Witches New Year is here!! It’s raining. I hope that doesn’t daunt the trick or treaters.
I am so excited, but unfortunately I had to take my cat to the vet. It turns out she has lost a ton of weight and she now has hyperthyroidism and high blood pressure. Thankfully, she will be treated for it. I hope the medicine helps her.
I have been very busy preparing for Samhain. I just love this time of year. I am not celebrating the ancestral supper at my Mom’s. I am going somewhere else to perform it. I have to clean the kitchen, set the table and prepare the food. I cooked the pot roast ahead of time. I baked a loaf of pumpkin bread and Samhain soul cakes. I plan to bake chocolate cupcakes. I have halloween cupcake liners and decorations!
I’m going to buy a bottle of red wine to make mulled cider. I want the brandy to make another herbal tincture. I have a nice Samhain simmering potpourri potion and I made a nice Samhain anointing oil. Derrick will not be home to attend the ancestral supper. I can perform it alone, then he can reheat the meal afterwards. I really have my work cut out for me to clean. I look forward to it. I still have to carve the pumpkin, dress the table- (and clean, clean and clean), heat the food and set up candles etc.
I attended a Halloween party last night. I won a prize for Best Witch! The party was low key, but I still had fun. There was not a lot of people there. Tomorrow I am attending a public Samhain Ritual and the Witches Ball after the Rit. I can’t remember ever being this busy.
Samhain is the third of three harvest Sabbats. This is a good time to honor our ancestors and reflect on our blessings. I plan to enjoy the dark half of the year. Halifax is perfect for a foggy, misty afternoon. I have not visited a cemetery yet for October. I will visit the cemetery today. I love cemeteries.
Place photos of those who have gone before you, be that family, relatives or pets. Burn brown and black candles. Keep in mind: fire safety! Cook a lovely meal for your own ancestral supper. Light a candle and set it at your window. Carve pumpkins and as you carve, work in your intention. Arrange candles, acorns, gourds, dried waxed leaves, photos around your regular altar tools for a spooky Samhain altar. Put your heart and your intention into everything you do.
I am not certain if doing a grave rubbing is allowed. I want to, but I haven’t tried it. I just don’t want to get in any trouble. I advise checking to see if it is okay first. Most of all, have fun. Be safe and have fun. The spirits are celebrating Samhain right along with you. Invite them in and that keeps you in the good karma department. Don’t dowse your pumpkins in bleach. It makes curious squirrels sick. Don’t burn a ton of candles and wear long, flowing sleeves. That starts fires. Don’t leave candles unattended. Check the kids’ candy.
Do have and show respect for the dead. Don’t summon the dead in a cemetery at midnight tonight or any night. No, it is not cool. Leaving an offering of food or something like it at a crossroads or outside your apartment is fine. If you heed these warnings, know this: Burning the apartment down because of candles left ignored or the like, IS NOT COOL! Your landlord will evict you and hate you and NEVER GIVE YOU A GOOD REFERENCE LETTER! So have fun, have tons of fun, but please be smart about it.
Know how to use a fire extinguisher. Memorize its location. Learn how to use a fire blanket that puts out fires. Buy one and store it in your home.
Keep pets safe!
Merry Samhain, everyone!!
Let me know in the comments below what a wonderful and magickal Samhain you experienced!
I am more settled into my boyfriend’s apartment. It was a lot of effort to sort through all the books but I succeeded. I had to accomplish the organizing of the books because I am attending StokerCon virtually in a few days. I can feel my best now. I am really looking forward to StokerCon.
‘Welcome to StokerCon 2025, the premiere horror literary convention presented by the Horror Writers Association. This year the convention is being hosted by the city of Stamford, Connecticut, at the Hilton Stamford Hotel and Executive Center–and online for all those unable to attend in-person. Starting virtually at 3 P.M. Eastern time on June 12 and running until 3 P.M. Eastern Time on June 15, 2025, virtual StokerCon will offer a wealth of new and encore on-demand programming, author readings, academic presentations, exhibitor booths, a special online screening of the Final Frame Film Competition–and live streamed panels direct from Stamford! Our guests of honor this year include: Scott Edelman, Paula Guran, Adam Nevill, Joyce Carol Oates, Gaby Triana, and Tim Waggoner. For more information, check out the StokerCon 2025 website. StokerCon® has been a long celebrated convention for authors of the horror genre. It is an all-inclusive event where writers of all of the many subgenres the horror world may convene to share ideas, pitch their new projects, and revel in their weirdness. The past StokerCon conventions have always been joyous occasions. And we look forward to seeing familiar faces and new at virtual StokerCon 2025 convention. Please note that virtual StokerCon provides all-new and encore on-demand panels from previous StokerCons available as soon as the convention opens in the Expo Hall. Approximately 40 panels will be live-streamed from Stamford, and these will appear in the Sessions area approximately 15 minutes before they begin. These panels, which appear on the Schedule here are the only ones that will be live-streamed. Any panels listed in the Sched app but not listed here will not be broadcast.’
How can you pass that up? I am so excited. I plan to attend as many panel discussions as possible. The panel discussions sound just fascinating. I will be there with a coffee and a notebook. These discussions are amazing and meant to insire you to write! I can’t write in all the panel discussions here but they are the biggest reason why I sign up. I also enjoy the Final Frame Short Film Competition and the Bram Stoker awards. I have already registered and signed up. I look forward to finding friends in the chat.
