As Autumn bewitches us with her magickal hue's of dark orange and vivid reds, the leaves change and we continue to somberly celebrate our ancestors and those loved ones who've crossed over from this plan to The Otherside. The enchanting days of September's feast and frolic has faded away into dark, passionate, bold October and as we take time to toast the spirits with spirits in formal Victorian fashion, this time of year beckons us to slow our quickened pace, to ponder and daydream about the worlds between ours and the next and how essential it is to relish the moment as if it's our last. This mystical time is always profoundly exhilarating, as the veils continue to thin over the coming weeks as we approach All Hallow's Eve, more paranormal activity arises and the compelling existential connection we share and thrive upon with ghosts, and ancestors that make their annual visits, it's the best time of year to find moments of gratitude realizing just how much love is bestowed upon us at all times from the great beyond, even in those daily human moments that seem to shake the magick dust off of the illusory world we all collectively agree upon as reality. I find myself most passionate, creative and calculating this time of year, taking ample time and heavy doses of what can be done, and what will be done now or over a long period of time, is always for this psychic the marker of balance and stability in the coming dark months of the year. Psychic Bella offers you and your loved ones a chance at reconnecting in the profound experience of S`eance, to reunite those with dearly departed loved ones and for those still searching for answers to those that have vanished without a trace, regardless of your grief, there will be the profound resolution of comfort after this extraordinary experience. As the coming months turn all of us inside to find our creative hermit selves, and as the pace of future winter holidays steals us away from those we hold most dear, relish and remember these moments when you had the time to take a stroll in the garden of life, watching the leaves change and smelling the roses, it's these moments that fuel our souls to stay alive, to dance to the quickened pace of winter, spring and summer time, but for now let's bask in the moment of now in this warm dew covered day and crisp cool night of Autumn, our favorite season. 

Love & Light,
Psychic Bella
Shadows Into Light Spiritual Services Temple & Archive 

The Historical Meaning of Samhain
The Third & Final Harvest

What is Samhain?:

Samhain is known by most folks as Halloween, but for many modern Pagans it's considered a Sabbat to honor the ancestors who came before us, marking the dark time of the year. It's a good time to contact the spirit world with a seance, because it's the time when the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest.

Myths and Misconceptions:

Contrary to a popular Internet-based (and Chick Tract-encouraged) rumor, Samhain was not the name of some ancient Celtic god of death, or of anything else, for that matter. Religious scholars agree that the word Samhain (pronounced "sow-en") comes from the Gaelic “Samhuin,” but they’re divided on whether it means the end or beginning of summer. After all, when summer is ending here on earth, it’s just beginning in the Underworld. Samhain actually refers to the daylight portion of the holiday, on November 1st.

All Hallow Mass:

Around the eighth century or so, the Catholic Church decided to use November 1st as All Saints Day. This was actually a pretty smart move on their part – the local pagans were already celebrating that day anyway, so it made sense to use it as a church holiday. All Saints’ became the festival to honor any saint who didn’t already have a day of his or her own. The mass which was said on All Saints’ was called Allhallowmas – the mass of all those who are hallowed. The night before naturally became known as All Hallows Eve, and eventually morphed into what we call Halloween.

The Witches' New Year:

Sunset on Samhain is the beginning of the Celtic New Year. The old year has passed, the harvest has been gathered, cattle and sheep have been brought in from the fields, and the leaves have fallen from the trees. The earth slowly begins to die around us.

This is a good time for us to look at wrapping up the old and preparing for the new in our lives. Think about the things you did in the last twelve months. Have you left anything unresolved? If so, now is the time to wrap things up. Once you’ve gotten all that unfinished stuff cleared away, and out of your life, then you can begin looking towards the next year.

Honoring the Ancestors:

For some of us, Samhain is when we honor our ancestors who came before us. If you’ve ever done genealogy research, or if you’ve had a loved one die in the past year, this is the perfect night to celebrate their memory. If we’re fortunate, they will return to communicate with us from beyond the veil, and offer advice, protection and guidance for the upcoming year.

If you want to celebrate Samhain in the Celtic tradition, spread the festivities out over three consecutive days. You can hold a ritual and feast each night. Be flexible, though, so you can work around trick-or-treating schedules!

Samhain Rituals:

Try one -- or all -- of these rituals to celebrate Samhain and welcome the new year.

• Celebrating the End of the Harvest
• Samhain Ritual for Animals
• Honoring the Ancestors
• Hold a Seance at Samhain
• Host a Dumb Supper
• Honor the God and Goddess at Samhain
• Celebrating the Cycle of Life and Death
• Ancestor Meditation

Halloween Traditions:

Even if you're celebrating Samhain as a Pagan holiday, you may want to read up on some of the traditions of the secular celebration of Halloween:

• Black Cats
• Jack O'Lanterns
• Trick or Treating

Question: When is Samhain 2014?

Samhain is known as the Witch's New Year. What is the date for Samhain 2011?

Answer:

Samhain is a night when the veil between our world and the spirit world becomes very thin, and it's a good time to do some divination! Samhain falls on October 31 every year in the Northern Hemisphere, so the date for Samhain 2011 is October 31, although in some traditions it may be celebrated on November 1. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is on May 1.

Unlike solstice and equinox celebrations, this date does not change from year to year in most NeoPagan traditions. However, it's important to note that in some branches of Paganism, sabbats are celebrated based upon the astronomical calendar rather than the specific date. If you're part of one of these traditions, your Samhain celebration may need to be adjusted a bit.

Samhain is the time of year when many Pagans and Wiccans celebrate the cycle of life and death. This Sabbat is about the end of the harvest, the calling of the spirits, and the changing aspects of the god and goddess. Try some or even all of these ideas -- obviously, space may be a limiting factor for some, but use what calls to you most.

Colors of the Season:

The leaves have fallen, and most are on the ground. This is a time when the earth is going dark, so reflect the colors of late autumn in your altar decorations. Use rich, deep colors like purples, burgundies and black, as well as harvest shades like gold and orange. Cover your altar with dark cloths, welcoming the coming darker nights. Add candles in deep, rich colors, or consider adding an ethereal contrasting touch with white or silver.

Symbols of Death:

Samhain is the time of the dying of the crops and of life itself. Add skulls, skeletons, grave rubbings or ghosts to your altar. Death itself is often portrayed carrying a sickle or scythe, so if you've got one of those handy, you can display that on your altar as well.

Some people choose to add representations of their ancestors to their Samhain altar - you can certainly do this, or you can create a separate ancestor shrine.

The Harvest Ends:

In addition to symbols of death, cover your Samhain altar with the products of your final harvest. Add a basket of apples, pumpkins, squash, or root vegetables. Fill a cornucopia and add it to your table.

Other Symbols of Samhain:

• Mulled wine
• Dried leaves, acorns and nuts
• Dark breads
• Ears of corn
• A straw man
• Tools of divination or spirit communication
• Offerings to the ancestors
• Statuary of deities symbolizing death

Question: Is It Anti-Pagan to Celebrate Halloween?

A reader asks, "I was curious if it was anti-Pagan to celebrate Halloween? I'm sort of worried it might seem disrespectful to go out collecting candy while I'm supposed to be honoring the spirits of my dead ancestors. How do Halloween and Samhain relate if at all to one another?"

Answer:

This is actually an excellent question - and the short answer is, "You can celebrate Halloween if you want to!" Not only that, you can celebrate Samhain as well.

Much like Yule and Christmas, Samhain and Halloween are two different ways of observing the same time of year. Think of Samhain as the spiritual version, and Halloween as the secular. There's no reason at all why you can't celebrate both if you choose. In our family, we do a huge Halloween party with friends and family. I also do a Samhain ritual with my coven. There's never been a conflict.

How do Samhain and Halloween relate to one another? Well, the "trick or treat" Halloween evolved from the British tradition of All Soul's Day. Poor people went begging, and the middle-class wives handed out special treats known as Soul Cakes. By the nineteenth century, this tradition had followed British and Irish immigrants to America, and by then, begging for goodies wasn't just the domain of the poor, it was a kids' activity. Following the Great Depression and World War II, the notion of giving away candy really took off, and so today's candy-deluged Halloween celebration was born.

I do realize there is a small portion of the Pagan community that finds the whole Halloween thing off-putting, and I've heard the occasional complaint that Halloween trivializes Samhain. However, my opinion is that there's no reason you can't observe the solemnity of Samhain in addition to the fun of Halloween. I've been Pagan for over two decades, and just don't feel that a gaggle of kids collecting candy and dressed like Disney characters has any bearing whatsoever on my religious obligations or needs. My ancestors and my gods know that I honor them and respect them, and they don't seem to be troubled by my love of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Often, too, the question comes up of whether or not celebrating a mundane event -- like Thanksgiving or Fourth of July or Halloween -- somehow lessens the value our spiritual celebrations. Honestly, eating a turkey or lighting fireworks or snarfing down candy only diminishes your spiritual holidays if you allow it to. There are plenty of Pagans who ask, "Should I celebrate this with my family, when it's not part of my Pagan belief system?" It's a question that each individual has to answer for themselves, but as long as your tradition doesn't have a specific mandate against it, I'd say go ahead and celebrate however you like.

A séance is an event that can either be fantastic, or a real mess. Which one it is will depend on how much preparation goes into it. With a little bit of planning and thought ahead of time, you can pave the way for your séance to go smoothly. Certainly, it's a good idea to expect the unexpected -- after all, the dead are hardly predictable -- but by setting yourself a few guidelines in advance, you can make sure that everyone has the best experience possible.

Here's How:

1. Plan your guest list: Figure out how many people you're going to have -- and make sure the space you're using will allow them all. If your living room only seats eight people comfortably, don't invite fifteen! Also, be sure that everyone attending is open-minded to the spirit world. People who are adamantly "non-believers" bring a certain amount of negative energy, and this can be disruptive. You may also find that it adversely effects your communication with the spirits during your séance.
2. Create a Spirit-Friendly Atmosphere:Most people like to conduct a séance at a round or oval table, but if neither is available, don't worry. Drape the table with fabric or sheets -- some people prefer light colors to attract "friendly" spirits, but it's a matter or personal preference. If you useincense, be sure that no one in your group is allergic to it. Place incense somewhere away from the table, rather than on the table itself.Candles are a nice addition as well -- not only do they provide some visibility, but there's a school of thought that believes spirits are attracted to heat and light sources.
   
   
3. Common Sense: Help everyone get comfortable by offering refreshments before you begin. Make sure that guests will be respectful of the spirits, and of other guests. Turn off all cell phones. If anyone needs to go to the bathroom or have a smoke, do so before you begin. Set the thermostat at a comfortable temperature -- remember that spirit activity can cause some fluctuation in levels of cold or heat. Once everyone is seated, you can help everyone relax by doing a short guided mediation, offering a prayer, or casting a protective circle, if your tradition requires you to do so.
   
   
4. During the Seance: Although many people like to do this, you don't have to hold hands to raise energy. In fact, if a séance goes on too long, it can get downright uncomfortable. Whoever is acting as the leader of the séance -- the medium -- should ask the spirits to join the group. If there is a specific spirit you are trying to contact, ask for them by name. For example, now would be the time to say, "Dear Auntie Gertrude, we respectfully ask that you honor us with your presence this evening." In some séances, spirits are summoned by chanting -- this will be up to your medium to decide on.
   
   
5. As long as the spirits seem willing to reply, you can carry on a question and answer session with them. Bear in mind that spirits respond in many different ways. Sometimes there will be a tangible reaction -- a tap, a thump, a soft breeze. Other times -- particularly if you have a room full of very psychically gifted people -- the spirit may choose to respond through another person. This may be the medium, or any other guest. The individual may simply "get a message" to pass along, which they would then share, such as, "Your Auntie Gertrude wants you to know she isn't in pain any more."
   
   
6. Party Time: Sometimes, particularly if you have a group of psychically gifted individuals as guests, you may get several spirits arriving all at once, chattering away. This is not cause for alarm, but it does take some managing, because they've all got something to say. Treat it like you would any other conversation with a large group of people -- let each spirit get their turn to deliver the message they came with, and then move on to the next one. Also, bear in mind that not all spirits are from departed humans -- deceased pets may also have a message to pass along.
   
   
7. Unwanted Entities: Just like at any other party, sometimes a séance will bring an uninvited guest. In this case, when you have a spirit that seems malevolent or mischievous, someone needs to let them know they're unwelcome. Typically, this will be the medium who is leading the séance, who will usually say something like, "You are not wanted here, but we thank you for your presence. Now it is time for you to move on."
   
   If an entity arrives that seems angry or hostile and will not leave, no matter what you do, end the séance. It's possible that it's been attracted to someone in your group who may have underlying issues.
   
   
8. Closing the Door: When you're done with the séance, it's important that guests thank the spirits for coming to visit. After all, you would do so if you had living guests drop in!
   
   If one of your attendees seems to have slipped into a trance or a sleep-like state during the séance, allow them to return gradually, on their own. Do NOT shake them awake. Chances are they'll have a message for someone once they're back among the group.
   
   
9. Close the séance by telling the spirits farewell, thanking them, and asking them to move along. You may want to offer a small blessing or prayer as a way of ending the formal séance, but bear in mind that some spirits like to hang around after the séance has officially finished. If they do, it's okay. They're probably just curious, and they may return to visit you later in the evening during a dream sequence.
   
   

Tips:

• Before you begin your seance, smudge the area with sage or sweetgrass for ritual cleansing.
  
  
• Make sure you've eliminated potential distractions, such as children or ringing telephones. Interestingly, many pets seem to come and go through spirit activity without causing any disruption. Cats in particular tend to be very curious about what's going on, and have been known to make themselves right at home in the middle of spirit work.
  
  
• Your guests may wish to bring an object that belonged to a deceased person, as a way of strengthening the connection. Photographs are also good links to the dead.
  
  

Speaking to the Dead:

Although traditionally a seance is a good way to communicate with those who have crossed into the spirit world, it's also perfectly fine to talk to them at other times. You may find yourself walking into a room and suddenly reminded of someone you've lost, or catching a whiff of a familiar scent. For me personally, every February I find myself picking over birthday cards and thinking to myself how funny my grandfather would find this one or that one. I make a point of telling him about them, even though he died in 2002. You don't need a fancy or formal ritual to speak to the dead. They hear you.

Why on Samhain?:

Why hold a Dumb Supper on Samhain? Well, it's traditionally known as the night when the veil between our world and the spirit world is at its most fragile. It's the night when we know for sure the dead will hear us speak, and maybe even speak back. It's a time of death and resurrection, of new beginnings and fond farewells.

Menus and Table Settings:

Your menu choices are up to you, but because it's Samhain, you may wish to make the traditional Soul Cakes, as well as serving dishes with apples, late fall vegetables, and game if available. Set the table with a black cloth, black plates and cutlery, black napkins. Use candles as your only source of light -- black if you can get them.

Realistically, not everyone has black dishware sitting around. In many traditions, it's perfectly acceptable to use a combination of black and white, although black should be the predominant color.

Host/Hostess Duties:

When you're hosting a Dumb Supper, clearly the point is that no one can speak --- and that makes a host's job very tricky. It means you have the responsibility of anticipating each guest's needs without them communicating verbally. Depending on the size of your table, you may want to make sure each end has its own salt, pepper, butter, etc. Also, watch your guests to see if anyone needs a drink refill, an extra fork to replace the one they just dropped, or more napkins.

The Dumb Supper:

In some Pagan traditions, it has become popular to hold a Dumb Supper in honor of the dead. In this case, the word "dumb" refers to being silent. The origins of this tradition have been fairly well debated -- some claim it goes back to ancient cultures, others believe it's a relatively new idea. Regardless, it's one that's observed by many people around the world.

When holding a Dumb Supper, there are a few simple guidelines to follow. First of all, make your dining area sacred, either by casting a circle, smudging, or some other method. Turn off phones and televisions, eliminating outside distractions.

Secondly, remember that this is a solemn and silent occasion, not a carnival. It's a time of silence, as the name reminds us. You may wish to leave younger children out of this ceremony. Ask each adult guest to bring a note to the dinner. The note's contents will be kept private, and should contain what they wish to say to their deceased friends or relatives.

Set a place at the table for each guest, and reserve the head of the table for the place of the Spirits. Although it's nice to have a place setting for each individual you wish to honor, sometimes it's just not feasible. Instead, use a tealight candle at the Spirit setting to represent each of the deceased. Shroud the Spirit chair in black or white cloth.

No one may speak from the time they enter the dining room. As each guest enters the room, they should take a moment to stop at the Spirit chair and offer a silent prayer to the dead. Once everyone is seated, join hands and take a moment to silently bless the meal. The host or hostess, who should be seated directly across from the Spirit chair, serves the meal to guests in order of age, from the oldest to youngest. No one should eat until all guests -- including Spirit -- are served.

When everyone has finished eating, each guest should get out the note to the dead that they brought. Go to the head of the table where Spirit sits, and find the candle for your deceased loved one. Focus on the note, and then burn it in the candle's flame (you may wish to have a plate or small cauldron on hand to catch burning bits of paper) and then return to their seat. When everyone has had their turn, join hands once again and offer a silent prayer to the dead.

Everyone leaves the room in silence. Stop at the Spirit chair on your way out the door, and say goodbye one more time.

Other Samhain Rituals:

If the idea of a Dumb Supper doesn't quite appeal to you -- or if you know darn well that your family can't be quiet for that long -- you may want to try some of these other Samhain rituals:

• Celebrate the End of the Harvest
• Honor the Ancestors at Samhain
• Samhain Ritual for Animals
• Hold a Seance at Samhain

What is a Spirit Guide?

Many people believe they have spirit guides. Some refer to theirs as angels or guardians. Regardless, if you believe you have one, a spirit guide is there simply to guide, not as an entity that you need to give yourself over to. If a spirit guide has a negative influence on your behavior, then chances are good that it's not a spirit guide at all, but something else entirely. These are some of the more commonly found types of spirit guides:

1. Ascended Masters:

These are guides often found by people who do energy work, such as Reiki. An ascended master who appears as a spirit guide is often a being that led a physical life and has moved on to a higher spiritual plane -- for example, Buddha, Krishna, even Jesus. Ascended masters usually work with collective groups of souls -- in other words, if you've got an ascended master hanging around you, you're not the only one he or she is helping. Their primary focus is that of helping all of humanity. It's not uncommon for an ascended master to have access to Akashic records. Also referred to as Master Teacher guides.

2. Ancestral Guides:

An ancestral guide is one who can claimsome sort of kinship with you, such as your dear Aunt Tillie who died when you were ten. It may also appear in the form of a long-dead ancestor. In some schools of thought, these entities are seen asreincarnated guides, because they are the spirits of someone who loved us during their physical lifetime, or who had some sort of blood connection to our family. Some people, depending on their religious upbringing, may see these types of guides as guardian angels.

3. Common Spirit Guide, or Teacher Guide:

A typical spirit guide is archetypical, symbolic or representative of something else. For example, you may find your guide appears in the form of a warrior, a storyteller, or a wise woman, and they have appeared to you for a purpose. Typically, that purpose is to teach you and guide you along a particular path. They may also introduce you to other archetypes along your journey, and help out with problem solving, based upon your needs. They are known to provide insight by way of dreams or meditation, and may only hang around as long as you need them, then move on.

4. Animal Guides:

Although many people claim to have animals as spirit guides, often these entities are more companions than anything else. It's not uncommon for a deceased pet to linger around, keeping you company through the grieving process. In some spiritual traditions, such as various Native American or shamanic paths, a person may have an animal totem, which provides teaching and/or protection.

Be Sure to Read:

• How to Find Your Spirit Guide
• Spirit Guide Warning Signs
• How to Hold a Seance
• Host a Dumb Supper
• Getting Rid of Unwanted Entities
• How to Cleanse a Sacred Space

Is Your Spirit Guide Really There To Help?:

Every once in a while, someone will manage to contact what they think is a spirit guide - perhaps by way of a Ouija board or other method, preferably other, as Ouija Boards have a higher susceptibility to welcoming negative entities versus positive ones it's best to contact your local psychic and medium to assist you in accessing them on the other side -- and the next thing you know, things are getting weird. If any of the following scenarios seem familiar, then chances are that what you've connected to is not a spirit guide at all.

How to know your spirit guide ISN'T really there to help:

1. You're the only person the spirit has EVER contacted, and you're really super special, which is why they're sharing their message with you and not two hundred other people.
2. Your guide talks about magical doorways, secret portals to other worlds, or gates that you somehow managed to open, and nobody else ever has.
3. The spirit doesn't mind you bragging about it to friends, but gets grumpy whenever anyone questions its existence or purpose. Not only that, it encourages you to isolate yourself from friends who think the spirit guide may well be full of poo.
   
4. The spirit claims to be hanging around in order to protect you from some other spirit that you've never encountered. Weird stuff happens, and your spirit guide is handily there at all the right times to help you out.
5. Your spirit guide claims to be from another planet or world that is as yet undiscovered by scientists.
6. The spirit claims that it needs your help -- and only yours -- to help it do things like write, talk, etc., and basically wants you to become its instrument of operation. In exchange for this voluntary form of possession, the spirit will impart you with all kinds of nifty new wisdom, that only you will be privy to.
7. The spirit seems to have no real purpose other than to share information with you, but the information you're receiving is of no real use, other than to make you believe you are way more enlightened than everyone else.
8. The spirit informs you that people who love you and care about you are secretly plotting against you, and that the only one who truly understands you is the spirit itself.
   
9. All the information you're being given by the spirit goes against common sense, logic, laws of science and physics, and basic human decency and yet it all makes sense to you now, because you're the only one special enough for the spirit to talk to.

What are some of the legitimate types of spirit guides? Read about Types of Spirit Guides to find out.

And, if it turns out that your spirit guide is really something you need to get rid of after all, be sure to read Getting Rid of Unwanted Spirits for tips on what to do.

Every once in a while, people who work with spirit communications may find themselves dealing with something that isn’t quite what they expected. Perhaps an entity has come along that isn’t the one you thought you were talking to, or worse yet, maybe something negative has decided to pay a visit. Much like an uninvited houseguest, sometimes you’ve just got to send them away.


Obviously, your first line of offense is a good defense. Before you get started doing any sort of spirit work, be sure to cleanse the area you’ll be practicing in. This can be done by way of smudging, prayer, or casting a circle. Creating a sacred space, in which the boundaries are clearly defined, is a good way of keeping out anything you don’t want to stop in and hang around.

Despite our best efforts, however, sometimes things can sneak in. It may be a spirit who has attached itself to a guest at your séance, or just a curious entity that wants to know what you’re up to. Perhaps it’s something that needs to deliver a message, and then just doesn’t feel like leaving afterwards.

If this is the case, there are a couple of ways you can get rid of unwanted spirits. The first way – and one most people don’t even consider – is very simple: tell it to leave. Be firm and blunt, and say something along the lines of, “This is not the place for you, and it’s time for you to leave.” You may wish to offer a blessing or well-wishes if it makes you feel better about things, and say, “It is time for you to move on, and we wish you the best in your new place.” Frequently, this will do the trick and your problems will be solved.

Sometimes, though, you may encounter an entity that’s a bit more stubborn. It may be really interested in hanging out with you, and in this case, you may need to take slightly more aggressive steps. In situations like this, you may want to create a cleansing ritual to rid the place (or person) of the attached spirit. By incorporating smudging and other purification practices, along with being assertive towards the entity (“I order you now to leave this place!”), you should be able to eliminate the spirit attachment.

Every once in a great while, people run into a spirit that’s not just stubborn, but downright hostile. In this case, you’ll need to bring out the big guns. Cleansing, smudging, and banishing are all called for. This may even be something you’d like to get assistance with – a small group of psychically gifted individuals can work wonders when it comes to getting rid of the nasties. Again, the key here is to be assertive and reclaim your space from whatever entity has attached itself. This means you’ll have to take charge of the situation. Don’t be afraid to shout out, “You are NOT welcome here!” to whatever’s hanging around.

Once you’ve gotten rid of whatever it is that has been lurking, make sure you do a final cleansing of the space to help prevent further recurrences from unwanted visitors. Use the tips included in Magical Self Defense as a way to keep negative entities away.

In many magical traditions, it is considered important to purify or cleanse a space before any sort of ritual can take place. There are a several different ways of doing this, and how you do it will depend in part upon the rules or guidelines of your tradition. If you're a solitary, or your tradition is eclectic, then you may choose the method that works best for you.


Typically, when an area is ritually purified, it is done in a clockwise, or deosil, direction, but this may vary from one tradition to the next.

Smudging
With smudging, you can use sage, sweetgrass, or other herbs. You can also use incense, if you like. The purpose of smudging is to use smoke to carry negative energy out of the area. When you light sage or sweetgrass, allow it to flame for a moment and then blow out the flame. This will leave you with a burning herb bundle, which will create smoke. Here's how to Make Your Own Smudge Sticks.

Asperging
In some cases, you may wish to use asperging as a method of cleaning a space. Asperging means using liquid -- the power of water -- to purify the area. Although this is typically done by sprinkling consecrated water around the perimeter of the space, you can also asperge with milk, wine, or either of these blended with honey.

Sweeping
Typically, the broom is associated with cleaning and purification. You can use a broom or besom to go around the edges of the space, sweeping negativity away as you go. It's a good idea to start and finish near a door, so that negative energy can literally be swept outside. Here's how to Make Your Own Besom.

Salt
Salt has been used for purification for thousands of years. Use a bowl of sea salt, sprinkled around the area, to cleanse the space and make it sacred. Some people like to use Salt Crystal Lamps as well.

Fire
In many cultures, fire is used to ritually purify and cleanse a space. You can do this by lighting a candle and walking the area, or sprinkling cooled ashes around the perimeter (although this can be messy to clean up if you're inside!).

Before you get started, be sure to brush up on your Incense 101.

By the time Samhain rolls around, your herb garden is probably looking pretty sad. Now's the time to take all those goodies you harvested and dried in September, and put them to good use. This incense blend is perfect for a Samhain seance, divination session, or for any other autumn working.

This recipe is for loose incense, but you can adapt it for stick or cone recipes if you like. As you mix and blend your incense, focus on the goal of your work. Do you wish to contact the spirit of a long-dead ancestor? Are you hoping to bring some visions your way in a dream? Or are you maybe looking to enhance your own meditative abilities? Focus your intent as you blend your ingredients.

You’ll need:

• 2 parts Cinnamon
• 1 part ground cloves
• 1 part Dragon's Blood resin
• 1 part Hyssop
• 1 part Patchouli
• 2 parts Rosemary
• 1 part Sage
• A dash of sea salt

Add your ingredients to your mixing bowl one at a time. Measure carefully, and if the leaves or other items need to be crushed, use your mortar and pestle to do so. As you blend the herbs together, state your intent. You may find it helpful to charge your incense with an incantation. For example, if you were going to use your incense during a seance, you could use this:

The veil has thinned, the moon is bright
and I blend this magic on Samhain night.
Celebrating life and death and rebirth
with these herbs I've harvested from the earth.
I send my intent by smoke in the air
and call on those whose blood I share.
I ask my ancestors to guide and watch over me,
As I will, so it shall be.Store your incense in a tightly sealed jar. Make sure you label it with its intent and name, as well as the date you created it. Use within three months, so that it remains charged and fresh.

Samhain is a time when magic is often focused on divination and communing with the spirit world, as we discussed in yesterday's lesson. Today we'll talk about the use of magical witch bottles and Needfires, as well as Samhain divination traditions, and whether or not a Ouija Board is something you should use. 

In many agricultural societies, a popular pastime at Samhain was that of divination - after all, this is a time when the barrier between our world and the metaphysical realm is at its thinnest. From scrying in a mirror to using an apple to foretell the name of one's future lover, many traditional divination methods were practiced in rural cultures for centuries. You can use them today for your own divination at Samhain, or any other time of the year.

Apple Divination
Apples have always been popular tools for foretelling the future. There are a number of traditional methods in folklore for seeing who one's lover might be.

• Peel the apple, keeping the peel in one long piece. When the peel comes off, drop it on the floor. The letter it forms is the first initial of your true love's name.
• Wait until midnight at Samhain, and cut an apple into nine pieces. Take the pieces into a dark room with a mirror (either hanging on the wall or a hand-held one will do). At midnight, begin eating the pieces of apple while looking into the mirror. When you get to the ninth piece, throw it over your shoulder. The face of your lover should appear in the mirror.
• If a girl has more than one potential lover, peel an apple and pull out the seeds. Place a wet seed on your cheek for each boyfriend. The last one left stuck to the skin represents the suitor who is the true love.

Apples have more magical aspects than just divination - be sure to read more here:Apple Magic and Folklore

Water Divination
Water is known for its magical properties in many belief systems, so it's only natural to use it for divination workings. Try one of these on Samhain night.

• At midnight on Samhain, go to a lake and gaze into the water. You should see your lover's face reflected in the lake before you.
• Fill a cauldron with water, and then light a candle. Drip the hot wax into the water, and see what shape it forms. The shape will indicate the profession of your future lover, if you're working on love magic. It can also foretell changes in your non-romantic life, such as job issues or questions related to home and family.
• Find a moving body of water like a stream or river. Select a piece of wood to represent the person you wish to be your lover, and throw it in the water. If it floats downstream, he will be true and constant. If the wood gets caught up on the bank, or sinks, your lover will be unfaithful.

 Foretelling with Food 
There are a number of divination methods that use foods, baking and cooking as their focus. Some of these are still practiced today.

• Scottish Bannock Divination: in Scotland and northern England, a girl would bake a bannock cake in the evening. In complete silence, she walked to her room and placed the bannock under her pillow. Her dreams that night would show her the face of her lover, and in the morning she ate the bannock.
• To find out if you'll find love in the coming twelve months, separate an egg and drop the white into a glass of water. If it sinks immediately, love is forthcoming. If it floats on the top of the water, you'll spend the next year alone.
• Take two nuts, one for yourself and one for your lover. At midnight on Samhain, place them on a grate over your fire. If they burn well, you'll have a long and happy relationship. If one nut pops or burns, it means one of you will be unfaithful.
• Hazelnuts can be used in workings related to divination and dowsing - tie a ripe one onto a string and use it as a pendulum.

 Scrying Mirrors
Samhain is a time to do some serious divination - it's the time of year when the veil between our world and that of the spirits is at its thinnest, and that means it's the perfect season to look for messages from the metaphysical. Scrying is one of the best known forms of divination, and can be done in a variety of ways. Basically, it's the practice of looking into some sort of reflective surface -- such as water, fire, glass, dark stones, etc. -- to see what messages, symbols, or visions may appear. A scrying mirror is a simple black-backed mirror, and it's easy to make one yourself. Here's how: Make a Scrying Mirror More »

 The Ouija Board
Want to use a Ouija board for divination, or communing with the spirits? Well, that's fine... if you know what you're doing. Before you use one, be sure to read this information on how a Ouija board works, and what potential problems can arise: Should I Use a Ouija Board? 
More »

 Reading the Bones
It is believed that in many parts of the early Celtic world, at the time Samhain, villagers would throw the bones of slaughtered cattle into the fire, and then make predictions by scrying, or reading the images in the flames. You can do this too, or you can make a set of divination bones, which is something many magical traditions rely on. To make your own set, follow the tips on our Lithomancy page, but use bones instead of stones. A great resource for "throwing the bones" in divination is Cat Yronwoode's book, Bone Reading Divination Magic. More »

 Tarot Layouts
For many modern Pagans, Samhain is a good time to see what the coming year will hold - after all, it is the beginning of the Pagan new year! Consider taking some time to do a Tarot card reading - or have a friend do one for you - and focus on a bit of quiet reflection on what's to come. It's worth noting that if you choose to do this, it's worth the time and energy to do a detailed reading - after all, we're talking about an entire year to come! It's also a good idea to make notes as you go along. That will help you remember what you read during the process, especially when you're trying to figure out in June what you saw back in October. For some different Tarot layouts you can try, be sure to check here: Tarot Card Layouts and Spreads More »

A reader asks, I bought a Ouija board because I want to talk to spirits. My dad says it's a tool of the Devil but I think I'll be fine. What do you think?

