Tonight, we begin our ancestral celebration known as Samhain. We thank all of you for your participation in the Sirens' festivities this year.
Original Art by Loren Morris. Available for purchase on Primitive Witchery
Samhain. It's name means, "Summer's end." It's the final harvest, a time to be grateful, and a time to honor those who've gone before us. We are about to enter the time of cocooning, or the between-time. It's also time for us Sirens to slink back into the shadows. Listen for our song again when the autumn leaves begin to turn. Perhaps we'll bring you some more Siren fun around that time!
Forget-Me-Nots
Today, we honor our ancestors. The following are Siren tributes to their loved ones. From Jennifer Hodgson: My mother and grandmother. My grandmother passed in April:
From Dawn Leith-Daugherty:
Remembering my Dad, Laurence Michaelsen Leith, affectionately known as “Gorilla.” When he wasn’t wearing his businessman suit, my father was a great drummer (thanks for the gift of good rhythm, Dad), a music aficionado, a poet, writer, and genuine All American Dad who raised us on rock and roll. My adoration of all things Halloween was sparked by him, he absolutely loved it! He wanted to teach literature and writing, but his life took a different path, when I showed up way too early in his life. He raised myself and my sister with the idea that we will be strong, independent women and taught us the manly arts of gardening, lawn mowing, driveway sealing, and poop scooping and refused to allow us to be delicate princesses in need of saving. He was a man who encouraged his daughters to play with footballs, and Lincoln Logs, as well as dolls, and introduced me to Bowie, The Doors, and Jimi Hendrix. My fondest memory of this special man is when he took me to the music store at age 13 to buy me an electric guitar and amp that I may pursue my dreams of becoming a famous rock star. Gone much too soon from our lives, he is thought of every day with joy and fondness. Below is one of his poems, written for my mother before I was born. See you on the other side of the Veil, Gorilla! “Had I but a thousand years to make my being known, would I spend but all of them with you my love, alone? Had I but a gifted tongue to speak a gilded word, could I phrase but all to you as would a noble bard? Had I but the blessed gift of perfect love Divine, would I give the truest love throughout the sweep of time? But I am only human, dear, and know my faults and stays. Had I all of these my love, I'd grace thee every day.” Laurence Leith, 1944-2005
From Kallan Kennedy: I don't have photos of my grandparents. My mother has kept those to this day. They weren't around when the internet came about, so without photos, I pay them tribute. John and Millie Kennedy were my grandparents, but for all intents and purposes, they were my parents. They were a strong presence in my life and shaped so much of the loving memories of my childhood. They passed many decades ago, but I still miss them every day. May they never be forgotten, and may their genetic memory be passed throughout the generations. From Marie Bargas:
To my Mother, A consummate professional who was ahead of her time ... may you never be defamed again. From Amy Blackthorn:
Uncle Robbie
Siren's Song: All Soul's Night by Loreena McKennitt
Grand Prize Giveaway Winners
The LaPulia Studios Book of Shadows Giveaway Winner is...
Jonquil Alexia!!
GPG #2 Multi-vendor giveaway winner is...
Johanna Lawson!!
Winners, please be sure you send your mailing addresses to Kallan ASAP so the vendors can send out your prizes!
Thank you for your participation in our Samhain Celebration!
If you listen on the wind, you may hear our call again, at the time just when the leaves begin to turn. When the chill is in the air, be alert, and don't despair, for the Sirens bring the magic of Samhain!
Tonight, we begin our ancestral celebration known as Samhain. We thank all of you for your participation in the Sirens' festivities this...
Welcome back, everyone. We took a day off during the height of Superstorm Sandy not only to batten down the hatches, but to focus our attention on all of those affected by the storm. Our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with all our friends, family and those we haven't met yet who have been dealing with the effects and aftermath. We struggled with whether to move forward, as we know so many people are still experiencing power outages, storm clean-up, etc... we ultimately decided to go on, as today is an especially holy day, and we want to honor it and all of you.
We'll be making up for yesterday, and will also post for today. This will keep us on track for ending up the week and our celebration.
Our first blog post comes from Sosanna (Renee Olson).
Handfasting – A Pagan Wedding
A handfasting is a Celtic ceremony of marriage. The term itself comes from an Old Norse word
Hand-festa, which means “to strike a bargain by joining hands”. It can be a betrothal, where the parties
agree to stay together for a year and a day to determine if they would like to
be married permanently. Or it can be permanent from the start. The ceremony can be a formal ceremony with a
Priest or Priestess overseeing the ritual.
It can also be a solitary one, where just the intended join themselves
together in a private ceremony. Some
even combine the handfasting ritual with a modern or traditional wedding
ceremony. Handfasting are not bound by
gender and can be used to celebrate all couplings.
In my case, my partner and I chose a very private setting
for our handfasting. We sat out three or
four days before in preparation for the event by picking the perfect location
and cord. We searched high and low until
we found a perfect blue cord for his color and a deep red for mine as the tassel. We selected the rose
garden in Balboa Park for our setting.
After putting our cord together; we headed out to the park. We waited until just before midnight on
October 31st to bind our hands together and devote ourselves to each
other. Since that day, the cord has hung
in our bedroom. Ten years together. It’s seen homes in two states and traveled
across the country. It’s worn and
tattered, but it has endured.
Things have changed so much in the last ten years. We’ve learned and grown. This year for our anniversary we’ve decided
to renew our vows. We own property and we’re building a temple to Hecate
in the back corner. Here we will take
that same simple cord we made so many years ago, and combine it with a new
cord, a thicker cord and once again bind our hands together with only the
divine to witness our union; we will again pledge ourselves to each other. With all the same joy, love and understanding
we had on that very first night, we will again be one.
Handfasting is a binding together. A binding of heart and soul. Each person takes a pledge to the other, in perfect
love and perfect trust.
Hello everyone! We are entering the final stretch, only five
days left before the festivities draw to a close and the grand finale takes
place! I hope you have enjoyed all the awesome blog posts, recipes, music,
giveaways, and other goodies this awesome group of people have provided for our
entertainment, I know I have!