Stokercon is a great place to network with like minded fans of horror in all its glory.
I enjoyed witchy mischief last night. I burned charcoal in my huge cauldron. I burned charcoal in the cauldron at the midnight hour. An open fire is illegal but witches bend the rules. Or we just would not be Witches. Now I have ash for my incense. I am happy about that.
My altar is tucked in under the computer desk. It is a bit inconvenient but I don’t have as much space as I used to have. So I have to think very carefully about how I will store everything.
The next turn in the Wheel of the Year is Litha, or the Summer Solstice. I shall post more about that soon. I wish you all a magickal, exciting summer!
I attended the virtual StokerCon convention. I had a great time. I really recommend it to everyone. I enjoyed the panel discussions. It was better than the other Stokercon conventions. Also they had a moderator for the chat this time. I felt totally ignored and the other people attending virtually felt ignored too. This time there was a moederator for the chat. I am happy about that.
The fall season is here! The leaves are already turning on the trees. My favourite time of year is here. The Wheel of the year soon turns to Mabon, the autumn equinox.
I have been busy crafting a very special secret project. I crafted it with love and patience. It’s hard to believe that it was crafted from cardboard and popsicle sticks. However, I have persevered and crafted a true masterpiece. I have worked on it for a while and it was very hard work – but worth it! The best part of all it is not for myself but for someone else.
The Witch House in its early construction stage.
I glued popsicle sticks together to form the front, sides and back of the house. I did the same for the roof. Then I got a good idea. I glued cardboard to the front, sides and back of the house over the cardboard but not on the roof. I painted the front, sides and back of the house black and I painted the roof grey. I created two sides of cardboard for the house and glued them onto the two sides of the house. It’s was so tedious because the cardboard from the raisins box is red. I had to cover every single piece of the cardboard with white printing paper. Then I glued on Halloween printed card stock to the cardboard and painted every single piece, large or small, black or grey. I made a staircase for the front of the house. The house needed to have a solid and secure foundation just like a real house. It’s important to get that stage down first before anything else.
I made a board for the house to sit on from the cardboard raisin box. First I painted it brown. I had to glue on Halloween card stock and then paint it black all over. Everything I had to paint took time to dry. After a while, I realized that using the heat of a hair dryer made the paint dry faster. I am still trying to figure out how to add a chimney to the roof. The board now serves as the garden. I did add a chimney to the back of the house.
I borrowed my Mom’s good bigger glue gun and glue sticks. I do believe I have used up most of the glue sticks.
I had to trim down the foam block. I did it using a bread knife and a big exact knife. I needed to make the house and staircase meet evenly. Oh my gods the work that this took. I covered the foam block you see in the picture in Halloween card stock paper. Then I painted that all black. Then I painted on a sealant. I adhered black spider figurines to the foam block. That nicely covered any flaws.
I went to Michaels arts and crafts store to buy miniatures for the Witch House. I painted small white foam balls black and glued them onto the Witch House. I bought a cool skull Led lights set and adhered it to the Witch House. Now it was coming together. I crafted several ‘shingles’ pieces – and covered them in white typing paper and painted each piece grey and adhered them to the roof of the house. Now, with the black balls and the LED lights set, it was really looking like a house. I arranged a miniature fence around the perimeter of the house and garden.
I added moss, leaves, an owl figurine, acorns, a pinecone, a headstone, a large spider, and real herbs to the garden. The herbs are goldenrod, dried grass buds and broad leaved dock. I added a miniature cauldron to the garden. The cream coloured pumpkins lend an old world charm to the garden. I arranged an archway over the garden at the entrance. I glued leaves to the archway. I made the archway with the miniature fence.
The two ‘sides’ of the house were not easy to make. They each have an arched roof. I measured and had to construct a box and secure it to the sides of the house and painted them black. The sides pulled from the house. I concealed that with popsicle sticks. Then I used another piece of cardboard which I painted grey and coaxed it into an arched design. I glued that on and painted it black underneath. I glued a real black feather I found outside to the front side of the house.
I used tiny letter stickers and adhered them to the front door. Oh my gods the door. It was glued on to the front of the house in such a way that the door won’t close. I think of it as a moat now. I hurt my hands cutting the top of the door because I wanted the door to be curved or arched.
I formed the door from popsicle sticks. I glued a piece of cardboard to the popsicle sticks then trimmed them. I painted it blue and grey then I went with black and grey paint. The door looks battered or maybe weathered is the word. I carved out a space in the door. I wish it would close all the way. Ah well.
It looks like an old world door. The letters on the front of the door/ moat read: “Flying School”. I glued on a small wooden witch hat above those words. I sprinkled glitter on to the witch hat. I glued on the letters “Witch House/ Salem/ 1692” above the entrance to the house. I covered the letters with sealant. I touched up the rough spots with black or grey paint. I added black paint in splotches on the grey paint. I wanted the Witch House to look aged, as if it had been there a long time.
I adhered black spider and bat figurines to the house. They now crawl all over it. I glued tiny bone figurines to the garden and stairs and fence. I painted them grey. I glued a wooden butterfly to the lower right side of the house. I glued in three witches gathered around a cauldron figurine inside the house. They can’t move but they can still spell cast! I noticed that each witch had a different symbol on her black witch hat. I crafted a broomstick figurine made from lemon balm twigs and glued it to the lower front of the house next to the stairs.