Erm… well, I'm going to let the whole "tool of the devil" bit slide, but let's look at this a bit more in depth, shall we?

Here's the problem with a Ouija Board -- anyone can use one, and no skill is required. In other words, the thing that makes the Ouija Board so easy to use is also what can make it potentially troublesome. Toy and game companies sell them by the thousands, but most people don't realize exactly what they are. Are they evil? No, no more than your Monopoly board is. Are they dangerous? Well, in the hands of someone who's untrained -- or an idiot -- they could be. Look at it as a spiritual version of the chat room, if that helps. There's nothing at all wrong with talking to thirty strangers… until one of them turns out to be a serial killer or a pedophile. And the thing is, you don't KNOW who is what when you enter that room. Same with a Ouija board.

A Ouija Board is, quite simply, a divinatory tool. Its purpose is to answer a question by inviting spirits to speak to the people using the board. There's no guarantee that anything will happen at all... but there's also no way to control what DOES happen.

Many people believe that the use of a Ouija board is a form of voluntary possession - and keep in mind that "possession" doesn't have to be bad, despite the negative connotations the word often has. In order to get the spirit to contact you through the planchette, you basically have to give up your will, and work as a medium -- it's the only way for them to work through you. The spirit isn't moving the planchette, but it's causing you to move it with your hands by way of possession. Once you've opened up the Ouija board, it's a crapshoot as to what's going to try to make contact -- if you're just randomly calling upon any nearby entity, then you don't know who or what is moving that planchette around, or what its purpose is.

Some of our readers offer their best tips for how to use a Ouija board safely:

• Karen: I always cleanse the whole roomI'm using before I get started. I also make sure I cast a circle, so anything bad will stay out of my work area.


• Alafair: You know, my grandma taught me to use the Ouija board when I was a girl, and what she did was throw salt around itto keep the Devil away. She was a Christian, and I'm a Pagan, but those old habits die hard. I still throw a handful of salt around the room before I start. It seems to have worked so far. Maybe grandma is watching over me too!


• Durkin: I don't smudge, but I make absolutely certain that before I start using it, I offer up a prayer to the guardians of my house. I count on them as a barrier between me and anything bad that might sneak in. Also, I only call on specific spirits or people for assistance. I don't just open it up to any spiritual being that wants to drop in.


• Alyxx: I use my Ouija board all the time, and I've never had any problems. Sometimes I do a quick grounding and shielding beforehand, other times I dive right in. I know a lot of people say Ouija boards are dangerous, but I think everyone has their own individual experience with it.


• Taryn: Smudging! I always always smudge. I also cast a circle and call upon the Goddess to keep me safe while I'm working with the Ouija board. I really don't like using it, if I can avoid it. It feels creepy to me.


• Freyja: My tradition doesn't have any sort of rules about using Ouija. it's divination, plain and simple, and I feel that I get what I call up. If you don't know how to deal with what you're invoking, you shouldn't be doing it. I know a lot of people think Ouija is dangerous, but honestly, it has more to do with the common sense level of the people using it.

The bottom line -- if you're unsure about what you're doing, or inexperienced with dealing with spirits, you may want to find some other method of divination that doesn’t involve voluntary possession. If you'd like to know more about dealing with spirits, be sure to read What is a Spirit Guide?

Did you accidentally invoke a spirit or entity that won't go away? Make sure you readGetting Rid of Unwanted Entities for some tips on how to rid yourself of unwelcome metaphysical guests.

The witch bottle is a magical tool that has been reported in use for centuries. In early times, the bottle was designed as a way to protect oneself from malicious witchcraft and sorcery. In particular, around the time of Samhain, homeowners might create a witch bottle to keep evil spirits from entering the home on Hallow's Eve. The witch bottle was usually made of pottery or glass, and included sharp objects such as pins and bent nails. It typically contained urine as well, belonging to the homeowner, as a magical link to the property and family within. In 2009, an intact witch bottle was found in Greenwich, England, and experts have dated it back to around the seventeenth century.

Around the Samhain season, you may want to do a little bit of protective magic yourself, and create a witch bottle of your own. The general idea of the witch bottle is to not only protect yourself, but send back the negative energy to whoever or whatever is sending it your way. 

You'll need the following items:

• A small glass jar with lid
• Sharp, rusty items like nails, razor blades, bent pins
• Sea salt
• Red string or ribbon
• A black candle

Fill the jar about halfway with the sharp, rusty items. These were used to deflect bad luck and ill fortune away from the jar. Add the salt, which is used for purification, and finally, the red string or ribbon, which was believed to bring protection. When the jar is halfway filled, there are a couple of different things you can do, depending on whether or not you're easily repulsed.

One option is to fill the remainder of the jar with your own urine - this identifies the bottle as belonging to you. However, if the idea makes you a bit squeamish, there are other ways you can complete the process. Instead of urine, use a bit of wine. You may wish to consecrate the wine first before using it in this manner. In some magical traditions, the practitioner might choose to spit in the wine after it's in the jar because -- much like the urine -- this is a way of marking the jar as your territory.

Cap the jar, and make sure it's sealed tightly (particularly if you used urine - you don't want any accidental spillage), and seal it with wax from the black candle. Black is considered handy for banishing negativity. If you're having trouble finding black candles, you may want to use white instead, and imagine a white ring of protection surrounding your witch bottle. Also, in candle magic, white is typically considered a universal substitute for any other color candle.

Now - where to stash your bottle? There are two schools of thought on this, and you can decide which one works best for you. One group swears that the bottle needs to be hidden somewhere in the home - under a doorstep, up in a chimney, behind a cabinet, whatever -- because that way, any negative magic aimed at the house will always go straight to the witch bottle, avoiding the people in the home. The other philosophy is that the bottle needs to be buried as far away from the house as possible, so that any negative magic sent towards you will never reach your home in the first place. Whichever one you choose, be sure that you're leaving your bottle in a place where it will remain undisturbed permanently.

If you do believe someone may be trying to harm you or your family with malicious magic, be sure to read about Magical Self Defense.

In some areas of the Celticlands, people believed that a special fire, called the Needfire, could be used to create magical results. However, much like Harry Potter's Room of Requirement, the Needfire could only be created in times of great need. In many areas, Samhain was seen as an opportune time for the Needfire -- after all, the harvest was over, the earth was getting cold, and in just a few short months, your family could be starving and freezing. The Needfire helped to assure that your family would be safe from famine, pestilence, the deadly cold, and other natural disasters. In some nomadic societies, the Needfire was the place to make offerings - if you wanted to have a healthy crop of sheep, for example, you might carve an effigy of a ewe and toss it in the fire. Perhaps you'd throw a few seeds in there to assure an abundant crop in the following season.

Traditionally, the Needfire was lit without the use of iron. It could only be started by rubbing a pair of sticks together, or twisting a rope along a stake until a spark was created. In some areas, it was considered acceptable to use embers from a tree that had been hit by lightning as your starter, but typically, the Needfire was started by hand. Although it can be tricky to start a fire without flint or matches or a lighter -- anyone who's watched survival shows on television knows this -- it is indeed possible to do it. If you practice your technique ahead of time, you should be able to light a Samhain Needfire to help protect and guard your family through the coming year.

There are some excellent resources online for how to make a fire using a bow-drill, which is basically a piece of wood with a string, run along a spindle until a spark is created. Check these websites for an idea of how you can get your 

Needfire started:

• Primitive Fire Lighting
• The Egyptian Bow Drill
• Campfire Dude

Light your Needfire on the night of Samhain Eve. Once the sparks have caught, and you have a good blaze going, make an offering to the deities of your tradition, thanking them for keeping an eye on you in the coming year. You may also wish to make an offering to your ancestors, invoking them to protect your family.

Samhain is a time to do some serious divination - it's the time of year when the veil between our world and that of the spirits is at its thinnest, and that means it's the perfect season to look for messages from the metaphysical. Scrying is one of the best known forms of divination, and can be done in a variety of ways. Basically, it's the practice of looking into some sort of reflective surface -- such as water, fire, glass, dark stones, etc. -- to see what messages, symbols, or visions may appear. A scrying mirror is a simple black-backed mirror, and it's easy to make one yourself.

To make your scrying mirror, you'll need the following:

• A clear glass plate
• Matte black spray paint
• Additional paints (acrylic) for embellishment

To prepare the mirror, first you'll need to clean it. Use any glass cleaner, or for a more earth-friendly method, use vinegar mixed with water. Once the glass is clean, flip it over so that the back side is facing up. Lightly spray with the matte black spray paint. For the best result, hold the can a couple of feet away, and spray from side to side. If you hold the can too close, the paint will pool, and you don't want this. As each coat dries, add another coat. After five to six coats, the paint should be dense enough that you can't see through the paint if you hold the glass up to a light.

Once the paint has dried, turn the glass right side up. Use your acrylic paint to add embellishments around the outer edge of the plate -- you can add symbols of your tradition, magical sigils, or even your favorite saying. The one in the photo says, "Thee I invoke by the moonlit sea, the standing stone, and the twisted tree," but yours can say anything you like. Allow these to dry as well. Your mirror is ready for scrying, but before you use it, you may want to consecrate it as you would any other magical item.

The focus of nearly any Wiccan or Pagan sabbat celebration is the ritual. Because different traditions honor different aspects of Samhain, however, there are a variety of rituals you can perform to mark this night that reminds us of the endless cycle of death and rebirth. 

Samhain represents, among other things, the end of the harvest season. If you haven't picked it by Samhain, you probably won't be eating it! The gardens have died off by now, and where we once saw lush green plants, there is nothing left but dry and dead stalks. The perennials have shut down for the season too, going dormant so that they may return to us in the spring. Animals are brought in from the fields for the winter -- and if you've ever had a spider come wandering into your living room one chilly October night, you know that even the insects are trying to find a place to stay warm.

If we had lived a few hundreds of years ago, we would not only have brought our cows and sheep in from the pastures. Most likely we'd slaughter a few of them, as well as some pigs and goats, smoking the meat so it would last through the cold months. Our grain that we picked back atLughnasadh has been baked into bread, and all of our herbs have been gathered, and hang from the rafters in the kitchen. The harvest is over, and now it's time to settle in for winter with the coziness of a warm fireplace, heavy blankets, and big pots of comfort food on the stovetop.

If you want to celebrate Samhain as the time of harvest's end, you can do so as a single ritual, or as the first of three days of ceremony. If you don't have a permanentaltar in place, set up a table to leave in place for the three days prior to Samhain. This will act as a your family's temporary altar for the Sabbat. Decorate the altar with symbols of late fall, such as:

• Skulls, skeletons, grave rubbings, ghosts
• Harvest food such as pumpkins, squash, root vegetables
• Nuts and berries, dark breads
• Dried leaves and acorns
• A cornucopia filled with an abundance of fruit and veggies
• Mulled cider, wine, or mead

To begin your ceremony, prepare a meal for the family -- and this is something that everyone can get involved in. Put emphasis on fruits and vegetables, and wild game meat if available. Also make sure you have a loaf of a dark bread like rye or pumpernickel and a cup of apple cider or wine. Set the dinner table with candles and a fall centerpiece, and put all the food on the table at once. Consider the dinner table a sacred space.

Gather everyone around the table, and say:

Tonight is the first of three nights,
on which we celebrate Samhain.
It is the end of the harvest, the last days of summer,
and the cold nights wait on the other side for us.
The bounty of our labor, the abundance of the harvest,
the success of the hunt, all lies before us.
We thank the earth for all it has given us this season,
and yet we look forward to winter,
a time of sacred darkness.

Take the cup of cider or wine, and lead everyone outside. Make this a ceremonial and formal occasion. If you have a vegetable garden, great! Go there now -- otherwise, just find a nice grassy spot in your yard. Each person in the family takes the cup in turn and sprinkles a little bit of cider onto the earth, saying:

Summer is gone, winter is coming.
We have planted and
we have watched the garden grow,
we have weeded,
and we have gathered the harvest.
Now it is at its end.

If you have any late-fall plants still waiting to be picked, gather them up now. Collect a bundle of dead plants and use them to make a straw man or woman. If you follow a more masculine path, he may be your King of Winter, and rule your home until spring returns. If you follow the Goddess in her many forms, make a female figure to represent the Goddess as hag or crone in winter.

Once that is done, go back inside and bring your King of Winter into your home with much pomp and circumstance. Place him on your table and prop him up with a plate of his own, and when you sit down to eat, serve him first.

Begin your meal with the breaking of the dark bread, and make sure you toss a few crumbs outside for the birds afterwards. Keep the King of Winter in a place of honor all season long -- you can put him back outside in your garden on a pole to watch over next spring's seedlings, and eventually burn him at your Beltane celebration.

When you are finished with your meal, put the leftovers out in the garden. Wrap up the evening by playing games, such as bobbing for apples or telling spooky stories before a bonfire.

In some Wiccan traditions, by Samhain, the Goddess has entered her incarnation of Crone. She is the Old One, the earth mother, the wise one we turn to when we need advice. She teaches us that sometimes we must let go in order to move on. The God, at Samhain, is the Horned One, the stag of great antlers, the god of the wild hunt. He is the animal that dies so that we may eat, and the grains and corn that once lived in the field before our harvest. We can honor these late-fall aspects of both the Goddess and the God in one ritual.

Begin by casting a circle, if your tradition requires it. Prior to starting the ceremony, place three sheaves of corn or wheat around the ritual space. You'll also need a statue or other image of the God and of the Goddess at the center of your altar. Around the statues, place five candles -- red and black to represent the dark aspect of the Goddess, green and brown to symbolize the wild God, and white for the hearth and home.

Place a plate of dark bread, enough for each person present, near the center of the altar, along with a cup of wine or cider. Circle the altar. The youngest person present will act as the Handmaiden, and the oldest as the High Priest (HP) or High Priestess (HPs). If you're performing this rite as a solitary, simply take on both parts. The HPs lights the red and black candles, and says:

A pair of candles is lit
in honor of the Goddess.
She is Maiden and Mother throughout the year
and tonight we honor her as Crone.

Next, the HPs lights the brown and green candles, saying:

A pair of candles is lit
in honor of the God.
He is wild and fertile and animal
and tonight we honor him as the Horned God.

The Handmaiden takes the bread and walks the circle with the plate, allowing each person to tear off a chunk. As they do so, she says: May the blessings of the Goddess be upon you. The cup of wine or cider is passed around, and each person takes a sip. As they do, the Handmaiden should say: May the blessings of the God be upon you.

The Handmaiden then lights the fifth candle, for the hearth, saying:

This candle is lit
in honor of hearth and home.
The mother and father, the Goddess and God,
watch over us tonight as we honor them.

The HPs then takes over, saying:

We light these five candles
for the powerful Goddess
and her mighty horned consort, the God,
and for the safety of home and hearth.
On this, the night of Samhain,
when the Goddess is a wise Crone,
and the God is a wild stag,
we honor them both.

The Handmaiden says:

This is a time between the worlds,
a time of life and a time of death.
This is a night unlike any other night.
Ancient ones, we ask your blessing.
Goddess, great Crone, mother of all life,
we thank you for your wisdom.
Horned God, master of the wild hunt, keeper of the forest,
we thank you for all that you provide.

At this time, the rest of the group may also say thanks. If you wish to make an offering to the God and Goddess, now is the time to place it upon the altar.

Once all offerings have been made, and thanks given, take a moment to meditate on the new beginnings of Samhain. Consider the gifts that the gods have given you over the past year, and think about how you might show them your gratitude in the coming twelve months. As the old year dies, make room in the new year for new things in your life. You may not know yet what's coming, but you can certainly imagine, dream and hope. Tonight, this night between the worlds, is the perfect time to imagine what things may come.

End the ritual in the way called for by your tradition.

Tips:

• Decorate your altar with symbols of the God -- antlers, acorns, pine cones, phallic symbols -- and representations of the Goddess, such as red flowers, cups, pomegranates, etc.
• If your tradition honors a specific pair of male and female deities, feel free to substitute their names in this ritual wherever it says God or Goddess.

Samhain is a time like no other, in that we can watch as the earth literally dies for the season. Leaves fall from the trees, the crops have gone brown, and the land once more becomes a desolate place. However, at Samhain, when we take the time to remember the dead, we can take time to contemplate this endless cycle of life, death, and eventual rebirth.

For this ritual, you'll want to decorate your altar with symbols of life and death. You'll want to have on hand a white candle and a black one, as well as black, red, and white ribbon in equal lengths (one set for each participant). Finally, you'll need a few sprigs of rosemary.

Perform this rite outside if at all possible. If you normally cast a circle, do so now. Say:

Samhain is here, and it is a time of transitions.
The winter approaches, and the summer dies.
This is the time of the Dark Mother,
a time of death and of dying.
This is the night of our ancestors
and of the Ancient Ones.

Place the rosemary on the altar. If you are doing this as a group ceremony, pass it around the circle before placing on the altar. Say:

Rosemary is for remembrance,
and tonight we remember those who have
lived and died before us,
those who have crossed through the veil,
those who are no longer with us.
We will remember.

Turn to the north, and say:

The north is a place of cold,
and the earth is silent and dark.
Spirits of the earth, we welcome you,
knowing you will envelope us in death.

Turn to face the east, and say:

The east is a land of new beginnings,
the place where breath begins.
Spirits of air, we call upon you,
knowing you will be with us as we depart life.

Face south, saying:

The south is a land of sunlight and fire,
and your flames guide us through the cycles of life.
Spirits of fire, we welcome you,
knowing you will transform us in death.

Finally, turn to face the west, and say:

The west is a place of underground rivers,
and the sea is a never-ending, rolling tide.
Spirits of water, we welcome you,
knowing you will carry us
through the ebbs and flows of our life.

Light the black candle, saying:

The Wheel of the Year turns once more,
and we cycle into darkness.

Next, light the white candle, and say:

At the end of that darkness comes light.
And when it arrives, we will celebrate once more.

Each person takes a set of ribbons -- one white, one black, and one red. Say:

White for life, black for death,
red for rebirth.
We bind these strands together
remembering those we have lost.

Each person should then braid or knot their three ribbons together. As you do so, focus on the memories of those you have lost in your life.

While everyone is braiding or knotting, say:

Please join me in chanting as you work your energy and love into your cords:

As the corn will come from grain,
All that dies will rise again.
As the seeds grow from the earth,
We celebrate life, death and rebirth.

Finally, ask everyone to take their knotted ribbons home with them and place them on their personal altar if they have one. That way, they can be reminded of their loved ones each time they pass by.

Note: Rosemary is used in this rite because although it seems to go dormant over the winter, if you keep it in a pot you'll get new growth in the spring. If there's another plant you'd rather use, feel free.

This ceremony is designed to honor the spirits of the animals - both wild and domestic. Man's relationship with animals goes back thousands and thousands of years. They have been a source of food and clothing. They have protected us from the things that lurk in the darkness. They have provided comfort and warmth. In some cases, they have even raised and nurtured our discarded children, as in the case of Romulus and Remus. If you have animals in your home -- pets or livestock -- this is their night. Feed them before you feed the humans in your family. Put some food out for any wild animals that may happen by as well.

If you have a pet that has passed away during this last year, you may want to include a photo or keepsake of them on your table during this rite.

Prepare a stew for your family that includes small amounts of as many different meats as you may have available -- beef, pork, game, chicken, etc. If your family is vegetarian or vegan, designate a non-meat ingredient to represent each animal and adapt the ritual as needed, eliminating lines that reference the eating of animals. When your stew is ready, gather the family around the altar table you prepared during the previous night's Harvest End Ritual.

Place the stew pot in the center of the table, with a large serving spoon or ladle. Make sure you have some good dark bread to eat as well. Each member of the family should have a bowl and spoon handy. Say:

Samhain has come, and it is the end of the Harvest.
The crops are in from the fields,
And the animals are preparing for the coming winter.
Tonight, we honor the animals in our lives.
Some have died that we may eat.
Some have provided us with love.
Some have protected us from that which would do us harm.
Tonight, we thank them all.

Go around the family in a circle. Each person should take a scoop of stew from the pot and place it in their bowl. Younger children may need an adult's help with this. As each person gets their helping, say:

Blessed are the animals,
Those who die that we may eat.
Blessed are the animals,
Those we love and who love us in return.As the Wheel of the Year continues to turn,
The harvest has ended, and the grain has been threshed.
The animals sleep for the winter.
We thank them for their gifts.

Take your time finishing your meal. If you have pets, don't be surprised if they come visit while you're eating your stew tonight -- animals tend to be very aware of the spiritual plane! If there is any stew left over, leave some out for the spirits. Any extra bread can be thrown outside for the wild animals and birds.

Tips:

• If you want to mix a bit of stew in with your pet's everyday food, it's a good idea to check with your veterinarian first.

For many modern Pagans, there has been a resurgence of interest in our family histories. We want to know where we came from and whose blood runs through our veins. Although ancestor worship has traditionally been found more in Africa and Asia, many Pagans with European heritage are beginning to feel the call of their ancestry. This rite can be performed either by itself, or on the third night of Samhain, following the End of Harvest celebration and the Honoring of the Animals.

First, decorate your altar table -- you may have already gotten it set up during the End of Harvest rite or for the Ritual for Animals. Decorate your altar with family photos and heirlooms. If you have a family tree chart, place that on there as well. Add postcards, flags, and other symbols of the country your ancestors came from. If you're lucky enough to live near where your family members are buried, make a grave rubbing and add that as well. In this case, a cluttered altar is perfectly acceptable -- after all, each of us is a blend of many different people and cultures.

Have a meal standing by to eat with the ritual. Include lots of dark bread, apples, fall vegetables, and a jug of cider or wine. Set your dinner table, with a place for each family member, and one extra plate for the ancestors. You may want to bake someSoul Cakes.

If your family has household guardians, include statues or masks of them on your altar. Finally, if a relative has died this year, place a candle for them on the altar. Light candles for other relatives, and as you do so, say the person's name aloud. It's a good idea to use tealights for this, particularly if you have a lot of relatives to honor.

Once all the candles have been lit, the entire family should circle the altar. The oldest adult present leads the ritual. Say:

This is the night when the gateway between
our world and the spirit world is thinnest.
Tonight is a night to call out those who came before us.
Tonight we honor our ancestors.
Spirits of our ancestors, we call to you,
and we welcome you to join us for this night.
We know you watch over us always,
protecting us and guiding us,
and tonight we thank you.
We invite you to join us and share our meal.

The oldest family member then serves everyone else a helping of whatever dishes have been prepared, except for the wine or cider. A serving of each food goes on the ancestors' plate before the other family members recieve it. During the meal, share stories of ancestors who are no longer among the living -- this is the time to remember Grandpa's war stories he told you as a child, tell about when Aunt Millie used salt instead of sugar in the cake, or reminisce about summers spent at the family homestead in the mountains.

When everyone has finished eating, clear away all the dishes, except for the ancestors' plate. Pour the cider or wine in a cup, and pass it around the circle (it should end at the ancestor's place). As each person receives the cup, they recite their genealogy, like so:

I am Susan, daughter of Joyce, the daughter of Malcolm, son of Jonathan...

and so forth. Feel free to add in place names if you like, but be sure to include at least one generation that is deceased. For younger family members, you may wish to have them only recite back to their grandparents, just because otherwise they can get confused.

Go back as many generations as you can, or (in the case of people who have done a lot of genealogy research) as many as you can remember. You may be able to trace your family back to William the Conqueror, but that doesn't mean you have it memorized. After each person recites their ancestry, they drink from the cider cup and pass it to the next person.

A quick note here -- many people are adopted. If you are one them, you are fortunate enough to be able to choose whether you wish to honor your adoptive family, your biological family, or a combination of the two. If you don't know the names of your birth parents or their ancestry, there's nothing wrong with saying, "Daughter of a family unknown." It's entirely up to you. The spirits of your ancestors know who you are, even if you don't know them yet.

After the cup has made its way around the table, place it in front of the ancestors' plate. This time, a younger person in the family takes over, saying:

This is the cup of remembrance.
We remember all of you.
You are dead but never forgotten,
and you live on within us.

Tips:

• If you didn't do a separate ritual for animals, you can add photos and candles for deceased pets to your family altar.
• If you like, you may wish to follow this ritual with a Seance.
• If your children are younger, and you'd like to include them in a short ritual, consider holding an Ancestor Ritual for Families With Children instead.

A Time of Darkness

Samhain is known as the night when the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest. It's a time to sit back and honor the spirit world, and call upon those ancestors who came before us. After all, if not for them, we wouldn't be here. We owe them something, some gratitude for their ability to survive, their strength, their spirit. Many Pagans choose Samhain as a time to honor their ancestors. If this is something you'd like to do, you can celebrate with a ritual or by hosting a seance or dumb supper in their honor:

In addition to these more formal rituals, you may also want to take some time alone for a quiet meditation. This is a point in the Wheel of the Year when the spirit world is a bit closer than normal, and if you've never tried to contact your ancestors before, now is a good time to do it.

When performing an ancestor meditation, people experience different things. You may find yourself meeting a specific person that you are aware of in your family history -- maybe you've heard the stories about great-uncle Joe who went out west after the Civil War, and now you have the privilege of chatting with him, or perhaps you'll meet the grandmother who passed away when you were a child. Some people, however, meet their ancestors as archetypes. In other words, it may not be a specific individual you meet, but rather a symbol -- instead of adventurous great-uncle Joe, it may be a non-specific Civil War soldier or frontiersman. Either way, understand that meeting these individuals is a gift. Pay attention to what they say and do -- it may be that they're trying to give you a message.

Before you perform this meditation, it's not a bad idea to spend some time with the tangible, physical aspects of your family. Bring out the old photo albums, read through wild Aunt Tillie's diary from the Great Depression, get out your grandfather's old pocket watch that almost sank with the Titanic. These are the material things that connect us to our family. They link us, magically and spiritually. Spend time with them, absorbing their energies and thinking of the things they've seen, the places they've been.

You can perform this ritual anywhere, but if you can do it outside at night it's even more powerful. Decorate your altar (or if you're outside, use a flat stone or tree stump) with the symbols of your ancestors -- the photos, journals, war medals, watches, jewelry, etc. No candles are necessary for this meditation, but if you'd like to light one, do so. You may also want to burn some Samhain spirit incense.

Claiming Your Birthright

Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Think about who you are, and what you are made of, and know that everything within you is the sum of all your ancestors. From thousands of years ago, generations of people have come together over the centuries to create the person you are now. Think about your own strengths -- and weaknesses -- and remember that they came from somewhere. This is a time to honor the ancestors who formed you.

Recite your genealogy -- aloud if you like -- as far back as you can go. As you say each name, describe the person and their life. An example might go something like this:

I am the daughter of James, who fought in Vietnam
and returned to tell the tale.
James was the son of Eldon and Maggie,
who met on the battlefields of France,
as she nursed him back to health.
Eldon was the son of Alice, who sailed
aboard Titanic and survived.
Alice was the daughter of Patrick and Molly,
who farmed the soil of Ireland, who
raised horses and tatted lace to feed the children...and so forth. Go back as far as you like, elaborating in as much detail as you choose. Once you can go back no further, end with "those whose blood runs in me, whose names I do not yet know".

If you happened to meet a certain ancestor, or their archetype, during your meditation, take a moment to thank them for stopping by. Take note of any information they may have given you -- even if it doesn't make sense just now, it may later on when you give it some more thought. Think about all the people you come from, whose genes are part of you. Some were great people -- some, not so much, but the point is, they all belong to you. They all have helped shape and create you. Appreciate them for what they were, with no expectations or apologies, and know that they are watching over you.

A Prayer for the Final Harvest

Corn has been shucked,
grain has been threshed,
herbs have been hung to dry.
Grapes have been pressed,
potatoes have been dug,
beans have been shelled and canned.
It is the harvest season,
and food is ready for winter.
We will eat, and we will live,
and we will be grateful.

Children's Prayer for Samhain

Samhain is here, cold is the earth,
as we celebrate the cycle of death and rebirth.
Tonight we speak to those through the veil,
the lines between worlds are thin and frail.

Ghosts and spirits in the night,
magical beings rising in flight,
owls hooting up in a moonlit tree,
I don't fear you and you don't fear me.

As the sun goes down, far to the west,
my ancestors watch over me as I rest.
They keep me safe and without fear,
on the night of Samhain, the Witches' New Year.

A Prayer to the Ancestors

This is the night when the gateway between
our world and the spirit world is thinnest.
Tonight is a night to call out those who came before.
Tonight I honor my ancestors.
Spirits of my fathers and mothers, I call to you,
and welcome you to join me for this night.
You watch over me always,
protecting and guiding me,
and tonight I thank you.
Your blood runs in my veins,
your spirit is in my heart,
your memories are in my soul.

[If you wish, you may want to recite your genealogy here. This can include both your blood family, and your spiritual one.]

With the gift of remembrance.
I remember all of you.
You are dead but never forgotten,
and you live on within me,
and within those who are yet to come.

Prayer to the Deities of Death

The harvest has ended, and the fields are bare.
The earth has grown cold, and the land is empty.
The gods of the death are lingering over us,
keeping a watchful eye upon the living.
They wait, patiently, for eternity is theirs.

Hail to you, Anubis! O jackal headed one,
guardian of the realm of the dead.
When my time comes, I hope
you may deem me worthy.

Hail to you, Demeter! O mother of darkness,
May your grief be abated
when your daughter returns once more.

Hail to you, Hecate! O keeper of the gate,
between this world and the underworld.
I ask that when I cross over,
you may guide me with wisdom.

Hail to you, Freya! O mistress of Folkvangr,
guardian of those who fall in battle.
Keep the souls of my ancestors with you.

Hail to you, O gods and goddesses,
those of you who guard the underworld
and guide the dead on their final journey.
At this time of cold and dark,
I honor you, and ask that you watch over me,
and protect me when the day arrives
that I take my final journey.

Death is rarely so apparent than it as at Samhain. The skies have gone gray, the earth is brittle and cold, and the fields have been picked of the last crops. Winter looms on the horizon, and as the Wheel of the Yearturns once more, the boundary between our world and the spirit worldbecomes fragile and thin. In cultures all over the world, the spirit of Death has been honored at this time of the year. Here are just a few of the deities who represent death and the dying of the earth.

