Day 15 ~ Athames, Daggers, Grand Giveaway, OH MY!

Athame giveaway, Eliora, Kestril Trueseeker, Samhain

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)

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.

Gift Certificate #2

Here's another gift certificate, this one donated by East Coast Craft & Curios! Tess is a lovely artist who enjoys creating art through the beauty of the devine.

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!

Grand Prizes

Magickally yours,

Recipe of the Day!

Pecan - Caramel Spiders Food Network

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups toasted pecans

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, in pieces

1/4 teaspoon salt

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!