I cut these small round yellow and orange balls on ‘twigs’ from a weird tree figurine. I glued them to the moss, put one in the cauldron and ended up using the tree figurine thing for a tree. I glued it to the left side of the garden. It serves as a tree. It leans way out though and I can’t get it to stand up straight.
I glued a piece of real tree branch wood to the front entrance of the garden. It lays flat and looks like it really belongs there. I glued on a skeleton torso in ornate frame to the front roof of the house. I painted it grey and I painted the eyes of the skeleton black to give it more definition. I made an arched window on the right side of the roof. I have to finish the window. I painted it black and grey. I painted a wooden piece – the letters read Boo! to the floor of the Witch House and painted it grey. I also added silver sprinkles to that and the staircase. I glued on two black widow spider figurines to the house. They add a wicked menacing feel to the Witch House. I added a bit of moss to the staircase. I know the moss will stay in place because there is so much covering the moss in the garden. I adhered toadstool stickers to the staircase and the fence archway.
Now it’s coming together and making me wish I was small enough to live in the Witch House. I would never leave it if I could. I anointed the Witch House with special oils – Samhain and Bewitching. I have a mandrake essential oil to use as well. I burned sage and let the smoke waft over the house.
I fear that the Witch House is not that stable. I still have to add a large piece under the Witch House to make it adhere to the black foam block. It tips and is uneven. Once I do that and use rubber cement glue, it will stick and stay in place. It just needs to be evened out.
Update: I have covered the large piece of craft foam with black fabric and it now rests under the Witch dollhouse. I think the Witch dollhouse is just the coolest thing I have ever crafted! It really is and I almost wish I could keep it. The rubber cement glue didn’t work.
I didn’t want to go for something campy. I wanted to capture the true spirit of Samhain. When the LED lights are on, the whole house is instantly alive and magickal! It appears so bewitching! The Witch House has been a true labor of love. I don’t regret it, and I want one for myself. I have nowhere to store it though. I am going to be happy to gift this beautiful, decadent and wicked witchy Witch House!
I still have to paint the Witch House and garden in a sealant. Once I am done doing everything else. I have painted the entire Witch house in a sealant. The Witch house is now done. I added another black block to go under the house to keep the house stable. I am so proud of my achievement. I hope my friend loves her gift!
I found a huge box to mail her gift in. My cat Penny naturally and instantly believes the box to be hers. I needed a box that was a certain size to be able to mail the gift. I can’t wait for Nora Peevy to see it.!!!! Talk about a treat (trick or treat).
I assembled a collection of school supplies for my niece and nephew – Halloween pencils, pens and pencils, a homemade pencil case, notebooks, scribblers, a ruler and pencil sharpener, etc. I hope they love it. I mailed it to them and I know they will love having new school supplies! So they get those straight A grades!
I bought beautiful deep blue knit fabric, grey lining material, blue chiffon and blue lace. I want to craft a witch gown. I am tired of this other Witch gown I have. I am retiring and donating it. The dress has served its purpose. I plan to make my own pattern though. I ordered a pattern from Judy’s Little Shop. I thought I lost the original Arwen pattern only to be reacquainted with it later. But the first pattern is pretty tattered. I want to save the bodice though. I can use it for the new gown. It’s black and silver but I will find a way to make it work. I also ordered some beautiful silver floral lace from Etsy. I want to use that for the trim on the collar and sleeves. The best part of using the bodice for this dress is the eyelets are already done for me. I hate setting in eyelets for the lace up bodice.
I love to craft and that is certainly evident here! I can’t wait to start making the gown. I guess I should get started by cutting out the pattern pieces!
In other news, I passed the second test to become part of the Nova Scotia Guard. I successfully completed the Volunteering in Emergencies exam. I even received a certificate. The edits are done on my novella. Now we move on to formatting. Getting closer to publication!
This post will focus on Samhain and my dyeing fabric project using acorns. Are you all excited? I am.
I foraged for a very big mullein stalk yesterday morning. The stalk was about six feet in length. I plan to use the mullein stalk to make hag tapers or torches with. I hope and hope the weather on October 31st will cooperate. I want to have the traditional bonfire. I always have my traditional bonfire. I will prepare the mullein pieces, cut to size in a double boiler pot with melted beeswax. I will add herbs and oils. I want the beeswax to look black so I will add charcoal. An additive to make beeswax black can affect the way it burns. The charcoal is purely for aesthetic purposes. The popular herbs for Samhain can be used to enhance the beeswax and hag tapers. I would use aromatic herbs like sage, rosemary, wormwood, mugwort and rose. I can’t wait to make the hag tapers.
I’m making the dye bath with the acorns I foraged for earlier. I have treated the muslin cloth in a pot of water with the powdered album. I use the album to make the fabric take to the dye. I used a very large stainless steel pot and added the acorns. I have to ensure the water covers the acorns. I will continue to simmer the acorns for till late tonight and let the acorns soak in the water all night until about midday tomorrow. The longer that the acorns steep, hopefully the darker the color will be.
Then I will strain the acorns and pour the dye bath back into the pot. The acorn dye bath has steeped overnight and I’m boiling it on the stove again. The dye has become a lovely dark brown colour. I know the dye will be three times lighter when rinsed and dried. That’s why I am steeping the acorns for so long, to achieve the darkest color possible. I will attempt to dye the fabric tonight and I may do a test patch too. I am excited to see how this turns out. The tannins in the acorns are what make the dye possible. Acorns are rich in tannins. It makes me feel so witchy, stirring a pot of acorns! The scent from the acorns is musky and earthy.
