When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
‘tis near Halloween.

~Author Unknown

 

 

October Moon Magick:

Blood Moon

Herbs: ginger, myrrh, allspice, basil, clove

Stones: alexandrite, citrine, lilac kunzite

Scents: pine, patchouli

Colors: dark green, brown, gold

Trees: yew, cypress, maple, oak

Deities: Astarte, Horned God, Lakshmi, Ishtar

Elements: Air/Water

Astrological Influences for October:

Libra:

ruled by Venus, projective/masculine, cardinal, air

Scorpio:

ruled by Mars, receptive/feminine, fixed/water

 

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Pagan Holiday:

Samhain

October 31

Samhain (pronounced ‘Sou-wen’) is a celebration that has a more somber side than the revelry of modern Halloween. It is a day of remembrance of your ancestors and for those family members who have passed over.

Pagan families may set an extra place at the supper table on this evening, to honor those loved ones who are no longer with them. The veil between the world of the living and the dead is thinnest on this eve, and this night is an excellent time to perform divination, or try to connect with those from the other side.

Herbs: patchouli, sage, heather

Altar Flowers/Herbs: acorns, apples, pumpkins/gourds, dittany, autumn leaves

Feast Foods: pumpkin, squash, nut breads, sweet potatoes, milled drinks (cider, wine), roast meat, root vegetables

Animals: bats, cats, crows, ravens, owls

Incense: cinnamon, cloves, myrrh, patchouli, pine, mugwort, nutmeg

Rituals/Spells: making besoms, divination, spirit contact, crone magick, working with dark energy, spells for new beginnings

Crafting Your Magic:

Ancestral magic is cast with the Blood Moon. Do magic now to communicate with family members who have passed, to connect with your ancestors and your heritage. Magic surrounding divination is relevant, it’s the perfect time. Cast spells for justice and balance, and to overthrow anything oppressive which may be blocking your path to success. Ambition is highlighted, use magic to increase the potency of your own, or cast magic to contain ambition that may have run amok. This is also the perfect time to step into the dark shadows and take advantage of the vibrations found there. The gray witch revels in the magic of the Blood Moon and in this season.

Halloween, or Samhain, is the most important holiday at our house and the most fun. We go all out. I make a huge kettle of hot apple cider, my big red kettle full of chili, and I spend the day before baking pies, lots and lots of pies! The older kids invite their friends, and the neighbors know that it’s an open house. My husband moves our firepit to the front driveway and tends the bonfire all night long, with chairs gathered ’round the cheerful flames, while guests roast hotdogs and marshmellows.

My kids look forward to this night all year long.

Lady Amythyst’s Pumpkin Pie:

1 16 oz. can pumpkin

(about 2 cups)

1 13 oz. can evaporated milk

(but sometimes I use sweetened

condensed milk– it makes it more ‘chiffony’…is that a word?)

2 eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 sugar

the spices:

Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and a dash of salt. Most recipes call for 1/2 teaspoon each, but I’m much more generous with my spices!

the crust:

I tried for years to learn to make a good pie crust, and I almost gave up out of frustration– then I found this recipe. It’s almost foolproof, no kidding.

2 and 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shortening

1 beaten egg

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/4 cup water

Mix the dry ingredients together and cut in the shortening, as usual. Then combine the egg and vinegar, stirring it up a bit, and add this to your dry ingredients. Add the water a dash at a time as you work it in, you’ll be able to tell when you get a good texture.

Hot Apple Cider

I have a *Huge*– did I say huge?– kettle that I use to mix up my cider. This sits and simmers all afternoon on the backburner of my stove, wafting a wonderful aroma throughout the house.

Ingredients:

5-7 large jugs of applejuice

8-10 bags of peach tea

a handful of cinnamon sticks

and a large metal tea ball filled

with whole cloves and allspice

You can leave a shaker of nutmeg sit on the counter & anyone who wants to add a dash of this spice to their mug of apple cider can do so.

If you don’t like this cider full force, you can dilute it some with water to suit your own taste.

Our kitchen isn’t as organized as Rachel Ray’s or Martha Stewart’s, but we get the job done. Above are kettles of cider and homemade chili brewing in preparation for a Samhain evening.

Let’s take a look at the ingredients we just used from a magickal perspective:

Peaches– love

Nutmeg– one of the most popular uses for nutmeg is to assure fidelity. It’s also used for spells centered around luck, money, and health.

Cinnamon– spirituality, success, healing, power, psychic powers, lust, protection, love

Allspice– money, luck, healing

Cloves– protection, exorcism, love, money

Apple-– love, healing, garden magic, immortality

Samhain Memories

Four of my beautiful little Witchlings–
where does the time go??

My Samhain baby– I was busy giving birth
on a certain Samhain eve 14 years ago.

Our “Resident Elf”

(This Resident Elf is only two years away from being
a teen-ager now. Time goes so fast!)

“Isabella” and her boyfriend, Joe, at last year’s party.
(October 2010)

Preparations are finished– it’s time to enjoy!!

 

We build a bonfire in the driveway & gather round, or join friends in the livingroom/kitchen for hot chili, or gather on the backporch to play with ouija boards, tarot cards, chinese fortune sticks, oracle cards, and runes, while sipping hot cider at candle-lit tables.

 

A perfect day for divination.

 

Spirits ‘rise’ to the occasion. 🙂

 

Throwing a little light on the situation. I love my black tree!

 

Our very own “Harry Potter”
(#1 Son)

October 2003

This young man has an associates degree in computer science now,
and is working towards his bachelors.

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Thank you so much for visiting my blog.
I hope you’re enjoying the Halloween blog tour.

On behalf of all the Real Witches out there,
Happy Samhain…

and Blessed Be!