Gearing up for Samhain.....

[winyanstaz]

I have spent the weekend decorating for Samhain. I have fairies perched on the branches of a little tree and I have my ghost and skeleton hanging up outside the front door. There is a cauldron and a pumpkin guy with little legs and tennis shoes standing guard.
I have my signs up..."The Witch is In"..and "ghouls night out"..and the inside of my house is decorated in every room..including the "Bat-room".
Why am I starting so early and doing so much? Because Samhain is the most important of all the pagan holidays and the day we honor our ancestors and loved ones and we invite them to come and party with us for the evening.
For this is the one night of the year that the veil between the worlds is thin and our departed loved ones can come back and join with us. It is a pot-luck and byob.
We will hold a "Dumb feast", where a little bit of each dish brought to the feast is loaded up on a dish and placed outside the door for the spirits. (After the festivities are over.. this food is thrown away as all the life force is considered to have been taken out of it.)
We each speak of our loved ones or tell of our ancestors and ask them to join us for the evening and when the plates are filled (we each just take a few small spoonfuls so that the dumb feast is not so long)..the bell is rang and the food is eaten in silence..in remembrance of our loved ones.
When everyone is done eating, the bell rings again and then the party is on and the rest of the feast is consumed! (you are responsible for the spirits you invite)
We always do a costume ball and light up the yard with a bonfire and have the band and other musicians play so that there is plenty of things to see and do.
This is the only High Holiday that is NOT open to guests or outsiders. To attend this holiday, you must have been to at least one previous circle.
This is only because this is a sacred time for us and we do not want someone who has never been to a circle to become frightened (there is nothing to be frightened of for one thing)or to start being weird and spoiling the evening for everyone.
Just before the feast..we drink the "Water's of Sleep" (plain water)..to help set our "internal clocks" for the coming winter..so we are not running on summer energy in the fall or winter time and are in balance with nature and the universe.
I found some great little wine glasses in purple or red with a skeleton hand holding the cup last year on sale so I bought them all :P and they will come in "handy" for our holiday..hehehheh...
This evening is also the pagan's new year and a new turning of the wheel of life begins.
Does anyone else hold a celebration for this night?
Blessed Be

[Ilsa]

1. This sounds so wonderful. I wish I could be a part of something

like this. I am not Wiccan, but willing to explore many areas ofthis belief. I love doing my house up for Samhain.

[winyanstaz]

3. If you want to be part of a circle...its simple...invite some friends ...

have them come over for a pot-luck..and talk about what you would like to learn and study about together. Set aside a date as often as you want..and stick to the schedule. Sometimes a lot of people will show up..sometimes only a few..but it is always fun. :)
You can take it slow and look things up on the www..and just have some fun with learning as a group. :) blessed be...

[Hekate]

2. My Circle formally disbanded about 18 months ago and our leader moved away. However...

... one of the former members is in a choir with me and this Tuesday quietly asked if I would be interested in gathering for Samhain. I said absolutely: three members of my family (an aunt, an uncle, and my mother in law) have died since January, and I need to be able to memorialize them.

I don't know what form it would take, but I expect something pretty quiet. I only hope it comes together, as I have missed our rituals more than I can say.

I decorated my home yesterday with my grandson, who will be 5 y.o. in November. First we put up the witch (took me a long time to find one that had a kindly face; for Discworld fans, her name is Miss Tick), Quoth (the raven), the dried wheat, Indian maize, pumpkins and squashes. I talked about being thankful for the harvest, and things like that. He helped.

Then I created my Dia de Los Muertos altar. Ohh, the questions. :-) That's where we talked about remembering our beloved dead, and being happy with them. Last time he was over he saw a little Irish box with a triple spiral on the lid, and I told him that it symbolized birth-death-rebirth; he gave me a piercing look and asked: "Do you believe that?" I answered, "Yes, I do."

Hekate

[winyanstaz]

4. my granddaughters love learning about all kinds of things when they come to visit...

its a lot of fun teaching them the simple things and wisdoms that should be passed down.
We also have music lessons and herbal lessons and they enjoy coming to grandmas very much. :)
We grandmas are so very blessed :) grandkids make things all worth while.

[winyanstaz]

5. here is another fun idea :) for halloween./Samhain...

Get a pair of plastic gloves..(be sure they dont have powder or lotion inside)...and fill then with water tinted red or blue or even green with food coloring. Drape it over some frozen vegi pack so it looks naturally slightly curved and freeze it. When ready to use...cut the glove off...if you try to pull it off it is more likly to break.
You will want to do at least two or more as sometimes the fingers break off :P...
this is soo cute for the punch bowl and sure to get a reaction...
Have fun...and a Blessed Samhain to you and yours..

[Still Blue in PDX]

6. An Asatruar friend is leading us in a sumbel.

Instead of the circle casting that I am used to, we'll be toasting our departed and memorializing them. Since they enjoyed "spirits" themselves, I think my departed parents would approve of this and will be pleased!

[winyanstaz]

7. That will be nice as well. I will be remembering my dearly departed husband, ...

my mother, my father, my grandson, my dog and three of my cats myself :)
My list keeps getting longer lately I have noticed :S..But this is a lovely way to deal with the deaths and the loss I have felt in the past.
I know my husband will love it..he always loved a party :)