Now I have to prepare for Samhain! I am sure I am not the only one. I pureed the pumpkin to brew pumpkin bread, perhaps some barmbrack bread and pumpkin soup. I may even try making powdered pumpkin and use my dehydrator. I want to harvest dandelion roots and dry them in my dehydrator.
Fall is the season of abundance! I am sure the book I am binding will be beautiful. Last night, I worked on it some more. I watched a few videos about people who know how to bind books professionally. They sure knew their stuff. Some of it was a little over the top. I am binding the book to create a book for my horror poetry. I want to write another poetry book. I have a pdf of the Writing in the dark poetry workbook. I am not writing my rough drafts of the poems in that book. Of course the first poem I will put in the book will be the one I wrote and had published, about the cemetery, Encounter with Death. I want to stain the pages with coffee or tea and maybe other herbal infusions. Or dilute essential oils and add that to the pages. I want herbs to have a big role in the creation of this book. The acorns are already adding that energy. I did make three pages of paper. I added a few herbs to the pages too. I will tea stain those pages and add them to the front and back of the book. The covers and spine are cut to size. I cut a small rectangle on the back book cover so I can emboss that section.
I also plan to include a photo of the headstone where I gathered the acorns by accident. I want to include a small note that I appreciate and respect the spirit for letting me gather the acorns. I’m putting the note in an envelope and storing at the front of the book. I thought of buying a taper logy set ( the decorative paper for making a junk journal) and dyeing the paper and adding it to the book.
The fabric I’m binding the book with is muslin. I hope the colour will be a deep enough colour of brown for this to work. I want to attach a black velveteen strip to go over the front edges of the book. I also want to add 4 corner protectors. Most of the supplies are available at Michaels. I love that store. I want to also add an adhesive to the muslin once dyed to make the fabric stiffer and more durable.
I considered making the paper for the book by hand. But I don’t have the fine art of making paper with a mold and deckle down enough. I plan to buy a pack of coloured paper at Staples and then tea staining it and trimming the outer front edges of the paper to add texture. I have a lot of plans with this project. Maybe this will finally make me write that book already!
Golds, brown and black tones and shades will obviously work here. I originally wanted to use the davy board up. I had some remaining from my other project. I want to decorate the pages with crows, spiders and bats. This is supposed to be about horror after all. I will post more when the book is complete. I can’t wait and I can’t wait for Samhain.
Spring is in the air. It must be because I have a pot of parsley and a pot of basil on my windowsill. I also am trying to get the rosemary cuttings to grow new sprouts. Imbolc is almost here! I love that. Imbolc is the first of the three Spring Sabbats. I can’t wait to start sprouting herb seeds. Tomorrow I will buy seed starting soil! Oh I can’t wait.
For those of you who wish to learn all about Imbolc, you have come to the right place. Stir the cauldron!!
Imbolc
Imbolc, or Imbolg, is one of the lesser-known festivals of the ancient Celts, but it was one of the four most important festivals in the Celtic calendar. For this ancient society, the year revolved around two main points; on the one hand, since the Celts were an agricultural society, everything was based around the harvest.
On the other hand, they also had an in-depth knowledge about the alignment of the sun and stars, which history suggests had great significance for them. So their calendar was neatly divided up into four quarters, with a festival to celebrate reaching each one. The year started with Samhain at the end of October, when the harvest was in full swing, to prepare for the onset of winter.
In Celtic philosophy, light must always follow dark, so this is why their year began on such a somber note. Bealtaine at the beginning of May marked the coming of summer, the beginning of sowing crops, and the light half of the year, and was the biggest and happiest celebration. In between were Lughnasa in August, marking the beginning of the harvest, and Imbolc in February, to celebrate the beginning of spring.
What was Imbolc about?
Simply put, Imbolc was a celebration of the end of winter and the impending light half of the year.
The hardest part of the year was over; adverse weather, cold temperatures, food rationing, and of course, no warfare (an integral part of Celtic society) would soon be a thing of the past.
Farmers were getting ready to go back to work, preparing animals for breeding, warriors were picking up their weapons again, and the political and social aspects of life that had been put on hold for winter were also beginning again.
The name Imbolc originates from ‘i mbolg’, which translates as ‘in the belly’. This refers to livestock breeding season, particularly the pregnancy of ewes, which was one of the focal points of the celebration.
Because the festival was so associated with this, it’s timing often varied – it could be anywhere from mid-January to mid- February depending on the weather and the animals’ behaviour.
It also appeared to have a more spiritual significance for the Celts too, as it’s no coincidence that more than a few megalithic monuments around Ireland are perfectly aligned with the rising sun around the dates of Imbolc and Samhain.
Imbolc was celebrated all across Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, with each region having slightly different variations in name and customs. Wales also had a remarkably similar version of the festival known as Gwyl Fair y Canhwyllau.
After the onset of Christianity in Ireland, the festival was tied in with a celebration of Saint Bridget, and transformed from a pagan one into a Christian one.
Christians used Brigid as the focal point of their celebrations to smooth the transition, as Imbolc had previously been associated with a goddess of a very similar name, Brighid. Essentially, Bridget and Brighid were the same person! As with all Celtic festivals, Imbolc involved a host of unique customs and rituals to welcome the spring, say farewell to the winter, ward against evil and promote health and wellbeing.
