Day 16 ~ Samhain's Sirens Presents ~ Hecate and Samhain Blog Project & Giveaway

Hekate & Cerberus, Apulian red-figure krater
C4th B.C., Antikensammlungen, Munich

Hello Everyone and welcome to Tuesday! We are well on the way to the month being half over... can you believe it's already October 16th? Just 14 more days until Samhain! this month has really flown by, LOL!!

Speaking of the month being half over, did you see that Grand Prize Extravaganza in Monday's post? If you didn't, you REALLY need to go check out all the goodies some lucky someone is going to win at the end of the month. Our Siren's have really outdone themselves this time...

Today's blog post is from our Darlin, Sosanna from Sosanna's Closet... ENJOY!

Hecate and Samhain

As a devotee of Hecate and a lover of all things Samhain it stands to reason that I wouldn't have a Samhain night rituals without invoking Hekate Adonaea (lady of the underworld). As the veil between the world of the living and dead become thinnest it's a perfect time for working with Hecate.

As Hekate Kleidoukhos (keeper of the keys), she is said to have the keys to the underworld and assists souls in finding their way from one world to the next; much as she assisted Persephone in finding her way back to Demeter.

Each month I participate in something called Hecate's Supper. Around the 13th of the month (give or take) on the day of the dark moon I collect my offerings and prepare a supper for the Goddess. It usually consists of fresh eggs, honey, garlic and leeks. I sometimes do a complete meal or simply arrange the offerings on my altar for the day; burning incense and participating in chants to her.

Here is an example of a chant I wrote for Hecate.

Hecate Mistress of the three ways

Offerings at the crossroads, you find

Hecate, Light bearing Queen

Come forth and enlighten my mind.

Hecate, Queen of the Witches

Give power to my magic this night.

Hecate, Keeper of the Keys

Unlock your power and bless this rite.

There are a great number chants that you can add to your Samhain rituals for Hecate on YouTube. These are my favorites.

Hecate is a wonderful addition to Samhain rituals and rites. I encourage you to learn more about her. More information can be found at the following sites:

The Covenant of Hekate
Hekate, Her Sacred Fires
Friends of the Covenant of Hekate - Facebook

Today's Giveaway!

NOW for the Giveaway! This giveaway is for a wonderful Print of a Painting by Loren from Saga's Cottage.

To be entered in the drawing please complete the following steps:

Leave a comment here stating you'd like to be entered in the drawing

Follow Saga's Cottage and Sosanna's Closet on Facebook & Share

Tweet this Giveaway and post the URL in the Comments.

Winners will be notified and the print will be shipped within 5 business days.

Recipe of the day!

Picture and Recipe courtesy of Free N Fun Halloween

Witches Brew Cupcakes Recipe

Double-bubble, no toil or trouble! One bite from these mouth-watering cupcakes and they’re sure to put anyone under their spell.

Ingredients

White cake mix

White cream cheese frosting

Mini marshmallows

Mini chocolate chips

Bite-sized braided pretzel sticks

Pop Rocks candy

Green gel food coloring

Instructions

Prepare the white cake batter according to the directions on the box, adding a few drops of green gel food coloring to the batter. Pour batter into greased cupcake pans.

While cupcakes are baking, mix a few drops of green gel food coloring into the cream cheese frosting until the desired color has been achieved. Set aside 2 tbsp. of frosting.

After the cupcakes have cooled, frost the top of the cupcakes.

Using the frosting you set aside, create the “eyeballs” by adding a drop of frosting to the mini chocolate chips and sticking them to the mini marshmallows. Place the marshmallow “eyeballs” onto the cupcakes, slightly pushing the marshmallow into the frosting to secure in place.

Press a bite-sized braided pretzel stick into the cupcake to represent the witches’ brew stirring stick.

Sprinkle the cupcakes with Pop Rocks® right before serving to give them an extra “pop”.

Tuesday's Being Crafty

Easy Pumpkin Centerpiece

by Rachel Paxton

What you will need:

Pumpkin

Fall flowers

Sharp knife

Large spoon

Need an easy, inexpensive centerpiece for your autumn table? All you need is a pumpkin and a handful of fall flowers. You can complete this project in less than an hour!

Prepare your work area by spreading out some old newspapers. Using a sharp knife, carefully remove the top of the pumpkin.

Use the large spoon to scoop all of the pulp and seeds out of the pumpkin.

If you need this done in a hurry for a dinner party, go ahead and arrange your flowers inside the pumpkin. If you have the extra time, let the pumpkin dry out for at least a couple of hours before you arrange your flowers.

I used artificial flowers in my pumpkin centerpiece, but you could also use fresh flowers. If your pumpkin is wide and deep enough, you could place an entire flower pot in it.

Use your pumpkin to decorate your fall or Thanksgiving table, or place it anywhere in your home to give your home the feel of autumn.

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com

Song of the Day by Kestril Trueseeker

Pulp fiction filled with gruesome stories in 19th Century Britain were called Penny Dreadfuls. One of those Penny Dreadfuls featured the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, better known as Sweeny Todd. The story outlived the media it was born from and evolved into a ballet, a musical and a movie