I decided to share Six Witch Movies You May Not Have Heard
Of with you all. I love watching movies,
and this time of year creepy movies are popular, along with some old favorites
that are fun for the whole family. I decided to add six of my favorites to the
mix!
We have all most likely watched Practical Magic, The Craft,
and other such movies a thousand times, and while I love those, I did not
include them here, because of that fact. I also did not link to the movies, to
save time. A simple internet search will provide you with more info and where
to purchase them, should you choose to. Some of these you may know well, and
there might be a few you have not had a chance to check out! Are you ready?
Break out the popcorn and Milk Duds, make that last trip to the bathroom, grab
your favorite beverage, and settle in for these silver screen witches!
Stardust (2007)
With an all star cast including Michelle
Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, and Claire Danes, this lighthearted fantasy film is
sure to please. Set in 19th century England, Tristan promises the
beautiful and shallow Victoria a fallen star. Along the way he meets Yvaine, a
recently crashed human incarnation of a star. In their journey to get back to
their respective homes, the Witch Lamia wants to capture Yvaine, and harness
the fountain of youth like power a fallen star can give. De Niro plays a
hilarious air pirate, and he has some of the best lines in the movie. It is a
cute “feel good movie”, great for the family.
Simon, King of the Witches (1971)
This is a movie for adults. Andrew Prine
plays Simon Sinestrari, a warlock. (I know, I know that everyone groans over
the use of that word now, but hear me out lol) He lives in a sewer and likes to
have conversations with trees. He hates lies and assumptions about the craft.
He spends a night in jail after being arrested for vagrancy with a guy named
Turk who has connections with a Mob like group of people. One of the members of
that group hires Simon to entertain at a party and there he meets Linda, a pill
addict. When he is not performing sex magic rituals with Linda, he is faced
with people who make fun of his magical abilities, eventually driving him over
the edge and resorting to calling up dark and evil forces to help him enact his
revenge. Dark and edgy, this is a cult classic, slightly cheesy and totally worth
seeing.
Season of the Witch (2011)
This is probably one of my favorite movies on this list,
even though it is a bit more mainstream film. Starring Nicolas Cage (whom I
adore as an actor, even if he is nuttier than a fruit cake in real life) and
Ron Perlman (whom I have always called Monkey Man, because…well..he looks like
a freaking monkey, but he is an awesome actor.)
Set in the time of the Crusades, former Knights Behman (
Cage ) and Felson ( Perlman ) recognized and arrested as deserters are given
the choice to spend the rest of their lives in prison or escort a young girl
accused of witchcraft to a far away abbey where she will stand trial. They say
no at first, but after meeting the girl and seeing how badly she had been
mistreated, they agree as long as the monks agree to a fair trial. After
gathering the rest of their party, they set out, meeting a young altar boy who
wants to be a Knight more than anything along the way. The group takes him
along and they continue on their journey. Throughout the movie the young witch
plays mind tricks on the party members, pitting them against each other, using
obvious elements of each person’s character, and it is hard to tell if she
really is the one behind the incidents or if it is all a mistake. Cage and
Perlman work well together and there are several lines that made me crack up,
even though the movie is a horror/thriller type deal. Creepy, dark, with funny,
sarcastic lines to break the tension at times, with an unexpected ending make
this one a must see in my opinion.
Witchboard (1987)
Witchboard is another one of those campy
80’s B-rated horror movies that was actually pretty decent. Tawny Kitaen (Of
Whitesnake video fame) plays Linda, a pretty woman who, in a moment of bad
judgment, invites her ex-boyfriend Brandon to a party while there with her new
boyfriend Jim, who used to be best friends. As expected, the guys are throwing
insults and sarcastic comments back and forth at each other, and Linda decides
to put her fear aside and accept Brandon’s idea of fooling around with an Ouija
board in order to distract the guys from being jerks to each other. After a
while they actually make contact with the spirit of a little boy named David,
whom Brandon has spoken to before. Jim ends up angering the spirit with his
insults and condescending comments, and calamity ensues. In all the confusion,
Brandon leaves his board at the apartment that Linda and Jim share. Linda
decides to start using the board to contact David by herself. Terrible things
start happening as Linda becomes more and more obsessed with using the board,
to the point that her own life is in danger. Brandon eventually realizes what
is happening, but the only way he can save Linda is with Jim’s help, which is
not an easy thing to accomplish. This movie is not “scary” in the traditional
sense, it is more suspenseful than anything, but there are a few “jumpy”
moments that still get me, over 20 years later. There are two sequels that were
truly awful, but this one is worth seeing at least once.
The Good Witch (2008)
Some people do not like this movie, which was a Hallmark
Channel movie, which I can understand. Some of the acting was not that great,
but the overall movie was cute and left you with good feelings. It was nice to
see a witch being portrayed much more realistically than the typical “bad
witch”….the old hag who is hell bent on wreaking havoc on the world. Catherine
Bell plays Cassie, a young witch who inherits the local “haunted house” that
was left to her after the death of a relative, the “Grey Lady.” Cassie moves in
and opens a shop called the “Bell, Book, and Candle” which sells exactly what
the title suggests. She meets the local chief of police, and helps him with his
children and his father. All is not perfect however; the Mayor’s wife takes an
instant disliking to Cassie and does her best to run her out of town, even to
the point of refusing to punish her two sons who vandalize Cassie’s shop.
Cassie really is a “Good Witch” and does not want the boys punished, as she
does not want them to have a criminal record. It is a cute and magical little
movie with life lessons and leaves you feeling happy.
Still Small Voices
Originally a Lifetime movie, which usually makes me roll my
eyes, I saw this one while visiting my Mom one day and it held me riveted.