Imbolc was similar to Samhain and Bealtaine in that fire played an integral part of the celebrations, although not on the same scale. While at Samhain bonfires were lit to ward off evil spirits and at Bealtaine they served to offer protection and growth, at Imbolc they were symbolic of the sun’s return.
Rather than a huge central bonfire at the centre of the festivities, Imbolc was more about the home and each home’s hearth. Every home in the community would have their own fire burning right through the night, and during medieval times when homes consisted of actual wood and stone buildings rather than the wattle and daub huts of the Celts, all of the fires in the house were lit for the night. If for some reason that was not possible, it was sufficient to have candles lit in every room instead.
The Celts were always concerned about the weather (something that has lasted up until the present day with modern Irish people!), so Imbolc was an important time to read omens and attempt to predict the weather for the summer. An unusual but widely popular omen was if the weather was especially bad on the day of Imbolc, which meant a great summer was on the way. This is because one of the more malicious creatures in Irish folklore, the Cailleach, would spend the day of Imbolc collecting firewood for herself if winter was to last a while longer.
To do this, she would obviously need a bright and dry day to collect her wood, so if Imbolc was wet and windy, that meant the Cailleach had gone to sleep and winter would soon be over.
Visiting wells was another important custom for Imbolc, particularly holy wells. Visitors would walk around the well in the same direction as the sun traversed the sky at that point on the land, praying for health and wealth for the year.
Offerings were left at the well once this was done; usually coins or ‘clooties’ (pieces of cloth). Special foods were also part of the festivities, usually consisting of bannock – a flatbread cut into wedges – as well as dairy products and meat.
The early Celtic version of Imbolc was not all that different from the festival in early medieval times when Christianity was taking hold in Ireland. One of the goddesses the Celts worshipped at this festival was Bhrigid, the daughter of Dagda (the chief Celtic deity) and one of the Tuatha De Dannan, the first inhabitants of Ireland.
She is associated with many things, most significantly poetry and fertility, but such activities as healing, smithing, arts, and crafts, tending to livestock and serpents also make the cut. She is credited with creating a whistle for people to call to one another through the night.
Some legends claim that while one half of her face was beautiful, the other was horribly ugly. She is thought by many to be the Celtic equivalent of the Roman goddess Minerva and the Greek goddess Athena.
Saint Bridget, on the other hand, was not a mythical goddess but a real woman, born in Dundalk, County Louth, around the 5th century AD.
During her lifetime she became a nun, founded numerous monasteries and performed her fair share of miracles, becoming one of the foremost advocates of Christianity in Ireland. After her death, she was made one of Ireland’s patron saints (and the only female patron saint), along with Patrick and Columba. So it was a natural progression for Imbolc, the pagan festival worshipping the goddess Bhrigid, to become the Christian festival in honour of Saint Bridget. February 2nd was chosen as the permanent day of celebration.
For the Celts, Bhrigid represented the all-important light half of the year, so her presence was much revered during the festival.
On Imbolc Eve, it was claimed that she would visit the most virtuous homes and bless everyone who slept in them, so people would leave pieces of clothing, food, or other tokens outside the entrance for her to bless, or to entice her into the home, It was Bhrigid’s role as a fertility goddess that was most important here, but for the medieval people of Ireland, her healing powers and general protective sense were as important as well as her fertility.
The majority of Imbolc traditions regarding Bhrigid or Bridget come from this time. While the tradition of leaving small tributes to Bridget on the doorstep continued for several centuries, several others sprang up too.
Celtic Inspired Torc Pendant – Celts believed the ancient Torc provided the wearer with a mystical form of protection
Ashes from the fire that was left to burn all night long would be smoothed out and left to see if a mark from Bridget appeared, to confirm that she had visited the house. Sometimes a makeshift bed would even be made up next to the fire, in case the saint wanted to rest a while.
This tradition was particularly popular in the Isle of Man and Scotland, where there were several short rhymes to go along with the tradition, acting as a call to the Saint to come and visit – generally, they were some variation on the phrase ‘Bridget, come in to our home, your bed is ready’. In some areas across Ireland and Scotland, women played a very important part in the festivities. They would make a doll figure from rushes known as a ‘Brideog’, dress it in white and with flowers, and carry it in a procession while singing hymns and poems in honour of Bridget.
At every home they passed, they would receive more pieces of cloth or small bits of food for the Brideog. Once the procession was finished, they would place the Brideog in a seat of honour and have a feast with all of the food, before placing it in a bed for the night while they began celebrations.
The most well-known tradition, however, and one that is still practiced today, is making a Saint Bridget’s cross and hanging it in the home. These crosses were a unique symbol of the transition from Paganism to Christianity. Before, bunches of rushes were tied together and hung at the entrance to homes to welcome Bhrigid. One of the stories of Bridget’s lifetime, however, recounts how she wove a cross from rushes and placed it above a dying man’s bed.
He roused from his delirium to ask what she was doing, and on hearing what it meant, he asked to be baptised before his death.
Since then, the cross has been a symbol for Bridget, and was also a familiar symbol for the Celts, making it the perfect transition symbol for Imbolc. The cross is distinctive, with a square in the middle and each point of the cross placed at a corner of the square. Somewhere between then and now, placing a cross in your kitchen came to mean that your house would be protected from fire.