1. Anubis (Egyptian): This god with the head of a jackal is associated with mummification and death in ancient Egypt. Anubis is the one who decides whether or not one the deceased is worthy of entering the realm of the dead.


2. Demeter (Greek): Through her daughter, Persephone, Demeter is linked strongly to the changing of the seasons and is often connected to the image of the Dark Mother and the dying of the fields. When Persephone was abducted by Hades, Demeter's grief caused the earth to die for six months, until her daughter's return. 
   
   
3. Freya (Norse): Although Freya is typically associated with fertility and abundance, she is also known as a goddess of war and battle. Half of the men who died in battle joined Freya in her hall, Folkvangr, and the other half joined Odin in Valhalla.


4. Hecate (Greek): Although Hecate was originally considered a goddess of fertility and childbirth, over time she has come to be associated with the moon, cronehood, and the underworld. Sometimes referred to as the Goddess of the Witches, Hecate is also connected to ghosts and the spirit world. In some traditions of modern Paganism, she is believed to be the gatekeeper between graveyards and the mortal world.


5. Hel (Norse): This goddess is the ruler of the underworld in Norse mythology. Her hall is called Éljúðnir, and is where mortals go who do not die in battle, but of natural causes or sickness.


6. Meng Po (Chinese): This goddess appears as an old woman, and it is her job to make sure that souls about to be reincarnated do not recall their previous time on earth. She brews a special herbal tea of forgetfulness, which is given to each soul before they return to the mortal realm. 
   
   
7. Morrighan (Celtic): This warrior goddess is associated with death in a way much like the Norse goddess Freya. The Morrighan is known as the washer at the ford, and it is she who determines which warriors walk off the battlefield, and which ones are carried away on their shields. She is represented in many legends by a trio of ravens, often seen as a symbol of death.


8. Osiris (Egyptian): In Egyptian mythology, Osiris is murdered by his brother Set before being resurrected by the magic of his lover, Isis. The death and dismemberment of Osiris is often associated with the threshing of the grain during the harvest season.


9. Whiro (Maori): This underworld god inspires people to do evil things. He typically appears as a lizard, and is the god of the dead.


10. Yama (Hindu): In the Hindu Vedic tradition, Yama was the first mortal to die and make his way to the next world, and so he was appointed king of the dead. He is also a lord of justice, and sometimes appears in an incarnation as Dharma.

Halloween Superstitions and Legends 

Love Divination:

Keep a sprig of rosemaryand a sixpence under your pillow on Samhain night, and you'll dream of your future spouse.
Ever go bobbing for applesat a Halloween party? In England, everyone knows that the first girl to successfully retrieve an apple will be the first to marry!

In parts of England, it was believed that if a maiden carried a lantern to a well on Samhain night and held the light above the water, she would see the reflection of future husband.

The Spirit World:

People were often cautioned that if they heard footsteps behind them on the night of Samhain, they shouldn't turn back because it may be a spirit following them.

If you host a dumb supper and no one speaks, the spirits are far more likely to show up.
It was believed that ringing a bell on Samhain kept away evil spirits.
Burying animal bones in front of your house on the night of Samhain will keep evil away, according to some legends of eastern Europe.
Samhain is a good time of year to work on communicating with the spirit world.

Birds and Animals:

Black cats were once seen as bad luck.
One old folktale from Appalachia says that owls flew down on Samhain night to eat the souls of the dead.
If the bats come out early on Samhain night, and fly around, it means good weather is coming.
Some people believe that if you see a spider on Samhain, it harbors the spirit of a dead ancestor, watching you... so don't squash it!

Meow, Baby:

Every year when people begin putting out their Halloween decorations, and we start dressing our homes for Samhain, inevitably the image of the black cat comes up. It's usually portrayed with its back arched, claws out, and occasionally wearing a jaunty pointed hat. Local news channels warn us to keep black cats inside on Halloween just in case the local hooligans decide to get up to some nasty hijinks.

But where did the fear of these beautiful animals come from? Anyone who lives with a cat knows how fortunate they are to have a cat in their life -- so why are they considered unlucky?

Divine Cats:

The ancient Egyptians honored cats of every color. Cats were mighty and strong, and held sacred. Two of the most amazing goddesses in the Egyptian pantheon wereBast and Sekhmet, worshiped as long ago as 3000 b.c.e. Family cats were adorned with jewelry and fancy collars, and even had pierced ears. If a cat died, the entire family went into mourning, and sent the cat off to the next world with a great ceremony. For thousands of years, the cat held a position of divinity in Egypt.

The Witch's Familiar:

Around the time of the Middle Ages, the cat became associated with witches and witchcraft. Around the late 1300's, a group of witches in France were accused of worshipping the Devil in the form of a cat. It may be because of the cat's nocturnal nature that it became connected to witches -- after all, night time was the time they held their meetings, as far as the church was concerned.

Contemporary Cats:

Around the time of World War Two, when the American tradition of Halloween astrick-or-treat time really got underway, cats became a big part of the holiday decoration. This time around, however, they were considered a good luck charm -- a black cat at your door would scare away any evil critters that might come a'calling.

Black Cat Folklore and Legends:

• Sixteenth-century Italians believed that if a black cat jumped on the bed of an ill person, the person would soon die.
• In Colonial America, Scottish immigrants believed that a black cat entering a wake was bad luck, and could indicated the death of a family member.
• The Norse goddess Freyja drove a chariot pulled by a pair of black cats.
• A Roman solder killed a black cat in Egypt, and was killed by an angry mob of locals.
• Appalachian folklore said that if you had a stye on the eyelid, rubbing the tail of a black cat on it would make the stye go away.
• If you find a single white hair on your otherwise-black cat, it's a good omen.
• In England's border countries and southern Scotland, a strange black cat on the front porch brings good fortune.

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Smiling Bright:

One of the most enduring symbols of Halloween is the jack o'lantern. Carved pumpkins are a mainstay ofthe Samhain season, and for some folks, the more elaborate the carved design, the better! A jack o'lantern typically holds a candle (you can also get battery-powered tealights, which are a lot safer) which illuminates the carved out design. School children are alternately delighted and terrified by them -- but how did the whole idea of carving up a pumpkin evolve in the first place?

The Turnip Issue:

Some authors have claimed that the idea of a hollowed-out vegetable with a candle in the middle originated with the Celts. However, the Celts didn't have pumpkins, which are a North American plant. They did have beets, turnips, and other root vegetables. Have you ever tried to hollow out a raw beet? It's quite an experience, believe me.

In addition, scholars say it's pretty unlikely that the Celts carved faces into their vegetables - they were too busy saving them to eat during the cold winter months. So the tradition of the jack o'lantern as a Halloween decoration is probably a fairly modern invention, by historical standards, although no one has been able to figure out exactly when it began.

American Jacks:

As mentioned, the pumpkin is a vegetable known primarily to North Americans. The native tribes here used it as a source of food for years before white men even set foot on their soil.

The first example of the jack o'lantern appearing in American literature is in an 1837 story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, who wrote The Scarlet Letter. The carved lantern didn't become associated with Halloween until around the time of the Civil War.

The Jack Story:

In many cultures, there exist what is known as a "Jack story". These are basically a series of folktales that revolve around a trickster-type character -- Tricky Jack, Clever Jack, etc. -- and usually start off with Jack getting in some sort of trouble. They always end with Jack resolving his problem, often at his own expense -- in other words, a Jack Story is a typical cautionary tale. You can find these types of tales around the world, from Germany to the Scottish Highlands to the hills of Appalachia.

In the case of the jack o'lantern, the story that inspired it is one in which Jack tries to outsmart the Devil himself. In the tale, Jack tricks the Devil into agreeing never to collect his soul. However, once Jack dies, it turns out he's led too sinful a life to get into heaven, but because of his bargain with the Devil, he can't get into hell either. Jack complains about how dark it is, wandering around earth with no place to go, and someone tosses him a hot coal, which he places in a hollowed-out turnip. Now poor Jack uses his turnip-lantern to guide him, and he is known as Jack of the Lantern.

In some variations of the story, Jack comes out only on Halloween night, and is looking for someone to take his place... so watch out, if you see him wandering your way!

Got Candy?:

While many of us Pagans celebrate the holiday calledSamhain, for some of us, it's also the secular event of Halloween. The tradition of trick-or-treating isn't quite as old as the holiday itself, but it's certainly been around for a while. Let's look at how this unique custom evolved.

All Soul's Night:

In Britain, people celebrated All Soul's Day for many years. Poor people went begging, and the middle-class wives handed out special treats known as Soul Cakes. When a beggar was given a Soul Cake, he promised to say a prayer for the dead. This practice was known as going "a-souling".

In Ireland, rather than begging for cakes, the poor went about asking for donations of eggs, butter and other food in preparation for a festival honoring St. Columba. In County Waterford, the night was known as "mischief night."

Trick-or-Treating in America:

By the nineteenth century, there were a lot of Americans who could trace their ancestry back to Britain, Ireland and Scotland, and they brought their traditions with them. Begging for sweets became something that was no longer the domain of the poor, and now instead was a children's activity. However, it was typically organized in the manner of the home country's traditions -- girls stayed inside, playing games of divination, and boys went out and caused trouble in the neighborhood.

The Depression Hits:

An interesting thing happens in America's Halloween history around the time of the Great Depression. As poverty and crime increase, as does the industrialization of America, the "mischief night" pranks become more and more malicious and harmful. At this point, we start seeing people -- typically adult leaders of various municipalities -- organizing Halloween events. Rather than having roaming hoards of boys out vandalizing the community, instead they are presented with more structured, safer activities. In 1939, the phrase "trick or treat" appeared for the very first time.

Modern Tricks and Treats:

What we know today as trick-or-treating, complete with costumes and candy, became popular decades ago. There was a slight lull during World War II, when sugar rationing limited candy production, but since then it has become a multi-million dollar business. In 2005, nearly eighty percent of adults said they'd be giving out at least $40 worth of candy on Beggar's Night. Although trick-or-treating for candy is primarily found in America, the British Isles, and Canada, thanks to mass media the custom has begun to see an increase in the rest of Europe, as well as Australia and New Zealand.

Fun Halloweeny Facts:

Here's some fun facts from the Department of the Census. Did you know:

• In 2006, an estimated 36.1 million kids between 5 - 13 went trick-or-treating.
• Also in 2006, the major pumpkin-producing states produced over a billion pounds of pumpkins -- that's a LOT of jack-o-lanterns.
• The average American eats about 26 pounds of candy a year, and most of that is at Halloween. Admittedly, some of us eat more than our share.
• In 2005, there were 2,232 costume-rental stores open for business in the United States.

In many countries in the modern world, the practice of burying the dead is common. However, it's a relatively new concept by some standards, and in some places, it's almost a novelty. In fact, many of today's contemporary funeral practices might be considered a bit strange by our ancestors. There is such a wide variety of funeral practice throughout history that it's worth taking a look at - in fact, archaeologists have learned that studying the treatment of the dead can actually give them a clue to how a culture lives.

Every society, throughout history, has found some way to attend to the proper care of their dead. 

Here are some different methods in which various cultures have said farewell to their loved ones:

• On the island of Sulawesi, in Indonesia, newborn infants who die are buried in the trunks of giant trees. The people there believe that the child's soul will rise up into the heavens through the tree.
• Many cultures, such as the Mayans and the Egyptians, buried their dead in tombs that were part of ceremonial centers. Multiple burials were often contained in the same pyramid or plaza. Earlier burials were often built over by later generations, making these sites a bit of a puzzle for researchers.
• The ancient Chinese buried their rulers insuits of jade before internment.
• Archeologists have unearthed the tombs of Neanderthal man dating back to 60,000 b.c.e. at the Shanidar Cave in Iraq. The graves included animal antlers placed on the body, and flower detritus nearby. This may indicate some sort of ritual took place, even that long ago.
• Modern-day women of a New Guinea tribe, the Gimi, have a ritual that involves eating the flesh of deceased men. Gillian Gilson, author of Between Culture and Fantasy A New Guinea Highlands Mythology indicates that this is partly because eating the body prevents it from decomposing, but there are some other, more complex, cultural reasons as well. In some ancient societies, the dead were cremated and then their ashes consumed.
• The burial of a Norse chieftain included all the things the man might need in the afterlife -- a ship, weapons, horses, and food. In an account given by the 10th century Muslim writer Ahmad ibn Fadlan, he describes a scene in which a slave girl is sacrificed in a chieftain's funeral. A fictionalized version of ibn Fadlan's tale appears in Michael Crichton's Eaters of the Dead.
  
• In some customs, funeral services consist of simply leaving the dead to rot, or be consumed by wild beasts. In Tibet, and in some Native American cultures, it was believed that those who were eaten by dogs were better off in the next world.
• Covering the face of the dead comes from the ancient belief that the soul escaped the body via the mouth. In some African tribes, it was common to tie the mouth shut. Many practices also come from the idea that evil spirits were hovering around the body to steal the soul immediately after death -- this is where we get the ringing of bells, firing of weapons, and the holding of a wake.

Each year in Mexico, and in many Hispanic communities around the United States, people celebrate the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) between October 31 and November 2. While it may sound a bit macabre, it's actually a joyful celebration, honoring the memories of those who have died in the past year. Today's Day of the Dead festivals are a blend of old Aztec tradition merged with modern Catholic beliefs.

Author Sheena Morgan says in The Real Halloween that the original, pre-Christian celebration took place in late August, and coincided with the migration of Monarch butterflies. The Aztecs believed that the Monarchs were the souls of the dead, returning to their homes. After the Spanish conquest of Mexico, celebrations were moved to early November, and blended indigenous customs with observance of Christian holy days.

Today, people of Mexican descent celebrate the Day of the Dead with picnics, elaborate altars, parades, and visits to cemeteries. Altars include colored tissue ribbons, flowers, photos of the dead, and candles. It's also popular to include food offerings with a theme of death - sugar skulls and coffins are a common item, as are small figures made of bread.

Sonja Rosales is a Mexican-American living in South Carolina. She says that for her family and many others, this is not a day of mourning, but a day of happiness. "It's a chance for us to remember the dead with love. We start by honoring theangelitos, the children who are deceased, and then we remember the older people. We go to the graveyard and have a picnic. My husband brings a guitar and we sing songs. My children laugh and play among the gravestones. I know that our ancestors are there, and they are happy that we remember them."

If you'd like to celebrate the Day of the Dead in your own family, you can either incorporate it into your Samhain festivities, or hold it as a separate event. Here are some ways you can observe the Day of the Dead, no matter what your cultural background may be.

• Build an ancestor shrine in your home, so that everyone in your family can remember the dead.
• Make sugar skulls, or calaveras, and coffins.
• If your loved ones are buried nearby, visit their graves. Clean up the headstone if it's looking shoddy, and leave a small gift or token of your visit.
• Prepare a special dinner for your family, and include a place setting for those who have died. You can either make it formal and serious, like the Dumb Supper, or joyous and fun - it's up to you. Decorate the dinner table with lots of candles and flowers.
• Hold a ritual to honor your deceased ancestors. Make offerings if appropriate.
• Adorn your home with skulls, skeletons, and other symbols of death.

Be sure to read more about the Day of the Dead from Suzanne Barbezat, our About.com Guide to Mexico Travel.

Many modern Pagans include ancestor worship as part of their Samhain celebrations-- it's not out of the ordinary to meet members of the Pagan community who can recite their genealogy back ten or more generations. In addition, because it's common for Pagans today to view death not as ending but as the beginning of the next phase of spiritual development, grave rubbings are popular with many Pagans. It's great to use those of your own relatives and family members, but if you find a headstone that strikes you as interesting, there's nothing wrong with making a rubbing from it.

*NOTE: We here at About Paganism/Wicca recognize that some people feel grave rubbings are destructive no matter what precautions you may take. However, because there are also graveyard experts who say that a careful grave rubbing should do no damage to the headstone, we will continue to include this article here on the site. Use your own best judgment, and if you are opposed to the creation of grave rubbings, then don't do it.

It’s important to keep in mind that if you’re tromping about a cemetery, you should be respectful. Not only of the people who are lying there, but also of those living beings who may happen to come along while you’re there. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying yourself, but please make an effort not to disturb someone who may be grieving. Not everyone views death in the same way, so while your family may accept it as part of nature’s cycle, another family might be overcome by a sense of loss. Also, bear in mind that many cemeteries are private property. Before wandering into them, check to see if you need to get permission. If you do, be sure to get it before you end up trespassing.

Headstone rubbings are a unique way of preserving the past and getting some pretty neat décor out of it as well. While doing a rubbing usually doesn’t usually cause damage to headstones, particularly newer ones, there are certain precautions that should be taken. If a stone is worn or crumbling, pass on it. Rubbing an already-damaged stone can cause it to flake and chip to the point where it’s irreparable. Instead, choose stones which are in good condition – the best results come from either polished granite stones or solid slate markers.

Many modern Pagans include ancestor worship as part of their Samhain celebrations-- it's not out of the ordinary to meet members of the Pagan community who can recite their genealogy back ten or more generations. In addition, because it's common for Pagans today to view death not as ending but as the beginning of the next phase of spiritual development, grave rubbings are popular with many Pagans. It's great to use those of your own relatives and family members, but if you find a headstone that strikes you as interesting, there's nothing wrong with making a rubbing from it.

You will need: lightweight paper (white butcher paper works nicely, but you can experiment with other colors as well), a large crayon (preferably black, but again, feel free to try new stuff) or rubbing wax, masking tape, and a soft-bristled paintbrush to clear debris off the stone. You might also want to take a cardboard tube with you to store your rubbings for transport home. I also like to bring a notepad and pencil to jot down notes about the cemetery and the person whose headstone I’ve rubbed. A pair of garden scissors can be helpful for trimming off weeds at the base of the stone.

Once you’ve chosen your stone, brush it off lightly with your paintbrush. You’d be surprised how much dust and organic material can accumulate in the carvings, to say nothing of bird poop. Once it’s cleaned off, use the masking tape to keep the paper in place over the area you wish to rub. Try to extend the paper past the top and sides of the stone – that way you won’t get random crayon marks on the stone itself.

Start your rubbing by filling in the outer edges of the carved area. This will give you a point to work towards. Once you’ve done that, move to the center and begin working outward, back towards your edges. Use the flattest surface of the crayon or wax, and make light, even strokes. If it looks like your rubbing isn’t showing up well, don’t worry. You can go back and add more definition later. Keep your strokes uniform to prevent variations in coloring. As you do your rubbing, you may want to offer a small prayer or blessing to the person whose stone you are using.

Once you think you’re done, step back and look at the rubbing from a distance. Chances are that by viewing it from a few steps away, you’ll notice some irregularities in the shading or detail. Go back and fix them, without putting too much pressure on the stone. When you’re satisfied with the result, carefully remove all the tape. Be sure to clean up stray bits of paper or other garbage. Roll your rubbing up and place it in your tube for safekeeping.

Once you get it home, matte and frame your work and hang it up on your wall. A collection of grave rubbings is a good conversation starter all year long, but particularly at Samhain. If you have access to the gravestones of your ancestors, a wall of framed rubbings can become the perfect altar to your heritage.

In Julius Caesar's Commentaries, he connects the burning of a wicker man to the Druid practice of human sacrifice -- essentially, the wicker man was a cage in which a real person was placed. Fortunately, that practice died out with the Druids, but many people still like the idea of creating a man from the detritus of the garden at the time of harvest's end. In some Pagan and Wiccan paths, this man is known as the King of Winter, and he can be created in an altar-top size to watch over your home throughout the chilly months.

This is actually one of the easiest and most primitive projects you can do. You can incorporate it into your Samhain rituals, or make one any time. You'll need two bundles of leftover plants out of your garden (if you don't have a garden, it's perfectly fine to gather some plants at the side of the road) and some string. If you're using plants from your garden, feel free to mix and match different branches. The straw man in the photo is made from hyssop, rosemary, and stevia. Make sure one bundle of plants is slightly thicker than the other.

With a long piece of string, tie the fatter bundle together about one fourth of the way from the top. This end becomes the head.

Separate the bundle a little bit, and slide the thinner bundle of weeds through the center. These will be the arms. Use the string and wrap in a criss-cross shape around the body to hold the arms in place. Tie it off to keep it tight, but don't cut the string.

Finally, spread the lower part of the fatter bundle apart, forming two halves as the legs. Bring the string down and wrap around the "thighs" to keep the legs in place. If your branches seem like they're too fluffy, tie a small length of string in place around the wrists and ankles; as the greenery dries it won't stick out as much.

This is a very basic design, and you can either leave your straw man as rustic as you like or pretty him up a bit, it's entirely up to you. Save him until Spring, and then burn him as part of your Beltane celebrations.

Although it takes a bit of time and creativity, this is a really easy craft to make. These headstones are durable and can be used outside to decorate your yard for Samhain. Make them scary or make them silly -- the choice is up to you!

The first thing you'll need is a sheet of insulation board, which is available at any home improvement store. A sheet is 4 x 8 feet, which will give you about five good-sized headstones. I recommend using a thickness of at least 1", but 1 1/2 - 2" is even better. The thicker your board, the sturdier your stones.

You'll also need:

• A box cutter or sturdy knife
• Gray flat paint
• Gray stone fleck spray paint
• Black acrylic paint

Here's a helpful hint: If you're going to do any rounded edges on your headstones, cut out the straight lines first from the large board, and then once you have the smaller piece, round off your edges as needed.

First, mark out the sizes and shapes of your headstones. They can be rectangular, angled at the top, cross-shaped, whatever you like. Use a pencil to rough out where you're going to cut the board. Once you have your headstones marked off, use a box cutter or sturdy knife to cut them out. Don't worry if your edges look rough or uneven -- they're gravestones, and no one cares if they're perfect!

To make the background for your headstone, apply one to two coats of plain gray flat paint to the front and sides (don't worry about painting the back). Once this has dried, it's time for the texturing. Using the gray stone-fleck spray paint, add a thin coat of flecking to the front of the stone. Don't apply too much, because it tends to get sticky and takes a while to dry.

One can of fleck-stone paint should give you enough to apply a thin layer of flecking to about five or six headstones.

The last thing you'll do is use the black acrylic paint to add your epitaphs. You can keep them simple, with just an "R.I.P." on them, or you can get really creative. 

Here are some that I've used on mine:

Here lies two brothers,
by misfortune surrounded.
One bit by a snake,
the other got drownded.Here lies Jed,
age hundred & one.
Proof that only the good die young.This is the body
of "Speedy" McDrake
who stepped on the gas

instead of the brake.Of course, you can always use classic "horror story" names as well, like Dr. Jeckyll, Jack the Ripper and Freddy Krueger. One really clever variation of this that I've seen was set up in honor of the people who died during the Salem Witch trials, and included gravestones for Rebecca Nurse, Giles Corey, and a few others.

There are a few ways you can set up your stones, but the easiest way I've found so far is to use a tomato stake. Drive it into the ground where you want your stone displayed, and the use a few strips of duct tape to secure it to the back of the headstone (this is one reason not to paint the back of the foam board -- duct tape won't stick to painted foam). To add stability, shoot a few staples through the duct tape strips as well.

Another method you can use is to cut pieces of wire about 18" long from a wire coat hanger. Stick the ends of two or three of them into the bottom of the foam headstone, and the other ends into the ground. This works well enough on shorter, horizontally oriented stones, but on taller ones they tend to flop around during a good wind.

If you store these inside during the non-Samhain season, you can literally use them for years, just touching up the paint occasionally when it gets weathered.

An apple garland is really easy to make. You can make it any length you wish, and it makes your house smell good in the process - and magical apples are everywhere by the time Samhain rolls around!

You will need: 
several large apples of any color, lemon juice, dried bay leaves, scraps of fabric, cinnamon sticks, raffia and florist’s wire.

Start by peeling and coring the apples, and then slicing them horizontally into circles about 3/8” thick. Fill a bowl with the lemon juice, and place your apple slices in it. Allow them to soak for about ten minutes – this prevents them from turning brown and discolored. Remove the apple slices from the bowl and pat them dry with a paper towel. Bake your apples for about six hours at 200 degrees. If you like, before baking you can dust them with a mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Once your apples are completely dried out, the fun really begins. Using the florist’s wire, begin stringing the apples. The wire should go straight through the apples, but if you have trouble, make a hole with a toothpick. Between every few apple slices, string some bay. You can also alternate the apples and bay leaves with bows made from your fabric scraps.

Make your garland as long or as short as you like – or until your kids get bored – and then knot each end around a cinnamon stick. Tie a piece of raffia around the ends as well, and then drape your garland on your wall, across your mantel, or over your front door.

Another variation on the apple garland is to make a smaller length and then bend it into a circle, forming an apple wreath (see photo). Tie a piece of fabric – or bend a leftover bit of florist’s wire – to the top so you can hang it on a nail or hook.

The pumpkin is one of the best-known members of the squash family. From September to November, they're all over the place - we see them carved into jack-o-lanterns, painted, and practically invading every roadside stand in town. With Samhain growing nearer, the pumpkin crop is at its peak, and there are all kinds of things you can do with them. Everyone loves candles, so why not use a few small pumpkins to jazz up your Sabbat decor?

The first thing you'll need is a baking-size pumpkin (you can use an acorn squash for this project too). Here's a hint -- before you buy a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, check your grocery store's produce section. If you don't want to use a lot of wax, buy the mini-pumpkins instead - they're much smaller, and just as easy to work with.

Unless you already have candle-making equipment and paraffin wax, the other thing you'll need to get is some soy wax chips. These are inexpensive, melt easily and safely in your microwave, and burn cleaner than paraffin wax. If you already have paraffin, you can use that for this project, but you'll need to melt it over a double burner instead. If you want to add color or scent, you'll need some of that too.

Finally, you'll need a wick. You can either make your own by coating a string in wax, or you can buy a pre-made wick at any craft or hobby store. The pre-made ones typically have a small metal disc at the bottom for the base.

Assemble all your supplies, and cut the top off the pumpkin. Scoop out the goop inside (you can save the seeds for roasting later) and scrape the interior clean. A melon-baller actually works really well for this step.

Melt your wax -- again, if you use soy chips you can melt them in the microwave. Eight cups of dry chips will give you about four cups of melted wax, which is just about enough to fill a baking pumpkin or acorn squash. Before you pour the wax, secure the wick to the bottom of the pumpkin's inside. It's okay if it flops over a little, because you'll prop it up later when the wax is in place.

Once your wax is melted, add scent or color chips if you like. Stir before pouring. Fill the pumpkin with wax up to the bottom edge of the opening. You'll probably have a little bit left over -- don't throw it away, you'll need it later!

After you've poured the wax, if the wick seems to lean to one side or the other, place a butter knife across the top of the pumpkin to hold up the wick and keep it from flopping.

Once the wax has cooled, you may notice a small dip or indentation around the wick where the wax has sunk. Use the leftover wax to fill this spot up. Trim the wick back so it is no longer than 1/4" long.

When you burn your candle, be careful not to leave it unattended. If the inside of the pumpkin begins to burn, put your candle out immediately. Use it on your altar or around your house as part of your Samhain decorating.

In many Pagan traditions, the ancestors are honored, especially at Samhain. This Sabbat, after all, is the night when the veil between our world and the spirit world is at its most fragile. By setting up an ancestor shrine or altar, you can honor the people of your bloodline -- your kinfolk and clansmen who have helped to shape the person you are. This altar or shrine can be set up just for the Samhain season, or you can leave it up all year long for meditation and rituals.

If you've got the room, it's nice to use an entire table for this shrine, but if space is an issue, you can create it in a corner of your dresser top, on a shelf, or on the mantle over your fireplace. Regardless, put it in a place where it can be left undisturbed, so that the spirits of your ancestors may gather there, and you can take time to meditate and honor them without having to move stuff around every time someone needs to use the table.

Also, bear in mind that you can honor anyone you like in this shrine. If you have a deceased pet or friend, go ahead and include them. Someone doesn't have to be a blood relative to be part of our spiritual ancestry. Be sure to read our article on Honoring the Ancestors When You're Adopted.

First, do a physical cleaning of the space. After all, you wouldn't invite Aunt Gertrude to sit in a dirty chair, would you? Dust the table top or shelf and clear it of any items that are not related to your shrine. If you like, you can consecrate the space as sacred, by saying something like:

I dedicate this space to those
whose blood runs through me.
My fathers and mothers,
my guides and guardians,
and those whose spirits
helped to shape me.

As you do this, smudge the area with sage or sweetgrass, or asperge with consecrated water. If your tradition requires it, you may wish to consecrate the space with all four elements.

Finally, add an altar cloth of some sort to help welcome the ancestors. In some Eastern religions, a red cloth is always used. In some Celtic-based paths, it is believed that a fringe on the altar cloth helps tie your spirit to those of your ancestors. If you have time before Samhain, you might want to make an Ancestor Altar Cloth.

There are different types of ancestors, and which ones you choose to include are up to you. There are our blood ancestors, who are the people from whom we directly descend -- parents, grandparents, etc. There are also archetypical ancestors, who represent the place that our clan and family came from. Some people also choose to honor the ancestors of the land -- the spirits of the place you are now -- as a way of thanking them. Finally, there are our spiritual ancestors -- those who we may not be tied to by blood or marriage, but who we claim as family nonetheless.

Start by selecting photos of your ancestors. Choose pictures that have meaning for you -- and if the photos happen to have the living in them as well as the dead, that's okay. Arrange the photos on your altar so that you can see all of them at once.

If you don't have a photo to represent an ancestor, you can use an item that belonged to him or her. If you're placing someone on your altar who lived prior to the mid-1800s, chances are good there's no photograph existing. Instead, use an item that may have been the person's -- a piece of jewelry, a dish that's part of your family heirloom set, a family Bible, etc.

You can also use symbols of your ancestors. If your family is from Scotland, you can use a kilt pin or a length of plaid to represent your clan. If you come from a family of craftsmen, use an item designed or created to symbolize your family's artisanship.

Finally, you can add a genealogy sheet or family tree to the shrine. If you have in your possession the ashes of a departed loved one, add those as well.

Once you have everything in your shrine that represents your ancestors, consider adding a few other items. Some people like to add votive candles, so they can light them while meditating. You may wish to add a cauldron or cup to symbolize the womb of the Earth Mother. You can also add a symbol of your spirituality -- a pentagram, ankh, or some other representation of your beliefs.

Some people leave food offerings on their altars as well, so that their ancestors can partake of a meal with the family.

Use the altar when you perform a Samhain ancestor meditation or a ritual to honor the ancestors.

There's a growing movement within modern Paganism known as kitchen witchery. The kitchen is, after all, the heart and hearth of many modern households. When you have a gathering in your home, where do most of your guests hang out? Why, the kitchen, of course! Also, thanks to a declining economy, many more people are making meals from scratch and the kitchen has once again become a place where people spend hours, rather than just a few minutes. So it's no surprise that kitchen witchery has seen a rise in popularity.

Do you have leftover fall produce hanging around that you aren't sure what to do with? Take advantage of the opportunity, and put together a cute kitchen witch to watch over your home and hearth in the fall. This kitchen guardian is easy to make, and she'll keep you company while you're mixing up kitchen magic - the one in the photo above is a basic design I make every year. My kids have named her Betty Butternut.