Catherine Bell plays a 911 dispatcher named Michael Summer (yeah, it threw me too)
who is trying to recover from the emotional experience of giving birth to a stillborn
baby. She has physical problems as well, and is starting to hear voices. One
day she receives a 911 call from a little girl who is trapped in a burning
building that no one can find. Unable to let the call go, Michael eventually
ends up in a nearby town and uncovers a mystery of two lost little girls. Her
own physical ailments progress to life-threatening degrees, yet she refuses to
give up on the little girls, afraid that by the time she sought medical
treatment, it would be too late. The
ending was very surprising and I cried my eyes out at the end. This is one you do not want to miss.
There you have it! If you have not seen any of these movies,
I do hope that you will check them out; they are all really good and will stay
with you long after they are over! If you have already seen any of these, what
did you think? Let us know in the comments, and feel free to recommend your
favorite witch movie; it might be one we have never seen!
Giveaway #2:
And, we have another great giveaway from Tess at East Coast Craft and Curio.
It is a 35.00 gift certificate to use in her lovely shop!
Rules are as follows:
1. Follow us here. (If you already follow, just make a comment saying you do)
3. Blog about this giveaway (come back and leave us a link to your blog post)
4. Tweet about this giveaway (come back and leave us a link to your twitter post)
5. Follow us on Facebook (come back and comment that you did)
6. Follow us on Twitter (come back and make a comment that you did)
7. Make a post about this on G+(come back and comment that you did)
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
Please specify in your comments which giveaway you're entering for (you're welcome to enter for both, but you must make separate entries and specify)
EACH chance is one entry, so that means you must leave a separate comment in order to get more chances at winning.. if you post something in one comment like "I follow you on Twitter, Facebook and I blogged about it", then that will only count as one entry.
You have until 8pm tomorrow night to enter for these giveaways. We'll announce all winners on Friday in our final post. Remember, each entry is good for an entry into our Grand Prize Giveaway, worth over $400.00!!
Today's Recipe
Pumpkin Cheeseball from the Food Network
Photo by Sam Kaplan
With a mixer, blend 16 ounces room-temperature cream cheese with 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar, 3 tablespoons minced onion, 2 tablespoons salsa, 2 teaspoons ground cumin and 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno. Scoop onto plastic wrap and use the wrap to form the mixture into a 5-inch pumpkin-shaped ball; chill at least 2 hours. To serve, unwrap, roll in crushed nacho-flavored tortilla chips and press a bell pepper stem into the top.
We know several of you will be carving pumpkins today, so we thought we'd give you links to free pumpkin-carving patterns to print for you and your little goblins to use:
The winner of the Twysted Thystle Giveaway is : Amy Blackthorn!
Congratulations, Amy! Please send an email to samhainsirens@gmail.com with your shipping address so we can make sure to get your prize to you :)
Song of the Day with Kestril Trueseeker
I’m
sure more than a few of you were wondering if I was ever going to get around to
this song. Of course I was! It just needed to be the grand finale. The
Sanderson sisters are in the house to close out our month long celebration. You
can find a playlist of all the songs on Youtube as well as all of the bonus
songs I’ve posted to the Facebook Samhain’s Sirens page. Thanks for listening
and on behalf of all the Samhain Sirens have a wonderful and blessed Samhain!
A very blessed Samhain to you and yours from all our Sirens!
Welcome back, everyone. We took a day off during the height of Superstorm Sandy not only to batten down the hatches, but to focus our atte...
Artist: Hexsarash
It's a Thriller Thursday, Siren-lovers! We have a blog and giveaway for you from Pixie Allen that'll educate and entertain you. Of course, our usual craft, recipe and the song of the day all await you.. come jump in! The water's fine.. or.. is it? ;)
Welcome Wicked One's, thank you for dropping by my blog on
this wonderful day.... Have you come especially to see me? Well luckily for you
I have been doing some research into how other countries celebrate the
festivities of Halloween and I think you will agree, it makes for a very
interesting read.
Halloween is one of the world's oldest holidays, dating back
to pagan times. But it is celebrated today by more people in more countries
than ever before. there's a simple reason: it is fun and it is good, clean,
harmless fun for young and old alike! But; it’s much more commercialised and I
personally find its much less about the actual meaning of the festival and more
of a candy fest these days, but anyway....
First, Where it all started: Ireland
In Ireland, which is considered to be where Halloween, the day
is still celebrated much like it is in the United States. In rural areas,
bonfires are lit as they were centuries ago, and all over the country, children
get dressed up in costumes and spend the evening "trick-or-treating"
in their neighborhoods. After trick-or-treating, most people attend parties
with neighbors and friends. At the parties, many games are played, including
"snap-apple," a game in which an apple on a string is tied to a
doorframe or tree and players attempt to bite the hanging apple. In addition to
bobbing for apples, parents often arrange treasure hunts, with candy or
pastries as the "treasure." The Irish also play a card game where
cards are laid face down on a table with candy or coins underneath them. When a
child chooses a card, he receives whatever prize is found below it.
A traditional food eaten on Halloween is barnbrack, a kind
of fruitcake that can be bought in stores or baked at home. A muslin-wrapped
treat is baked inside the cake that, it is said, can foretell the eater's future.
If a ring is found, it means that the person will soon be wed; a piece of straw
means that a prosperous year is on its way. Children are also known to play
tricks on their neighbors, such as "knock-a-dolly," a prank in which
children knock on the doors of their neighbors, but run away before the door is
opened.
Halloween in Other Countries!
Austria
In Austria, some people will leave bread, water and a
lighted lamp on the table before retiring on Halloween night. It was once
believed that these would welcome the dead souls back to earth on a night that
Austrians considered to be magical.
Belgium
The Belgians believe that it is unlucky for a black cat to
cross one's path and also unlucky if it should enter a home or travel on a
ship. The custom in Belgium on Halloween night is to light candles in memory of
dead relatives.
Canada
Modern Halloween celebrations in Canada began with the
arrival of Scottish and Irish immigrants in the 1800s. Jack O'Lanterns are
carved and the festivities include parties, trick-or-treating and the
decorating of homes with pumpkins and corn stalks.
