Sirens Celebration: Day 2

Happy Samhain Season: Day 2!

Before we move into new business, we need to announce the winner of yesterday's Honor-Themed Jar from Touch of the Goddess. Without further adieu, here is our winner:

                                          Jonquil Alexia!!



Congratulations! Please be sure to send your mailing address to kallan.kennedy@gmail.com within the next 48 hours, so Sharon can get it to you.


Now, onto today's celebratory fun!

The Good Folk of Samhain by Loren Morris

It is no secret that Samhain’s roots live in the ancient Celts, dividing the light half of the year from the dark half, marking the end of the old year and the beginning of the new one.  During Samhain the veil is at the thinnest which allows spirits to pass through.  There were celebrations marking the end of the harvest and honor of ancestors. There were also precautions that were taken in regards to the Good People.

The Good People were the fairy folk of Ireland. They were referred to as the Good People, so as not to insult them. The last harvests had to be brought in by Samhain or dire problems would occur. Iron bells were rang with last harvest as an extra precaution or else they would be left with blighted crop, and offerings of cream or milk were left out before going to sleep, so that the peace would be kept and they would receive the powerful blessings of the fae.

Fairy mounds were open on this night and if you were careless enough you could become an everlasting victim of the fairy enchantments. “Enchantments” did not mean living as happily-ever-after Cinderella; it meant permanent madness or incurable illnesses.

The fae were also known to take children and this night was heightened with this fact. Villagers carved terrible faces in turnips and lit them to scare away the spirits and the fae. Costumes  and masks were used to further aid in keeping the Good Folk at bay.
I think carved turnips are a great deal more terrifying than pumpkins.

Some (but not limited to) of the Good Folk that you needed to be on the lookout for were:
Pooka or Phouka: Usually takes the form of a horse enticing riders to jump on, which they soon regret. Other forms the pooka can take include an eagle, a bat, or an old man. The pooka is a practical joker and mischievous but can also be helpful at times.

Beansdhe or Bean-nighe (ban-shee):   The bean-nighe is a female spirit that washes the clothes of the people that are about to die. According to “The Encyclopedia of Fairies’ by Katherine Briggs, the names and characteristics of the banshee vary according to localities. She portends evil, however, if you see her BEFORE she sees you and you have the courage enough to get between her and the water, then she will grant you 3 wishes!

Goblins:  these evil fairy are small and grotesque in their appearance, often malicious in their encounters with humans.

Bogles, Bogies, and Bugs: This is an entire class of frightening, mischievous, and very often dangerous fae. Their one delight is tormenting humans. They can travel in troops, but general travel as individuals. They are very adept at shapeshifting. A boggart is made by offending a house Brownie.

Tuatha de Danann: This is the race of people that inhabited Ireland before the Milesians, according to the traditional history of Ireland. This race was a master of magic and they became the fairy folk, living in the grassy hill mounds. They were once a great people and glimpses of them as heroic fairies can be seen, though they are best to be left alone.

Figure 1 John Duncan "Riders of the Sidhe" 1911

Hinky-Punks or Will o’Wisp or Ignis Fatuus: The name of this one literally means “the foolish fire” and is also known as “corpse candle” or “dead candle.” It is often thought to be a boggart playing tricks, but it can and will lead a lost traveler to their death. It seems to show itself as a light in the night, and when travelers follow it, thinking it is an aid, it ends up leading them somewhere they don’t want to be.

These interest me, because there have been reports of ghost lights in the fields of Church Hill and Rogersville, where I live.

Figure 2 Artist unknown 1888

There are ways that you can protect yourself from the Good Folk. Besides the revelry of Samhain to scare them away, you can also ring bells. But, the fae themselves used bells. So, why do bells work on them? According to lore, it is church bells they do not like.  Also, since the Good People do not like iron, it would be wise to use small iron bells. Hanging an iron horse shoe above your door will also help ward them.

And please don’t forget to leave them an offering on October 31st, it is said the trooping fairies will bless your home for the coming year!

Loren Morris is one of the Siren Administrators. She is a mom of 3, and grandmother to 5. She is the owner/artist of Primitive Witchery. Primitive Witchery offers primitive witch décor clay and painted artwork, and resin Ice Runes.  