You'll need:

• A small fall vegetable, like a baby butternut squash or pumpkin
• Black acrylic paint
• 1 thick black chenille stem
• Witch accessories, like a hat and broom

Use the black paint to make a face on your vegetable. Cut the chenille stem in half to make arms, and poke them into the skin of the vegetable to form arms. Add a hat, broom, or other accessories, and let your kitchen witch serve as the guardian of your hearth!

Soul cakes were traditionally baked as a gift for the spirits of the dead. In many European countries, the idea of "Souling" became an acceptable alternative for Christians. The cakes took many different names and shapes -- in some areas, they were simple shortbread, and in others they were baked as fruit-filled tarts. Still other regions made them of rice flour. Generally, a soul cake was made with whatever grain the community had available. You can make your own with one of these four simple recipes for your Samhain celebrations.

Pie Crust Soul Cakes
You'll need:

• A refrigerated roll-out pie crust
• 2 Tbs. melted butter
• 1 C mixed dried fruit
• 2 Tbs honey

Roll out the pie crust and cut it into circles. Use the circles to line a tin of muffin cups. Mix the butter, fruit and honey together. Scoop the fruit mixture into the pastry shells, and then bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Allow to cool for about ten minutes before eating.


Quickie Shortbread Soul Cakes
You'll need:

• 1 stick of butter, softened
  
• 4 Tbs sugar
  
• 1 1/2 C flour
  

Cream together the butter and sugar. Use a flour sifter to add the flour to the bowl, and mix until it's smooth. Divide the dough into two parts, and shape each half into a flat circle about half an inch thick. Put them on an ungreased baking sheet (baking stones are really nice for this) and poke lines with the tines of a fork, making eight separate wedges in each cake. Bake for 25 minutes or until light brown at 350 degrees.

Buttery Soul Cakes
You'll need:

• Two sticks butter, softened
  
• 3 1/2 C flour, sifted
  
• 1 C sugar
  
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg & saffron
  
• 1 tsp each cinnamon & allspice
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 2 tsp malt vinegar
  
• Powdered sugar
  

Cut the butter into the flour with a large fork. Mix in the sugar, nutmeg, saffron, cinammon and allspice. Lightly beat eggs, and add to flour mixture. Add malt vinegar. Mix until you have a stiff dough. Knead for a while, then roll out until 1/4" thick. Use a floured glass to cut out 3" circles. Place on greased baking sheet and bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with powdered sugar while the cakes are still warm.


Irish Cakes
You'll need:

• 4 C flour
  
• 1 pkt active dry yeast
  
• 1 C milk
  
• 2 Tbs butter
  
• 1/2 tsp each cinnamon & salt
  
• 3/4 C sugar
  
• 1/2 C lemon zest
  
• 1 1/4 C golden raisins

Cream yeast with 1 tsp sugar & 1 tsp milk, let it get frothy. Blend flour, spices, & salt together, then cut in butter. Add the rest of the sugar to the flour mix and blend. Add milk & beaten egg onto the yeast mixture; combine with flour mixture. Beat until stiff.

Fold in raisins and zest, cover with a damp cloth and let rise. Divide in two, place each half in greased 7" round pan. Cover, let rise again for 30 minutes. Bake 1 hour at 400 degrees.

Okay, I know, it sounds vile. But it's a really delicious dessert, and if you have kids, they'll LOVE the idea of putting a bowl of Ghost Poop on the table. Whip this up the day before so the marshmallows can get nice and soft. It's not a true mousse, but comes out the same texture. This makes a great (and super-sweet) addition to your Samhain menu.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 16-oz. tub frozen dessert topping, thawed
• 12 - 14 oz. chocolate syrup
• 1 C. mini marshmallows
• 1/4 C. chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1/4 C. shredded coconut
• 1/4 C. chocolate chips
• 1/4 C. candy corn, chopped

• Prep Time: 15 minutes

• Total Time: 15 minutes

PREPARATIONPut the thawed dessert topping in a large bowl, and gradually add the chocolate syrup. Mix while adding, so that the topping turns your preferred shade of brown. Use a little more or a little less syrup, depending on how dark and chocolatey you want your Ghost Poop.

Once your whipped topping is the right revolting color, add the marshmallows, nuts (if you're using them), coconut, chocolate chips and candy corn.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight, so your Ghost Poop can firm up.

Serve in a big decorative bowl with a large spoon.

This is one of my favorite recipes. I've made it for twenty years, and have no idea where it came from, and my kids demand it each year at Halloween. Use white chocolate, marshmallow fluff, and sugar to create a rich, creamy orange fudge that tastes like Creamsicles -- remember those tasty popsicles you ate as a kid? This recipe will be a big hit with your Samhain party guests. For a really magical presentation, make a batch of Yule Peppermint Fudge at the same time, cut both batches into squares, and lay them on a plate in an orange-and-black checkerboard pattern.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 teaspoons plus 3/4 cup butter, divided
• 2 1/2 C. sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 12-oz package white chocolate chips
• 1 7-oz jar marshmallow fluff
• 1 Tbs. orange extract
• Orange food coloring (or red and yellow food coloring, if orange isn't available)

• Prep Time: 20 minutes

• Total Time: 20 minutes
 
• Yield: 2 lbs of fudge

PREPARATIONUsing 1 1/2 tsp of the butter, grease a 13x9" pan and set aside. In a saucepan, combine the remaining butter, cream and sugar. Cook on low heat until the sugar has dissolved completely, stirring occasionally. Bring to a boil, and then cook for another three minutes.

Remove saucepan from the burner, and stir in the white chocolate chips and marshmallow fluff. Blend until smooth. Scoop out about a cup of the mix and set aside.

Add the orange extract and a couple of drops of orange food coloring to the mixture still in the pot, and stir until blended. If you use gel food coloring, you can typically get it in orange. If you use just regular liquid coloring, you'll probably need to blend red and yellow. About 10 drops of yellow and five drops of red should do it (or any other 2:1 ratio), but you can adjust that depending on what shade of orange you like.

Scoop orange mixture into your prepared pan. Take the cup of remaining white mixture and drop small globs over the top of the orange, using a teaspoon. Use a knife to swirl the white into the orange, giving it a marbled appearance. Don't blend it all the way; you still want to be able to see streaks of white.

Cover and refrigerate until firm, and then cut into squares. This makes about 2 1/2 pounds of fudge.

Quick note - if you find that your fudge doesn't set firmly even after refrigeration, you can roll it into small balls instead. It still looks pretty, and tastes just as good!

Each year in Mexico, and in many Hispanic communities around the United States, people celebrate the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) between October 31 and November 2. While it may sound a bit macabre, it's actually a joyful celebration, honoring the memories of those who have died in the past year. Today's Day of the Dead festivals are a blend of old Aztec tradition merged with modern Catholic beliefs. One of the most popular customs is that of sugar skulls, which are simple to make, and lots of fun to decorate! Make a batch of your own, and include them in your Samhain celebrations.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 C granulated sugar
• 1 tsp meringue powder
• 1 tsp water
• Food coloring in your choice of colors
• Icing

PREPARATIONBlend the sugar, meringue powder, and water together, and then press into skull-shaped molds. You can get the molds at candy stores, or if you have a Hispanic marketa near you, that's an even better resource. Once the molds are filled, allow to dry for 24 hours or more.

Pop the skulls out of the molds, and put a thin layer of white icing over the skulls. Use the food coloring to decorate with bright colors -- for some great ideas of designs and patterns, check out the photo gallery at About Mexican Food: Sugar Skulls.

The above recipe makes about a dozen small sugar skulls, but you can adjust it accordingly to make more, or to make larger skulls.

This butternut squash casserole includes apples and is topped with a buttery spiced crumb topping with brown sugar. This is a tasty side dish for any fall meal, and it would be a perfect holiday dinner casserole.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small butternut squash (about 2 to 2 1/2 lbs)
• 2 tart apples
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 4 tablespoons butter, cold
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

PREPARATIONButter a 2- to 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Heat oven to 350°. Peel, seed, and cut squash into small slices. Core the apples, peel, and cut into thin slices. Toss squash and apples together. Transfer squash and apple slices to the prepared baking dish.

Combine brown sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; cut in butter with fork or pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over sliced squash and apples. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes, or until squash is tender.

Your kids will love these fun quesadillas that look like real Jack 'O Lanterns. And the fresh, warm tortillas are a perfect match for melted cheese that oozes out the sides of this delicious snack. You can make the tortillas from scratch, or use pre-made ones. This recipe for quesadillas makes 3.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons shortening or lard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup warm water
• (***Or you can use 6 pre-made tortillas and 1/8 cup water and a medium paint brush for the food coloring)
• Orange food coloring (or red and yellow mixed to make orange)
• 2 cups white or yellow cheese, shredded

PREPARATIONAdd orange color to the water until the color is very dark. In a separate bowl blend the flour, baking power, salt and shortening, with a pastry blender or back of fork, until it resembles coarse meal. When well combined, slowly add colored water until soft dough forms. Knead for 5 minutes. Separate into 6 portions and roll each one out approx. 1/8 inch thick. Place on a hot comal or a preheated skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until they begin to brown on each side.For pre-made tortillas
Add quite a bit of orange food coloring to the water until it is a vibrant color. Use a paint brush to brush the water onto 3 of the tortillas. It should be just enough to get the color on, not make it soggy. Let the damp tortillas sit until dry and then continue with the directions below.

For 3 of the tortillas, use a sharp knife to cut out your Jack 'O Lantern face. This usually consists of a triangle nose and eyes and a mouth.

Place a whole tortilla on a comal or a skillet preheated over medium heat. Cover with cheese. Place a Jack 'O Lantern tortilla on the top and cook over low heat until cheese is melted.

Serve immediately.

Looking for a delicious way to celebrate the beloved black cats of Halloween? Enjoy this creative and adventurous recipe with your loved ones below, and remind all people this Halloween season to embrace and love the illustrious black felines, they've developed quite a bad reputation and the rise of violence against them this time of the year worldwide has to be stopped, and awareness is the only way to make a difference. Please support your community of misunderstood felines by educating those around you with a tasty and educational treat. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 eggs
• 1 pkg. chocolate cake mix
• small candy-coated chocolate candies
• red hots

PREPARATIONBeat together peanut butter, eggs, and water. Gradually add cake mix. Mix well. Form dough into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten balls with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Pinch out 2 ears at top of cookie. Add small candy-coated chocolate candies for eyes and red hots for nose. Score with a fork to form whiskers. Bake at 375° for 8 to 10 minutes.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

To find delicious mystical Samhain recipes like those above, including variations from pagans all around the modern and ancient world, you're in luck this cookbook is available for purchase here. From beautiful depictions of pagan life including hilarious stories, enriching and educational information about pagan culture and endless recipes from all over the pagan landscape that will truly become your most treasured cookbook as it has with those locally and world-wide, who still email me about how often they enjoy sharing stories in the kitchen with this wonderful cookbook. 

Recipes for The Pagan Soul Cookbook by Psychic Bella
former pen name: Druidessia 

This cookbook was a collaborative effort from Pagans all over the world, From recipes 8 generations back to historically enriched recipes with cultural fusion and a rich tapestry of words to adorn each recipe. From the far east, middle east to the far west this cookbook is full of recipes, stories and educational insight and rituals from pagans all over the world. Without the contributions from multi-generational and first life pagans this book wouldn't be possible it was a world wide effort made entirely of good food and a lot of love. 

Recipe's for The Pagan Soul Cookbook 
Includes:
Ritual Cooking Section for Sabbats, Esbats, Handfastings and more, to Mead, Druidic Teas, Vegan & Vegetarian Dishes, and each page is full of beautiful photos, stories from all over the pagan world, we even have recipes for your children to create and enjoy along with special organic treats for family pets or "familiars" as we witches call them. So what are you waiting for?! This cookbook was featured on Amazon.com for 3 years for being the most unique cookbook on Lulu.com! 

As the magick of mystical Mabon arrives a profound sense of abundance, balance and spiritual peace arrive for us all in this glorious season filled the changing of the seasons, the slower pace that Autumn and the Fall Season beckon us to enjoy as the leaves change and we find our lust for rich colors and dark decadent treats as enticing as our sumptuous social outings. This season beckons us to not only embrace the lighter side of our spiritual selves, but to embrace completely the darkness that lies within, for without acceptance we have no true means in working with ourselves completely without letting carnal, primal urges release themselves in most unhealthy dispositions. As the heat dies down, and the sun sets much sooner than it has in the previous months of Summer, we're reminded to slow down, enjoy the bountiful feasts, outings and pleasures of truly living life to the fullest surrounded by those we love, and to hear the call of the horned god, the wild nature of our dark shadows selves, to heed those calls in the whispers of the forest nights to learn more about ourselves, the world around us and what we can do to provide the best of ourselves to humanity by deciphering the most chaotic. As this Sabbat is historically celebrated as Pagan Thanksgiving, I encourage each and every one of you to relish in the world around you for better and for worse, for each spiritual lesson, each dark battle endured, molds, shapes and strengthens us like the blade of the strongest most powerful sword. Invite the presences of Dionysus for passionate love affairs, throw caution to the wind transforming one's self from light, to dark and back again with more polish and shine in the tales of Demeter and her daughter Persephone, and channel the strong warrior spirit of Morrighan for protection of hearth and home, for the Gods and Goddesses enjoy your celebrations in their honor and pay in generous kind for future seeds to sew in the fields of life next year. Find the gratitude and appreciation that lives in your heart and imbibe that into your Kitchen Witch Feasts to love and nurture the minds, bodies and souls of those you hold most dear to your heart, as the world keeps shifting, and growing, burying the unsewn seeds into compost to make room for better crops next year, find the strength and courage to live the life you never even knew in your wildest dreams could be real, for this life is for the bold, for those that understand the true meaning of Carpe Diem, this life is short, and far too precious not to be relished in and enjoyed in loving surroundings with the ones we need most at the grand celebration of life's party. Wishing you a wonderous journey to your darkside, and welcoming you back to the light once it's time to reemerge. Namaste, Psychic Bella 

The Historical Meaning Of Mabon 
The Second Harvest 

The Science of the Equinox:
Two days a year, the Northern and Southern hemispheres receive the same amount of sunlight. Not only that, each receives the same amount of light as they do dark -- this is because the earth is tilted at a right angle to the sun, and the sun is directly over the equator. In Latin, the word equinox translates to "equal night." The autumn equinox, or Mabon, takes place on or near September 21, and its spring counterpart falls around March 21. If you're in the Northern hemisphere, the days will begin getting shorter after the autumn equinox and the nights will grow longer -- in the Southern hemisphere, the reverse is true.

Global Traditions:
The idea of a harvest festival is nothing new. In fact, people have celebrated it for millennia, all around the world. In ancient Greece,Oschophoria was a festival held in the fall to celebrate the harvesting of grapes for wine. In the 1700's, the Bavarians came up with Oktoberfest, which actually begins in the last week of September, and it was a time of great feasting and merriment, still in existence today. China's Mid-Autumn festival is celebrated on the night of the Harvest Moon, and is a festival of honoring family unity.

Giving Thanks:
Although the traditional American holiday of  Thanksgiving falls in November, many cultures see the second harvest time of the fall equinox as a time of giving thanks. After all, it's when you figure out how well your crops did, how fat your animals have gotten, and whether or not your family will be able to eat during the coming winter. However, by the end of November, there's not a whole lot left to harvest. Originally, the American Thanksgiving holiday was celebrated on October 3, which makes a lot more sense agriculturally.

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued his "Thanksgiving Proclamation", which changed the date to the last Thursday in November. In 1939, Franklin Delano Roosevelt adjusted it yet again, making it the second-to-last Thursday, in the hopes of boosting post-Depression holiday sales. Unfortunately, all this did was confuse people. Two years later, Congress finalized it, saying that the fourth Thursday of November would be Thanksgiving, each year.

Symbols of the Season:
The harvest is a time of thanks, and also a time of balance -- after all, there are equal hours of daylight and darkness. While we celebrate the gifts of the earth, we also accept that the soil is dying. We have food to eat, but the crops are brown and going dormant. Warmth is behind us, cold lies ahead.

Some symbols of Mabon include:

• Mid-autumn vegetables, like squashes and gourds
• Apples and anything made from them, such as cider or pies
• Seeds, nuts and seed pods
• Baskets, symbolizing the gathering of crops
• Sickles and scythes
• Grapes, vines, wine

You can use any of these to decorate your home or your altar at Mabon.

Feasting and Friends:
Early agricultural societies understood the importance of hospitality -- it was crucial to develop a relationship with your neighbors, because they might be the ones to help you when your family ran out of food. Many people, particularly in rural villages, celebrated the harvest with great deals of feasting, drinking, and eating. After all, the grain had been made into bread, beer and wine had been made, and the cattle were brought down from the summer pastures for the coming winter. Celebrate Mabon yourself with a feast -- and the bigger, the better!

Magic and Mythology:
Nearly all of the myths and legends popular at this time of the year focus on the themes of life, death, and rebirth. Not much of a surprise, when you consider that this is the time at which the earth begins to die before winter sets in!

Demeter and Her Daughter
Perhaps the best known of all the harvest mythologies is the story of Demeter and Persephone. Demeter was a goddess of grain and of the harvest in ancient Greece. Her daughter, Persephone, caught the eye of Hades, god of the underworld. When Hades abducted Persephone and took her back to the underworld, Demeter's grief caused the crops on earth to die and go dormant. By the time she finally recovered her daughter, Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds, and so was doomed to spend six months of the year in the underworld. These six months are the time when the earth dies, beginning at the time of the autumn equinox.

Inanna Takes on the Underworld
The Sumerian goddess Inanna is the incarnation of fertility and abundance. Inanna descended into the underworld where her sister, Ereshkigal, ruled. Erishkigal decreed that Inanna could only enter her world in the traditional ways -- stripping herself of her clothing and earthly posessions. By the time Inanna got there, Erishkigal had unleashed a series of plagues upon her sister, killing Inanna. While Inanna was visiting the underworld, the earth ceased to grow and produce. A vizier restored Inanna to life, and sent her back to earth. As she journeyed home, the earth was restored to its former glory.

Modern Celebrations
For contemporary Druids, this is the celebration of Alban Elfed, which is a time of balance between the light and the dark. Many Asatru groups honor the fall equinox as Winter Nights, a festival sacred to Freyr.

For most Wiccans and NeoPagans, this is a time of community and kinship. It's not uncommon to find a Pagan Pride Day celebration tied in with Mabon. Often, PPD organizers include a food drive as part of the festivities, to celebrate the bounty of the harvest and to share with the less fortunate.

If you choose to celebrate Mabon, give thanks for the things you have, and take time to reflect on the balance within your own life, honoring both the darkness and the light. Invite your friends and family over for a feast, and count the blessings that you have among kin and community.

Mabon is the time when many Pagans and Wiccans celebrate the second part of the harvest. This Sabbat is about the balance between light and dark, with equal amounts of day and night. Try some or even all of these ideas -- obviously, space may be a limiting factor for some, but use what calls to you most.

Colors of the Season:
The leaves have begun to change, so reflect the colors of autumn in your altar decorations. Use yellows, oranges, reds and browns. Cover your altar with cloths that symbolize the harvest season, or go a step further and put brightly colored fallen leaves upon your work surface. Use candles in deep, rich colors -- reds, golds, or other autumn shades are perfect this time of year.

Symbols of the Harvest:
Mabon is the time of the second harvest, and the dying of the fields. Use corn, sheaves of wheat, squash and root vegetables on your altar. Add some tools of agriculture if you have them - scythes, sickles, and baskets.

A Time of Balance:
Remember, the equinoxes are the two nights of the year when the amount of light and darkness are equal. Decorate your altar to symbolize the aspect of the season. Try a small set of scales, a yin-yang symbol, a white candle paired up with a black one -- all are things which represent the concept of balance.

Other Symbols of Mabon:

• Wine, vines and grapes
• Apples, cider, and apple juice
• Pomegranates
• Ears of corn
• Pumpkins
• Gods' Eyes
• Corn dolls
• Mid-autumn vegetables, like squashes and gourds
• Seeds, seed pods, nuts in their shells
• Baskets, symbolizing the gathering of crops
• Statuary of deities symbolizing the changing seasons

The Mabon season has a long and rich history of legends and folklore. This time of year is associated with the cycle of life, death and rebirth thanks to its harvest connections. It's also a season of balance and power, because there are equal hours of darkness and light on the day of the autumn equinox. From the myths of Persephone and Demeter to the gods of the vineyards, Mabon is a time to celebrate the magic and power of the second harvest.

Gods of The VineGrapes. They're everywhere in the fall, so it's no surprise that the Mabon season is a popular time to celebrate wine-making, and deities connected to the growth of the vine. Whether you see him as Bacchus, Dionysus, the Green Man, or some other vegetative god, the god of the vine is a key archetype in harvest celebrations.

The Greek Dionysus was representative of the grapes in the vineyards, and of course the wine that they created. As such, he gained a bit of a reputation as a party-hardy kind of god, and his followers were typically seen as a debauched and drunken lot. However, before he was a party god, Dionysus was originally a god of trees and the forest. He was often portrayed with leaves growing out of his face, similar to later depictions of the Green Man. Farmers offered prayers to Dionysus to make their orchards grow, and he is often credited with the invention of the plow.

In Roman legend, Bacchus stepped in for Dionysus, and earned the title of party god. In fact, a drunken orgy is still called a bacchanalia, and for good reason. Devotees of Bacchus whipped themselves into a frenzy of intoxication, and in the spring Roman women attended secret ceremonies in his name. Bacchus was associated with fertility, wine and grapes, as well as sexual free-for-alls. Although Bacchus is often linked with Beltane and the greening of spring, because of his connection to wine and grapes he is also a deity of the harvest.

In medieval times, the image of the Green Man appeared. He is typically a male face peering out from the leaves, surrounded by ivy or grapes. Tales of the Green Man have overlapped through time, so that in his many aspects he is also Puck of the midsummer forest, Herne the Hunter, Cernunnos, the Oak King, John Barleycorn, Jack in the Green, and even Robin Hood. The spirit of the Green Man is everywhere in nature at the time of the harvest -- as leaves fall down around you outside, imagine the Green Man laughing at you from his hiding place within the woods!

Gods of wine and the vine are not unique to European societies. In Africa, the Zulu people have been brewing beer for a long time, and Mbaba Mwana Waresa is a goddess who knows all about brewing. Originally a rain goddess, and associated with rainbows, Mbaba Mwana Waresa gave the gift of beer to Africa.

The Aztec peoples honored Tezcatzontecatl, who was the god of a sour, somewhat yeasty brewed drink called pulque. It was considered a sacred drink and was consumed at festivals each fall. Interestingly, it was also give to pregnant women to ensure a good pregnancy and a strong baby - perhaps because of this, Tezcatzontecatl was associated not only with fertility but also with drunkenness.

Beer was one of the many gifts that Osiris gave to the people of Egypt. In addition to all of his other duties, his job is to brew beer for the gods of the Egyptian pantheon. Eventually, Osiris came to be known as a harvest god, as the cutting and dismemberment of his body was associated with the cutting and threshing of grain.

The acorn is a symbol of strength and power. In the fall, these tiny yet hardy little nuggets drop from the oak trees to land on the ground. Most will be eaten by passing wildlife, but a few will survive to form a new tree in the spring. Because the acorn only appears on a fully mature oak, it is often considered a symbol of the patience needed to attain goals over long periods of time. It represents perseverance and hard work.

In many cultures the oak is sacred, and is often connected to legends of deities who interact with mortals. Throughout history, most of the major civilizations of Europe held the oak as a highly venerated tree, and it was associated with deities in many pantheons. The Celts, Romans, Greeks and Teutonic tribes all had legends connected to the mighty oak tree. Typically, the oak was related to deities that had control over thunder, lightning, and storms.

In Norse legend, Thor found shelter from a violent storm by sitting under a mighty oak tree. Today, people in some Nordic countries believe that acorns on the windowsill will protect a house from being hit by lightning. In parts of Great Britain, young ladies followed a custom of wearing an acorn on a string around their neck. It was believed that this was a talisman against premature aging.

The Druids are believed to have held rituals in oak groves, and certainly mistletoe was to be found on oak trees. According to legend, mistletoe was indicative of the a god stopping by via a lightning strike on the tree. Certainly, oak trees seem to be more susceptible to lightning strikes than other trees, although this could be because it's often the tallest tree around.

Rulers often wore crowns of oak leaves, as a symbol of their connection to the divine. After all, if one were a living god, personification of the god on earth, one had to look the part. Roman generals were presented with oak crowns upon returning victorious from battle, and the oak leaf is still used as a symbol of leadership in the military today.

Around the reign of King Henry VIII, oak became popular for its use in construction of homes for the wealthy. Managed oak forests in Scotland supplied thousands of pieces of timber for use in London and other English cities. The bark was used as well, to create a dye that was used in ink-making.

Today, many modern Pagans and Wiccans continue to honor the oak. It is found in the Celtic Ogham symbols, and contemporary Druids still celebrate its power.

For information on how to find the best acorns to plant an oak tree, read Collecting and Planting Acorns.

Perhaps the best known of all the harvest mythologies is the story of Demeter and Persephone. Demeter was a goddess of grain and of the harvest in ancient Greece. Her daughter, Persephone, caught the eye of Hades, god of the underworld. When Hades abducted Persephone and took her back to the underworld, Demeter's grief caused the crops on earth to die and go dormant. By the time she finally recovered her daughter, Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds, and so was doomed to spend six months of the year in the underworld. These six months are the time when the earth dies, beginning at the time of the autumn equinox. Each year, Demeter mourns the loss of her daughter for six months. At Ostara, the greening of the earth begins once more and life begins anew.

In some interpretations of the story, Persephone is not held in the underworld against her will. Instead, she chooses to stay there for six months each year so that she can bring a little bit of brightness and light to the souls doomed to spend eternity with Hades.

Mabon is the season in which the harvest is being gathered. It's also the time in which the hunt often begins -- deer and other animals are killed during the autumn in many parts of the world. In some Pagan and Wiccan traditions, the deer is highly symbolic, and takes on many aspects of the God during the harvest season.

For many Pagans, the antlers of the stag are associated directly with the fertility of the God. The Horned God, in his many incarnations, often appears wearing a headdress of antlers. In some depictions, the horns grow directly from his head. Early Paleolithic cave art shows men wearing antlers on their heads, so it would appear that the horn or antler has long been a symbol of worship in some form or another. In Egyptian legend, many gods appear to wear a pair of horns on their head.

In some Pagan paths, there is a correlation between the shape of a pair of horns and the crescent moon. The image of a stag with a full moon between his antlers represents both the male (the antlers) and the female (the moon) aspects of the Divine.

Mabon is the time, in many areas, when hunting season begins. While many Pagans are opposed to hunting, others feel that they can hunt for food as our ancestors did. For many Pagans, equally as important as the idea of caring about animals is the concept of responsible wildlife management. The fact is, in some areas, wild animals such as whitetail deer, antelope, and others have reached the status of nuisance animal. If you're wondering about why Pagans hunt, be sure to read Pagans and Hunting.

In some Pagan traditions, a popular Mabon chant to sing is entitled simply, Hoof and Horn, originally written by Ian Corrigan of Ár nDraíocht Féin. You can listen to an audio clip here: Hoof and Horn.

Pomona was a Roman goddess who was the keeper of orchards and fruit trees. Unlike many other agricultural deities, Pomona is not associated with the harvest itself, but with the flourishing of fruit trees. She is usually portrayed bearing a cornucopia or a tray of blossoming fruit. She doesn’t appear to have had any Greek counterpart at all, and is uniquely Roman.

In Ovid's writings, Pomona is a virginal wood nymph who rejected several suitors before finally marrying Vertumnus - and the only reason she married him was because he disguised himself as an old woman, and then offered Pomona advice on who she should marry. Vertumnus turned out to be quite lusty, and so the two of them are responsible for the prolific nature of apple trees. Pomona doesn't appear very often in mythology, but she does have a festival that she shares with her husband, celebrated on August 13.

Despite her being a rather obscure deity, Pomona's likeness appears many times in classical art, including paintings by Rubens and Rembrandt, and a number of sculptures. She is typically represented as a lovely maiden with an armful of fruit and a pruning knife in one hand. In J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, Professor Sprout, the teacher of Herbology -- the study of magical plants -- is named Pomona.

Although Mabon is fairly new as far as holiday celebrations go, it's important to remember that throughout history, the time of the second harvest has been marked by agricultural societies for a long time. It was typically a time of celebration and fall festivals. In some Wiccan and NeoPagan traditions, this is the time to give thanks for the abundance on our tables and in our gardens. No matter how you celebrate, though, take a moment to reflect on the changing seasons around you.

At Mabon, the time of  the autumn equinox, there are equal hours of light and dark. It is a time of balance, and while summer is ending, the winter is approaching. This is a season in which farmers are harvesting their fall crops, gardens are beginning to die, and the earth gets a bit cooler each day. Let's look at some of the ways that this second harvest holiday has been honored around the world for centuries.

• In China, the moon's birthday falls around the time of the autumn equinox. Special holiday birthday cakes are baked with flour from harvested rice, and families gather together to honor the moon. It is believed that flowers will fall from the sky on the night of the moon's birthday, and those who saw them fall would be blessed with great abundance.
• Many English counties still observe Michaelmas, which is the feast of St. Michael, on September 29. Customs included the preparation of a meal of goose which had been fed on the stubble of the fields following the harvest (called a stubble-goose). There was also a tradition of preparing special larger-than-usual loaves of bread, and St. Michael's bannocks, which was a special kind of oatcake.
• Long before the Pilgrims arrived in the New World, the Native peoples of North Americacelebrated the harvest with thanksgiving festivals in the autumn. This typically included lots of meat and grains to eat. Games and activities were held, and it was also useful as a time of matchmaking between neighboring villages.
• In some Germanic countries, people worried about the fate of their grain harvest. If there was a great deal of wind during the harvesting season, it could be because Odin wanted a share of the crop. To keep him happy, a few spare sacks of flour were emptied into the wind.
• The Yoruba people of Nigeria had a celebration in October to celebrate the yam harvest. Dances were held to honor the ancestors, and to bid farewell to those who might have died in the past year. Yams were offered to dancers in hopes that a fertile crop would appear next year. Interestingly, studies have shown that women who consume a lot of yams (real African yams, not sweet potatoes) are statistically more likely to conceive twins, so there is certainly a link between yams and fertility symbolism!
• The Iroquois people celebrated a Corn Dance each fall. This was a way to give thanks for the ripening of the grain -- songs, dances and drumming were part of the celebration. Naturally, food played an important part as well, including corn bread and soup.
• For the ancient Druids, the fall equinox was Alban Elfed. Many contemporary Druids celebrate this as at time of balance and thanksgiving.

In the British Isles, Michaelmas is celebrated on September 29. As the Feast of St. Michael within the Catholic church, this date is often associated with the harvest because of its proximity to the autumn equinox. Although it's not a Pagan holiday in the true sense, Michaelmas celebrations often included older aspects of Pagan harvest customs, such as the weaving of corn dolls from the last sheaves of grain.