China
In China, the Halloween festival is known as Teng Chieh.
Food and water are placed in front of photographs of family members who have
departed while bonfires and lanterns are lit in order to light the paths of the
spirits as they travel the earth on Halloween night. Worshippers in Buddhist
temples fashion "boats of the law" from paper, some of which are very
large, which are then burned in the evening hours. The purpose of this custom
is twofold: as a remembrance of the dead and in order to free the spirits of
the "pretas" in order that they might ascend to heaven.
"Pretas" are the spirits of those who died as a result of an accident
or drowning and whose bodies were consequently never buried. The presence of
"pretas" among the living is thought by the Chinese to be dangerous.
Under the guidance of Buddhist temples, societies are formed to carry out
ceremonies for the "pretas," which includes the lighting of lanterns.
Monks are invited to recite sacred verses and offerings of fruit are presented.
Czechoslovakia
In Czechoslovakia, chairs are placed by the fireside on
Halloween night. There is one chair for each living family member and one for
each family member's spirit.
England
While the Irish and Scots preferred turnips, English
children made "punkies" out of large beets (which they call
beetroots), upon which they carved a design of their choice. Then, they would
carry their "punkies" through the streets while singing the "Punkie
Night Song" as they knocked on doors and asked for money (this is one
thing I really dislike in this country about this night they knock for money
hmmm not at my door people!). Halloween became Guy Fawkes Night and moved a few
days later but recently it has been celebrated on October 31, in addition to
Guy Fawkes Night. In some rural areas, turnip lanterns were placed on gateposts
to protect homes from the spirits who roamed on Halloween night. Another custom
was to toss objects such as stones, vegetables and nuts into a bonfire to
frighten away the spirits. These symbolic sacrifices were also used as
fortune-telling tools. If a pebble thrown into the flames at night was no
longer visible in the morning, then it was believed that the person who tossed the
pebble would not survive another year. If nuts tossed into the fire by young
lovers then exploded, it signified a quarrelsome marriage. For the most part
however, the English ceased celebrating Halloween with the spread of Martin
Luther's Protestant Reformation. Since followers of the new religion did not
believe in Saints, they saw no reason to celebrate the Eve of All Saints' Day.
However, in recent years, the American "trick or
treating" custom, together with the donning of costumes for going
door-to-door, has become a relatively popular pastime among English children at
Halloween, although many of the adults (particularly the older generations and
we are talking O.AP’s) have little idea as to why they are being asked for
sweets and are usually ill-prepared to accommodate their small and hopeful
callers. However when they knock on my door they are met with me dond in my
witches hat and broomstick with a cauldron bubbling over with sweet treats for
them to collect. You know y’all wish you could knock on my door now lol.
Britain - Guy Fawkes day
On the evening of November 5, bonfires are lit throughout
England. Effigies are burned and fireworks are set off. Although it falls
around the same time and has some similar traditions, this celebration has
little to do with Halloween or the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The
English, for the most part, stopped celebrating Halloween as Martin Luther's
Protestant Reformation began to spread. It was on Halloween in 1517 that Martin
Luther began to try to reform the Catholic Church. It ended in the formation of
the Protestant Church, which didn't believe in saints. So they had no reason to
celebrate the eve of All Saints' Day. However, a new autumn ritual did emerge.
Guy Fawkes Day festivities were designed to commemorate the execution of a
notorious English traitor, Guy Fawkes.
Without Saints, there would be no All Hallow's eve, no
Halloween and no partying, so in Britain, when a a conspiracy to blow up the
English Parliament and King James I in 1605 was foiled, this became a
convenient means to solve two issues at once. The celebrations that people were
accustomed to just moved to November 5 and became Guy Fawkes Day. Guy Fawkes
was not-too-bright accomplice who became the fall 'guy" (his name is also
where we get the word "guy" from) in a Catholic plot to blow up the
English Parliament, which at that time was Protestant. So, although
technically, the celebration was to commemorate the failure of the plot,
nonetheless, it was Halloween. Bonfires were lit across the country. People
made lanterns from carved out turnips and children went begging for "a
penny for the guy"(Only now they expect a penny to be a pound) (and they
were to use the pennies to buy more wood for the bonfire upon which Guy Fawkes
was to be burned alive. gruesome, huh? I knew you'd like that...
Halloween nowadays in the UK is celebrated separately from
Guy Fawkes Night, as it should be! The thing that tends to get my back up about
it is they come begging for money and I don’t like that, it’s no wonder so many
people celebrate indoors themselves rather than going door to door and those
that go out are usually met with closed up houses where people don’t want to be
pestered by people who don’t want the offerings available. You can’t blame
them, I wont take my children trick or treating, we have a party every year and
we bake and make a feast and share the love and laughter, the room is filled
with candles and lit pumpkins and we share the joy of the festival. We do it
differently to most families over here but I wouldn’t change that for anything.
France - la fête d'Halloween
Unlike most nations of the world, Halloween is not
celebrated by the French in order to honor the dead and departed ancestors. It
is regarded as an "American" holiday in France and was virtually
unknown in the country until around 1996. A combination of the French love of
parties, fete's and costume events, and some simple crass commercialism has led
to the rapid rise of the holiday in France.
The French had been hearing about Halloween from foreign
residents and tourists and in their English classes for years before the
holiday ever showed its (masked) face in France. In 1982, the American Dream
bar/restaurant in Paris began celebrating Halloween. At first it had to explain
the holiday to each customer, but since about 1995, French customers have tended
to be more and more familiar with Halloween.
The Mask Museum in Saint-Hilaire-Saint Florent was opened by
Cesar group in 1992, and the owners started working to expand Halloween in
France the following year.
In 1996, the village of Saint Germain-en-Laye held a
Halloween party on 24 October in the middle of the day, to give locals an idea
of what it was all about.
Meanwhile, companies like France Télécom, McDonald's,
Disney, and Coca Cola began using pumpkins and other Halloween images and ideas
in publicity campaigns. This simultaneously increased French people's knowledge
about Halloween and made it seem like another imposition of American culture.