Her interests are wide and varied; being a true Gemini.  When she isn’t creating artwork, she is reading, running, or hanging out with her family or her many furbabies, which includes a pitbull, a poodle, and 5 cats.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/PrimWitchery

https://primwitchery.patternbyetsy.com/

Today's Music: It's Witchcraft

Who can resist those blue eyes of Frank Sinatra? He cast his own spells with his musical magic. We honor him today with a song for all you witchy temptresses out there ;)

Today's Recipe: Dried Cherry-Sage Scotch Eggs
The Real Paleo Diet Cookbook
Submitted by Paula Lupi

Prep: 20 minutes Bake: 35 minutes Makes: 4 servings

1 pound lean ground pork

½ cup snipped no-sugar-added dried cherries

2 tablespoons snipped fresh sage

1 tablespoon snipped fresh marjoram

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

4 hard-boiled large eggs, cooled and peeled

½ cup almond flour

1 teaspoon dried sage, crushed

½ teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Dijon-Style Mustard (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or foil; set aside. In a large bowl combine pork, cherries, fresh sage, fresh marjoram, pepper, nutmeg, and cloves.

2. Shape pork mixture into four equal patties. Place one egg on each patty and shape the patty around each egg. In a shallow dish or pie plate combine almond flour, dried sage, and dried marjoram. Roll each sausage-coated egg in the almond flour mixture to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil.

3. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until sausage is cooked through. Serve with Dijon-Styled Mustard.

Dijon-Style Mustard

Prep: 10 minutes Stand: 48 hours Makes: 1 ¾ cups

¾ cup brown mustard seeds

¾ cup unsweetened apple juice or cider

¼ cup white wine vinegar

¼ cup dry white wine or water

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 to 2 tablespoons water

1. In a glass bowl stir together mustard seeds, apple juice, vinegar, wine, and turmeric. Cover tightly and let stand at room temperature for 48 hours.

2. Transfer mixture to a high-powered blender. Cover and blend until smooth, adding enough water to make desired consistency. If air bubbles form, stop and stir mixture. For a smoother texture, press the finished mustard through a fine-mesh sieve.

Paula Lupi does what she can to keep herself and family healthy. One of the steps towards that was eating more in the Paleo side of choices. While integrating these changes into every day meals Paula also learned that she has a gluten sensitivity.  She is a mother of three, but two are now out of the house, and a wife and partner to her husband of 27 years.

Paula enjoys spending time outdoors with Mother Nature, her hands in the dirt, and sweet talking the herbs and vegetable to grow healthy for the table.

She has two Boxers – Izzy and Vino, a polydactyl cat – Scrunch, two lizards – Ford and Karma, and her Chilean Rose Tarantula – Morticia.

Today's Giveaway:  Halloween/Samhain Elder Futhark Ice Rune Set from Primitive Witchery

Full set of Halloween/Samhain Elder Futhark Ice Runes. They come in a burlap bag and they are fully handcrafted and handpainted. Featuring seasonally colored glitter in orange, purple, and black with ghosts, bats, pumpkins, spiders, and black cats.

Retail price: $39.96

Here's how to enter:

US Residents

First entry:  Go to  the PrimWitchery Etsy shop, peruse the amazing creations, come back here and tell us which is your favorite in the comments.

Second entry: Share this giveaway on your Facebook page (note: Facebook in no way endorses our giveaways). Come back, tell us you did in the comments (share the link, please).

Third entry: Share this giveaway on Twitter or Instagram (your choice). Come back, post the link to your share in the comments.

Fourth entry: Like the Primitive Witchery Facebook page. Leave a comment on her Facebook page telling her you're visiting from Samhain's Sirens. Come back here, and let us know you did.

Fifth entry: Like the Samhain's Sirens Facebook page. Leave us a comment below letting us know you're a follower (hint: this is going to be a gimme if you do it now or if you've done it in the past. It'll be one of the entries for all of our giveaways).

Canadian Residents

For 5 entries, please correctly answer the following question in the comments section:

  Who is the Patron Saint of Canada?

You have until 11:59pm EDT to enter this giveaway. Winner will be announced in tomorrow's post. 

Entries submitted without email addresses or past the deadlines will be considered invalid. Canadian residents: you must answer the question correctly to be entered. 

Good luck!


That's it for today. See you tomorrow for more Sireny fun!

Happy Samhaining!