During the medieval period, Michaelmas was considered one of the holy days of obligation, although that tradition ended in the 1700s. Customs included the preparation of a meal of goose which had been fed on the stubble of the fields following the harvest (called a stubble-goose). There was also a tradition of preparing special larger-than-usual loaves of bread, and St. Michael's bannocks, which was a special kind of oatcake.

By Michaelmas, the harvest was typically complete, and the next year's farming cycle would begin as landowners saw reeves elected from among the peasants for the following year. The reeve's job was to watch over the work and make sure everyone was doing their share, as well as collecting rents and donations of products. If a holding's rent fell short, it was up to the reeve to make it up - as you can imagine, no one really wanted to be reeve. This was also the time of year when accounts were balanced up, annual dues paid to local guilds, workers were hired on for the next season, and new leases taken for the following year.

Around the middle of September, the nut season starts. Hazelnutsripen in the hedges, and they have long been connected to folklore and legends. Hazel is associated to the Celtic tree month of Coll, from August 5 to September 1, and the very word Coll means "the life force inside you." Hazelnuts are connected to wisdom and protection, and are often found near sacred wells and magical springs. Hazelnuts can be used in workings related to divination and dowsing - tie a ripe one onto a string and use it as a pendulum.

In the British Isles, September 14 was the day when children would forage in the woods to collect hazelnuts, because this is when they are supposed to be perfectly ripe. In some legends, young maidens who go out a-nutting are in danger of becoming pregnant without benefit of marriage -- this is probably less due to the fertility associations of nuts and more to the fact that Nutting Day gave you a chance to be alone in the woods with your lover.

If you worked as a lacemaker, Nutting Day had a special significance. From this day untilShrove Tuesday in the spring, you could use a candle to light your work. Lacemakers spent long hours working at their craft for little pay, and because of the precise nature of their job, their eyes were often tired and achy by the end of the day. They were often advised to bathe their eyes in gin, which stung, but refreshed them enough that they could work a few more hours. The use of a candle permitted them to work longer during the dark winter months.

September 21 is sometimes called the Devil's Nutting Day, and it was the date on which mortals should never gather nuts. In some areas of Britain, nuts were not to be picked on Sundays, either. There's a story in the Warwickshire area that the devil himself was out gathering hazelnuts when he accidentally met the Virgin Mary (the story doesn't explain why Mary might have been wandering around in Warwickshire, but hey, it's an old story). He was so startled to see her that he dropped his bag of nuts, which turned into a hill called the Devil's Nightcap.

Anyone who watches horror movies regularly knows just how creepy scarecrows can be. On the flip side, sometime they're fun, and decorated in a country-cute style, or silly like the lovable "If I only had a brain" type in The Wizard of Oz. Although they haven't always looked the way they do now, scarecrows have been around a long time and have been used in a number of different cultures.

In the fields of ancient Greece, wooden statues were placed in the fields, carved to represent Priapus. Although he was the son ofAphrodite, Priapus was also hideously ugly, and his most prominent feature was his constant (and huge) erection. Birds tended to avoid fields where Priapus resided, so as Greek influence spread into Roman territory, Roman farmers soon adopted the practice.

Pre-feudal Japan used different kinds of scarecrows in their rice fields, but the most popular one was the kakashi. Old dirty rags and noisemakers like bells and sticks were mounted on a pole in the field and then lit on fire. The flames (and presumably, the smell) kept birds and other animals away from the rice fields. The word kakashi meant "something stinky." Eventually, Japanese farmers began making scarecrows that looked like people in raincoats and hats. Sometimes they were equipped with weaponry to make them look even more frightening.

(Note: There is one school of thought that states that rotten meat was hung on these as well; however, with crows and other such carrion eaters, it seems more logical that they would come TO the scarecrows, rather than staying away. This is mentioned in numerous secondary sources, but there do not appear to be any primary sources that verify the claim of the rotten meat being hung on the kakashi.)

During the Middle Ages in Britain and Europe, small children worked as crow-scarers. Their job was to run around in the fields, clapping blocks of wood together, to frighten away birds that might eat the grain. As the medieval period wound down and populations decreased due to plague, farmers discovered there was a shortage of spare children to scamper around shooing birds away. Instead, they stuffed old clothes with straw, placed a turnip or gourd up on top, and mounted the figure in the fields. They soon found that these lifelike guardians did a pretty good job of keeping crows away.

Scarecrows are also found in Native American cultures. In some parts of what is now Virginia and the Carolinas, before the white man arrived, adult men sat on raised platforms and shouted at birds or ground animals that came near the crops. Some native tribes discovered that soaking corn seeds in a poisonous herb mixture deterred birds as well, although one has to wonder how the corn would taste to people. In the Southwest, some Native American children had contests to see who could make the most frightening scarecrow, and the Zuni tribe used lines of cedar poles strung with cords and animal skins to keep the birds away.

Scarecrows also came to North America as waves of emigrants left Europe. German settlers in Pennsylvania brought with them the bootzamon, or bogeyman, which stood guard over the fields. Sometimes a female counterpart was added to the opposite end of the field or orchard.

During the heyday of America's agricultural period, scarecrows became popular, but following World War II, farmers realized they could accomplish a lot more by spraying their crops with pesticides like DDT. This went on until the 1960s, when it was discovered that pesticides are actually bad for you. Nowadays, although you don't see a lot of scarecrows guarding fields, they're extremely popular as a fall decoration. In more rural countries, scarecrows are still in use.

For many Pagans and Wiccans, Mabon is a time of thanksgiving. Summer has ended, we've got the bounty of the harvest on our tables, and we're celebrating the security of hearth and home. It's the perfect time for a big ritual! You can try one of these rites to honor the season, or do a balance meditation to help you get grounded. Finally, we'll look at some simple ideas to celebrate the Sabbat.

Demeter and Persephone are strongly connected to the time of theAutumn Equinox. When Hades abducted Persephone, it set in motion a chain of events that eventually led to the earth falling into darkness each winter. This is the time of the Dark Mother, the Crone aspect of the triple goddess. The goddess is bearing this time not a basket of flowers, but a sickle and scythe. She is prepared to reap what has been sown.

The earth dies a little each day, and we must embrace this slow descent into dark before we can truly appreciate the light that will return in a few months.

This ritual welcomes thearchetype of the Dark Mother, and celebrates that aspect of the Goddess which we may not always find comforting or appealing, but which we must always be willing to acknowledge. Decorate your altar with symbols of Demeter and her daughter -- flowers in red and yellow for Demeter, purple or black for Persephone, stalks of wheat, Indian corn, sickles, baskets. Have a candle on hand to represent each of them -- harvest colors for Demeter, black for Persephone. You'll also need a chalice of wine, or grape juice if you prefer, and a pomegranate.

If you normally cast a circle, or call the quarters, do so now. Turn to the altar, and light the Persephone candle. Say:

The land is beginning to die, and the soil grows cold.
The fertile womb of the earth has gone barren.
As Persephone descended into the Underworld,
So the earth continues its descent into night.
As Demeter mourns the loss of her daughter,
So we mourn the days drawing shorter.
The winter will soon be here.

Light the Demeter candle, and say:

In her anger and sorrow, Demeter roamed the earth,
And the crops died, and life withered and the soil went dormant.
In grief, she traveled looking for her lost child,
Leaving darkness behind in her wake.
We feel the mother's pain, and our hearts break for her,
As she searches for the child she gave birth to.
We welcome the darkness, in her honor.

Break open the pomegranate (it's a good idea to have a bowl to catch the drippings), and take out six seeds. Place them on the altar. Say:

Six months of light, and six months of dark.
The earth goes to sleep, and later wakes again.
O dark mother, we honor you this night,
And dance in your shadows.
We embrace that which is the darkness,
And celebrate the life of the Crone. Blessings to the dark goddess on this night, and every other.

As the wine is replaced upon the altar, hold your arms out in the Goddess position, and take a moment to reflect on the darker aspects of the human experience. Think of all the goddesses who evoke the night, and call out:

Demeter, Inanna, Kali, Tiamet, Hecate, Nemesis, Morrighan.
Bringers of destruction and darkness,
I embrace you tonight.
Without rage, we cannot feel love,
Without pain, we cannot feel happiness,
Without the night, there is no day,
Without death, there is no life.
Great goddesses of the night, I thank you.

Take a few moments to meditate on the darker aspects of your own soul. Is there a pain you've been longing to get rid of? Is there anger and frustration that you've been unable to move past? Is there someone who's hurt you, but you haven't told them how you feel? Now is the time to take this energy and turn it to your own purposes. Take any pain inside you, and reverse it so that it becomes a positive experience. If you're not suffering from anything hurtful, count your blessings, and reflect on a time in your life when you weren't so fortunate.

When you are ready, end the ritual.

**You may wish to tie this rite into a celebration of the Harvest Moon.

Mabon, the Autumn Equinox, is celebrated in many ways around the world. It is a day of balance, with equal amounts of darkness and light, but soon, winter will arrive. In some Wiccan traditions, it marks the time when the Sun King descends into the underworld, from which he will be reborn at Yule.

In many pantheons, the apple is a symbol of the Divine. Apple trees are representative of wisdom and guidance. This apple ritual will allow you time to thank the gods for their bounty and blessings, and to enjoy the magic of the earth before the winds of winter blow through.

Decorate your altar with symbols of the season -- a basket of gourds or small pumpkins, colorful fall leaves, acorns, vines, grapes or blackberries. You'll also need a pair of orange candles to symbolize the harvest, a cup of cider or wine, and an apple.

If your tradition requires you to cast a circle, do so now.

Light your harvest candles. Face the altar and hold the apple in both hands. If you can do this rite outside, raise the apple up to the sky, and feel the wisdom and energy of the gods coming to you. Say:

The apple is sacred, a symbol of the gods,
and holds the knowledge of the ancients inside.
Tonight I ask the gods to bless me with their wisdom.

Say:

Five points in a star, hidden inside.
One for earth, one for air, one for fire,
one for water, and the last for spirit.

Next, turn to the south and say:

I call upon the wise ones, the ancient gods,
as the sun moves away and fire fades,
to be replaced with the chill of the night.

Finally, face west, and say:

I will reflect on the guidance of the gods,
and let the cool autumn rains wash over me,
cleansing my heart and soul.

Raise the cup of wine or cider to the sky, and toast the gods. Say:

The wild god returns this night to the belly of the Mother.
The mother goddess tonight becomes the Crone.
As the Wheel of the Year turns, the earth dies a bit each day.
I willingly follow the old gods into the darkness,
where they will watch over me, protect me, and keep me safe.

Sip from the cup, and as you drink your wine or cider, think about the power and energy of the Divine, in whatever aspect you choose to honor.

Extinguish one of the candles, and say:

The wild god has gone to rest in the Underworld.
I look to the darkness for renewal and rebirth.

Tips:

• Leave the apples on your altar overnight, and the next morning, put them in your garden as an offering to the earth.
• Feel free to replace the wild god and mother goddess with the names of deities from your own tradition.

A Time of Positive and Negative Energy
Mabon is one of those times of year that affect people in different ways. For some, it's a season to honor the darker aspects of the goddess, calling upon that which is devoid of light. For others, it's a time of thankfulness, of gratitude for the abundance we have at the season of harvest. No matter how you see it, Mabon is traditionally a time of balance. After all, it's one of the two times each year that has equal amounts of darkness and daytime.

Because this is, for many people, a time of high energy, there is sometimes a feeling of restlessness in the air, a sense that something is just a bit "off". If you're feeling a bit spiritually lopsided, with this simple meditation you can restore a little balance into your life.

Setting the Mood
Now that fall is here, why not do an autumn version of Spring Cleaning? Get rid of any emotional baggage you're dragging around with you. Accept that there are darker aspects to life, and embrace them, but don't let them rule you. Understand that a healthy life finds balance in all things.

You can perform this ritual anywhere, but the best place to do it is outside, in the evening as the sun goes down. Decorate your altar (or if you're outside, use a flat stone or tree stump) with colorful autumn leaves, acorns, small pumpkins, and other symbols of the season. You'll need a black candle and a white one of any size, although tealights probably work best. Make sure you have something safe to put them in, either a candle holder or a bowl of sand.

Light both candles, and say the following:

A balance of night and day, a balance of light and dark
Tonight I seek balance in my life
as it is found in the Universe.
A black candle for darkness and pain
and things I can eliminate from my life.
A white candle for the light, and for joy
and all the abundance I wish to bring forth.
At Mabon, the time of the equinox,
there is harmony and balance in the Universe,
and so there shall be in my life.
 

Meditate on the things you wish to change. Focus on eliminating the bad, and strengthening the good around you. Put toxic relationships into the past, where they belong, and welcome new positive relationships into your life. Let your baggage go, and take heart in knowing that for every dark night of the soul, there will be a sunrise the next morning.

Mabon is the time of the autumn equinox, and the harvest is winding down. The fields are nearly bare, because the crops have been stored for the coming winter. Mabon is a time when we take a few moments to honor the changing seasons, and celebrate the second harvest. On or around September 21, for many Pagan and Wiccan traditions it is a time of giving thanks for the things we have, whether it is abundant crops or other blessings. It is also a time of balance and reflection, following the theme of equal hours light and dark. Here are some ways you and your family can celebrate this day of bounty and abundance.
 
1. Find Some Balance
Mabon is a time of balance, when there are equal hours of darkness and light, and that can affect people in different ways. For some, it's a season to honor the darker aspects of the goddess, calling upon that which is devoid of light. For others, it's a time of thankfulness, of gratitude for the abundance we have at the season of harvest. Because this is, for many people, a time of high energy, there is sometimes a feeling of restlessness in the air, a sense that something is just a bit "off". If you're feeling a bit spiritually lopsided, with this simple meditation you can restore a little balance into your life. You can also try a ritual to bring balance and harmony to your home.
 
2. Hold a Food Drive
Many Pagans and Wiccans count Mabon as a time of thanks and blessings -- and because of that, it seems like a good time to give to those less fortunate than ourselves. If you find yourself blessed with abundance at Mabon, why not give to those who aren't? Invite friendsover for a feast, but ask each of them to bring a canned food, dry goods, or other non-perishable items? Donate the collected bounty to a local food bank or homeless shelter.
 
3. Pick Some Apples
Apples are the perfect symbol of the Mabon season. Long connected to wisdom and magic, there are so many wonderful things you can do with an apple. Find an orchard near you, and spend a day with your family. As you pick the apples, give thanks to Pomona, goddess of fruit trees. Be sure to only pick what you're going to use -- if you can, gather plenty to take home and preserve for the coming winter months. Take your apples home and use them in rituals, for divination, and for delicious recipes that your family can enjoy all season long.
 
4. Count Your Blessings
Mabon is a time of giving thanks, but sometimes we take our fortune for granted. Sit down and make a gratitude list. Write down things that you are thankful for. An attitude of gratefulness helps bring more abundance our way -- what are things you're glad you have in your life? Maybe it's the small things, like "I'm glad I have my cat Peaches" or "I'm glad my car is running." Maybe it's something bigger, like "I'm thankful I have a warm home and food to eat" or "I'm thankful people love me even when I'm cranky." Keep your list some place you can see it, and add to it when the mood strikes you.
 
5. Honor the Darkness
Without darkness, there is no light. Without night, there can be no day. Despite a basic human need to overlook the dark, there are many positive aspects to embracing the dark side, if it's just for a short time. After all, it was Demeter's love for her daughter Persephone that led her to wander the world, mourning for six months at a time, bringing us the death of the soil each fall. In some paths, Mabon is the time of year that celebrates the Crone aspect of a triune goddess. Celebrate a ritual that honors that aspect of the Goddess which we may not always find comforting or appealing, but which we must always be willing to acknowledge. Call upon the gods and goddesses of the dark night, and ask for their blessings this time of year.
 
6. Get Back to Nature
Fall is here, and that means the weather is bearable once more. The nights are becoming crisp and cool, and there's a chill in the air. Take your family on a nature walk, and enjoy the changing sights and sounds of the outdoors. Listen for geese honking in the sky above you, check the trees for changing in the colors of the leaves, and watch the ground for dropped items like acorns, nuts, and seed pods. If you live in an area that doesn't have any restrictions on removing natural items from park property, take a small bag with you and fill it up with the things you discover along the way. Bring your goodies home for your family's altar. If you are prohibited from removing natural items, fill your bag with trash and clean up the outdoors!
 
7. Tell Timeless Stories
In many cultures, fall was a time of celebration and gathering. It was the season in which friends and relatives would come from far and near to get together before the cold winter kept them apart for months at a time. Part of this custom was storytelling. Learn the harvest tales of your ancestors or of the people indigenous to the area in which you live. A common theme in these stories is the cycle of death and rebirth, as seen in the planting season. Learn about the stories of Osiris, Mithras, Dionysius, Odin and other deities who have died and then restored to life.
 
8. Raise Some Energy
It's not uncommon for Pagans and Wiccans to make remarks regarding the "energy" of an experience or event. If you're having friends or family over to celebrate Mabon with you, you can raise group energy by working together. A great way to do this is with a drum or music circle. Invite everyone to bring drums, rattles, bells, or other instruments. Those who don't have an instrument can clap their hands. Begin in a slow, regular rhythm, gradually increasing the tempo until it reaches a rapid pace. End the drumming at a pre-arranged signal, and you'll be able to feel that energy wash over the group in waves. Another way of raising group energy is chanting, or with dance. With enough people, you can hold a Spiral Dance.
 
9. Celebrate Hearth & Home
As autumn rolls in, we know we'll be spending more time indoors in just a few months. Take some time to do a fall version of spring cleaning. Physically clean your home from top to bottom, and then do a ritual smudging. Use sage or sweetgrass, or asperge with consecrated water as you go through your home and bless each room. Decorate your home with symbols of the harvest season, and set up a family Mabon altar. Put sickles, scythes and bales of hay around the yard. Collect colorful autumn leaves, gourds and fallen twigs and place them in decorative baskets in your house. If you have any repairs that need to be done, do them now so you don't have to worry about them over the winter. Throw out or give away anything that's no longer of use.
 
10. Welcome the Gods of the Vine
Grapes are everywhere, so it's no surprise that the Mabon season is a popular time to celebrate winemaking, and deities connected to the growth of the vine. Whether you see him as Bacchus, Dionysus, the Green Man, or some other vegetative god, the god of the vine is a keyarchetype in harvest celebrations. Take a tour of a local winery and see what it is they do this time of year. Better yet, try your hand at making your own wine! If you're not into wine, that's okay -- you can still enjoy the bounty of grapes, and use their leaves and vines for recipes andcraft projects. However you celebrate these deities of vine and vegetation, you may want to leave a small offering of thanks as you reap the benefits of the grape harvest.

Mabon is a time to do magic that relates to the hearth and home. If you've been harvesting your garden, spend some time in the kitchen doing a bit of cooking magic - after all, the very act of preparing a meal can be a ritual itself! Reconnect with your home after spending the summer outdoors, and try a ritual of protection to keep your property safe during the winter months. We'll also talk about how to raise magical energy with a drum circle, and the natural power found in the apples and grapes that are blossoming at this time of year!

What is Kitchen Witchery?:
There's a growing movement within modern Paganism known as kitchen witchery. The kitchen is, after all, the heart and hearth of many modern households. When you have a gathering in your home, where do most of your guests hang out? Why, the kitchen, of course! Also, thanks to a declining economy, many more people are making meals from scratch and the kitchen has once again become a place where people spend hours, rather than minutes. So it's no surprise that kitchen witchery has seen a rise in popularity.

Meal Prep as Magic:
When you take the time to put meals together from the basic ingredients, you have a magical opportunity at hand. You can infuse every dish with intent and will. A meal can stop being something you dump out of a can, and start being a ritual in and of itself. When you take time to prepare something with your own hands, that lends it sacredness, and will make you want to spend time savoring it with your family, rather than just snarfing it down on your way out the door to soccer practice. By changing the way you view food, its preparation and its consumption, you can craft some practical magic at its simplest level.

How To Bring Magic Into the Kitchen:
As you become more aware of what it's like to live magically, and more in tune with your own actions and activities, you may at some point realize that your kitchen is a magical one. There are a number of things you can do to enhance the magical atmosphere in your kitchen. Try some or all of these to get started:

• Have a kitchen altar. The stovetop is today's equivalent of the hearth fires of old, and it's where most food preparation is done. Create a small altar with items that can be moved as needed -- add a statue of a home or hearth goddess, a cauldron, or a candle. If you like, paint a trivet with symbols of your tradition.
• Make sure your herbs are readily accessible. If you cook with them, display them in decorative jars. Make sure that they're not sitting in direct sunlight, though, or they'll lose their potency. If possible, have live plants in pots to use during the year. Keep fresh vegetables on hand as well.
• Read up on practices like Feng Shui so you can optimize your work space for maximum efficiency, both spiritual and practical.
• Keep the space clean. Much like any other sacred space, physical cleanliness maintains spiritual cleanliness. It's hard to find balance in a place that is cluttered and chaotic. Make sure counter tops are wiped down after each meal, keep the sink free of dirty dishes, and organize cupboards and shelves so they are easy to use.
• Paint the walls in colors that are comforting and happy. If your house still has the 1970's metallic flecked wallpaper in the kitchen, it's time to get it out of there. Choose a color that makes you and your family feel good -- earth tones are soothing, yellows are happy and bright, and greens bring prosperity and abundance.
• Keep cookbooks and recipes organized where you can find them. You might even want to have a special book of magical recipes that you keep separate from your regular Book of Shadows.

You can also incorporate magical practices into your cooking. 

Consider some of these:

• When stirring a recipe, stir in a deosil or widdershins direction, depending on the goal you wish to achieve.
• If you're making a sandwich, spread condiments like mustard in a sigil for your purpose.
• When you bake bread, add herbs or spices that correspond to your magical needs.

Although kitchen witchery is rapidly becoming a popular term, it's hardly a new concept. Get your kitchen clean and organized, and you'll be well on your way to a successful path as a kitchen witch!

Apple Divination
Apples have always been popular tools for foretelling the future. There are a number of traditional methods in folklore for seeing who one's lover might be.

• Peel the apple, keeping the peel in one long piece. When the peel comes off, drop it on the floor. The letter it forms is the first initial of your true love's name.
• Wait until midnight and cut an apple into nine pieces. Take the pieces into a dark room with a mirror (either hanging on the wall or a hand-held one will do). At midnight, begin eating the pieces of apple while looking into the mirror. When you get to the ninth piece, throw it over your shoulder. The face of your lover should appear in the mirror.
• If a girl has more than one potential lover, peel an apple and pull out the seeds. Place a wet seed on your cheek for each boyfriend. The last one left stuck to the skin represents the suitor who is the true love.

Apple Magic
Because of its associations with the harvest, the apple is perfect for Mabon magic. Try the Apple Harvest rite, or honor the goddess Pomona at the harvest.

• Mabon Apple Harvest Rite: This harvest ritual is designed with solitary Wiccans and Pagans in mind, and uses the apple and its five-pointed star as the focus. Honor the ancient gods at Mabon with this harvest ritual.
• Pomona, Goddess of Apples: Pomona was an obscure Roman goddess, but she still has significance when it comes to the blooming of orchards and fruit trees in the fall.
• Magic of the Apple Blossoms: The apple is associated with immortality, but is also considered a food for the dead, which is why it often makes its appearance at Mabon celebrations.

Apple Crafts
In addition to being tasty and sweet, apples are perfect for craft projects. Try one of these to decorate your home with magical apple energy.

• Apple Candleholders: Make a set of decorative candleholders by coring out the top of a pair of apples.
• Apple Garlands: This easy-to-make craft not only looks pretty, but will leave your home smelling delicious and welcoming!
• Apple Butter: Brew up a pot of delicious apple butter to celebrate the harvest.

Mabon is a time of balance, and it is the time to celebrate the stability of the hearth and home. This ritual is a simple one designed to place a barrier of harmony and security around your property. You can do this as a family group, as a coven, or even as a solitary. If you live in an apartment, feel free to adapt the rite as necessary. The key here is to focus on the perimeter of your personal space, whether you have a half-acre yard, a big rural spread, or a downtown condo.

You'll need the following items:

There is no need to cast a circle before beginning this rite, because you will be casting a magical perimeter as part of the working.

• A bowl of fresh earth from your yard
• An assortment of iron nails* (railroad spikes work nicely if you can get them)
• A brown or green candle to represent the land

Begin at the entrance to your property that sees the most traffic. If you have a yard and house, this will likely be the end of the driveway, where it connects to the street. If you live in an apartment or town home, you may wish to use your front door, or the hallway in front of your door. You may want to put your supplies on a tray or in a bag, if you're doing this alone. If you have other people participating, give each person some items to carry. You can do this rite at any time of the day, although evening may be better if you don't want your neighbors to come over and ask what you're up to.

Place the bowl of earth at the entrance to your property. If you like, you can place it on a table, or you can just set it on the ground. Place your hands into the bowl, and feel the cool soil on your fingertips. Feel the energy of the earth, traveling from the ground, up into the bowl, through the dirt, and into you.

Focus on the bowl of earth, and say:

Earth, symbol of security and stability,
bring peace and harmony into my home
at this season of thanksgiving.
May my family be well,
my house be a haven,
and my table be one of hospitality.
May the earth, the soil, the land,
ground me and protect me and
those whom I love,
and that which I call mine.
My property shall be a safe place,
a secure place, a harmonious place
for all those who enter.
As I will, so it shall be.

Leave the bowl in place, and begin slowly walking around the perimeter of your property, traveling in a deosil, or clockwise, direction. Feel the energy of your land, and the way in which you connect with it. Is there a tree you particularly love? Or the big rock where the kids always sit? Or that weird piece of root that you trip over every time? Consider why your property is home instead of just a place to live. Even if you live in an apartment, you can do this -- what about that creaky spot by the door that your mom always hears when you come in late? All of these make a house personal and connect us to it.

Periodically -- and depending on how many iron nails or railroad ties you've got -- stop and touch the ground. Drive a nail or spike into the dirt - iron is known as a protective materialthroughout many cultures. As you push it into the earth, say:

Iron spike, in the ground,
protect my home, my family and me.
Keep out that which would cause us harm.

Repeat this with each iron nail or spike, until you've placed a protective barrier around your property. By now, you should have returned to your bowl of earth at the entrance. Light the green or brown candle, and place it within the bowl. Pack the earth lightly around it so that the candle doesn't topple over. Say:

Dark and light, equal parts
at the time of Mabon.
Fire and earth, together.
Balance, harmony, security,
these things shall be mine.

If there is a particular deity of your tradition that represents hearth and home, now might be a good time to call upon them asking for assistance. If you do so, be sure to make an offeringin their honor. If you choose not to call upon deity at this time, just take a few moments to reflect on your home life, and the things that mean security to you. When you are finished, bring the bowl with the candle inside, and place it in a spot where all can see -- on your hearth, or the kitchen table -- and allow it to sit until the candle goes out. When the candle has burned away, return the earth to your property.

Tips:

• Even if you just live in one room of a home, you can still do this rite. Simply adapt it so that you're going around the perimeter of the room, beginning with the doorway. Instead of pounding iron spikes into the ground, you can tuck a small nail up under the edge of the carpet.
• A reader points out that in some areas, the ground may freeze enough to push iron nails out of the ground, which could cause problems once things warm up - no one wants a small child to step on a rusty nail! If you live in an area where this may be a problem, you may wish to remove the nails at certain times of year, or at the very least, check to make sure they are securely in the ground.

Much like the apple, the grape is one of those fruits that has a significant amount of magic associated with it. First and foremost, the grape harvest -- and the wine that it produces -- has been associated with fertility deities like Egypt's Hathor, the lusty Roman Bacchus and his Greek counterpart, Dionysus. By the time of Mabon, grape arbors are flourishing. Vines, leaves and fruit are all usable items -- the leaves are often used in Mediterranean cooking, the vines for craft projects, and the grapes themselves are extremely versatile.

Grapevines are believed to have originated around Mesopotamia, and were cultivated as long as six thousand years before the Romans got around to introducing the plant to the British Isles. The National Grape Cooperative says that grapes were probably one of the earliest cultivated fruits. Although the Greeks gave winemaking a shot, their success was mediocre at best. Historians say that Greek wine was thick and syrupy and the flavor was not exactly good. It wasn't until the Romans got into the act that winemaking became a truly refined art, thanks to specialized cultivation, and proper fermentation and storage.

In Jewish mysticism, there are references to grapes in the Torah. Some believe that it was actually a grape, not an apple, that Eve munched on in the Garden of Eden, leading to all kinds of trouble. Later, Moses sent a dozen spies into Canaan, and they came back holding a cluster of grapes so huge that it took two men to lift it. Because of this, grapes are once again associated with bounty and abundance.

When it came to winemaking, vineyards were commonly found on both noble estates and in monasteries during the Middle Ages. Many European medieval communities thrived because of their excellent winemaking skills. The Tacuinum Sanitatis, a medieval handbook on wellness,recommends grapes for their nutritional value, and suggests that wine is a good remedy for just about any illness.

Grapes have traditionally symbolized fertility. Those who had a healthy, hearty grape harvest were practically guaranteed to be prosperous. Today, many Wiccans and Pagans use the symbolism of the grape in ritual. Here are some simple ways you can incorporate the bounty of the grapevine into your fall harvest celebrations.

• Decorate your altar with grapes and vines.
• Make a Grapevine Pentacle to hang on your wall.
• Paint or stencil grapes on the walls of your kitchen or garden - according to traditional folklore, this will make your crops bountiful!
• Use grape leaves as an ingredient in a spell to bring abundance. For a simple talisman, fold a grape leaf around a silver coin, and tie with green string. Carry this in your pocket to bring you prosperity.
• Plant grapes in pots on either side of your front door. As the vines grow, train them up around the doorframe. This will help ensure that abundance enters your home.
• Use wine to asperge the ground before you cast a circle, or as an offering to the deity of your tradition, if appropriate.

Drum circles are a lot of fun, and if you've ever attended a public Pagan or Wiccan event, chances are good that somewhere, someone is drumming. You may not be able to see them, but you'll feel that pulsing rhythm off in the distance. In addition to being entertaining (and a great stress reliever), a drum circle serves another purpose - that of raising energy. Typically what happens is something like this:

First, one or two people will sit down with their drums. Usually, they're experienced drummers, but not always. One will begin a slow, steady beat, and the other will chime in with something a bit faster and more up-tempo. Eventually, other people will notice that there's something going on, and they'll join in, each playing their own rhythm and beat. A few more people may be intrigued, and join in with rhythmic clapping, stomping of the feet, or other sounds. A few folks might start dancing. What's really magical about this is that there's hardly any verbal communication going on at all -- it's all about the music.

As the drumming continues - and there may be as many as two or three dozen people joining in -- the beat speeds up, the pace quickens, and you can literally feel the energy in the air. It's a palpable humming that courses through your veins. Finally, the drumming reaches its peak, and at the same time -- without any pre-planning at all -- everyone stops. Afterwards, there's typically lots of laughter, socializing, clapping… and then the whole thing often begins again.