Imbolc today
Unlike Samhain, which transformed into the much loved night of Halloween, Imbolc is one Celtic festival that hasn’t quite survived through history.
Although Christians still celebrate St. Bridget’s Day in Ireland and children still learn how to make crosses at the start of February, little else remains of the ancient Celtic spring festival. However, Saint Bridget’s cross, made from rushes and hung around the home just as the Celts would have done, is as good a reminder as any to the festival’s ancient and mythological origins.
I shall soon be busy preparing for Samhain, especially the Ancestral Supper. One popular theme about the Ancestral supper is that everything has to be black. Ok no problem, I love the colour black. I already have a black spider tablecloth on the kitchen table. I have a black spider web table runner I can use. Black spiderweb placemats and Halloween plates will go. I may stock up on a couple of wine glasses. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not spending a fortune here. Far from it. I visit the dollar stores in October. If you are savvy enough and have an eye for the good quality items, you can find some nice Halloween dishes and decorations.
I enjoy rum with coke, the spicy rum is most preferred. Mulled cider of course, one of my most favourite Samhain traditions of all is cider. I love to add a sprinkle of cinnamon, mugwort, rose petals, oranges, apples and nutmeg to the cauldron pot. A dash of red wine and we are all set. By the 31st, I can finally strain the hawthorn cordial. Oh I can’t wait. I still have some pumpkin bread, I baked two loaves of rosemary bread, and I might make herbed butter too. Roasted pumpkin seeds and roasted hazelnuts oh my gosh, what a treat. Truly.
I plan to light a lot of candles. Candles lend a beautiful ambience to a dinner table. It can be a good idea to decide ahead of time about what music to play and enjoy while eating. Since the theme is an ancestral supper, the music can be that which our ancestors enjoyed. I love listening to Viking music on YouTube. Celtic music is a good choice. I am both Celtic and Scandinavian, and Irish and French Acadian. I grew up listening to good quality fiddle music. I sure have a lot to choose from! I may listen to Loreena Mckennitt and the Viking music on YouTube. This will be a special occasion now!
I plan to wear a black gown with a bodice to lace up. I want to wear my black mourning veil and a circlet. A shawl and a lovely witch hat tops it off.
I want to decorate the back yard too. My garden is my outdoor altar. Tons of fiery leaves cover the garden, mulching and sheltering the garden from the frosty cold. I might do the outdoor bonfire ritual if the weather cooperates. The rain has scared me. I hope it doesn’t rain on October 31. Nope, no rain now. I might hang the creepy snake and spider stew wreath over the door. Glowing pumpkins topped with eerie spiders add a spooky touch. A large cauldron spewing smoke next to a skull is creepy too.
I usually honor my late grandfather and my pets. I am not attending the Samhain ritual on the Commons. This will be a solitary Samhain. I choose to celebrate alone than be forced to deal with the crowd’s toxic bullshit. I am not truly alone. Spirit is with me. My bossy cat too – who probably sees lots of spirits in this apartment but doesn’t react to them. As long as her food bowl and litter box are taken care of by yours truly, she doesn’t care. Solitary is the way to go.
I am all set. My cat Penny shall supervise all activities of course. She’ll get a catnip treat.! (I get the trick lol). I would love to hear what you all have planned for your festivities! Do tell. Leave a comment below.
Today I harvested the remaining scarlet runner beans that the slugs hadn’t devoured. I cut the vines and left the roots in. The roots have good nutrients that will benefit the soil. Who knows? Maybe they will regrow next year.
Samhain is almost here. Yesterday I baked a cake. I haven’t frosted it yet. I want to share a secret ingredient idea I had with my dear readers. I made candied walnuts. I soaked the walnuts in brandy before drying them and grinding the walnuts to a powder. The powder is a little clumpy. I added it to the blender in small batches and then froze it. I added it in to the cake batter. I can’t wait to see how the cake tastes. Today I am going to frost the cake and I promise to post about that too.
It has rained a lot today. It had better not rain on the most notorious, magickal night of the year, October 31st. I have plans as do the many other millions out there with hopes high in their hearts. Samhain/ Halloween is not just for kids- adults have joined in on the dark revelry. There are many rituals and fun activities to try. Read on to learn more.
Samhain is a time to honour the dead and our ancestors. We often perform many rituals in celebration of the season of death. The leaves trickle to the earth, bedecked in fiery heartwarming colours. A special dinner is prepared and enjoyed to celebrate the harvest.
I love a long nature walk in the fall. I encourage you all to go on a nature walk outdoors. Observe the colours, the brown seedbeds, and the aromas of leaves, the sounds of crisp leaves falling. Gather some nature objects such as pinecones, seedbeds of your favourite flowers, dried leaves to dip in beeswax, acorns, flowers still fresh. An herbal tea can be made and enjoyed from goldenrod, scentless mayweed (wild chamomile) and asters. Dry the herbs then store them in a jar. Use them to adorn your home.
Set up your altar. I purposely bought a lovely new altar cloth at one of my fave alternate stores, The Black Market. I love going there. The black cloth has a cool astrology circle on it with white stars and the astrological symbols. Use grave rubbings, images of ghosts, images of your ancestors, acorns, oak leaves, squash, root vegetables in a cornucopia.