How is Halloween celebrated in France?
Halloween in France is usually celebrated by costumed people
of all ages going to parties at friends' homes, restaurants, bars, or clubs.
The costumes themselves tend to be traditionally "scary" - mummies,
ghosts, goblins, witches, and vampires - rather than the cute costumes like
princesses, superheroes, and the cartoon character of the day which are popular
in the US. Trick-or-treating is extremely rare; when it does exist, it is not
from house-to-house, but from store-to-store.
Stores, malls, restaurants, offices, and homes decorate
their windows; pastry and candy shops make up special desserts and candies; and
many different kinds of companies use Halloween in their ads. Supermarkets sell
pumpkins for jack-o'-lanterns and candy companies are now marketing candy in
the traditional Halloween format: one big bag filled with lots of little
packages, which may encourage trick-or-treating.
Traditionally, pumpkins are not a popular food in France, so
the high demand for jack-o'-lanterns during Halloween has been a boon for
pumpkin growers. There is even a pumpkin patch at a farm outside of Paris where
people can pick their own.
Halloween in France is rather controversial, due to the
perception of corporate and cultural influence, as well as the fact that it is
not a typical French holiday and some people still don't understand what is
being celebrated. Because Halloween is seen as an American celebration, some
French people refuse to enjoy it, having decided to include it in their
anti-American boycott. It's too early to tell whether Halloween will develop
into a long-term tradition; once the novelty wears off, it may turn out to be
just a fad.
Germany
In Germany, the people put away their knives on Halloween
night. The reason for this is because they do not want to risk harm to (or
from) the returning spirits.
Hong Kong
The Halloween celebration in Hong Kong is known as "Yue
Lan" (Festival of the Hungry Ghosts) and is a time when it is believed
that spirits roam the world for twenty-four hours. Some people burn pictures of
fruit or money at this time, believing these images would reach the spirit
world and bring comfort to the ghosts.
Japan
Japan does not celebrate a western-style Halloween. While
most people here know a little about Halloween in the United States, with the
costumes, parties, and trick-or-treating; very few know exactly when or how
it's celebrated. The Japanese celebrate the "Obon Festival" (also
known as "Matsuri" or "Urabon" and pronounced, "oh
bone.) which is similar to Halloween festivities in that it is dedicated to the
spirits of ancestors. Special foods are prepared and bright red lanterns are
hung everywhere. Candles are lit and placed into lanterns which are then set
afloat on rivers and seas. During the "Obon Festival," a fire is lit
every night in order to show the ancestors where their families might be found.
"Obon" is one of the two main occasions during the Japanese year when
the dead are believed to return to their birthplaces. Traditionally, in rural
areas where gravesites are in the neighborhood, the pathway from the graves to
the home is swept clean, and a general house-cleaning is also done. Then, on
the 13th, an altar is set up with various food offerings, and "welcoming
fires" are set in front of the house and along the path to guide and
welcome the spirits. People may even hire a priest to come and chant prayers.
On the evening of the 15th "send-off fires" are lit, and the spirits
return to their graves. People who spend o-bon away from their ancestral homes
or live in the city usually just make a little token fire on their veranda or
patio. Memorial stones are cleaned and community dances performed. The
"Obon Festival" takes place during July or August. region, festivals,
food booths, and bon dances can be found in the evening, with lots and lots of
people enjoying themselves. Even those who don't observe the religious rite
outlined above participate in the festivals. You used to see many people
wearing a yukata, a lightweight cotton kimono, but these days you usually only
see a few girls wearing them.
Korea
In Korea, the festival similar to Halloween is known as
"Chusok." It is at this time that families thank their ancestors for
the fruits of their labor. The family pays respect to these ancestors by
visiting their tombs and making offerings of rice and fruits. The "Chusok"
festival takes place in the month of August.
Mexico, Latin America And Spain
Among New World Spanish-speaking nations, particularly
Mexico and Aztec-influenced Latin America, Halloween is known as "El Dia
de los Muertos." the days of the dead, a three-day celebration that begins
on the evening of October 31 and culminates on November 2. This is an ancient
festivity that has been transformed throughout the years. It was originally
intended in prehistoric Mexico to celebrate children and the dead. Mexican
families remember their dead and the continuity of life. It is a joyous and happy
holiday...a time to remember friends and family who have died. Officially
commemorated on November 2 (All Souls' Day), the three-day celebration actually
begins on the evening of October 31. Designed to honor the dead who are
believed to return to their homes on Halloween, many families construct an
altar in their home and decorate it with candy, flowers, photographs, fresh
water and samples of the deceased's favorite foods and drinks. Frequently, a
basin and towel are left out in order that the spirit can wash prior to
indulging in the feast. Candles are incense are burned to help the departed
find his or her way home. On November 2, relatives gather at the gravesite to
picnic and reminisce. Relatives also tidy the gravesites of deceased family
members, including snipping weeds, making repairs and painting. The grave is
then adorned with flowers, wreaths or paper streamers. They bring picnics and
sit around the grave sites sharing stories of the departed and feasting on
foods such as spicy meat dishes, batter bread and lots of sweets; some shaped
like skulls. The abundance of food, drink and good company creates a festive
atmosphere along with recognizing the cycle of life by the interaction of the
living with the dead. Some of these gatherings may even include tequila and a
mariachi band although American Halloween customs are gradually taking over
this celebration. In Mexico during the Autumn, countless numbers of Monarch
butterflies return to the shelter of Mexico's oyamel fir trees. It was the
belief of the Aztecs that these butterflies bore the spirits of dead ancestors.
In the villages, parades are held. People dress as skeletons
and dance in the streets. Often, a live person is placed inside a coffin which
is then paraded through the streets while vendors toss fruit, flowers and
candies into the casket. Home feast are held and loaves of bread, "Bread
of the Dead" are given. Inside the loaves are sugar skeletons or other
items of death motif. This gift is more prized if the skull or skeleton is
embossed with ones own name. The families also attend candle lit ceremonies in
church and offer prayers. The whole celebration is about life from beginning to
end.
