October 2: Freaky Friday #1

Welcome back! We're gearing up in full swing for this Freaky Friday! We have recipes galore, a coloring page for the miniature monsters in your abode, the song of the day, and of course, our Day 1 Winner announcement!


Tomorrow is our Craftacular Saturday to help you with fun projects that celebrate this Season of the Dead!


Ready? Let's get started!

The winner of the October 1 Pagan Business Network Giveaway, valued at $300:

Iesadora!!!

Congratulations to our winner! To all entrants: remember, your entries count toward the grand prize giveaway from LaPulia Studio!

Forget-Me-Nots

In honor of the thinning of the veil, we're going to take each Friday to honor a magical someone who has passed through to the other side of the veil.

We hope you’ll join us in honoring them, even if you hold them in your heart, even if only for just the time you read the blog post.

Thank you in advance, and may you always be remembered through time.

We are asking the community to submit your own forget-me-nots for loved ones who have passed through the veil for our final Samhain post. Send your tributes and photos to samhainsirens@gmail.com no later than Friday, October 23. We look forward to helping you honor them through this venue. If you have any questions, please use the "contact us" form at the top of this page.


Today's Forget-Me-Not: 

Scott Douglas Cunningham 

(June 27, 1956 – March 28, 1993)

Born in Michigan, Scott was one of three children to Chester Grant Cunningham (an author in his own right) and Rose Marie Wilhoit Cunningham. Rose Marie had health issues which required the family move to a milder climate in San Diego, where Scott would live for the rest of his life.

He showed a strong penchant for rocks and minerals, plants and other earth-sciences at an early age. His first interest in the occult came through reading a book called The Supernatural, by Douglas Hill and Pat Williams.

His work,Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, is one of the most successful books on Wicca ever published; His books on Wicca led to a steady rise in his popularity, and he soon became one of the best-read Wiccan authors of his time.

According to controverscial.com,"Sales of his most popular book Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (Llewellyn, 1988), reached over 400,000 copies by the year 2000"

His writing style was easy, and he connected with readers on a personal level. He was one of the first authors I had ever encountered who emphasized that in The Craft, what works for you is what works.

"While essentially a self-styled Wiccan and a solitary practitioner, he was initiated into several established Craft Traditions.  In 1980 he entered into the Aridian Tradition, where he undertook a course of study on Witchcraft and Magick from Raven Grimassi.  Then in 1981 he entered the Reorganized Traditional Gwyddonic Order of Wicca, and the Ancient Pictish Gaelic Tradition.  Additionally, he was an initiate of the American Traditionalist Wicca" (Knowles). 

He wrote over 30 books on the occult, with nearly half of them being about Wicca (see bibliography below). 

Scott died in 1993 of AIDS-related cryptococcal meningitis.

He has made a profound mark on many within the Pagan community, and is sorely missed.

He is loved.

He is remembered.

Bibliography

1980 – Shadow of Love (fiction)
1982 – Magical Herbalism: The Secret Craft of the Wise (ISBN 0-87542-120-2)
1983 – Earth Power: Techniques of Natural Magic (ISBN 0-87542-121-0)
1985 – Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (ISBN 0-87542-122-9)
1987 – The Magical Household: Spells and Rituals for the Home (with David Harrington) (ISBN 0-87542-124-5)
1987 – Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal Magic (ISBN 0-87542-126-1)
1988 – The Truth About Witchcraft Today (ISBN 0-87542-127-X)
1988 – Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (ISBN 0-87542-118-0)
1989 – The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews (ISBN 0-87542-128-8)
1989 – Magical Aromatherapy: The Power of Scent (ISBN 0-87542-129-6)
1991 – Earth, Air, Fire, and Water: More Techniques of Natural Magic (ISBN 0-87542-131-8)
1991 – The Magic in Food (ISBN 0-87542-130-X)
1993 – Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen (ISBN 0-7387-0226-9)
1993 – Divination For Beginners (ISBN 0-7387-0384-2)
1993 – Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (ISBN 0-87542-184-9)
1993 – Spell Crafts: Creating Magical Objects (with David Harrington) (ISBN 0-87542-185-7)
1993 – The Truth About Herb Magic (ISBN 0-87542-132-6)
1994 – The Truth About Witchcraft (ISBN 0-87542-357-4)
1995 – Hawaiian Magic and Spirituality (ISBN 1-56718-199-6)
1997 – Pocket Guide to Fortune Telling (ISBN 0-89594-875-3)
1999 – Dreaming the Divine: Techniques for Sacred Sleep (ISBN 1-56718-192-9)
2009 – Cunningham's Book of Shadows: The Path of An American Traditionalist (ISBN 0-73871-914-5) – A rediscovered manuscript written by Cunningham in the late 1970s or early 1980s.

*Sources:
Controverscial.com
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner
Wikipedia article

The Siren's Song with Jennifer Rasmussen

Longtime Traveller

CL's Cocktails: Felix Felicis

Serves 1
To make simple syrup, just heat equal parts sugar and water until fully dissolved, then cool.  You can buy it easily enough at any liquor store but why when it’s so easy? So that’s that bowl there; homemade simple syrup!

Ingredients:
1/4 oz simple syrup
1/4 oz lemon juice
1.5 oz ginger beer
Champagne or other sparkling wine
Directions:
Mix simple syrup and lemon juice in the bottom of a champagne flute. Add ginger beer and fill with Champagne.

