossing thread comes in different colors so it can set it off and give it the final touch. Adding beads to them will also give it a touch, but it is all up to you.... sorry up to your child.

One last tip before you tie off the necklace. If you want the necklace to last for a couple of years you can tie it off but if you want it to really last you may want to seal the seeds with a spray of shellac or another type of sealer. I have read it both ways that some people do it after they make the holes and then sting them up, but some do it after they string them but before they tie it off. You can take them outside and hang them across somewhere and make sure there is some space in-between them, and then spray them. That will seal the color on the seeds and help in transfer to your clothes.

So the next craft is making pictures with the seeds. It is time to be creative and have some fun. You can take some coloring pages and have the little goblins glue the seeds on the pictures or you can design your own. The important thing is to have some fun.

Samhain Tarot spreads

The veil between the worlds is at it thinnest at Samhain. This is the perfect time for divination. There are lots of different types of divination but I will be showing you some of the tarot card spreads for you Samhain celebration. I collected these off of Pinterest and I wanted to share them with you.



Randi Minerva has a great site for tarot tips. I have posted most of them. She has a Pinterest site and a website. Feel free to visit her site at http://randiminerva.com/.

Charge of the Crone

There have been so many versions of the Charge of the Goddess. Doreen Valiente, Gerald Gardner, Aleister Crowley, and many others have written Charges of the Goddess and have adapted from each other to create several different versions. There are controversy on who are the true authors as they have been copied and altered so many times. I cannot be certain on the authorship of the different versions. I do not have access to the books so all I have is what is on the internet and unfortunately the internet is not always correct. A couple of sites credits Jim Garrison for the Charge of the Crone. 

Look at the different version and pick the one that feels the best for you. In each version there is a difference but the meaning is still the same.

 

Charge of the Crone 

I am the Queen of magick and the dark of the Moon, hidden in the deepest night. I am the mystery of the Otherwolds and the fear that coils about your heart in the times of you trials.

I am the soul of nature that gives form to the universe; it is I who awaits you at the end of the spiral dance.

Most ancient among gods and mortals, let my worship be within the heart that has truly tasted life, for behold all acts of magick and art are my pleasure and my greatest ritual is love itself. Therefore let there be beauty in your strength, compassion in your wrath, power in your humility, and discipline balanced through mirth and reverence.

You who seek to remove my veil and behold my true face, know that all your questing and efforts are for nothing, and all your lust and desires shall avail you not at all.

For unless you know my mystery, look wherever you will, it will elude you, for it is within you and nowhere else. For behold, I have ever been with you, from the very beginning, the comforting hand that nurtured you in the dawn of life, and the loving embrace that awaits you at the end of each life, for I am that which is attained at the end of the dance, and I am the womb of new beginnings, as yet unimagined and unknown.

 

 

 

Charge of the Crone Hecate

I am the Queen of Magick, hidden in the deepest night.
I am the mystery of the other world and the fear that coils about your heart in the times of your trial. I am the soul of nature that gives form to the Universe.
My torches light the way for enlightenment and illumination.
My sickle of death cuts away things that are dead & no longer needed
It is I who awaits you at the end of your spiral dance.
I am She who has no secrets but a thousand secrets.
I am the aged Old Crone of Darkness who face of death portends life anew and filled with Luna's secrets.
All acts of magick and mysteries are my rituals and
My greatest ritual is love itself.
You who seek to remove My veil and know My true face,
Know that all your questing and efforts are for not,
Until thy own face beholds and knows the mysteries of they own self.
For you to truly know Me, you must look in your own heart and know and accept thy self.
For those of you who call upon Me and My powers for magick, beware!
For My magick is swift and without regards to the consequences.
Those that know Me shall glide safely through troubles,
For it is My dark cloak of protection that is wrapped about you.
Close your eyes My child and call to me, for I am there,
within your Darkness. 

Celebrating Samhain

Just a few stuff that I found on pintrest. I hope they are helpful.

 

 

 

Haunted Pinups

I found a CD full of Halloween stuff at a yard sale. These are just a few that I have. I don't know where they came from but I have seen them on pintrest before. I hope you like them and that they might give you some ideas for your own pictures.

Soul Cakes

I was sent this link and I wanted to share with you. Tis the Samhain Season.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15536354

Soul Cakes: Hallowed Offerings for Hungry Ghosts
by T. Susan Chang
October 24, 200712:23 AM ET

Even at its most lighthearted, Halloween has a chilly soul. There is no denying it: All Hallows' Eve belongs to the lord of death, who masters us all in the end. We may cope with our servitude by laughing at death, fearing it, respecting it — or, in time-honored tradition, by throwing sweets at it.

Today, we assuage malevolent spirits — the ones in costume, as well as those unseen — with Reese's Pieces and Tootsie Rolls. I guess modern demons aren't too picky and they know how to negotiate a plastic wrapper.