Sweden
In Sweden, Halloween is known as "Alla Helgons
Dag" and is celebrated from October 31 until November 6. As with many
other holidays, "Alla Helgons Dag" has an eve which is either
celebrated or becomes a shortened working day. The Friday prior to All Saint's
Day is a short day for universities while school-age children are given a day of
vacation.
It’s really been fascinating to see how other countries
celebrate Halloween/Samhain and what their traditions are; so I ask you what’s
your favourite way to celebrate the festival? Do you have any specific
traditions? Does your whole family get involved or do you celebrate by
yourself? I would love to hear how you celebrate, Leave me a comment below and
let me know J
Bright Blessings
Pixie )o(
Today's Giveaway
It's a Thriller-Thursday, so Pixie's keeping you guessing. Here's what you'll need to do:
Go to Pixie's blog and comment. Ask her for details about this giveaway. Come back, and let us know you asked. A bonus entry if you get the answer and post it :)
Remember, you have until 8pm EDT TOMORROW night to get your entries in. And, as always, your entries for today qualify you for the Grand Prize Giveaway at the end of the celebration! We'll announce the winner of this giveaway on Friday morning. All winners are chosen by random number generation, so be sure that you write a separate comment for each of your entries!
To make this witchy hat, start with a 3-7/8x8-7/8-inch
plastic-foam cone.
Cut black silk flowers, leaving a 1-inch stem.
Beginning at the top, insert the flowers into the cone. (You
could also hot-glue them to the cone.)
For the brim, cut an 11-12-inch circle from thin cardboard
(a recycled cereal box works great) and paint it black; let dry.
Hot-glue the cone to the center of the circle and add purple
flowers around the base of the cone. And, voila! You are ready for the runway (or is that broomway?)
Black Cat Dippers with Pumpkin Pie Dip from Taste of Home
Taste of Home
Ingredients
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon honey
1 package (15 ounces) refrigerated pie pastry
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
Black paste food coloring
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add the
pumpkin, confectioners' sugar, pie spice and honey; beat until smooth. Cover
and refrigerate until serving.
Roll out each pie pastry directly on an ungreased baking
sheet to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-in. cat-shaped cookie cutter,
leaving at least 1 in. between cutouts. Remove excess dough and reroll scraps
if desired. Beat the egg, milk and food coloring; brush over cutouts. Combine
sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over cutouts.
Bake at 400° for 6-7 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
Remove to wire racks to cool. Serve with pumpkin dip.
Yield: 2-1/2 dozen black cats(3 cups dip)
Today's Winner Announcement!
*drumroll please* The winner of the lovely Saga Cottage print is:............. (wait for it.....wait for it...)..........
Bella Foxglove!!
Congratulations! Since Bella is one of the Sirens, we'll just ask her to get with Loren and do the shipping details :) There are plenty more giveaways to come! Keep participating!
Song of the Day with Kestril Trueseeker
No
doubt Marie Laveau had quite a notorious reputation!
Off with you now.. go create a thrilling day, loves!
Artist: Hexsarash It's a Thriller Thursday, Siren-lovers! We have a blog and giveaway for you from Pixie Allen that'll educate a...
Hello everyone! How was your weekend? Ours was great and we have some amazingly awesome things to share with you this fine Monday morning. You aren't going to want to miss today's post, it's FULL of enchantment and excitement. First up is today's blog post by our darling Siren, Kestril Trueseeker, who gives us an insight as to how she found her Athame...
Altars for the Unpathed or How I Met My Athame
Kids, it was the springtime of 2002 when I first decided to
take my life in a different direction. It wasn't so much that I disliked the
religion I was brought up with, it was that I felt it really didn't feel like
me any more – it felt like what other folks wanted me to be. And so, I did what
so many others before me did – read up everything and anything I could get my
hands on, especially Witchcraft 101 stuff.
Now I don’t know if any of you went through this stage, but
I got in touch with my inner anal retentive (OK, maybe it isn't all that inner)
as I obsessively did everything exactly the way it was spelled out in books.
Any deviation meant the whole deal was shot to hell and not worth bothering
with. I managed to put off doing pretty much anything, this way, which was not
what I would call spiritually satisfying.
At some point it did dawn on me that not all the books
agreed on every detail and not everything really worked well with my practice
personally. I think the turning point was answering the call of my Deities (a
call I worked really darn hard to ignore by the way – yes I am a Taurus with
both a stubborn and a procrastinating streak) and coming to terms with the idea
that if it didn't fit my work with Them, I didn't have to use it.
A good term to describe my spiritual leanings would be
Unpathed. I can’t take any credit for this clever name; it was a term used by
someone on a Facebook group I belong to which I fell in love with. I think it
captures the idea that, for both the good and bad, I am not a part of any
clearly delineated path but I’m making my way through the woods. I am not a
hyphenated anything, but do take my inspiration from what I find around me.
Though I do try my damnedest to research the hell out of anything before I use
it. That berry on the vine next to me in that hypothetical woods I just
mentioned may be luscious on its own, but combined with the root I got
somewhere earlier in a completely different part of the woods may cause extreme
flatulence, metaphorically speaking .
The rationality of Air needs to mesh well with the intuition of Water,
otherwise, it’s very easy to lose your way in Bog of Eternal Stench.
So what in bloody blue blazes does this have to do with
altars or athames? Well, one of the first things I realized is that my altar
set up does not have to look like anything I've seen in any book anywhere.
Anything that doesn't add to what my intention is does not need to be there.
Also, there may be some oddball stuff that never gets mentioned in any of the
books that absolutely needs to be there. Again the determination is made
through a balance of reason and emotion, and when something hits that sweet
spot between the two, it gets tried out. And even then, the item in question
may not really work when it comes down to actual practice. You almost have to
approach this like a scientist. Come up with a good hypothesis based on your
knowledge and don’t forget to observe and accurately record the results. So
when you are working out those last few details for your Samhain altar, ask
yourself, what’s on there simply because you think it ought to be there, and
which pieces really bring the spirit of what Samhain is to you alive?