Although many drum circles are impromptu, if you want to have one at your event it's a good idea to let people know that a drum circle may take place. That way they can bring their drums and be prepared. If you decide to host one, here are some tips for making it a success:

• Make sure you have one or two competent drummers to set the pace. If you have nothing but beginners, it can be awkward. Experienced drummers will help you get things started, and maintain the energy level that you want. They'll also be able to focus on the collective sound and feel of the group, rather than just their own performance.
• Leave room for dancers. When a drum circle really gets going, no one can hold still for long. There will probably be people there who aren't drumming, but will need room to move around.
• You may wish to have extra drums, as well a few non-drum instruments available for people who didn't bring their own -- maracas or other shakers, sticks to tap together, a triangle, etc.
• If you plan to have children present, understand that not all kids have rhythm. For that matter, neither do a lot of adults. That's normal. Don't discourage anyone from playing along -- there's something truly magical about the complete lack of inhibition in small children, and they may drum or dance to their own beat.
• If you're having your drum circle in a public place, watch out for local noise ordinances. You don't want the police coming by to break things up because you stayed out drumming too late. Likewise, if you're on private property, be considerate of neighbors. If there are other homes nearby, wrap things up at a reasonable time.

Have refreshments available both during and afterwards. There is almost always food available at any Pagan event, but at a drum circle, it's extra important. Drumming raises a lot of energy, and it can be draining as well, especially for people who aren't used to that kind of activity. Make sure you have plenty of water to drink, and light snacks on hand. You may even want to have a blanket spread out in case someone feels disoriented and needs to lie down and get grounded for a moment.

At Mabon, there are a number of simple craft ideas you can put together to brighten your home for the season. Why not take advantage of nature's bounty, and display some leaves or acorns in a decorativee jar, place pumpkins and apples in baskets around your home, or hang cornstalks and grapevines aroudn the front of your house. Today, we'll look at a couple of easy craft projects, including a god's eye, a prosperity candle, and a special blend of incense to help you celebrate your harvest rites and rituals.

God's eyes are one of the easiest crafts you can make, and they're versatile because you can create them in any color. For a harvest celebration like Mabon, make them in fall colors -- yellows and browns and reds and oranges. At Yule, the winter solstice, you can make them in reds and greens. The one in the photo is done in black and silver to celebrate moon magic. If you'd like to make one for your household altar, you can make it in colors that correspond to your family's deities and traditions. You'll need two sticks of equal length -- I like to use long cinnamon sticks, but you can use a dowel rod, popsicle stick, or just branches you've found on the ground. You'll also need yarn or ribbon in different colors. If you like, you can include decorative items like shells, feathers, beads, crystals, etc.

By using alternating colors of thread or yarn, the finished result looks like an eye. In some traditions, you might associate the four points of the cross with the four classical elements, or the directions on the compass. You could even see them as representative of the four major Sabbats -- the solstices and the equinoxes. One great thing to do while making god's eyes is use them as a spell working in themselves -- visualize your intent while wrapping the yarn, whether it's protection for your home and family, to bring love your way, or even a prosperity talisman.

To begin, hold your two sticks together in a cross. If you'd doing this with children, it's a good idea to put a small dab of glue on here to prevent slipping.

Wrap a length of yarn one or two times around the top arm of the cross, right where the two sticks meet, going counterclockwise (be sure to hold the loose tail in place and wrap the yarn over it to keep it from unraveling later). As you come around on the left side of the upper arm, cross down and over to the bottom side of the right arm. Bring the yarn out behind the top of the right arm, and cross over to the left side of the bottom arm. Finally, bring the yarn from the right side of the bottom arm across to the top side of the left arm.

This is actually easier than it sounds -- follow the excellent diagram on Aunt Annie's Page to see how it works. Continue wrapping the sticks in the same order until you have a good amount of the color you're working in. Then switch to a new color, and continue the process until you want to change again. Finish it off with a length of yarn tied in a loop, so you can hang your god's eye.

Finally, you can decorate the ends of the sticks with feathers, ribbons, beads, or crystals, whatever you prefer. Hang your god's eye on a wall, or use it on your altar for Sabbat celebrations.

This herbal infusion can be used as a skin wash or a cleanser for your ritual space. By infusing the herbs in water, you can take advantage of the medicinal properties as well as the magical ones. A quart-sized jar, like the type used in food canning, is ideal for this because it allows for a tight seal, and they hardly ever break.

To make this cleansing wash, we'll be using herbs that are in full bloom in the weeks before Mabon.

You'll need a handful of each of the following:

Place the herbs in the glass jar. Pour boiling water over them until the jar is filled. Screw the lid on loosely, and allow to steep for four to six hours. Strain out all the plant material. Cap the jar, and store in a cool place. Use as a skin wash or to asperge your home or sacred space.

Mabon is a time to be thankful for all the things we have -- a garden full of crops to pick, full apple trees in the orchards, and the bread we've been baking with the grain already harvested. Although this is a time of balance, it's also a time to look at what you have and be grateful for it. Celebrate the abundance of the harvest season by inviting prosperity into your life. These simple candles can be given as gifts, burned on your altar, or placed around the house to bring abundance your way.

You'll need the following items on your workspace before you begin:

• An unscented candle in a harvest color -- yellow, orange, brown, or in green to symbolize cash in hand
• Your choice of Money Oil or essential oil of cinnamon, orange, or ginger
• Something to inscribe the candle with -- a pencil, stylus, etc.
• A pinch of dried basil, sage or dill

If you normally cast a circle or invoke Deity before a working, do so now. Using the stylus or pencil, inscribe your intent upon the candle. For example, if you need money to pay the bills, carve that on there. If you just want extra fun money, write that on the candle too. If you're not sure how much you need, you can use symbols of money such as the $ dollar sign or a runic symbol. In traditional runes, Fehu is the sign of prosperity.

Once you've completed your inscription, anoint the candle with the Money Oil. If you don't have Money Oil, use another essential oil that brings prosperity -- cinnamon, orange or ginger are all good to use. Focus your intent into the candle, drawing abundance to you. Rub a small amount of the dried basil, sage or dill -- all herbs connected with money -- into the oil. As you do, clearly visualize how you will be using the money that comes your way. Will you use it to pay off debt? Buy a new car? Take a class for personal growth?

Light the candle, and meditate on the flame. Continue focusing on your intent, and imagine it building, first as a small spark, and then growing into a large ball of light. Maintain this image as long as you can, and then release it into the candle flame. Make sure the candle is in a safe place so as not to be a fire hazard (a bowl of sand is perfect for this) and allow the candle to burn out on its own.

As the Wheel of the Year turns with each season, you may wish to use different types and scents of incense for your ceremonies and rituals. While incense isn't mandatory for a good ritual, it certainly can help to set the mood. To make your a blend of incense for Mabon, the autumn equinox, we'll be using scents that remind us of the fall season, and the second harvest of the year.

You can make incense with sticks and in cones, but the easiest kind uses loose ingredients, which are then burned on top of a charcoal disc or tossed into a fire. This recipe is for loose incense, but you can adapt it for stick or cone recipes if you wish.

As you mix and blend your incense, focus on the intent of your work. In this particular recipe, we’re creating an incense to use during Mabon. It’s a time to celebrate the season of balance and harmony, as well as the gratitude and thanksgiving of the harvest season.

You’ll need:

• 2 parts sandalwood
• 2 parts pine
• 1 part rosemary
• 1 part cinnamon
• 1 part dried apple
• 1 part dried oak leaf

Add your ingredients to your mixing bowl one at a time. Measure carefully, and if the leaves or blossoms need to be crushed, use your mortar and pestle to do so. As you blend the herbs together, state your intent. You may find it helpful to charge your incense with an incantation, such as:

Mabon, a season of dark and light,
balance of day turning to night.
Counting my blessings in all I have and do,
love and harmony, and gratitude too.
Mabon herbs, bring balance to me,
As I will, so it shall be.

Store your incense in a tightly sealed jar. Make sure you label it with its intent and name, as well as the date you created it. Use within three months, so that it remains charged and fresh.

No Pagan or Wiccan sabbat celebration is complete without feasting and food, and with Mabon being a harvest holiday, there's plenty for everyone! Celebrate the full fields with a potluck dinner for a few friends, or host a big shindig with lots of goodies. No matter how you do it, take advantage of the gifts the season has to offer!

Need a prayer to bless your Mabon meal? How about one to celebrate the Dark Mother before you dive into your dinner? Try one of these simple, practical Mabon prayers to mark the autumn equinox in your celebrations.

Prayer for Abundance 
We have so much before us
on for this we are thankful.
We have so many blessings,
and for this we are thankful.
There are others not so fortunate,
and by this we are humbled.
We shall make an offering in their name
to the gods who watch over us,
that those in need are someday
as blessed as we are this day.

Mabon Balance Prayer 
Equal hours of light and darkness
we celebrate the balance of Mabon,
and ask the gods to bless us.
For all that is bad, there is good.
For that which is despair, there is hope.
For the moments of pain, there are moments of love.
For all that falls, there is the chance to rise again.
May we find balance in our lives
as we find it in our hearts.

Prayers to Gods of The Vine Hail! Hail! Hail!
The grapes have been gathered!
The wine has been pressed!
The casks have been opened!
Dionysus and Bacchus,
watch over our celebration
and bless us with merrymaking!
Hail! Hail! Hail!

Note: Feel free to replace the above deities with gods of your own tradition. 
You can learn more about the gods of the vine here: Gods of the Vine.

A Prayer to The Dark Mother
Day turns to night,
and life turns to death,
and the Dark Mother teaches us to dance.
Hecate, Demeter, Kali,
Nemesis, Morrighan, Tiamet,
bringers of destruction, you who embody the Crone,
I honor you as the earth goes dark,
and as the world slowly dies.

If you happen to be someone who feels a connection to the darker aspect of the year, 
considering holding a full Ritual Honoring the Dark Mother.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving 
The harvest is ending,
the earth is dying.
The cattle have come in from their fields.
We have the earth's bounty
on the table before us
and for this we give thanks to the gods.

Note: Many Pagans choose to celebrate thanksgiving at Mabon. 
If you have concerns about celebrating it in November with the rest of your family, be sure to read Pagans and Thanksgiving.

Home Protection Prayer to Morrighan
This incantation calls upon the goddess Morrighan, who was aCeltic deity of battle and sovereignty. As a goddess who determined kingship and land holdings, she can be called upon for assistance in protecting your property and the boundaries of your land. If you’ve been robbed lately, or are having trouble with trespassers, this prayer comes in particularly handy. You may wish to make this as martial as possible, with lots of banging drums, clapping, and even a sword or two thrown in as you march around the boundaries of your property.

Hail Morrighan! Hail Morrighan!
Protect this land from those who would trespass upon it!
Hail Morrighan! Hail Morrighan!
Guard this land and all those who dwell within it!
Hail Morrighan! Hail Morrighan!
Watch over this land and all contained upon it!
Hail Morrighan! Hail Morrighan!
Goddess of battle, great goddess of the land,
She who is the Washer at the Ford, Mistress of Ravens,
And Keeper of the Shield,
We call upon you for protection.
Trespassers beware! The great Morrighan stands guard,
And she shall unleash her displeasure upon you.
Let it be known that this land falls under her protection,
And to do harm to any within it
Is to invite her wrath.
Hail Morrighan! Hail Morrighan!
We honor and thank you this day!
Hail Morrighan! Hail Morrighan!

One of the richest holidays from abundance and balance as the focus to, the largest diversity in freshly harvest food available, this pagan Sabbat is historically known as Pagan Thanksgiving. The lively flow of apple ciders, mead's, ale and Dionysus's coveted wine, is accompanied by rich fruity pastries, the fattest, juiciest and richest meats and most decadent breads a lover of feasts can even begin to imagine, as we start to slow our pace and appreciate what we've reaped after a long year sewn, this is the time to come together, share time with those we find most treasured in our hearts and to toast each other's successes and prospects of the second harvest season, below are just a few of many sumptuous possibilities for your pagan feast at hand, for more enriching Mabon stories, history and recipes purchase my cookbook available below. 

Apple butter is a delicious treat all year long, and if you make it in the fall with fresh apple sauce, you can preserve it to eat later on. Enjoy this tasty spread on warm bread, or just straight from the jar! You'll need basic canning supplies like Mason jars with lids, a pair of tongs, and a big pot to get started. This recipe should yield you about ten pints of apple butter.

Cook Time: 12 hours
Total Time: 12 hoursIngredients:

• 9 quarts of applesauce
• 2 C. apple cider
• 3 Tbs. ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbs, ground cloves
• 1 Tbs. nutmeg
• 3 C. sugar (more if you like really sweet apple butter)

Preparation:
You can make this recipe with homemade or store-bought applesauce. Homemade tastes far better, so if you've never made your own applesauce, check out the Applesauce recipe at our Family Crafts site.

Fill a crock pot with as much applesauce as it takes to bring you about an inch from the top -- this will NOT hold all of the applesauce, unless you have a REALLY big crock pot, but that's okay. It should take about half the applesauce if you use a 5-quart crock.

Add 1 C. of the cider, half the cinnamon, half the cloves and nutmeg, and 1 1/2 C. of the sugar. Set the crock pot on Low, and cover. Allow the applesauce to cook on low setting for about 8 - 12 hours.

Around the 10-hour point, check the amount of applesauce in the pot. It should have reduced significantly by now, so add in the remaining quarts of applesauce, spices, cider and sugar. Mix thoroughly to blend with the applesauce that's already in the pot, and allow to simmer for a few more hours, until the applesauce has reduced to a nice, thick brown apple butter.

Optional - use a hand-held mixer to blend the apple butter into a creamy, smooth texture.

Finally, can the apple butter using the following steps: Home Canning Basics, so you'll have apple butter that lasts for months in your pantry.

Serve your apple butter with a loaf of warm, soft bread, or eat it straight from the jar!

This appetizer, a staple of Greek cooking, takes a while to prepare, but it's well worth it. Use fresh grape leaves off the vine if you have them, or buy a jar of marinated leaves in the grocery store. Either way, it's a delicious accompaniment to your Mabon feasting, and embodies the god of the vine by using both the grape leaves and raisins, which are just dried-up grapes.


Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 jar grape leaves
• 2 Cups white or brown rice, cooked about halfway
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/2 Cup golden raisins
• 1 granny smith apple, chopped
• 1/2 Cup loose fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1/3 Cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans are perfect, but pine nuts work too)
• 2 Tbs. curry powder (or more, depending on how much you like curry)
• 4 Cups vegetable broth
• Lemon wedges

Preparation:
First, if you're using commercially prepared grape leaves, remove them from their jar and rinse them in cold water for about five minutes. They're pickled in a brine solution, so you'll want to separate them gently and let them soak for a while. If you're using fresh leaves off the vine, soak them until they're nice and pliable.

Meanwhile, combine the rice, onion, egg, raisins, apple, mint, nuts and curry powder together in a bowl, mixing well.

Lay a few grape leaves out on a cutting board, shiny side down, and remove their stems. Place a small, compact scoop of the rice mixture in the middle of each leaf - about a tablespoon should do it, although you could use more if you have really big grape leaves. Fold the grape leaves over each other, like you're wrapping a burrito. Be sure to roll them as tightly as possible. Repeat until you've used up all your rice mixture, or run out of grape leaves.

Place all your rolled leaves in the bottom of a large pot. You can pack them in pretty tightly, which will help keep them from unrolling as they cook -- you can even stack them in layers, if you need to. Pour the broth in on top, covering the rolled leaves just barely to the top. Cover the pot and bring to a rolling boil, and then decrease heat and simmer for about 25 minutes.

When the rolled leaves are done simmering, the rice will be cooked all the way. Remove the leaves from the pot and allow to cool. Squeeze lemon wedges over the tops. These are really nice served with chilled yogurt and pita bread as a light meal, or they can be a side dish to a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern-style dinner.

Every year in the fall, countless numbers of Wiccans and Pagans attend Renaissance Festivals and Faires across the world. It's a great way to get that old-world feeling, and get in touch with days gone by, although with better hygiene and plumbing improvements. Along with the bountiful blessings of Lady Visa and Master Card, one of the high points of any Renaissance Festival is the food. If you're a fan of Renaissance Festival cuisine, you'll really enjoy this. The smoked turkey leg is a staple of most Ren Faires, so why not take the time to whip a few together for your Mabon celebration?

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutesIngredients:

• A turkey leg for each person you're feeding
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil
• --
• **Brine**
• 4 quarts of water
• 1/2 C kosher salt or sea salt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• --
• **Basting Sauce**
• Honey
• Your favorite barbeque sauce
• Red wine vinegar

Preparation:
Combine the water, kosher salt and sugar and mix well. Place the turkey drumsticks in the brine so they're completely covered -- if you're making a lot of turkey legs, you may need to double the amount of brine.

Refrigerate your turkey legs, in the brine solution, over night. Remove from the fridge about an hour before cooking, so they can reach room temperature.

When you're ready to cook, remove the turkey legs from the brine and pat them dry. Brush each turkey leg lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Preheat your grill.

Combine the honey, barbeque sauce and red wine vinegar to taste. Some people like sweeter, so if that's you, use more honey. If you like your sauce tangier, use more vinegar.

Place the turkey legs on the grill over low heat. Brush them with the sauce periodically, and turn them so they can grill evenly all over. Keep the lid closed as much as possible.

Keep grilling the turkey legs for about 30 minutes, turning and basting them occasionally, until done. When finished, remove them from the grill and wrap them in aluminum foil for about fifteen minutes to finish cooking. Enjoy your turkey legs with a big drumstick in one hand, and a tankard of ale in the other!

At Mabon, we celebrate the goddess in her aspect as the crone, or the Dark Mother. She is Demeter, she is Hecate, she is the wise old woman wielding a scythe rather than a basket of blooming flowers. This honey wheat blend is a delicious way to celebrate the end of the harvest and say farewell to the fertile months of summer. Serve warm with herbed oils for dipping, or with a big scoop of Apple Butter.

Make this either in your bread machine, or by kneading it by hand.

Prep Time: 1 hourCook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutesIngredients:

• 2 C. warm water
• 1 Tbs. active dry yeast
• 1/3 C. honey
• 3 C. whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 C. vegetable oil
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 4 C. all purpose baking flour

Preparation:
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add honey and mix well.

Stir in the whole wheat flour, salt, vegetable oil, and butter and mix until a stiff dough has formed. Gradually work the all-purpose flour into the mix, one cup at a time.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured countertop, and knead for about fifteen minutes. When it reaches the point where it's sort of elastic, shape it into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl. Cover with a warm, damp cloth, and allow to sit and rise until it's doubled in size -- usually about 45 minutes.

Punch the dough down and cut in half, so you can make two loaves of bread. Place each half in a greased loaf pan, and allow to rise. Once the dough has risen an inch or two above the top of the loaf pan, pop them in the oven. Bake at 375 for half an hour, or until golden brown at the top.

When you remove the loaves from the oven, allow to cool for about fifteen minutes before removing from the pan. If you like, brush some melted butter over the top of the hot loaves, to add a pretty golden glaze to them.

Note - If you're doing this in a bread machine, remember, the recipes makes two loaves. Halve everything if you're allowing the machine to do the mixing. If you hand mix it, you can still drop the single-loaf balls of dough into the machine to bake.

The pomegranate symbolizes the fertility of the goddess and is representative of Persephone, daughter of Demeter. This delicious sorbet is easy to make, and can be prepared as part of ritual or in advance. You can either squeeze the fruit juices yourself, or buy them commercially prepared. While you prepare this sorbet, give thanks to the Dark Mother for the blessings of the harvest and the changing of the seasons.

Ingredients:

• 2 C. pomegranate juice
• 1/3 C. orange juice
• 1/3 C. cranberry juice
• 1/2 Tsp. lemon juice
• 1/3 C. sugar
• 1 orange
• Mint leaves
• Fresh pomegranate seeds

Preparation:Blend all the juices and the sugar in an airtight container. Cover the container, and then freeze for four hours. When the mixture has frozen solid, use a spoon to break it up into small chunks (not smooth). Re-freeze for a few more hours.

To serve, scoop the frozen sorbet into cups or glasses, and garnes with slices of orange, mint leaves, and the extra pomegranate seeds.

In the midwest, the Buckeye tree, or aesculus glabra, flourishes. It's part of the horse chestnut family, and although the nuts are toxic to anyone who's not a squirrel, it's a very prolific and abundant species. The small brown nuts, which begin dropping in late August, have been used for many years in some traditions of folk magic.

The Buckeye is associated with prosperity and abundance. Why not whip up a batch of Buckeye candies for your Mabon guests, and share your wishes for a bountiful harvest with your friends? This recipe has been popular in Ohio - the Buckeye state - since the 1920s.

Ingredients:

• 1 16-oz jar of creamy peanut butter
• 1 pound bag of confectioners sugar
• 1 C stick butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 12-oz bag of chocolate chips for dipping

Preparation:Combine peanut butter, butter, and vanilla together and cream until smooth. Add the confectioners sugar a little bit at a time until you've gotten it all mixed in. It should produce a really heavy, thick dough. Roll this into small balls (one inch diameter or less) and place them on wax paper. Chill in refrigerator until firm - if they get warm, they tend to get soft, like the ones in the photo above.

Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler over low heat. Use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to dip each peanut butter ball into the chocolate -- be sure to leave a bit of the peanut butter showing at the top, so you get the brown-and-black look of a real Buckeye! Return the balls to the wax paper and allow to cool. Keep in an airtight container until ready to serve.

The great thing about these candies is that because the Buckeye is associated with prosperity and abundance, you can use this for magical purposes. As you mix and blend the ingredients, focus your intent on abundance, so that you can share it with your friends and family at Mabon or other Sabbat celebrations.

To find delicious Mabon recipes like those above, including variations from pagans all around the modern and ancient world, you're in luck this cookbook is available for purchase here. From beautiful depictions of pagan life including hilarious stories, enriching and educational information about pagan culture and endless recipes from all over the pagan landscape that will truly become your most treasured cookbook as it has with those locally and world-wide, who still email me about how often they enjoy sharing stories in the kitchen with this wonderful cookbook. 

Recipes for The Pagan Soul Cookbook by Psychic Bella
former pen name: Druidessia 

This cookbook was a collaborative effort from Pagans all over the world, From recipes 8 generations back to historically enriched recipes with cultural fusion and a rich tapestry of words to adorn each recipe. From the far east, middle east to the far west this cookbook is full of recipes, stories and educational insight and rituals from pagans all over the world. Without the contributions from multi-generational and first life pagans this book wouldn't be possible it was a world wide effort made entirely of good food and a lot of love. 

Recipe's for The Pagan Soul Cookbook 
Includes:
Ritual Cooking Section for Sabbats, Esbats, Handfastings and more, to Mead, Druidic Teas, Vegan & Vegetarian Dishes, and each page is full of beautiful photos, stories from all over the pagan world, we even have recipes for your children to create and enjoy along with special organic treats for family pets or "familiars" as we witches call them. So what are you waiting for?! This cookbook was featured on Amazon.com for 3 years for being the most unique cookbook on Lulu.com! 

Glorious, Brilliant, Lughnasadh. This Sabbat lovingly reminds me while tilling the garden both physical and spiritual to pause, to rest, to take time to reflect on the garden that is still growing and to rejoice at the true bounty that permeates my heart and soul. This chosen discipline and ritual isn't always easy for a usually forward motion, defying inertia energy that embodies the vessel of this Aries woman.

As the middle of summer and the longest days of light prevail to ward off the cold bitter and shortest days of the year in darkest winter, I'm reminded to slow down, embrace life just as it is, and to smell the roses instead of focusing on the culmination of projects still in stasis, as my future planning mind finds a way to define the feeling of slowing down, but in all honesty the universe has it's timing, and why rush beautiful dreams, and flowers in the spiritual garden from blooming as big and fully as possible, all the while we try to accelerate that pace, make it bigger, better, fuller, this mentality is never necessary for the universe of for any other successful mechanism in the cosmos, nature just knows, how and when to grow.

This theme of craftsmanship is the primary focus of The Lord of Light, of Lugh The Master Blacksmith. As we welcome his practical and long lasting presence into our lives during this blessed Sabbat that is in his honor we too must reflect on tempering, on spiritual alchemy and other ways to blend, and balance, purify and purge, dream and create and move forward not at our pace but at the time and pace needed and necessary to produce profoundly beautiful results.

As the bon fires blaze, the feasts and gatherings begin and more Twin Flames prepare to jump the broom, for Handfastings and Weddings, it's time to take a break, celebrate how far you've come in this life and during this year, and how far we still have left to go and to grow. As the projects, crafts and long hours in the fields tilling the physical and spiritual earth are always a focus, its time to gather as One and to celebrate the longest days of light before we're consumed once more in barren times of resourcefulness in the throws of the short days of winter. Wising you and yours a wonderful Lammas, a Illuminating Lughnasadh.

​Hail Lugh Lord of Light! Hail Hail 

What is Lammas and/or Lughnasadh?

It's the dog days of summer, the gardens are full of goodies, the fields are full of grain, and the harvest is approaching. Take a moment to relax in the heat, and reflect on the upcoming abundance of the fall months. At Lammas, sometimes called Lughnasadh, it's time to begin reaping what we have sown throughout the past few months, and recognize that the bright summer days will soon come to an end. In this Seven-Day Sabbat course, we'll talk about the history of Lammas, ways you can mark the early harvest with rites and rituals, some Lammas magic, legends and folklore, craft projects, and even recipe ideas for your Lammas celebration.

Let's begin by looking at when Lammas actually takes place, as well as some of the history of this late summer holiday! We'll also discuss ideas for your Lammas altar, and you can view photos of other readers' altars as well.

The Beginning of the Harvest
At Lammas, also called Lughnasadh, the hot days of August are upon us, much of the earth is dry and parched, but we still know that the bright reds and yellows of the harvest season are just around the corner. Apples are beginning to ripen in the trees, our summer vegetables have been picked, corn is tall and green, waiting for us to come gather the bounty of the crop fields. Now is the time to begin reaping what we have sown, and gathering up the first harvests of grain, wheat, oats, and more.

This holiday can be celebrated either as a way to honor the god Lugh, or as a celebration of the harvest.

Celebrating Grain in Ancient Cultures
Grain has held a place of importance in civilization back nearly to the beginning of time. Grain became associated with the cycle of death and rebirth. The Sumerian god Tammuz was slain and his lover Ishtar grieved so heartily that nature stopped producing. Ishtar mourned Tammuz, and followed him to the Underworld to bring him back, similar to the story of Demeter and Persephone.

In Greek legend, the grain god was Adonis. Two goddesses, Aphrodite and Persephone, battled for his love. To end the fighting, Zeus ordered Adonis to spend six months with Persephone in the Underworld, and the rest with Aphrodite.


A Feast of Bread
In early Ireland, it was a bad idea to harvest your grain any time before Lammas -- it meant that the previous year's harvest had run out early, and that was a serious failing in agricultural communities. However, on August 1, the first sheaves of grain were cut by the farmer, and by nightfall his wife had made the first loaves of bread of the season.

The word Lammas derives from the Old English phrase hlaf-maesse, which translates to loaf mass. In early Christian times, the first loaves of the season were blessed by the Church.

Honoring Lugh, the Skillful God:
In some Wiccan and modern Pagan traditions, Lammas is also a day of honoring Lugh, the Celtic craftsman god. He is a god of many skills, and was honored in various aspects by societies both in the British Isles and in Europe. Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-NAS-ah) is still celebrated in many parts of the world today. Lugh's influence appears in the names of several European towns.

Honoring the Past
In our modern world, it's often easy to forget the trials and tribulations our ancestors had to endure. For us, if we need a loaf of bread, we simply drive over to the local grocery store and buy a few bags of prepackaged bread. If we run out, it's no big deal, we just go and get more. When our ancestors lived, hundreds and thousands of years ago, the harvesting and processing of grain was crucial. If crops were left in the fields too long, or the bread not baked in time, families could starve. Taking care of one's crops meant the difference between life and death.

By celebrating Lammas as a harvest holiday, we honor our ancestors and the hard work they must have had to do in order to survive. This is a good time to give thanks for the abundance we have in our lives, and to be grateful for the food on our tables. Lammas is a time of transformation, of rebirth and new beginnings.Symbols of the Season

The Wheel of the Year has turned once more, and you may feel like decorating your house accordingly. While you probably can't find too many items marked as "Lammas decor" in your local discount store, there are a number of items you can use as decoration for this harvest holiday.

Crafts, Song and Celebration
Because of its association with Lugh, the skilled god, Lammas (Lughnasadh) is also a time to celebrate talents and craftsmanship. It's a traditional time of year for craft festivals, and for skilled artisans to peddle their wares. In medieval Europe, guilds would arrange for their members to set up booths around a village green, festooned with bright ribbons and fall colors. Perhaps this is why so many modern Renaissance Festivals begin around this time of year!

• Sickles and scythes, as well as other symbols of harvesting
• Grapes and vines
• Dried grains -- sheafs of wheat, bowls of oats, etc.
• Corn dolls -- you can make these easily using dried husks
• Early fall vegetables, such as squashes and pumpkins
• Late summer fruits, like apples, plums and peaches

Lugh is also known in some traditions as the patron of bards and magicians. Now is a great time of year to work on honing your own talents. Learn a new craft, or get better at an old one. Put on a play, write a story or poem, take up a musical instrument, or sing a song. Whatever you choose to do, this is the right season for rebirth and renewal, so set August 1 as the day to share your new skill with your friends and family.

It's Lammas, or Lughnasadh, the Sabbat where many Wiccans and Pagans choose to celebrate the beginnings of the harvest. This Sabbat is about the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth -- the grain god dies, but will be reborn again in the spring. Depending on your tradition, you may also observe this Sabbat as the day of the Celtic craftsman god, Lugh. Either way, you can try some or even all of these ideas -- obviously, someone using a bookshelf as an altar will have less flexibility than someone using a table, but use what calls to you most.

Colors of the SeasonIt's the end of summer, and soon the leaves will begin to change. However, the sun is still fiery and hot. Use a combination of summer and fall colors -- the yellows and oranges and reds of the sun can also represent the turning leaves to come. Add some browns and greens to celebrate the fertility of the earth and the crops being harvested. Cover your altar with cloths that symbolize the changing of the season from summer to harvest time, and use candles in deep, rich colors -- reds, burgundies, or other autumn shades are perfect this time of year.

Symbols of the HarvestThe harvest is here, and that means it's time to include symbols of the fields on your altar. Sickles and scythes are appropriate, as are baskets. Sheafs of grain, fresh picked fruits and vegetables, a jar of honey, or loaves of bread are perfect for the Lammastide altar.

Honoring the God LughIf your celebrations focus more on the god Lugh, observe the Sabbat from an artisan's point of view. Place symbols of your craft or skill on the altar -- a notebook, your special paints for artists, a pen for writers, other tools of your creativity.

Other Symbols of Lammas (Lughnasadh)

• Grapes and wine
• Corn dolls
• Ears of corn
• Iron, such as tools or weaponry or armor
• Fall flowers, such as cornflowers or poppies
• Straw braids
• Onion garlands

Legends & Lore of Lammas

In many cultures, there are different legends and lore surrounding Lammas (Lughnasadh). Here are a few of the stories about this magical harvest celebration from around the world.

