From the minds, hands, and mouths of babes

Last night, after about an hour of trick-or-treating, with an almost full the the brim, too heavy for him to carry bucket, Witchling was beginning to show his tiredness. It was 15 minutes after his usual bedtime but he wasn’t ready to give in yet. We approached the next house and he was asked by the neighbor, “How are you this evening?”

He shrugged and responded with the innocent honesty of a three year old, “I’m just here for the candy.”

The neighbor and I both laughed to hard. He got to take an extra piece from her bowl.

Witchlette, on Tuesday at school, made a trick-or-treat sack on a white paper bag. Apparently I was an inspiration for her.

My heart has melted twice quicker than MnMs in my mouth.

Our Samhain

Sometimes, as a parent, one has to get creative with timing.

I have explained the veil between worlds, the invisible curtain as Witchlette calls it, ever so slowly begins to open at Manon and is fully opened at Samhain, then ever so slowly begins to fully close by Yule.

Samhain is Halloween and Halloween means trick-or-treating, not talking about dead relatives sitting at home with Mom or at ritual at Church.

Halloween is fun, life, costumes. Halloween is childhood Magick on an immense scale.

So, last night, All Hallow’s Eve eve, we set out table and made offerings to our beloved dead.

I started with my paternal grandfather, and I mentioned my sister, though I did not yet share details. Witchlette immediately went to Hubby’s paternal grandfather. Witchling followed suit with his sister, and Hubby offered to his dad.

Poor Witchling wanted to give an offering to his own grandpa, but we had to explain this ritual was only for dead people.

Both kids gave offerings to my mom’s dog, D, who died when Witchling was still in diapers. They went through all of their grandparents and ancestors beyond from all of the known countries of origin. Witchlette happily did Hubby’s mom’s side from Poland.

Witchlette also left a final offering to the friend of a friend who recently passed. His absence is fresh and painful to the living and she wanted to offer peace in any way possible.

Last night was our first real family Samhain. Tonight is Halloween.

Inviting the ancestors

This evening at dinner, we invited our ancestors by discussing our Beloved Dead and our Forgotten Dead, and our heritates, and how all of it has led to Witchlette and Witchling. 

We raised a toast to our ancestors, both Beloved and Forgotten Dead. Witchlette called for a “Blessed Be” and Witchling answered my cheers with a “Skal!”

We left a plate of food for spirits to join us at our table. 

We have our jack-o’-lanterns lit on our walkway, just before the window where the plate sits at the Spirts’ seat. 

After dinner, we had some delightful trick or treating, including a few houses in our neighborhood that gave away whole candy bars to folks who made it through all the scary and to the front door. We made it to one!

Samhain Blessings

Last night, I rung in the New Year with some of my best gals. We enjoyed each other’s company, with tea and wine and divination well into the wee hours of the morning. I’m fully hoping this will be a new trend that we will continue year in and year out. 🙂

Tonight, the family will be doing an ancestors supper where we will include a plate for generations past to join our table. We will be talking about Halloween, Samhain, and Winternights.

Today, I began the day with teaching my English III class “The Raven” and I am dressed in full regalia today- purple cloak made by my mother-in-law, black and purple witch hat, black dress I bought specifically for Samhain last year…everything that makes me feel Witchy.

May your Witch’s New Year be plentiful.

May your preparations for the coming dark be fruitful.

 

 

Asatru Day

A few weeks ago, I learned that today is Asatru day from @bjorni_viking on Instagram. 

I wasn’t sure how to react to it, if I should do anything at all. I had a few reservations. 

First, I’m not Asatru, never will claim to be Asatru. Yet, I am and claim to be Heathen. I work with the same Aesir God’s. So perhaps I should note this day as a day to them. 

Second, when I went to find more information, a simple Google search yeilded nothing. 

Third, the reason given for the date is sorta arbitrary. Which is fine. At some point in history, January 15th held no significance. Now it’s a day of service in honor of MLK. No reason why a grassroots movement can’t pick a date and make it into something. 

9/9 was chosen because of the 9 days Odin hung from the tree, because of the 9 world’s, because of the 9 points of the Valknut. 

I held Asatru Day in my own Witch way. 