Oh, my athame…right! Almost forgot. Well when I first
started I dutifully went out and bought a simple black handled knife. It was
pretty much exactly what every book said it should be and although it worked
well enough in its way, it just didn't seem to fit. That one eventually got
cleansed and re-purposed as part of the décor. Then I got a prettier ornate
knife from a Ren faire, and while it was just fine, it too didn't feel right.
That knife was gifted to a friend of mine who was just starting out on her own
path (after I cleansed it and cut the cord binding myself to it of course –
always practice good metaphysical hygiene folks!). Finally I saw it – a bone
from hilt to blade beauty from China with a dragon and a phoenix carved into
the scabbard. Absolutely not black hilted or metal, but absolutely perfect for
me.
Come to think of it, I really shouldn't call it an athame,
because well, it just isn't But it is a lovely ritual knife and exactly what I
needed for this part of my journey on my unpath. I wish you productive
traveling on yours.
Today's Giveaway!
Next up to go hand in hand with Kestril's blog of how she found her Athame is today's Giveaway. Eliora from Elegantly Enchanting is giving away this beautiful pendant
Athame & Pentacle Pendant / Necklace
Darling little Athame is paired with a silver-pewter
Pentacle charm and hangs from a black waxed hemp cord.
The beautiful little Athame has a double-edged, stainless
steel blade is accented with a metal hilt guard in the shape of the tail and
wings of a great bird. The hilt has a black-colored grip and the hilt-end ring
holds a silver-pewter Pentacle charm.
A tiny wonder, the Athame measures just 3.5 inches from tip
to handle; the width of the hand guard is one inch.
The cord has a silver-toned lobster claw clasp, and measures
approximately 24". The cord can be sized to your preference, at no
additional charge.
Remember:
Your first entry is to follow us here. (make sure you
comment and tell us that you're following!)
Bonus entries:
Go to Elegantly Enchanting and peruse her wares. Come back
and tell us what you like best there.
Make her page a favorite on Etsy and come back and tell us
(separate entry)
Like us on Facebook- come back and tell us (separate entry)
Follow us on Twitter (come and tell us!- separate entry)
Blog about this giveaway (comment separately and send us a
link to your blog post)
Tweet about this giveaway (comment separately and send us a
link to your blog post)
Samhain's Sirens October Extravaganza Project
by Snowy Morrighan of Pagan Stuff Cheap
The Samhain's Sirens October Extravaganza Project has been a
labor of love for so many beautiful witches and pagans who have contributed in
one way or another to bring you a month's worth of interesting blog posts,
recipes, craft ideas, songs and giveaways.
We are thrilled with how well received this project has
been, and the amount of participation we've had! With this being our first
ever, we've had a few "things that go bump in the night", but more
importantly we've had TONS of enjoyment seeing the positive response! It's you,
the readers and participants that make it all worth it!
As you are probably aware, we've been hinting at a Grand
Prize Giveaway at the end of this project. The question that must be on most of
your minds is, "But what exactly is included in the Grand Prize?" Ah
yes, we've heard your inquiring minds, and I'm here to deliver! (both
figuratively and literally - but I'll get to that in a bit.)
To show our appreciation to all of you lovely folks out
there who have been following, liking, tweeting, and just being engaged in our
project, we have been fortunate enough to have no less than TWELVE beautiful
people who have contributed to the Grand Prize. And now, it's with great pleasure,
I present to you "The Un-Veiling"! *cue dramatic music and drumroll!*
Wheel of the Year Wreath
To start off with, we have a beautiful offering from Sosanna's Closet. She's donated an 8 Inch Wheel of the Year wreath to adorn
your altar. Sosanna has been a frequent contributor to our blog, and has many
lovely hand-crafted items in her shop. Sosanna has a terrific blog at Confessions of a Modern Witch.
Gift Certificate #1
Next, we have a Gift Certificate from Eliora at Elegantly Enchanting good towards your very own custom Athame/Bosom Knife, embellished to
honor the Winner's deity or magickal theme of choice. Not only are her hand
made athame's out of this world, but you really want to check out her hand
painted glass items and wands!
Ancestor Oil & Incense
Nothing says "Samhain" like this offering from Mrs. Oddly! She's put together her own blend of Ancestor's Oil and Incense,
beautifully packaged in a drawstring bag, for your Samhain workings! These
items are used to call upon your beloved dead to enlist their aid on your
behalf. The oil may be used to anoint candles, special tools, yourself etc. the
incense is loose herb mix to be burned on charcoal. There are no fillers;
straight herbs and resins. Mrs. Oddly handcrafts her own oils, charms, magickal
tools, incense, and bath salts. She also has a wicked-cool blog that you'll
want to follow: Something Oddly.
Black Sparrow Pouch
Getting excited yet? Ohhh, hold onto your brooms my witchy
ones - I'm not done! LOL! This hand made Black Sparrow pouch offered by Kestril
is an Asian style pouch designed and charged for ancestral workings. It's
adorable, and I fell in love with it the moment I saw it!
Ritual Oils
Because I can be a ditz-of-a-witch sometimes, the picture
you see up there to the right also includes a peek at part of WitchLab's
offering.
Tiffany over at Witch Lab has donated a set of her hand made
Ritual Oils and Solid Perfumes - 2 Ritual Oils (Sun & Moon) and 2 Solid
Perfumes (Serpent Mound & Snowbloom) The ritual oils are in 5ml dropper
bottles and the solid perfumes come in 1/2 oz tins.
Tarot of the Sweet Twilight
What's Samhain without some divination? Well take a look at
this donation by Jen Rue at Three Cats & A Broom! The Sweet Twilight Tarot
deck and is uniquely illustrated with artwork reminiscent of a Tim Burton film.