Perform a Samhain ceremony. A dumb supper is performed with one single person or the whole family present (more fun that way!). First, gather everyone around. That can be your coven or your family. Go outside, find yard trimmings or dead plants- remember those seed heads? Use them to make a straw man or woman. I go with the Goddess more so I plan to make a straw doll to represent the Goddess. This will go nicely with my Samhain offering of honey, milk and cornmeal.
You can bring the doll inside and decorate the doll with antlers for the male God or a dress for the Goddess. Offer the straw deity doll bread and cornmeal. (I wish I had some tobacco). Then everyone else partakes of the meal. Just be sure to serve your deity doll first.
Leave crumbs for the birds. You can return the doll outside to watch over the garden on a pole to stand guard over next year’s seedlings and burn the doll at the Beltane celebration. When you are finished with the meal, take the leftovers outside as an offering for the dead.
Make an ancestors altar. Collect photographs, mementos, of deceased loved ones and pets. Arrange them on your altar and light candles. Light the candles in their memory and quietly sit and reflect. Pay attention to any messages you receive. Heed your dreams. You can keep the ancestor altar up as long as you want.
Guide the Spirits. I like to light a white candle and set it at a window. You could use a seven-day candle. When you light the candle say these words: “O little flame that burns so bright, be a beacon on this night. Light the path for all the dead, that they may see now what’s ahead. And lead them to the Summerland and shine until Pan takes their hands. And with Your light, please bring them peace, that they may rest and sleep with ease.”
Perform a seance. Samhain is the perfect time to hold a tradition. Hold a bonfire. I plan to do this one! Well yes a seance but I just love to sit out on my back step on a chilly yet dry October evening, with a fire raging in my toddler sized cauldron. Did you see what I did there? lol. Use tarot, runes, and or scrying to divine your future or find a future mate!
Invoke your chosen deities. Honour and call on the Gods such as the Crone Goddess and the Horned God of nature. Invite them in to your circle and to aid in your understanding of life, death and rebirth.
Herbs of Samhain There are many herbs to use to celebrate Samhain. I want to bake a loaf of rosemary bread this Samhain. Rosemary is for remembrance. For more guidance, sage, pine cones, straw, mugwort, mullein, oak leaves, acorns, hazelnuts, allspice, elderberries, catnip (save some for kitty!). For more guidance on this, review my previous posts. I have been harvesting dandelion, burdock and elecampane as much as I can.
Be sure to leave your carved pumpkin once you are done with it outside. I always toss my spent pumpkins in the garden. Trust me, the crows and other critters will thank you. It is cold for them and they love every bite they can get. It benefits the soil by leaving valuable nutrients in the soil for next year’s spring plantings.
Candles are the purest form of Magick. I love staring at a pure bright candle flame. It just stirs my heart and warms my heart. I want to share tips and to burn candles magically and safely this Samhain:
Burn a white candle on the windowsill this Samhain to guide lost spirits.
Store candles in the freezer for a while. The wax will drip less.
Burn a candle for one hour and remember to trim the wick. Never leave a candle unattended.
Carve symbols or sigils into the candle wax for an added boost of Magick.
Carve symbols or sigils into your pumpkin to keep bad spirits away or to empower the pumpkin wtih protective Magick.
Use coloured candles for certain spells: black is a psychic energy and draws in energy, blue is for emotion & intuition, orange is for creativity, white is for Spirit, purple is for psychic energy, brown is for earth-related matters, red is for Mars energy and fire.
To release the energy of a candle, blow the candle out when you’re finished a spell. To keep the energy of a spell in the candle, snuff the candle out with a candle snuffer.
Clean your candlesticks to keep them ready to use for new spell casting.
Gaze into a candle flame to scry your future or a message from Spirit.
Burn essential oils on candles or buy the scented candles. Try not to use synthetic oils. Use natural essential oils. They don’t always cost a fortune.
Keep your familiars away from candles. Burn candles where your furr-milairs can’t get to them. Always practice safety when burning candles.
Don’t burn your candles at your altar while wearing long billowing sleeves or near the curtains. Safety first.
Grind herbs to a powder if you want to burn herbs on your candles first. The candles will sputter less.
Bury the wax out in the garden when the candle is finished burning.
If you do burn a lot of candles indoors or outdoors this Samhain, keep sand, a fire extinguisher or a pitcher of water nearby to avoid a fire. Getting evicted is not cool!
Put your intention into the candle. That will add extra power to your spell. For example, I wanted a pet cat. I burned a cat-shaped candle. Sympathetic magic! Like attracts like.
Always put a positive intention into your spell workings, never negative. You want bad, you get bad. You want good Magick, you get good Magick! So be positive always! Energy always returns to the sender!
Spirits are around us everywhere this Samhain! Burn a candle you made yourself. Add graveyard dirt and clary sage essential oils to the candle at your altar to attract the spirits.
Gather a lot of oak leaves and dry them. Once they are thoroughly dry, grind the leaves to a powder. Use the powder like an ash for your cauldron. Nestle a cauldron or a charcoal disc in the oak ash. Store the unused oak leaf ash in the fridge or the freezer to keep it from spoiling. Oak leaves have a strong energy, and represent longevity, strength, stability, endurance, fertility, power, justice and honesty.
I hope the above tips help when you cast candle Magick this Samhain!
I just went out for a walk on the trail shown in the photo above. I love going for walks on the trail. I really feel the Samhain energy in the air. If you look hard at the above photo, you will see what I mean.