Long ago, however, at the beginning of the Christian era in Britain, Druidic rites were a fresh and vivid memory. Four times a year, bonfires banished the ill-tempered spirits hiding in the night. The Halloween, or Samhain, fires might have been a way of whistling in the dark, laughing in the face of the oncoming cold and scarcity.

Samhain was the festival of the dying sun god, and its dark power stayed potent even as the old ways faded. Samhain became All Souls' Eve and All Souls' Day. The practice of gathering round a bonfire waned. Instead, night visitors of the Dark Ages began to venture abroad, going house to house. If they were lucky, they would be met at the doorstep with a plate of sweet and steaming soul cakes.

Explanations on the origins of soul cakes vary. Some say that cakes were baked for the bonfires and that they were a lottery: pick the burnt cake, and you get to be the human sacrifice that ensures good crops next year. Or, soul cakes may have been tossed around an area to appease evil spirits condemned to wander in animal form.

By the 8th century, though, soul cakes had been sanctified and civilized. They were used to pay the beggars who came around on All Souls' Eve and offered to say prayers for the family's departed. One cake given, one soul saved — cheap at the price.

Elsewhere, they were given to the costumed entertainers known as mummers, who made their merry rounds at Halloween. Today's trick-or-treaters are thought to be their descendants.

Vexatious for the interested cook, soul cakes seem to have been as various in form as in purpose. I've seen dozens of recipes, some leavened and rising heavenward, others flat and dense as tombstones. Some are cakey and some are biscuity. Some are gingery and some are saffrony. They may be square, oval or round, marked with a cross — or not. That's the thing about myths: The fact that there's never a single right answer doesn't diminish their power.

I liked the idea of a round soul cake, yellow with saffron and egg yolk like the dying sun itself. Or yellow like the bonfires of Samhain, from which the Celts would take burning torches to start their own hearths for the new year.

Like many folkloric recipes, the one I tried was vague, calling for "enough milk for a soft dough," and giving no instructions as to forming the cakes. Mine turned out hard, tough and undercooked. I had to remind myself that this was about honoring the dead, not trying to imitate them.

After a few more tries and adjusting the time, temperature, quantity of dry and wet ingredients and thickness of the dough, I had a sunny yellow biscuit with a sweet saffron scent. Studded with a currant cross and small enough to fit in the palm of my 6-year-old son's hand, it felt like a talisman — a peace offering for implacable spirits, or edible currency for the ferryman of the dead. Or — with some Harry Potter-style iced pumpkin juice on the side — an after-school snack for a kid and his inner Dementor.

What should you do with your soul cakes? Eat them, share them, fill them with currants and scavenge for crumbs. But while you do, spare a thought for the hungry ghosts who walk the earth for just one night.

Soul Cakes
October 23, 2007 6:54 PM ET

Soul cakes get stale within a day or two, so eat 'em while they're hot.
Makes 12 to 15 2-inch soul cakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground fresh if possible
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground fresh if possible
1/2 teaspoon salt
Generous pinch of saffron
1/2 cup milk
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup currants

For the Glaze:
1 egg yolk, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the flour, the nutmeg, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Mix well with a fork.


Crumble the saffron threads into a small saucepan and heat over low heat just until they become aromatic, taking care not to burn them. Add the milk and heat just until hot to the touch. The milk will have turned a bright yellow. Remove from heat.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon (or use an electric mixer with the paddle attachment). Add the egg yolks and blend in thoroughly with the back of the spoon. Add the spiced flour and combine as thoroughly as possible; the mixture will be dry and crumbly.

One tablespoon at a time, begin adding in the warm saffron milk, blending vigorously with the spoon. When you have a soft dough, stop adding milk; you probably won't need the entire half-cup.

Turn the dough out onto a floured counter and knead gently, with floured hands, until the dough is uniform. Roll out gently to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Using a floured 2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can and set on an ungreased baking sheet. You can gather and re-roll the scraps, gently.

Decorate the soul cakes with currants and then brush liberally with the beaten egg yolk. Bake for 15 minutes, until just golden and shiny. Serve warm, with cold pumpkin juice.

Iced Pumpkin Juice
October 23, 2007 6:53 PM ET

Pumpkin juice has an earthy, starchy flavor with a trace of corn-like sweetness. It's not especially delicious on its own, but is a powerfully appealing quencher when mixed with other juices. You will need a fruit or vegetable juicer for this recipe.

Makes 4 grown-up or 6 kid-size servings

1 small sugar pumpkin
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice

The easiest way to peel a pumpkin is to use a sturdy serrated knife. Set the pumpkin down firmly on its bottom. Steady it with one hand while you saw off the peel in vertical strips, tracing the round form of the pumpkin as you saw downward. Split the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds (discard or reserve them as you wish). Chop the pumpkin flesh into chunks small enough to fit in your juicer.

Juice the pumpkin chunks following your juicer's instructions. You should have 2 to 3 cups. Strain the juice into a pitcher and add apple and pineapple juice to taste. Serve iced.