Take a look at this link to see more about this deck! Jen also blogs over at Rue and Hyssop.
Also pictured (although hard to see, whoops!) is my own
offering. I hand blend my own Flashing Spell Powder that is great for burning
on a charcoal disk. This offering is my NEW blend ~ "Happy Hearth & Home".
Just a sprinkle on the charcoal will bring peace and happiness to your home!
I'm in the process of adding items that I sell at my brick and mortar shop, Eye of Nuit. My Enchanted Moon Alchemy line offers candles, spell blends, and my
own hand crafted Smudging Mist.
While I don't currently have a picture of this next gem,
you'll absolutely love the handmade 20cm x 20cm box canvas painting offered by
Pixie Allen at Willow Tree Art Studio ! Pixie also blogs at Pixie's Musings
Hecate Glass Pendant
This totally unique Hecate Glass Pendant is the artwork of
our very own Loren Morris of Saga's Cottage Storybook Art. Her beautifully
handcrafted original artwork is sealed in glass and hung on a pretty organza
ribbon. I was the lucky winner of one of her pendants in a recent giveaway, and
I can tell you that it's a piece I totally treasure!
Soaps & Lotions
My dear friends Judas Antenesque and Lady K have graciously
donated this AMAZING gift box of goodies handcrafted by Butcher's Body Essentials. I have to tell you, my witchy friends, that when I smelled the
absolute delicious heaven that's in these goodies, I almost wanted to keep it
for myself! Check out Butcher's Etsy shop for more of their SWEET lotions, soaps,
bath salts, and more! You'll receive 4 soaps and a bottle of lotion.
Utterly Wicked!
If you're feeling Utterly Amazed, wait 'til you see this
next item included in the Grand Prize! A gift from our deliciously wicked
Magaly Guerrero of Pagan Culture comes in the form of "Utterly Wicked" by one of my personal favorite authors, Dorothy Morrison!
And last, but not least, this FANTABULOUS Grand Prize
package includes an offering by the very talented Danni over at The Whimsical Cottage! Danni has offered up one of her beautiful wire wrapped pendulums,
complete with organza bag to keep it safe. Due to a :coughtechnicaldifficultycough:,
I do not have a photo of the pendulum yet. We will try to get one up soon,
along with the canvas painting mentioned above.
Earlier I mentioned something to do with delivering both
"figuratively and literally". While we were in the planning stages of
the Samhain's Sirens project, we just knew that whoever was the lucky winner of
all these WICKED COOL items in the Grand Prize Giveaway would want to receive
all of their items at one time. My contribution to the project was to have all
of these lovely ladies send their donations to me, and I will be the one to
ship ONE BIG BOX of amazing Samhain goodness right to your door!
For those of you who do not know me, I am Snowy Morrighan. I
own Eye of Nuit, and an online shop called Pagan Stuff Cheap. I blog at Caldron Werx, A Room With A Brew.
It's been my absolute pleasure to help the darling ladies of Samhain's Sirens!
So there you have it, a complete list of our Grand Prize
Giveaway! I hope you enjoyed this tour and had a wicked fun time hanging out
with us today!
5 ounces thin black licorice strands, cut into 2-inch pieces
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
Chocolate curls or jimmies, optional
Directions
Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper and lightly spray with
nonstick spray. Mound 30 small clusters of pecans, about 3 or 4 pecans each,
spaced a couple inches apart on the pan.
Make caramel: Warm the cream over low heat and keep warm
while you cook the sugar.
Put the sugar and corn syrup and in a deep, heavy-bottomed
large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar
dissolves. Stop stirring, raise heat to medium-high, and simmer until the sugar
reaches the hard crack stage, or 305 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 7
minutes.
Whisk the butter and salt into the sugar mixture. Gradually
pour in the cream and vanilla taking care since the mixture will bubble up.
Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until
the sugar reaches soft ball stage, 240 degrees F on the thermometer, about 5
minutes more. Immediately remove from the heat and cool for a minute.
Ladle a couple tablespoons of warm caramel over some of the
nut clusters, to make the spider bodies. Then press 6 pieces of licorice into
the warm caramel to make the legs. Repeat with the remaining caramel and
licorice. (It's helpful to have an extra hand here, since the caramel can set
quickly. If caramel hardens, warm over very low heat. ) Let spiders cool 15
minutes.
Meanwhile, put the chocolates in a medium heatproof bowl.
Bring a saucepan filled with 1-inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set
the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally
until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, put the chocolate in a medium
microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft,
about 1 minute. Stir, and continue heat until completely melted, 2 to 3 minutes
more.)
Spoon about 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate on top of each
spider. Sprinkle with jimmies or chocolate curls, if desired. Let cool until
firm.
Giveaway Winner Announcements
And now for our winners!
Thursday's winner of Sabrina The Inkwitch's Aradia Print: Hex Parker! Friday's winner of Eliora's Besom Candle Snuffer : Iesadora! Saturday's Craftacular winner of Sosanna's Scrying Mirror: Bella Foxglove! Saturday's winner of the signed copy of "Veil Between the Worlds" by Sally Dubats: Gina Congratulations to all our winners this week! Remember, every time you enter, that's an entry for the amazing Grand Prize Giveaway at the end of the month. FYI: All winners are chosen through Random Number Generation. Winners, please don't forget to send in your shipping details to samhainsirens@gmail.com or through the jotform at the top of our blog page. Remember, you have until 8pm tomorrow to get in on today's great giveaway! And, as always, if you have any questions at all about the giveaways, please don't hesitate to reach out to Kallan, our Giveaway Siren.
Song of the Day by Kestril Trueseeker
Nina Simone has one of those amazing emotive voices that
just draws you in. She gives the most perfect and chilling rendition of “Pirate
Jenny” from Three Penny Opera I can imagine. Yeah, don’t mess with Pirate
Jenny!
Don't forget! Kestril is posting bonus songs on our Facebook Page. Come visit us there, too!