• In Israel, the festival of Shavout commemorates the beginning of the harvest, as well as honoring the date that Moses received the Torah on Mt. Sinai. The final sheaf of wheat is brought to the rabbi for a blessing, synagogues and homes are decorated with flower, and a great feast is prepared for all to enjoy.


• The festival of Onam is celebrated in India, and people dress up in their finest clothes and give food to the poor. Onam is celebrated in honor of King Mahabali, who was a ruler of Kerala. In one story, the god Vishnu approached Mahabali dressed as a beggar, and asked for land, which Mahabali gave him. Mahabli ended up buried under the earth by Vishnu, but was allowed to return once a year, symbolizing the planting of the seed and the subsequent harvest.


• Thor's wife, Sif, had beautiful golden hair, until Loki the prankster cut it off. Thor was so upset he wanted to kill Loki, but some dwarves spun new hair for Sif, which grew magically as soon as it touched her head. The hair of Sif is associated with the harvest, and the golden grain that grows every year.


• In the Shetland Islands, farmers believed that grain harvesting should only take place during a waning moon. They also believed this about the fall potato crop, and the cutting of peat.


• At Lughnasadh, calves are weaned, and the first fruits are ripe, such as apples and grapes. In some Irish counties, it was believed farmers had to wait until Lughnasadh to start picking these fruits, or bad luck would befall the community.


• In some countries, Lammas is a time for warrior games and mock battles. This may hearken back to the days when a harvest festival was held, and people would come from miles around to get together. What better way for young men to show off their strength and impress the girls than by whacking away at all the competition? Games and contests are also held in honor of Lugh, the mighty Celtic craftsman god, in which artisans offer up their finest work.


• It's become a custom to give people the gift of a pair of gloves at Lammastide. In part, it's because winter is just around the corner, but it's also related to an old tradition in which landowners gave their tenants a pair of gloves after the harvest. The glove is a symbol of authority and benevolence.

Honoring The Soul of The Harvest

In European cultures, a corn doll was often used to represent the spirit of the harvested crops. However, Europe didn't have a monopoly on this at all. In South American countries, some tribes took the largest portion of the crops -- typically maize -- and dressed it in clothing as an effigy.

In Peru, people honored different spirits of the crops. The Maize Mother was the zara mama, the spirit of quinoa was known as quinoa mama, and everything from the cocoa tree to the lowly potato had a life essence.

In North America, the native tribes grew corn, or maize, as a staple part of their diet. Some groups have stories of rebirth and regeneration, and a few have folktales that parallel the story of Demeter and Persephone. In the southwestern part of the United States, Native Americans still perform a ceremonial dance that honors the harvesting of the maize every fall.

It's not uncommon to find spiritual connections to agriculture. The Malay people of Indonesia believe that rice plants -- again, a staple crop -- possess a soul or life force just as humans do. Harvesting is even done in a way that is seen as "painless" to the rice plants, so that it will not suffer. In some parts of the Malay Peninsula, there is a big ceremony at the beginning of each harvest, in which a complex ritual is performed that identifies the mother of the rice soul in the selected sheaf.

Folklorist Sir James Frazer makes mention in The Golden Bough of the global phenomenon of the honoring of the spirit of the grain. He says that the mere fact that underdeveloped, primitive cultures honor a "corn mother" archetype indicates that this has been going on for thousands of years. In other words, because these cultures are "unspoiled" by modern society, their worship of such an embodiment of the grain is probably very close to the original ritual and ceremony.

In English folklore, John Barleycorn is a character who represents the crop of barley harvested each autumn. Equally as important, he symbolizes the wonderful drinks which can be made from barley -- beer and whiskey -- and their effects. In the traditional folksong,John Barleycorn, the character of John Barleycorn endures all kinds of indignities, most of which correspond to the cyclic nature of planting, growing, harvesting, and then death.

Although written versions of the song date back to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, there is evidence that it was sung for years before that. There are a number of different versions, but the most well-known one is the Robert Burns version, in which John Barleycorn is portrayed as an almost Christ-like figure, suffering greatly before finally dying so that others may live.

In The Golden Bough, Sir James Frazer cites John Barleycorn as proof that there was once a Pagan cult in England that worshipped a god of vegetation, who was sacrificed in order to bring fertility to the fields. This ties into the related story of the Wicker Man, who is burned in effigy. Ultimately, the character of John Barleycorn is a metaphor for the spirit of grain, grown healthy and hale during the summer, chopped down and slaughtered in his prime, and then processed into beer and whiskey so he can live once more.

The lyrics to the Robert Burns version of the song are as follows:

There was three kings into the east,
three kings both great and high,
and they hae sworn a solemn oath
John Barleycorn must die.

They took a plough and plough'd him down,
put clods upon his head,
and they hae sworn a solemn oath
John Barleycorn was dead.

But the cheerful Spring came kindly on'
and show'rs began to fall.
John Barleycorn got up again,
and sore surprised them all.

The sultry suns of Summer came,
and he grew thick and strong;
his head well arm'd wi' pointed spears,
that no one should him wrong.

The sober Autumn enter'd mild,
when he grew wan and pale;
his bendin' joints and drooping head
show'd he began to fail.

His colour sicken'd more and more,
and he faded into age;
and then his enemies began
to show their deadly rage.

They took a weapon, long and sharp,
and cut him by the knee;
they ty'd him fast upon a cart,
like a rogue for forgerie.

They laid him down upon his back,
and cudgell'd him full sore.
they hung him up before the storm,
and turn'd him o'er and o'er.

They filled up a darksome pit
with water to the brim,
they heav'd in John Barleycorn.
There, let him sink or swim!

They laid him upon the floor,
to work him farther woe;
and still, as signs of life appear'd,
they toss'd him to and fro.

They wasted o'er a scorching flame
the marrow of his bones;
but a miller us'd him worst of all,
for he crush'd him between two stones.

And they hae taen his very hero blood
and drank it round and round;
and still the more and more they drank,
their joy did more abound.

John Barleycorn was a hero bold,
of noble enterprise;
for if you do but taste his blood,
'twill make your courage rise.

'Twill make a man forget his woe;
'twill heighten all his joy;
'twill make the widow's heart to sing,
tho the tear were in her eye.

Then let us toast John Barleycorn,
each man a glass in hand;
and may his great posterity
ne'er fail in old Scotland!

In many societies, the cutting of the final sheaf of grain was indeed cause for celebration. People celebrated by making corn dolls, which represented the spirit of the grain. Sometimes these dolls were full-sized, made of the last stalks of corn to be harvested, and decorated with ribbons, streamers and even articles of clothing. Ivy was a symbol of rebirth, and so it wasn't uncommon to dress the corn doll with a headdress of ivy.

In some rural areas, the corn doll was kept in a place of honor at a farmhouse in the village, until it was time to make one the following year. At that time, the old one was ceremonially burned.

The creation of corn dolls was just one of many customs surrounding the final sheaf of the grain harvest. In Ireland, the final sheaf was gathered with great ceremony, celebrating the living things that might be living within it. If you think about it, that makes sense -- a cornfield is a perfect nesting place for small animals, such as rabbits, mice, birds, or frogs. As the reapers harvested the crop, the animals within fled, until there was only one sheaf left. Since the animal was more often than not a small, very frightened hare, the phrase "putting the hare out of the corn" came to mean the end of the reaping.

In some parts of the British Isles, young maidens were invited to cut down the final sheaf. The one who was able to do so in a single stroke of the scythe was guaranteed to be married within the year -- probably because she had just proved herself as an able and strong farmwife. In other areas, it was believed that the person to cut the final sheaf would have good luck for a year, but in other place, it was a sign of ill fortune to come.

An odd tradition in some areas was the use of the final sheaf to find the corpse of a drowning victim. The sheaf was placed in the water with a lit candle upon it, near where the person was believed to have fallen in. The sheaf drifted, and it was believed that it would come to rest where the body was submerged. It was thought that only the final sheaf had the magical ability to find these lost souls.

Regardless of how it was used, the cutting of the final sheaf meant that the grain harvest was over. Now bread baking could begin, and food stored away for the coming winter months.

Although Lammas is mostly observed by Wiccans and NeoPagans today, it's important to remember that throughout history, the time of the first grain harvest has always been culturally significant. It was a time of ritual and celebration, of country fairs and fall festivals. Games and gatherings were often held this time of year, as the harvest was brought in, bread was baked, and livestock were herded in from the summer pastures. In addition to being the time of the first harvest, in some traditions this is the time to honor Lugh, the Celtic craftsman god. He and other deities of the season are often the focus of these late summer harvest celebrations.

Patron of the Arts
Similar to the Roman god Mercury, Lugh was known as a god of both skill and the distribution of talent. There are countless inscriptions and statues dedicated to Lugh, and Julius Caesarhimself commented on this god's importance to the Celtic people. Although he was not a war god in the same sense as the Roman Mars, Lugh was considered a warrior because to the Celts, skill on the battlefield was a highly valued ability. In Ireland, which was never invaded by Roman troops, Lugh is called sam ildanach, meaning he was skilled in many arts simultaneously.

Lugh Enters the Hall of Tara
In one famous legend, Lugh arrives at Tara, the hall of the high kings of Ireland. The guard at the door tells him that only one person will be admitted with a particular skill -- one blacksmith, one wheelwright, one bard, etc. Lugh enumerates all the great things he can do, and each time the guard says, "Sorry, we've already got someone here who can do that." Finally Lugh asks, "Ah, but do you have anyone here who can do them ALL?" At last, Lugh was allowed entrance to Tara.

The Book of Invasions
Much of the early history of Ireland is recorded in the Book of Invasions, which recounts the many times Ireland was conquered by foreign enemies. According to this chronicle, Lugh was the grandson of one of the Fomorians, a monstrous race that were the enemy of the Tuatha De Danann. Lugh's grandfather, Balor of the Evil Eye, had been told he would be murdered by a grandson, so he imprisoned his only daughter in a cave. One of the Tuatha seduced her, and she gave birth to triplets. Balor drowned two of them, but Lugh survived and was raised by a smith. He later led the Tuatha in battle, and indeed killed Balor.

Roman Influence
Julius Caesar believed that most cultures worshipped the same gods and simply called them by different names. In his Gallic War essays, he enumerates the popular deities of the Gauls and refers to them by what he saw as a corresponding Roman name. Thus, references made to Mercury actually are attributed to a god Caesar also calls Lugus -- Lugh. This god's cult was centered in Lugundum, which later became Lyon, France. His festival on August 1 was selected as the day of the Feast of Augustus, by Caesar's successor, Octavian Augustus Caesar, and it was the most important holiday in all of Gaul.

Weapons and War
Although not specifically a war god, Lugh was known as a skilled warrior. His weapons included a mighty magic spear, which was so bloodthirsty that it often tried to fight without its owner. According to Irish myth, in battle, the spear flashed fire and tore through the enemy ranks unchecked. In parts of Ireland, when a thunderstorm rolls in, the locals say that Lugh and Balor are sparring - thus giving Lugh one more role, as a god of storms.

The Many Aspects of Lugh
According to Peter Beresford Ellis, the Celts held smithcraft in high regard. War was a way of life, and smiths were considered to have magical gifts -- after all, they were able to master the element of Fire, and mold the metals of the earth using their strength and skill. Yet in Caesar's writings, there are no references to a Celtic equivalent of Vulcan, the Roman smith god.

In early Irish mythology, the smith is called Goibhniu, and is accompanied by two brothers to create a triple god-form. The three craftsmen make weaponry and carry out repairs on Lugh's behalf as the entire host of the Tuatha De Danann prepares for war. In a later Irish tradition, the smith god is seen as a master mason or a great builder. In some legends, Goibhniu is Lugh's uncle who saves him from Balor and the monstrous Formorians.

One God, Many Names
The Celts had many gods and goddesses, due in part to the fact that each tribe had its own patron deities, and within a region there might be gods associated with particular locations or landmarks. For example, a god who watched over a particular river or mountain might only be recognized by the tribes who lived in that area. Lugh was fairly versatile, and was honored nearly universally by the Celts. The Gaulish Lugos is connected to the Irish Lugh, who in turn is connected to the Welsh Llew Llaw Gyffes.

Celebrating the Harvest of Grain
The Book of Invasions tells us that Lugh came to be associated with grain in Celtic mythology after he held an harvest fair in honor of his foster mother, Tailtiu. This day became August 1, and that date ties in with the first grain harvest in agricultural societies in the Northern Hemisphere. In fact, in Irish Gaelic, the word for August is lunasa. Lugh is honored with corn, grains, bread, and other symbols of the harvest. This holiday was called Lughnasadh(pronounced Loo-NA-sah). Later, in Christian England the date was called Lammas, after the Saxon phrase hlaf maesse, or "loaf mass."

An Ancient God for Modern Times
For many Pagans and Wiccans, Lugh is honored as the champion of artistry and skills. Many artisans, musicians, bards, and crafters invoke Lugh when they need assistance with creativity. Today Lugh is still honored at the time of harvest, not only as a god of grain but also as a god of late summer storms.

Even today, in Ireland many people celebrate Lughnasadh with dancing, song, and bonfires. The Catholic church also has set this date aside for a ritual blessing of farmers' fields.

Gods & Goddesses of The Early Harvest 

When Lammastide rolls around, the fields are full and fertile. Crops are abundant, and the late summer harvest is ripe for the picking. This is the time when the first grains are threshed, apples are plump in the trees, and gardens are overflowing with summer bounty. In nearly every ancient culture, this was a time of celebration of the agricultural significance of the season. Because of this, it was also a time when many gods and goddesses were honored. These are some of the many deities who are connected with this earliest harvest holiday.

• Adonis (Assyrian): Adonis is a complicated god who touched many cultures. Although he's often portrayed as Greek, his origins are in early Assyrian religion. Adonis was a god of the dying summer vegetation. In many stories, he dies and is later reborn, much like Attis and Tammuz.


• Attis (Phrygean): This lover of Cybele went mad and castrated himself, but still managed to get turned into a pine tree at the moment of his death. In some stories, Attis was in love with a Naiad, and jealous Cybele killed a tree (and subsequently the Naiad who dwelled within it), causing Attis to castrate himself in despair. Regardless, his stories often deal with the theme of rebirth and regeneration.


• Ceres (Roman): Ever wonder why crunched-up grain is calledcereal? It's named for Ceres, the Roman goddess of the harvest and grain. Not only that, she was the one who taught lowly mankind how to preserve and prepare corn and grain once it was ready for threshing. In many areas, she was a mother-type goddess who was responsible for agricultural fertility.


• Dagon (Semitic): Worshipped by an early Semitic tribe called the Amorites, Dagon was a god of fertility and agriculture. He's also mentioned as a father-deity type in early Sumerian texts and sometimes appears as a fish god. Dagon is credited with giving the Amorites the knowledge to build the plough.


• Demeter (Greek): The Greek equivalent of Ceres, Demeter is often linked to the changing of the seasons. She is often connected to the image of the Dark Mother in late fall and early winter. When her daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades, Demeter's grief caused the earth to die for six months, until Persephone's return.


• Lugh (Celtic): Lugh was known as a god of both skill and the distribution of talent. He is sometimes associated with midsummer because of his role as a harvest god, and duringthe summer solstice the crops are flourishing, waiting to be plucked from the ground at Lughnasadh.


• Mercury (Roman): Fleet of foot, Mercury was a messenger of the gods. In particular, he was a god of commerce and is associated with the grain trade. In late summer and early fall, he ran from place to place to let everyone know it was time to bring in the harvest. In Gaul, he was considered a god not only of agricultural abundance but also of commercial success.


• Neper (Egyptian): This androgynous grain deity became popular in Egypt during times of starvation. He later was seen as an aspect of Osiris, and part of the cycle of life, death and rebirth.


• Parvati (Hindu): Parvati was a consort of the god Shiva, and although she does not appear in Vedic literature, she is celebrated today as a goddess of the harvest and protector of women in the annual Gauri Festival.


• Pomona (Roman): This apple goddess is the keeper of orchards and fruit trees. Unlike many other agricultural deities, Pomona is not associated with the harvest itself, but with the flourishing of fruit trees. She is usually portrayed bearing a cornucopia or a tray of blossoming fruit.


• Tammuz (Sumerian): This Sumerian god of vegetation and crops is often associated with the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

Much like Beltane was a time of gathering and celebrating the spring, Lammas has often been the time of year when people in rural areas got together with their neighbors to mark the early harvest. In parts of Europe, and particularly the British Isles, Lammas became the season for country fairs. This was partly because the herds were typically rounded up at the end of the summer, so if you had livestock to sell, a country fair was a great place to find buyers. You could bring your herds and flocks to town, pen them up for sale or trade, and enjoy some festivities in the process. Although most harvest-themed festivals came later in the year, around Mabon, Lammas was a time when everyone knew the threshing of the grain was taking place. If you had hay or straw to buy or sell, you could do so at the Lammas fair. In addition, the weather at this time of year was usually mild, which made it perfect for traveling to other villages for a celebration.

Quarter Days
Lammas was traditionally known as a Quarter Day in Scotland. This meant that rents were collected, contracts signed, and other legal paperwork filed. These were also the four dates during the year on which servants were traditionally hired, so the country fair often took on the aspect of a job fair -- by networking with other servants and house managers, one could possibly attend a fair looking for work, and end the day with an offer of employment in a landowner's home or fields.

First Fruits
In France, the last week of July was a time when the first fruits of the harvest were blessed. Farmers who had orchards brought baskets of their produce to church as a tithe, and a priest consecrated the offering. The apples, cherries, peaches and more were distributed then among the congregation. This isn't exclusive to Christianity, however; it was common in early Greek and Roman religions to make offerings of the first fruits at the temple of one's patron god. This fruit was often used as a source of income for the temple priests.

Highland Games
In Scotland, Lammastide was sometimes the season in which mock battles and warrior games were played. British rulers tried to prevent the Scots from engaging in such things, believing it would encourage rebellion and disloyalty to the crown. During the eighteenth century, as mass amounts of emigrants left Scotland for other shores, Highland Games gradually gained popularity in the United States. Today, dozens of games are held throughout the summer months, and include such "heavy" events as the caber toss, the hammer throw, and sword dancing.

Bilberry Sunday
In parts of Ireland, the first Sunday in August is a day when it is custom to climb the local hills and mountains to pick berries. Tradition held that if lots of bilberries were gathered, it meant that the rest of the year's harvest would be a bountiful one. In some cases, just like at Beltane, berry-picking was an excuse to sneak off into the woods with a lover. Young men plaited fruit and vines into bracelets and crowns for their ladies. Afterwards, the best berries were eaten at a big fair, complete with singing, dancing, and general merrymaking.

Holy Wells
It became popular to hold country fairs near the site of a holy well. In some parts of England and Wales, the holy well was the destination for religious pilgrims in the summer. Because people were traveling there anyway, it was logical to turn the site into a place for a festival or other celebration. Today, many wells are still dressed with ribbons and filled with offerings during the Lammas season.

Modern Celebrations
Today, in the United States and many other countries, the celebration of the local fair has become an annual event. In rural communities, the fair is a big to-do held typically right before children return to school. Much like the country fairs of days gone by, there are games, competitions, lots of food, and livestock for sale and trade. Although it's generally only Pagans who observe the tradition of Lammas at this time, the custom of the community fair has survived the centuries.

In some Pagan traditions, Lammas is the time of year when the Goddess takes on the aspects of the Harvest Mother. The earth is fruitful and abundant, crops are bountiful, and livestock are fattening up for winter. However, the Harvest Mother knows that the cold months are coming, and so she encourages us to begin gathering up what we can. This is the season for harvesting corn and grain, so that we can bake bread to store and have seeds for next year's planting.

This ritual celebrates the beginning of the harvest season and the cycle of rebirth, and can be done by a solitary practitioner or adapted for a group or coven setting. Decorate your altar with symbols of the season -- sickles and scythes, garden goodies like ivy and grapes and corn, poppies, dried grains, and early autumn foods like apples. If you like, light some Lammas Rebirth incense.

Have a candle on your altar to represent the Harvest Mother -- choose something in orange, red or yellow. These colors not only represent the blaze of the summer sun, but also the coming changes of autumn. You'll also need a few stalks of wheat and an un-sliced loaf of bread (homemade is best, but if you can't manage, a store-bought loaf will do). A goblet of ritual wine is optional.

If your tradition requires you to cast a circle, do so now.

Light the candle, and say:

The Wheel of the Year has turned once more,
and the harvest will soon be upon us.
We have food on our tables, and
the soil is fertile.
Nature's bounty, the gift of the earth,
gives us reasons to be thankful.
Mother of the Harvest, with your sickle and basket,
bless me with abundance and plenty.

Hold the stalks of wheat before you, and think about what they symbolize: the power of the earth, the coming winter, the necessity of planning ahead. What do you need help planning right now? Are there sacrifices you should be making in the present that will be reaped in the future?

Rub the stalks between your fingers so a few grains of wheat fall upon the altar. Scatter them on the ground as a gift to the earth. If you're inside, leave them on the altar for now -- you can always take them outside later. Say:

The power of the Harvest is within me.
As the seed falls to the earth and is reborn each year,
I too grow as the seasons change.
As the grain takes root in the fertile soil,
I too will find my roots and develop.
As the smallest seed blooms into a mighty stalk,
I too will bloom where I landed.
As the wheat is harvested and saved for winter,
I too will set aside that which I can use later.
 

Tear off a piece of the bread. If you're performing this ritual as a group, pass the loaf around the circle so that each person present can take off a small chunk of bread. As each person passes the bread, they should say:

I pass to you this gift of the first harvest. When everyone has a piece of bread, say:

Everyone eats their bread together. If you have ritual wine, pass it around the circle for people to wash the bread down. Once everyone has finished their bread, take a moment to meditate on the cycle of rebirth and how it applies to your own life - physically, emotionally, spiritually. When you are ready, if you have cast a circle, close it or dismiss the quarters at this time. Otherwise, simply end the ritual in the manner of your tradition.

What You Need:

• A candle to represent the Harvest Mother
• Stalks of wheat
• A loaf of bread
• Ritual wine (optional)

For most Pagans and Wiccans, Lammas is cause for big celebration. It's the end of summer, we're outside, and our gardens are overflowing. The first harvest is the perfect time for a big ritual! You can try any of these rites to celebrate the season, or you can take a moment to honor Lugh, the craftsman god of the Celts. We'll also look at some Lammas prayers, and do a meditation to get in touch with your inner warrior for Lammas.

Looking for prayers to say at your Lammas/Lughnasadh ceremony? These prayers celebrate the early harvest, the bounty of the crops, and the craftsman warrior, Lugh.

Prayer for the Warrior Soul
The warrior soul, fighting in spirit, 
follows a code of honor and wisdom.
Strength is found not in the arms,
not in the knife, the gun or the sword,
but in the mind and soul.
I call upon the warriors of the past,
those who would stand up and fight,
those who would do what is needed,
those who would make sacrifices on behalf of others,
those who would die that others may live.
I call upon them this night,
to give me strength of heart, soul and spirit.

Prayer to Lugh
Great Lugh! 
Master of artisans,
leader of craftsmen,
patron of smiths,
I call upon you and honor you this day.
You of the many skills and talents,
I ask you to shine upon me and
bless me with your gifts.
Give me strength in skill,
make my hands and mind deft,
shine light upon my talents.
O mighty Lugh,
I thank you for your blessings.

Prayer to the Harvest Deities
The fields are full, the orchards blooming, 
and the harvest has arrived.
Hail to the gods who watch over the land!
Hail to Ceres, goddess of the wheat!
Hail Mercury, fleet of foot!
Hail Pomona, and fruitful apples!
Hail Attis, who dies and is reborn!
Hail Demeter, bringing the dark of the year!
Hail Bacchus, who fills the goblets with wine!
We honor you all, in this time of harvest,
and set our tables with your bounty.

Prayer for the Grain
Fields of gold, 
waves of grain,
the summer comes to a close.
The harvest is ready, 
ripe for threshing,
as the sun fades into autumn.
Flour will be milled,
bread will be baked,
and we shall eat for another winter.

At Lammas, the harvest is kicking in. This is a time of year when the masculine energy of the earth is in full swing. For starters, it's the season of the spirit of grain, and a time to honor Lugh, the craftsman god. Lugh was not only a craftsman, but a gifted smith and swordsman. The season from late summer to the middle of fall is often a season of heightened energy for those who identify with the warrior soul.

Who Is the Warrior?
The warrior in today's society is someone who understands the idea of right action. He or she follows a code of honor, and abides by that code even when it may be inconvenient or unpopular. The warrior recognizes that the forces of creation and destruction must be balanced. The warrior is empowered because he or she knows his own circumstances, limitations and goals. Perhaps most importantly, the warrior is someone who has made past mistakes, owned up to them, and learned not to repeat them.

A note on women and the concept of warrior: the notion of a warrior soul is not exclusive to men. Many women have powerful warrior spirits. Think of the warrior soul as an archetype of personal empowerment. Indeed, throughout history, many women have been known as mighty warriors. If it helps you get in touch with your inner warrior, envision some of them as you work. Picture Boadicaea of the Iceni, conquering the Roman army, or Penthesilea battling her lover, Achilles. If you lean towards more current history, consider France's Jeanne d'Arc, orGrainne' ni Mhaille, the Irish pirate. For those who connect best with pop culture, even television's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly's Zoe, or Xena make perfectly good warrior woman archetypes.

Setting the Mood
You may wish to prepare your mind and body prior to starting the meditation. Some people like to take a ritual bath as a method of cleansing the body, and clearing the mind. If you wish, you can anoint yourself with Blessing Oil or another oil of your choice before beginning. Since you're performing a warrior meditation, why not try adding a bit of war paint to your face amd body?

Before getting started, make sure you can work undisturbed somewhere for about an hour. Turn off the cell phone, get off the Internet, and send the kids off to play with friends for a while. Perform this meditation outside if at all possible. Set up a small altar that you can sit in front of. Since you're working outside, consider using a flat stone or a tree stump as a natural altar. On it, place symbols of the warrior spirit: a knife, a drum, an arrow, a shield -- anything that helps you connect with your inner warrior. If you have ancestors or loved ones that represent the warrior archetype to you, feel free to include photographs or other heirlooms. Finally, add a purple candle - purple is the color of royalty and power, and of honor.

Although this meditation is designed to be performed solo, it can easily be adapted into a group practice, or turned into a full-fledged ritual.

Welcoming Your Inner Warrior
Sit before your altar, and light the purple candle. Focus on the flame, and visualize the fiery passion of the warrior soul. Think about the things you've done in your life, incidents in which you should have taken one path, but instead chose another. Consider mistakes you've made, and how they've affected not only you, but other people. Think about the consequences of these actions. Did you learn anything from these events?

Take this knowledge of past action, and move it into the present. As a warrior, you have followed a particular path to get to the present, one with many roadblocks, twists, and obstacles in the way. How has this helped to shape the person you are now? Think about the person you have become, and how you have grown during the different experiences you've had.

Now, think about the person you wish to be, and how the past and present will influence the future. Understand that for you to follow a principle of right action, there may be times when you make decisions that are unpopular. Are you willing to stand up for your convictions? Are you willing to live in a manner that will earn you the respect and honor of others? To do this, you must first and foremost honor and respect yourself. One way to live rightly and with honor is to make a pledge, both to yourself and to the gods of your tradition.

As you focus on the burning flames, say:

I am a warrior.
I am one who lives with honor and pride,
in my deeds, words, and actions.
I am a warrior,
and I pay tribute to myself, my family, and my gods,
by living rightly.
Honor is found not in the sword and the first,
but in wisdom, and courage, and strength.
I will make the changes I need to make,
that I may live in an honorable way
and follow the code of the warrior.
I am a warrior,
and I have control over my mind, my thoughts, and my sword.
I pledge to hold truth in my heart,
to hold strength in my hands,
to be honest in my words,
and to stand on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves.
This is the way of the warrior,
and I shall live with honor.

While you do this, envision the warrior archetypes that you wish to emulate. Who are some warriors you look up to and hold in high regard? Think about them, and draw their energy into you. When you are ready to end the ritual, put the candle out.

Lugh was known to the Celts as a god of craftsmanship and skill -- in fact, he was known as the Many-Skilled God, because he was good at so many different things. In one legend, Lugh arrives at Tara, and is denied entrance. He enumerates all the great things he can do, and each time the guard says, "Sorry, we've already got someone here who can do that." Finally Lugh asks, "Ah, but do you have anyone here who can do them ALL?"

Take the opportunity this day to celebrate your own skills and abilities, and make an offering to Lugh to honor him, the god of craftsmanship.

Before you begin, take a personal inventory. What are your strong points? Everyone has a talent -- some have many, some have one that they're really good at. Are you a poet or writer? Do you sing? How about needlecraft, woodworking, or beading? Can you tap dance? Do you cook? How about painting? Think about all the things you can do -- and all of the things you'd like to learn to do, and the things you'd like to get better at. Once you sit down and think about it, you might be surprised to realize how accomplished you really are.

Decorate your altar with items related to your skill or talent. If your skill relates to something tangible, like sewing or jewelry-making, put some of your craft supplies on the altar. If it's an ability to DO, rather than MAKE, such as dancing or singing, put some symbol of your ability on your altar. Do you have a favorite outfit you wear when you dance? A particular song lyric that you know you're fabulous with? Add as many items as you like to your altar.

You'll need a candle to symbolize Lugh, the god. Any harvest color is good, because he came up with the idea of a grain festival to honor his foster mother, Tailtiu. Place the candle on your altar in the center. Feel free to add some stalks of grain if you like -- you can combine this rite with one honoring the harvest, if you choose.

Light the candle, and take a moment to think about all the things you are good at. What are they? Are you proud of your accomplishments? Now's your chance to boast a little, and take some pride in what you've learned to do. Announce your own talents in the following incantation. Say:

Mighty Lugh, the many-skilled god,
he who is a patron of the arts,
a master of trades, and a silver-tongued bard.
Today I honor you, for I am skilled as well.
I am deft with a needle,
strong of voice,
and paint beauty with my brush strokes.

**Obviously, you would insert your pride in your own skills here.

Now, consider what you wish to improve upon. Is your tennis-playing out of whack? Do you feel inadequate at bungee jumping, yodeling, or drawing? Now's the time to ask Lugh for his blessing. Say:

Lugh, many-skilled one,
I ask you to shine upon me.
Share your gifts with me,
and make me strong in skill.
 
At this time, you should make an offering of some sort. The ancients made offerings in exchange for the blessings of their gods -- quite simply, petitioning a god was a reciprocal act, a system of exchange. Your offering can a tangible one: grain, fruit, wine, or even a sample of your skillwork -- imagine dedicating a song or painting to Lugh. It can also be an offering of time or loyalty. Whatever it is, it should come from the heart.

Say

I thank you, mighty Lugh, for hearing my words tonight.
I thank you for blessing me with the skills I have.
I make this offering of bread and wine* to you
as a small token of honor.

Take a few more moments and reflect on your own abilities. Do you have faith in your skills, or do you deflect compliments from others? Are you insecure about your abilities, or do you feel a surge of pride when you sew/dance/sing/hulahoop? Meditate on your offering to Lugh for a few moments, and when you are ready, end the ritual.