Halloween Superstitions

Here are some Halloween superstitions that I found from various sites and book that I have read over the years. Some are interesting but it gives you some ideas. Enjoy.

 

 Girls who carry a lamp to a spring of water on this night can see their future husband in the reflection.

Girls who carry a broken egg in a glass to a spring of water (during the day) can not only see their future husband by mixing some of the spring water into the glass, but she can also see a glimpse of her future children.

Bobbing for Apples - Each member of the party is given an apple, from which a small piece has been cut, and into which a fortune written on a slip of paper has been inserted. The apples are thrown into a large tub of water and the company invited to duck their heads and retrieve an apple with their mouths. Upon doing so they draw out the slip of paper and read their fortune.

To find out of your lover is true. select one of the letters which you have received from your sweetheart, especially one which contains a particularly passionate and important declaration; lay it wide open upon a table and then fold it nine times. Pin the folds together, place the letter in your left-hand glove, and slip it under your pillow. If on that night you dream of silver, gems, glass, castles or clear water, your lover is true and his declarations are genuine; if you dream of linen, storms, fire, wood, flowers, or he is saluting you, he is false and has been deceiving you.

Mashed potatoes offer a method of divining who will be the first to wed. Into the heap of mashed potatoes a ring, a three penny-bit, a button, a heart-shaped charm, a shell and a key are inserted. Then all the lights in the room are turned out, and each guest, armed with a spoon or fork, endeavors to find the hidden charms. The one who finds the ring win marry first; the three penny-bit signifies wealth; the button, bachelorhood or spinsterhood; the heart, passionate love; the shell, long journeys; the key, great success and power.

The old Celtic custom was to light great bonfires on Halloween, and after these had burned out to make a circle of the ashes of each fire. Within this circle, and near the circumference, each member of the various families that had helped to make a fire would place a pebble. If, on the next day, any stone was out of its place, or had been damaged, it was held to be an indication that the one to whom the stone belonged would die within twelve months.

If a bat flies into a house it is a sign that ghosts are about and maybe the ghost let the bat in.

If bats come out early and fly around playfully, then it is a sign of good weather to come.

If a bat flies around a house 3 times, it is a death omen.

Peel an apple from top to bottom. The person with the longest unbroken peel would be assured the longest life. If you threw the apple peel over your shoulder, the initial it forms upon landing is the initial of your future mate.

When bobbing for apples, it is believed that the first person to bite an apple would be the first to marry.

If you go to a crossroads at Halloween and listen to the wind, you will learn all the most important things that will befall you during the next twelve months.

To prevent ghosts coming into the house at Halloween, bury animal bones or a picture of an animal near the doorway.

If a girl puts a sprig of rosemary herb and a silver sixpence under her pillow on Halloween night, she will see her future husband in a dream.

In Britain, people believed that the Devil was a nut-gatherer. At Halloween, nuts were used as magic charms.

Many people used to believe that owls swooped down to to eat the souls of the dying. If they heard an owl hooting, they would become frightened. A common remedy was thought to be, turning your pockets inside out and you would be safe.

Some believe if you catch a snail on Halloween night and lock it into a flat dish, in the morning you will see the first letter of your sweetheart written in the snail's slime.

You should walk around your home three times backwards and counterclockwise before sunset on Halloween to ward off evil spirits.
Knocking on wood keeps bad luck away.

If you see a spider on Halloween, it could be the spirit of a dead loved one who is watching you.

If you ring a bell on Halloween, it will scare evil spirits away.

In North America, it's bad luck if a black cat crosses your path and good luck if a white cat crosses your path. In Britain and Ireland, it's the opposite.

If a candle flame suddenly turns blue, there's a ghost nearby.

Always burn new candles on Halloween to ensure the best of luck. It is not a good idea to burn Halloween candles at any other time of the year. It may bring bad luck or strange things will happen to you, over which you will have no control.

Gazing into a flame of a candle on Halloween night will enable you to peer into the future.

It is believed that if a person lights a new orange colored candle at midnight on Halloween and lets it burn until sunrise, he or she will be the recipient of good luck.

Ravens Blight

I have to tell you of a great site that any fan of Halloween must visit. Now this is a site of paper toys. I may not be the best folder but I can't to try more of these. They have tons of stuff and many of them are free to print off. Their products include models, puppets, jewelry and games. You really need to check it out. You can crate a great Halloween fun if you use these as decorations. The other fun is having an early Halloween party and have some of these as the craft to make. Either way they are so cool. I have made up the dice an people loved them. Just to warn you it is best for you to print these as black and white so you can practice in the folding. Then you can spend money on the color copies. You may want to copy them on stronger weight of paper too. But be careful on how much money you spend because you could be spending more than you think. I have been caught in that trap before so plan ahead. So without more, here are some of the fabulous stuff that you will find at http://ravensblight.com/papertoys.html.

 

Now remember what I have said about any craft, it is all about having fun and being creative. Those little imperfections that happen just gives your craft a personal touch. So have fun and be adventurous.

 

Coriander Bats