I wore my Samhain dress, which I bought specifically for Samhain last year and helps me feel both witchy and sexy. 

I hung my garland and put out a few other fall but not Halloween decorations, as well as almost all of my witch decor. 

I splurged at Michaels and got some new spooky decor…which can also be used when I do my unit on a certain Baltimore-based American author. 

Bowl and candle stick still packed away

I also found for a steal and hung as devotional to Frigg some keys. Im going to make something from wool to go with it, just haven’t found the right piece yet. 

Happy Asatru Day! May the Aesir and Vanir bless your kith and kin, hearth and home. 

A blessed year

Yesterday was a wonderful day for us, full of love and laughter. The little Witches and I went trick or treating in the afternoon around a nearby development, then we made rounds in our development after Hubby got home from work. We sat together for dinner, which I made earlier in the day knowing our evening would be jam packed with all the fun activities we had planned. 

I followed everything up with a trip to Magick Circle for the Samhain celebration. Witchling was put to bed and Witchlette enjoyed a night at home with just her and Daddy. 

In my way to the celebration, I was hit with a pang of guilt. The terrible resurgence of mom guilt. I wanted to attend, my soul needed to attend, for wholeness. For sanity. 

Because I feared that by not attending, I would be missing out. But, I was missing out anyway… missing out on time with Witchlette on Halloween night. 

During ritual, the guilt flourished. Here I am, partaking in the celebration of the life of those who have left but to do so stepped away from the lives I have grown within myself back home. 

After ritual, and social time at Magick Circle itself, a group of us went to a local pub to continue our fellowship of the evening. Laughter conversation filled the air. Here to, is life worth celebrating. 

To life, kith and kin. 

Blessed Be. 

Blessings!

Holiday season

The fall is a time of death. It is a time of letting go and inward reflection. 

It’s cooler, growing cold (at least in tradition…its f’ing hot in Raleigh this week!) and folks huddle inside and rely on each other for light and warmth, both literally and metaphorically. 

All cultures and religious traditions have festivals and holidays at this time of year because people need something happy to do. In old times, and now in some parts still, the cold means less or no food and death by starvation or exposure. 

People need something happy to distract them, so holidays. 

Yom Kippur was 10/11-10/12. Samhain is tomorrow, 10/31. This meme is inaccurate is description of holiday time period, but accurate in message. 

While in our home, we do celebrate the cultural holiday that is Xmas, we do not hold the spiritual holiday that is Christmas. When I know someone celebrates one or the other, I will wish them a good specific holiday. If I know someone celebrates Milad un Nabi, I wouldn’t expect that same someone to wish it back to me. And I wouldn’t blanket wish folks “Blessed Solstice”, unless I was with folks whom I know celebrate to return of the light. 

Your view is not the only view. We have a very big small world with lots of perspectives. 

If you know, be specific. If you don’t, be general. But above all, always be respectful. We’re all in this together. 

5 day celebration

This year, in our family, we’re having five days to celebrate Halloween and Samhain. 

Today, the local shopping center hosted a trick or treating festival where stores offered candy to kids (and some to parents too!). Restaurants in the center benefit greatly from this festival as hungry kids and parents eat out rather than head home to a late dinner. 

Tomorrow, the kids have their Halloween parade at their school

Saturday, our town is having a trunk or treat at a local park. 

Sunday, we are celebrating Samhain at Magick Circle. I am leading and will share more details after the ritual. 

Monday, we will be going trick or treating in the neighborhood after Hubby gets home from work. Monday night, I am going to Magick Circle for the adult Samhain celebration. 

4 days!!

Samhain and me

Halloween was always my favorite holiday, well before I had a real-world connotation for “witch”. In elementary school, when naming our favorite times of year, mine was always fall/Halloween. All through high school and college I tried to recapture the spirit of Halloween with and without the horror some like to parade this time of year. The horror isn’t my style. 

It wasn’t until after I started walking this path, and walking on it for many years, that I realized the connection. 

Halloween was always my favorite time of year. 

Samhain is the highest holiday for Pagans. Samhain is the Witch’s new year. 

Halloween is Samhain. 

Another example of ending up where I was always meant to be. Another example of being a natural born Witch.