This Samhain, I am once again – ok always, flying solo. I am a solitary Witch. I do everything I want to do by myself. I am not all that alone though. I can feel the presence of Spirit on the trail and in my garden. I have harvested a ton of herbs, roots and berries this fall. I leave offerings of cornmeal, coins or gemstones. I like to maintain a positive relationship with the spirits that dwell here. I never see the spirits but I feel them around, peering around the trees, watching me as I stroll down the trail. I recognized a couple of witch hazels. I love witch hazels! The witch hazel is so beautiful in my garden this fall!
I have harvested a lot of dandelion roots, burdock root, elderberries, lemon balm, lavender, sage, goldenrod, asters, wild chamomile, oak leaves for cauldron ash, and leaves for pressing. I plan to dip the leaves in beeswax to preserve them. I made a lovely jar of dark purple elderberry syrup, asters, goldenrod and wild chamomile for tea. I found several red clover buds outside. I can’t stop bringing a nature item home with me.
I’m leaving an offering of cornmeal, milk and honey on Samhain eve. I like to do this ritual in my garden in the spring and fall. I harvested a few witch hazel seeds from my tree but I plan to scatter them out on the trail. Since we lost an elderberry shrub to Hurricane Fiona, I’m going to propagate the elderberries this winter from a few canes once it goes dormant.
I like to work in harmony with the nature spirits. I am the only one in the neighborhood who does, but I am pretty sure I am the only witch around here. I am so lucky too because the herbs, roots and berries I need for the Herbal Academy all grow in abundance on the trail. They were there all along and now I finally recognize them. It saves me lots of money. This weekend, I also plan to finally harvest the elecampane root! I can’t wait.
I hope you all had a wonderful harvest this fall. Let me know all about it.
The invasion has begun! It is inescapable. Penny has run out of play room too! Oh my what am I to do? Did I get your attention? Ok I’m referring to the invasion of seedlings that have taken over my home, Goodness there are so many plant pots in here. Burn a candle and light some incense! Play relaxing music.
This post is about how to create your own soil mixes for your own tender seedlings. You DO have young green seedlings in your apartment right? lol
Well let’s get started. I like mixing up the soil.
Ever notice that plant pots are round in shape? I like to think of the planters and plant pots as cauldrons. They have a lot more to do with cauldrons than you think. This may just change the way you garden from now on. Grab a cup of tea and join me.
I mentioned the benefits of purchasing and using good quality soil in the last post, right? There is a good reason for that. It helps your plants get off to their best start, off to the races running. or, in this case, growing. Let’s take it a step further.
Set down newspaper on the counter or wherever you choose to work in your home. Put the plant pot or seedling plant pot on the newspaper. Be willing to get your hands dirty. I love getting my hands right into the soil but that’s just me. Place a pitcher full of cold water nearby. Open the bag of soil. Next tip: I put a cloth grocery bag (plastic bags are banned here). It keeps the bag from spilling or making a mess. Just don’t forget about it but you won’t, will you?
Mix the soil into the plant pot. As you do this, envision that you are filling the pot with the energy of the Goddess. (Use a round pot for this.) You will see why now. The pot is round, so is a cauldron. The pot is deep ( well, most of them are). So is a cauldron. The cauldron is the deep earthy womb of the Goddess. The pot is too once it is full of soil. Once it is full of soil, meditate and reflect on the earthy goodness of the soil from the Goddess and the pot too. Mix that soil up in your hands. Smell it, feel it, cradle it in your hands. Visualize the energy traveling from your hands to the soil. Feel the energy traveling from the soil to you. I always do feel the energy of the soil. That is why I never wear gardening gloves. I love feeling the connection.
Stir the soil with a wooden spoon or your own eager hands. Loosen up any clumps and remove rocks. If you want, depending on what stage of growing your seedlings you are at, you can add fertilizer. Mix in bonemeal, bloodmeal, worm castings, coffee grounds or ground eggshells. Be sure to stir thoroughly. As you do, mix well and visualize. Direct the energy of your intention into the soil.
If you choose, you can put the seedling into the plant pot THEN fill it with the soil. After that, when you have centered the seedling into the pot, and placed it in deeper than it was before in the starter pot, add the soil. Be sure to visualize, direct the energy and feel the soil in your hands. Grow with love and you will get love. The DNA of the future plant is contained within the seed. So planting a seed truly is an act of magic!
Once the seed is planted, in a matter of days a cotyledon emerges, a tiny sprout. That sprout can grow into an oak tree, parsley or a pumpkin. Don’t crowd your seedlings – their tender roots need room to grow. I watched my Mother transplant over three dozen cherry tomato plant seedlings. Some of the starter pots contained up to five seedlings! They are all growing in their own pots now, much less crowded.
A plant is a living being with feelings. Treat the plant like that and you will be rewarded many times over with a plant happy to grow and bloom and/ or bear fruit or seeds! If it is thirsty, water it. If it droops, place it in more light. If it is crowded or rootbound, repot it. I can sense when a plant is thirsty. You can also use your hair dryer to blow for a few seconds on your plants. That signals to them that they should grow strong stems. If it is warm enough where you live, leave the window open. The wind that wafts in will help them grow!
I hope this post inspires you to get growing your own plants! Let me know in the comments below.
Please do not steal or copy from this blog. If you do, be prepared to be stomped on by the Fates and karma for your bad character. I can be reached at :
heddyjohannesen @ gmail.com