I thought we would start the season off with a light, sparkling drink!  This turned out delicious but, if we’re being honest here, it didn’t have the Autumn/Halloween flavor and flair I was going for. I’ll admit it; I was suckered in by the Harry Potter theme! I willingly admit I am an addict. I was hoping the ginger beer (which I’m addicted to now, thank you very much) would be sufficient to give it that autumn-y kick but, alas, the lemon juice and sparkling wine/champagne, overpowered that element as far as seasonal flavor goes.
Still, incredibly delicious! I would absolutely recommend making it though I will probably save it as a Summer drink.

Crystal of the Day with Jennifer Hodgson

Merlinite

Merlinite is a stone for magic and luck. Merlinite is considered to be a stone that holds wisdom of not only shamans, but alchemists.
Merlinite  brings balance to things such as yin and yang. It is the perfect stone for bringing together the god and goddess.
This crystal is great for reprogramming patterns of behavior and bringing about change. Merlinite will also help turn negative experiences into positive learning..
Merlinite is a great stone to assist you in the Akashic Records as well as helps with karmic healing.

Paula's Paleo Recipes: Pumpkin Pancakes

Fall is in the air and what comes to mind? Sweaters, hoodies, hot chocolate, fires, and pumpkins!  So to start off with the Paleo foods I am going to introduce you to Pumpkin Pancakes.

This recipe comes from Practical Paleo.  So far I love this one the best!

Ingredients:
4 eggs
½ cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 TBS pure maple syrup (optional)
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp baking soda
2 TBS butter or coconut oil (plus extra for pan frying)
Whisk the eggs, canned pumpkin, pure vanilla extract, and pure maple syrup together. Sift the pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and baking soda into the wet ingredients.
Melt 2 TBS of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Then, mix the butter into the batter.
Grease the skillet and spoon the batter into the skillet to make pancakes of your desired size. When a few bubbles appear, flip the pancakes once to finish cooking.
Serve with grass-fed butter and cinnamon or sliced bananas.

The Witches’ Kitchen by Autumn Earthsong

Pumpkins pumpkins everywhere in October! Pumpkins are so cheerful, or done up as a jack o’lantern, spooky and fun! I love seeing pumpkins at the garden centers and front porches in my neighborhood.  I also love cooking with pumpkin..whether from a can or fresh scraped from the inside of a pumpkin!  This recipe would be a great ending to a fabulous harvest meal.

Harvest Pumpkin Cheesecake
Crust
3 cups broken gingersnaps
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup melted butter
Preheat oven to 350* In a food processor, finely grind cookies, nuts and sugar. Add butter; process until well blended.  Press mixture onto bottom and sides of a 10” spring form pan.  Bake 10 minutes.

Filling
4 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
2 Tbs whipping cream
2 Tbs rum
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
4 large eggs
Place a 9”x 12” pan filled with water on the lowest shelf in the hot oven.  This helps the cheesecake bake without drying out.
With an electric mixer, beat together first 10 ingredients until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined.
Pour into prepared crust.  Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes until puffed and light brown.  Sprinkle with a little more cinnamon and let cool; then chill overnight.
*Would be lovely garnished with gingersnap cookies cut into leaf shapes or pecans arranged pretty on top!  You could top with caramel sauce or stir a little maple syrup into some whipped cream and top with that! Yummy!

Blessings and Love,
Autumn

Giveaway from Touch of the Goddess

Do the colors of fall make your eyes light up? Ever notice how the leaves sparkle when the sun plays peek-a-boo between them? If you are always anxious for the season of cozy sweaters and warm boots to crunch through piles of fallen leaves, then this Gratitude vase needs to be yours. Keep it close so you will see it! Just keep a pad and pen handy. Doesn’t have to be long, doesn’t always have to be serious. The sun setting in Autumn glory, the smell of burning leaves, Pumpkin Lattes are all valid things to mention in your vase! At the end of your year, or at a time if you are feeling a little down, take all those little pieces of paper out and read them. What a great way to document your journey! This jar is embellished with plaster bas-relief, deconstructed vintage jewelry, heavy glass beads, sari silk, yarn, paper clay leaves, and chain. It is 8 inches tall and 16 1/2 inches around its widest part. The coral color shimmers with tones of metallic gold! Made with love and gratitude! These will always be one of a kind, so if you see one you want, better go ahead and get it. They would make great gifts, too!
Bright Blessings!

Sharon Rawson, Proprietor

Value of this giveaway: $32.50

Here's how to enter: (Canadians, skip this part and go to your section)

Like/Get Notifications on the Touch of the Goddess Facebook page . Come back, comment on this blog post and tell us that you did. 

Remember to add your email address to the page (if you don't want to post it publicly, simply send it via the contact form at the top of the page).

Want extra entries??

1. Go to Touch of the Goddess's shop. Peruse the wares. Come back and comment to tell us which item is your favorite.

2. Tweet about this giveaway. Comment with the link to your tweet.

3. Blog about this giveaway. Comment with the link to your blog post.

4. Follow Samhain's Sirens on Facebook. Comment, and let us know you did (if you're already following, just comment and say so!)

5. Follow this blog so you'll be in on all of the fabulous fun throughout October! Comment here that you did.

That gives you 6 chances to win this fabulous prize!

CANADIANS: LOOK HERE!

By your country's law, we have to make you answer a question in order to enter the giveaway. We still need your email address, so be sure that accompanies your response. Answer this question correctly, and you'll receive 6 entries!!

How many oceans border Canada?

a) 1

b) 2

c) 3

d) 4

This giveaway is open until 9pm EDT tonight. Winner will be announced on Monday, October 5th  at 9am EDT. Remember, we have to notify the winner in email first, so those email addresses are critical for you to qualify for the giveaway!

Good luck everyone!

Tune in tomorrow for Craftacular Saturday! Same time, same bat channel!