If you are performing this rite as part of a group, family or coven setting, go around in a circle and have each person take their turn to express their pride in their work, and to make their offerings to Lugh.

Grain is the heart of Lammas, and the beginning of the harvest season is a milestone in many societies. Once the grain is threshed and milled it is baked into bread and consumed, honoring the spirit of the grain god. This ritual celebrates both the harvest and the sacrifices we make each year, as well as the sacrifice of the grain god. Decorate your altar with symbols of the season -- sickles and scythes, garden goodies like ivy and grapes and corn, poppies, dried grains, and early autumn foods like apples. If you like, light some Lammas Rebirth incense.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: Varied

Here's How:

1. For this rite, you'll need a loaf of Lammas bread and a cup of wine or water. You'll also need pieces of straw or other plant material, enough for each person in the ritual to make a small doll, and some yarn or string to tie the dolls together. Finally, you'll need a fire. You can either have a large bonfire, or a small tabletop fire in a pot or brazier.
   
   
2. If your tradition requires you to cast a circle, do so now.
   
   The High Priest or High Priestess says:
   
   It is the time of the harvest once again.
   Life, growth, death and rebirth,
   all have come full circle.
   The god of the harvest has died once more,
   That we may eat and consume him,
   Giving us strength in the months to come.
   
   
3. The HPs hands each member of the group a sheaf of straw, saying:
   
   We now create dolls in our image.
   These dolls symbolize our selves, in our many aspects,
   and all the things we give up each year,
   so that we may thrive and flourish later on.
   
   Each member of the group constructs a doll to represent themselves. Use the instructions here if you don't know how to make a doll: Corn Doll or Straw Man. As each person creates their doll, they should energize the doll with personal qualities. These are the essences of self that each person is bringing to sacrifice, so that they may be reborn as the harvest god is each year.
   
   
4. When everyone has completed their dolls, the High Priestess says:
   
   The god of grain is dying,
   vegetation returns to the earth.
   We call upon the gods of the harvest,
   asking them for their blessings.
   Tammuz and Lugh,
   Adonis, Dumuzi,
   Cernunnos and Attis,
   Mercury, Osiris.
   You are born each year,
   and live in our fields
   and are sacrificed as part of the cycle.
   
   
5. Raise energy by circling your fire or altar three times, moving in a counter-clockwise (widddershins) direction, building speed each time (you're moving against the pattern of the sun, because it's the end of the harvest season). If you like, you can increase the feeling of power by chanting one of these popular traditional Wiccan verses:
   
   Hoof and horn, hoof and horn,
   all that dies shall be reborn.
   Corn and grain, corn and grain,
   all that falls shall rise again.
   
   or:
   
   Earth my body,
   water my blood,
   air my breath and
   fire my spirit.
   
   
6. If your group is musically inclined, have half the group sing the "Hoof and horn" part, and the second half sing the "Earth my body" verse, so that it forms a round robin. The effect is amazing!
   
   When the raising of energy is complete, each person in the group approaches the fire, one at a time, and casts their doll into the fire. They can either say out loud what their sacrifice will be this year, or speak it only to themselves and the gods. As each doll is placed in the fire, direct leftover energy into the flames as well.
   
   
7. When everyone has made their sacrifice, the HPs holds up the loaf of Lammas bread. Say:
   
   Months ago, we planted seeds,
   and through the summer watched them grow.
   We have tended the fields in our lives,
   and now we are blessed with abundance.
   The harvest has arrived!
   Thank you, lord of the harvest,
   For the gifts yet to come.
   We eat this bread, grain transformed by fire, in your name,
   and honor you for your sacrifice.
   
   
8. The HPs breaks off a piece of bread for herself, and passes it around the circle, so that everyone can take a piece. Eat the bread, and then pass around the cup of wine or water. If you wish, you can say something as the cup is passed, like:
   
   May you reap the blessings of the harvest.
   
   Once everyone has eaten their bread and sipped from the cup, take a moment to reflect on what you have harvested for yourself this season. End the ritual as you normally would or move directly into a Cakes and Ale ceremony or other rites you wish to perform.

What You Need

• A loaf of Lammas bread
• Straw or plant material
• String
• A fire
• A cup of wine or water

Lammas is a time of mystery and magic in many traditions, and much of it is related to protection of the fields, the home, and people. Today, we'll look at some different methods of protection magic found in folklore around the world. We'll talk about ways of protecting and purifying your personal space, using items you probably have in your home or garden right now, such as the ash tree, onions, and herbs.

In many magical traditions, workings can be done to ensure protection of home, property, and people. There are a number of simple ways you can do protection workings.

• Make an Onion Braid protection charm to hang in your home to protect those who live there.
• Use crystals or stones with magical properties, such as Hematite to create a barrier around your home. Put a piece of Hematite at each outside corner of the house.
• Make a magical poppet to protect yourself or a loved on.
  
  
• Brew up some Protection Oil, and anoint yourself with it. This will keep you safe from psychic or magical attacks.
  
  
• Plant herbs with protective properties, such as violet, thistle, honeysuckle, or fennel around your home. When they bloom, harvest them and hang them up to dry. Use the dried herbs in protective sachets or incense.
  
  
• Hang an iron horseshoe, open end facing down, to keep evil spirits out of your home. A horseshoe found along the side of a road was particularly powerful, and was known to provide protection against disease. In some areas, the horseshoe is displayed with the open side at the top, to contain good fortune.
  
  
• In western Scotland, it was once popular to make a small cross of rowan twigs and bind them together with red string. Hanging this in the window or over a door will keep negative influences from crossing the threshold.
  
  
• If you're suffering from bad dreams, consider making an Herbal Dream Pillow to protect you in your sleep.
  
  

In addition to performing protection workings, it's a good idea to read up on magical self-defense and protection

In Norse lore, Odin hung from Yggdrasil, the World Tree, for nine days and nights so that he might be granted wisdom. Yggdrasil was an ash tree, and since the time of Odin's ordeal, the ash has often been associated with divination and knowledge. In some Celtic legends, it is also seen as a tree sacred to the god Lugh, who is celebrated at Lughnasadh. Because of its close association not only with the Divine but with knowledge, Ash can be worked with for any number of spells, rituals, and other workings.

• Some traditions of magic hold that the leaf of an Ash tree will bring you good fortune. Carry one in your pocket - those with an even number of leaflets on it are especially lucky.
• In some folk magic traditions, the ash leaf could be used to remove skin disorders such as warts or boils. As an alternate practice, one could wear a needle in their clothing or carry a pin in their pocket for three days, and then drive the pin into the bark of an ash tree - the skin disorder will appear as a knob on the tree and disappear from the person who had it.
• The spear of Odin was made from an Ash tree, according to the Norse poetic eddas.
• Newborn babies in the British Isles were sometimes given a spoonful of Ash sap before leaving their mother's bed for the first time. It was believed this would prevent disease and infant mortality.
• Five trees stood guard over Ireland, in mythology, and three were Ash. The Ash is often found growing near holy wells and sacred springs. Interestingly, it was also believed that crops that grew in the shadow of an Ash tree would be of an inferior quality.
• In some European folklore, the Ash tree is seen as protective but at the same time malevolent. Anyone who does harm to an Ash can find themselves the victim of unpleasant supernatural circumstances.
• In northern England, it was believed that if a maiden placed ash leaves under her pillow, she would have prophetic dreams of her future lover.
• In some Druidic traditions, it is customary to use a branch of Ash to make a magical staff. The staff becomes, in essence, a portable version of a World Tree, connecting the user to the realms of earth and sky.
• If you place Ash berries in a cradle, it protects the child from being taken away as a changeling by mischievous Fae.
• The Celtic tree month of Ash, or Nion, falls from February 18 to March 17. It's a good time for magical workings related to the inner self.

Smudging is a great way to cleanse a sacred space, and most people use smudge sticks made of sweetgrass or sage for this purpose. Although they are available commercially -- and are fairly inexpensive -- it's easy to make your own if you've got herbs growing in your garden, or if there's a place nearby where you can go wildcrafting.

You'll need

• Scissors or garden clippers
• Cotton string
• Plants such as sage, mugwort, rosemary, lavender, or juniper

Cut off pieces of the plants in lengths about 6 - 10 inches long. For more leafy plants, you can make the pieces shorter, but you may want to use a longer piece for a plant that has fewer leaves.

Cut a length of string about five feet long. Put several branches together so that the cut ends are all together, and the leafy ends are all together. Wind the string tightly around the stems of the bundle, leaving two inches of loose string where you began. The smudge stick in the photos contains sage, rosemary and pennyroyal.

Wrap the remaining length of string around the base of the branches several times to secure it. Then, gradually, work your way along the length of branches until you reach the leafy end. Return the string back up to the stems, creating a bit of a criss-cross pattern. You'll want to wind the string tightly enough that nothing gets loose, but not so tight that it cuts off pieces of the plants.

When you get back to the stems, tie the remainder of the string to the 2" loose piece you left at the beginning. Trim off any excess pieces so that the ends of your smudge stick are even.

Place the bundle outside or hang it up for drying. Depending on what type of herb you used, and how humid your weather is, it may take a couple of days or as much as a week to dry out. When your sticks are dry, you can burn them in ritual for smudging by lighting one end.

Safety tip: Some plants may have toxic fumes. Do not burn a plant unless you know it is safe to do so.

August often starts out hot and muggy, but even when the rest of your garden is wilting in the heat, chances are good that your onion crop is thriving in the cool, dark soil. If you haven't pulled them yet, Lammas is a good time to do so. Once you've got them out of the earth, gently brush the loose dirt off of them, and hang them in a sunny spot to dry and cure. When August's full moon, the Corn Moon, rolls around, get to work on some onion magic!

Under the light of the full moon, you can make an onion braid. Braiding is a very relaxing and magical way to spend an evening, and by braiding your onions, you can prepare them for winter storage -- basically, you're accomplishing the magical and the mundane all in one shot. To do this, you'll need a bunch of onions with the green tops still attached, and about four feet of heavy twine. Begin folding the twine in half, and tying a knot near the end, creating a loop.

Lay the twine on a flat surface and place an onion upside down so that the greens of the onion form a third "string", along with the two free ends of the twine. Using the two free lengths of twine and the onion stem, form a tight braid. Repeat this until the onion is securely in place.

Repeat the process with the rest of your onions, braiding them in and out between the other stems and the two strands of twine. As you do so, focus your intent. Onions are magically linked to protective magic, so you can braid the onions and recite an incantation linking them to whatever sort of protection you feel you need. Some sample incantations might be:

For protection of a home

Onions wrapped around a braid,
This charm for my home I have made,
Keep negative energy away from me,
As I will, so it shall be.

For protection of a person:

Layers and layers of onion skin,
Layers of safety for those within,
Layers to make all harm stay out,
Keep (name) safe, without a doubt.

Vervain was known in many legends as one of the herbs sacred to the Druids. Although it is often associated with the Summer Solstice, the vervain plant is highly potent in late summer, around the time of Lammas.

In Hoodoo and other folk magic traditions, vervain is used to make Van-Van oil - this is simply a blend of vervain and a base oil, simmered and strained. This oil is used to provide magical protection, and clear away evil energies. In many forms of folklore, vervain is associated with workings that decrease lust - however, the scent of vervain is a well-known aphrodisiac.

In addition to matters of the libido, however, vervain is commonly incorporated as a cleansing herb. You can brew up a batch of vervain water to cleanse your magical tools, asperge around a sacred space, or purify your altar for ritual.

You'll need:

• 1 / 2 C fresh vervain leaves
• 2 C. boiling water

After your water has come to a boil, pour it over the vervain leaves in a pitcher or bowl. Allow the leaves to steep for half an hour, and then strain. Use a funnel to pour it into a jar. Use the water for cleansing and purification.

It's late summer, and that means the harvest is about to begin in just a few short weeks. In fact, grain is being threshed right now to make bread for the winter. Lammas falls as our gardens and fields are in full bloom, so there are all kinds of natural goodies you can use in craft projects. Why not try creating some of these simple creations as a way of welcoming the early harvest?

By the time Lammas rolls around, it’s usually pretty hot. In some parts of the world, gardens are beginning to dry out, and the earth has gone from soft and pliable to dry and cracked. If you haven’t harvested your herbs yet for drying, now is a good time to start doing so -- in other words, pick them before they die on their own. Any fresh herb can be dried simply by picking it and tying it up in small bundles in a well-ventilated area. Once they are completely dry store them in airtight jars in a dark place.

To make your own magical Lammas incense, first determine what form you’d like to make. You can make incense with sticks and in cones, but the easiest kind uses loose ingredients, which are then burned on top of a charcoal disc or tossed into a fire. This recipe is for loose incense, but you can adapt it for stick or cone recipes.

As you mix and blend your incense, focus on the intent of your work. In this particular recipe, we’re creating an incense to use during a Lammas rite -- it’s a time to celebrate the beginning of the harvest. We’re thankful for the foods we’ve grown, and for the bounty of the earth, and the knowledge that we’ll have enough to eat through the coming winter months.

You’ll need

• 1 part basil
• 1/2 part cinnamon bark
• 1 part coriander
• 2 parts goldenrod
• 1 part heather
• 1/2 part rosemary
• 2 parts Sweet Annie (you can use dried apple blossoms if you don’t have Sweet Annie)
• 1 part yarrow

Add your ingredients to your mixing bowl one at a time. Measure carefully, and if the leaves or blossoms need to be crushed, use your mortar and pestle to do so. As you blend the herbs together, state your intent. You may find it helpful to charge your incense with an incantation, such as:

We’re thankful this day for the gift of rebirth,
Fruits and vegetables, the bounty of earth.
For the Harvest Mother with her basket and scythe,
Abundance and fertility, and the blessings of life.
We’re grateful for the gifts we carry within
And for what will become, and what has been.
A new day begins, and life circles round,
As grain is harvested from the fertile ground.
Blessings to the earth and to the gods from me,
As I will this Lammas, so it shall be.Store your incense in a tightly sealed jar. Make sure you label it with its intent and name, as well as the date you created it. Use within three months, so that it remains charged and fresh.

Lammas is the first harvest of the year, and the summer sun is typically shining down as farmers begin to gather their grain. Sunflowers are blooming in bright yellows and oranges, and provide a marked contrast to the tans and browns of the wheat fields. By filling a cornucopia with simple treasures from nature, you can bring a little bit of the outdoors inside to decorate your home.

You'll need

• A grapevine cornucopia (available at craft stores)
• Wheat stalks, or other types of grain
• Sunflowers
• Other found items such as feathers, corn stalks, etc.

Fill the cornucopia with stalks of wheat and sunflowers. If you have feathers handy, or corn stalks, arrange those in there as well. Hang it on your door as a greeting for guests, or place it on your altar during Lammas ritual.

In one of her many aspects, Brighid is known as the bride. She is a symbol of fertility and good fortune, and is seen as yet one more step in the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Traditionally, the Brighid doll is made of woven grain such as oats or wheat. This version, however, uses corn husks.

If you make a doll at Lughnasadh, you can re-use it in six months, dressing it up in spring colors for Imbolc. This way, the Harvest Mother becomes the Spring Bride. Some traditions, however, prefer not to re-use their harvest doll, and instead choose to start fresh and new in the spring. Either way is fine.

To make this simple doll, you'll need some corn husks -- and clearly, in January or February, you probably won't be able to find a lot of those growing outside. Check your grocery store's produce section to get husks. If you're using dried-out husks, soak them for a couple of hours to soften them up (fresh husks need no special preparation). You'll also need some yarn or ribbon, and a few cotton balls.

Take a strip of the husk, and fold it in half. Place two or three cotton balls in the middle, and then twist the husk, tying it with string to make a head (See Figure 1). Leave a bit of husk in the front and back, below the head, to create a torso.

Make a pair of arms for your doll by folding a couple of husks in half, and then tying it at the ends to make hands. Slip the arms between the husks that form the torso, and tie off at the waist. If you like your dolls plump, slide an extra cotton ball or two in there to give your Brighid a bit of shape.

Arrange a few more husks, upside down, around the doll's waist. Overlap them slightly, and then tie them in place with yarn -- it should look like she has her skirt up over her face. After you've tied the waist, carefully fold the husks down, so now her skirt comes downwards, towards where her feet would be . Trim the hem of the skirt so it's even, and let your doll completely dry.

Once your doll has dried, you can leave her plain or give her a face and some hair (use soft yarn), as in Figure 4. Some people go all out decorating their bride doll -- you can add clothing, an apron, beadwork, whatever your imagination can create.

Place your Brighid in a place of honor in your home for Imbolc, near your hearth or in the kitchen if possible. By inviting her into your home, you are welcoming Brighid and all the fertility and abundance she may bring with her.

This is a craft which is simple to make, although it takes a little bit of patience. You’ll need several grapevines of thin to medium thickness, freshly picked so they’re pliable. If they’ve dried out, you can soften them up by soaking them overnight in a bucket of water.

Strip all the leaves and stray stems from the vines. Select your longest vine and shape it into a circle about 18” in diameter. Continue coiling the vine around the circle until you reach the end, and then tuck the end up under the other layers to hold it in place. Take your next longest vine, and repeat the process. To start each new vine, tuck one end into the existing circle, coil it around, and then tuck the end in. Repeat this until your wreath is the desired thickness -- five to seven vines ought to give you a good base.

Now you’ll need five pieces of grapevine that are of equal lengths, and they should each be about 2” longer than the wreath’s inside diameter. These five pieces will form the star in the center of the pentacle. Take the first piece and work it into place across the center of the wreath, anchoring each end by tucking it into the outer vines of the wreath. Repeat with the other four pieces, overlapping them where needed, until you have a star in the center. Use the florist’s wire to secure the ends in place.

Finally, tie off a short length of florist’s wire to the top of the wreath, so you can hang it on your wall or door.

If you’re having a cookout and planning on eating corn on the cob, this is a great craft to do with all those leftover corn husks. The fresh ones work best, but dried ones can be used if you soak them in water for ten or fifteen minutes and then pat them dry with paper towels.

Separate the husks lengthwise into strips about one inch wide. They should tear easily on their own. Form the first strip into a circle and staple it closed. Take the second strip, loop it through the first, and staple (this is just like those paper chains you made in school when you were a child). Repeat until all the strips of husk have been added to the chain.

Once you’ve completed your chain, there are a number of things you can do with it. Place it on your altar, drape it over a window or a door, or hang it on the wall. As it dries, the husks will shrink and fade from green to tan, but it will still make a great Lammas decoration!

Naturally, you’ll want to put candles on your altar to celebrate this Sabbat. Why not use vegetables and fruits symbolic of the season to make a candleholder? These easy candleholders are perfect for holding a taper-style candle.

First, you’ll want to select some firm fruits. Red apples, early acorn squash, even eggplants work well -- apples seem to last the longest. Rinse and dry the fruit or vegetable thoroughly. Polish the outside with a soft cloth until the apple is shiny. Stand the apple up on its bottom, and use a knife or a corer to make a hole in the top where the stem is located. Go about halfway down into the apple so that the candle will have a sturdy base. Widen the hole until it’s the same diameter as your candle.

Pour some lemon juice into the hole and allow it to sit for ten minutes. This will prevent the apple from browning and softening too quickly. Pour out the lemon juice, dry out the hole, and insert a sprig of rosemary, basil, or other fresh herb of your choice. Finally, add the taper candle. Use a little bit of dripped wax to secure the taper in place.

For many Pagans and Wiccans, an important aspect of the spiritual journey is reverence andrespect for the earth and all its resources. Part of this respect for the planet often includes conservation of the resources we use regularly.

By the time Lammas, or Lughnasadh, rolls around, summer is in full swing. Many areas are forced into water rationing, some face drought every year, and the crops in our gardens are beginning to look a bit brown and parched. By making a rain barrel, you can gather rain all year long, and then use it during the dry season to water your garden, wash your car, or even bathe your dog. This works best if your house has a downspout running out of a gutter, but you can still make a rain barrel if you don't have a spout -- it will just take longer to fill the barrel.

Rain barrels are available commercially from many home improvement stores. However, they typically cost between $150 to $200. Here's how to make a rain barrel of your own for just the cost of supplies - the one in the photos cost less than $20 to put together.

To make a rain barrel like the one shown here, you'll need the following

• A plastic, food grade 50-gallon barrel. You can usually find these in the classified ads -- I got mine for $15.
• 3/4" C-PVC fittings - basically, you'll need a piece to run down out of the barrel, a 90-degree elbow, a length of straight pipe about 6" long, and t-connector with a spigot on top*
• Clear PVC glue
• 1 3/4" brass hose fitting

*The rain barrel in the photos was constructed using bits of pipe and some couplings I had laying around the house, so there are several additional pieces on my barrel. If you buy new fittings just for this project, yours will look a lot more streamlined.

The top of your barrel, which should have at least one removable cap, is actually going to be the bottom. That means that after you put it together, you're going to flip it over, so think of the barrel as being upside down while you're working.

Attach all your fittings together so that you have a drop of about two inches out of the bottom (which is really the top), a 90-degree turn, and then a straight length of pipe that comes out beyond the rim of the barrel.

Be sure to use PVC glue so that everything stays together permanently.

Connect the top threaded piece of pipe into the removable cap - it should have a threaded center so you can screw in a piece of 3/4" pipe with no trouble at all.

Flip the barrel over so that the pipe is now coming out at the bottom, as shown. You'll need to place your barrel on an elevated stand, because gravity is your friend - the water has to be able to flow downwards to get out of the barrel. I used logs for my stand, but you can also use cinder blocks, or even build a table out of scrap lumber. Be sure that whatever you use is sturdy - a full 50-gallon barrel can weigh 400 pounds!

If you're using a downspout gutter as your water source, this part is really easy. Simply cut a hole in the top of the barrel (which used to be the bottom) large enough for you to insert your house's rain spout through.

If you don't have a downspout, and you want to simply catch rain in the barrel, you can still do this. Cut away the top of the barrel using a saw. Place a section of sturdy screen over the top of the opening, and then staple in place. You may wish to cut a frame out of the top piece that you cut off, and place that over the screen to keep it in place. The screen will keep bugs and leaves from getting into your water, but still allow rain to collect.

Ideally, the downspout is the best collection method, because all the rain that runs down your roof will end up in your barrel.

Finally, drill a small hole near the top of the barrel. This will be in case of overflow - it will prevent excess water from sloshing out the back of the barrel where the downspout is, which is right by your house wall.

Attach a brass hose fitting at the end of the PVC pipe. When you're ready to use water out of the barrel, simply attach your hose, turn the spigot, and start spraying.

If you don't like the idea of a plain barrel sitting in your yard, you can decorate it with designs and fun symbols.

Note: Some people create multiple barrels, and then connect them all together using fittings beneath the stands. This method works well if you have a lot of space. Most people can get by with one or two barrels.

When Lammas arrives, chances are good you're celebrating outside, if you can stand the heat of summer. Take advantage of the blooming gardens, and celebrate with some recipes that honor the themes of the season. Pick some basil for a fresh pesto sauce, roast some garlic corn for a bit of heat, or bake your own loaf of bread for your Lammas rituals!

Bread is the ultimate symbol of the Lammas season. After all, once the grain is harvested, it is milled and baked into bread, which is then consumed. It is the cycle of the harvest come full circle. The spirit of the grain god lives on through us in the eating of the bread. In many traditions, a loaf of special bread is baked in the shape of a man, to symbolize the god of the harvest. You can easily make a loaf of Lammas bread by using a pre-made loaf of bread dough, found in the frozen food section in your grocery store. Certainly, you can make your own dough, but if you're not much of a baker, this is an easy alternative.

First, place the frozen dough on a greased cookie sheet. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil, and place it on top of the dough. Place the tray in a warm place, and allow the dough to rise for several hours until it has at least doubled in size. Once the dough has risen, cut five slits in it, so you'll end up with a head, arms and legs.

Shape the two lower sections into legs, the side sections into arms, and the top section into a head, as shown in the photo. Bake the bread for 40 minutes, at about 350 degrees, or until golden brown. After baking, remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Brush the bread man with melted butter, sprinkle with herbs if you like, and use in your Lammas ritual.

Basil represents protection and love, so why not whip up a batch of magical pesto? Around Lammas time, your basil plants will be in full glorious bloom. Harvest fresh leaves from your garden, add a bit of oil, and serve it over pasta, on top of a burger, or just eat it with a spoon!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 Cups fresh basil, washed and packed
• 1 C Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 C olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 C toasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds (optional)
• 1 Tbs, lemon juice
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:Put all ingredients in the bowl of your food processor or blender. Mix until all the basil leaves are finely chopped. Serve pesto ladled over pasta, or as a dip for cheese and crackers. It makes a great burger topping as well, especially if you combine it with a bit of mayonnaise for easy spreading. This recipe makes about two cups, and will last up to a week in your refrigerator -- if you don't eat it all before then!

Few crops embody the spirit of the harvest quite like corn. For centuries, the corn cob has been a staple part of every harvest season meal. However, instead of just plopping it in some boiling water and slapping a bit of butter on it, why not make your corn a bit more savory by roasting it over an open fire?

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• Unshucked corn cobs
• A pot of water
• Butter
• Minced garlic
• Salt, pepper, and paprika

Preparation:Soak the corn cobs in the pot of water -- leave the husk on -- and let them sit for an hour or two. This will make the corn cobs nice and moist.

Put the wet corn cobs, still in their husks, on a grill. If you're lucky enough to be using a campfire, drop them into the white coals on the edge of the fire ring. Turn the corn cobs once in a while, and let them cook for about half an hour. You'll know they're done when the husk is dry and slightly burnt.

Remove the corn cobs from the grill and let them sit for a few minutes to cool a little. Don't let them get cold. Peel the husk all the way back and use it for a handle, or use wooden skewer sticks. Brush the cob with butter, and sprinkle with garlic, salt, pepper and paprika.

Barley is one of the grains honored in harvest folklore throughout history, especially around the Lammas sabbat. It's a filling sort of grain, and lends itself beautifully to a hearty soup, especially when you addwild mushrooms and other late summer goodies! You can either make this soup right before meal time, or get it started early in the day, and allow it to simmer for a few hours.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 5 C. vegetable broth
• 1 C. barley, uncooked
• 1/2 lb. mushrooms (use morels or enoki for a woodsy flavor)
• 1/2 C. onion, diced
• 1/2 C. fresh carrots, chopped
• 1/2 C. celery, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:Bring the vegetable broth to a low rolling boil on the stove and then reduce heat. Add the mushrooms, onions, carrots and celery, and allow to simmer for ten minutes. Add the barley and garlic, cover and simmer for another hour.

Add salt and pepper, seasoning to taste. Top with fresh croutons and chives, if you've got them handy.

Serve as a side dish at your Lammas celebration

Although Colcannon is traditionally eaten for St. Patrick's Day in March, the use of fresh potatoes and cabbage makes it a perfect harvest meal. You can eliminate the bacon for a vegetarian option. Serve up a pot of Colcannon for your Lughnasadh celebrations!


Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 lbs potatoes, washed and peeled
• 1 small head cabbage, washed and finely chopped
• 2 sticks butter (use the real thing, not margarine)
• 1 1/2 C. cream or milk
• 1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and diced
• 4 leeks, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Preparation:Steam the potatoes until they are soft, and then drain and rinse. Place them back in the pot and mash thoroughly, so you remove all the lumpy bits. Gradually add one stick butter, in small pieces, stirring into the potatoes so that it melts. Add the milk in and mix.

While you're working with the potatoes, boil the cabbage. Some people like to use the potato water, and that's fine. Once it's soft, about 8 minutes, drain and add into the potatoes. Add the second stick of butter -- again, put it in using small pieces so that it melts and coats all the cabbage.

Add bacon and leeks. Simmer for about half and hour, and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with hearty bread.

To find delicious Lughnasadh recipes like those above, including variations from pagans all around the modern and ancient world, you're in luck this cookbook is available for purchase here. From beautiful depictions of pagan life including hilarious stories, enriching and educational information about pagan culture and endless recipes from all over the pagan landscape that will truly become your most treasured cookbook as it has with those locally and world-wide, who still email me about how often they enjoy sharing stories in the kitchen with this wonderful cookbook. 

Recipes for The Pagan Soul Cookbook by Psychic Bella
former pen name: Druidessia 

This cookbook was a collaborative effort from Pagans all over the world, From recipes 8 generations back to historically enriched recipes with cultural fusion and a rich tapestry of words to adorn each recipe. From the far east, middle east to the far west this cookbook is full of recipes, stories and educational insight and rituals from pagans all over the world. Without the contributions from multi-generational and first life pagans this book wouldn't be possible it was a world wide effort made entirely of good food and a lot of love. 

Recipe's for The Pagan Soul Cookbook 
Includes:
Ritual Cooking Section for Sabbats, Esbats, Handfastings and more, to Mead, Druidic Teas, Vegan & Vegetarian Dishes, and each page is full of beautiful photos, stories from all over the pagan world, we even have recipes for your children to create and enjoy along with special organic treats for family pets or "familiars" as we witches call them. So what are you waiting for?! This cookbook was featured on Amazon.com for 3 years for being the most unique cookbook on Lulu.com! 

Oh Midsummer, What a glorious and love filled Sabbat to Celebrate the Union of The God & Goddess and to balance the energies of light and darkness for the approaching seasons change that soon hails Lughnasadh. For many of us on this earthly plane, it's a time to focus on centering one's self, balancing the darkness and light within, and for those special Twin Flame's prepared to unite on this plane and all planes eternally as One, The Honeymoon beckons lovers to altars to pledge their union as Twin Flame Love's Eternal in the glorious tradition of Handfasting. As the years go by and the summers grow more and more beautiful, I reflect on how far I've come these past few seasons and how far we still have left to go, to constantly maintain balance within to project and provide that for those in this world that truly need it most is the the focus of my mind's eye this year as many are preparing to start new and wonderous chapters and journeys within and without in the physical world, as whole, fully healed and beautiful beings, and for those seeking to pursue and advance their loving relationships with friends, family and Twin Flames this season is ripe in abundance as first harvest always signals the joyous bounty that One and all share if we open our hearts, minds, souls and to special beings, our bodies, to renew, rejuvenate and fuel fires of love and passion for eons, centuries and years to come. As the sun glows brighter and as the time of light and dark are almost equal on our grand Summer Solstice Celebration, here's toasting you and yours, kith, kin and otherkin as we all join hands under the honeymoon and celebrate the beautiful energy that is needed most now in the world more than ever. Love. Now lets learn more about this ancient and old world holiday, from history, myth, legend and lore to modern living traditions celebrated all over the world, 
Welcome my friends and dear hearts, to Midsummer. 

What is Litha &/or Midsummer?
Litha is a time to celebrate the power of the sun during the middle of summer. The sun is at its highest point in the sky, and Litha is the longest day of the year. At this time of warmth and light, gardens are in full bloom, crops are beginning to flourish, and the planet teems with abundant life. In this Seven-Day Sabbat course, we'll talk about the history of Litha, ways you can mark the Midsummer Sabbat with rites and rituals, some Litha magic, legends and folklore, craft projects, and even recipe ideas for your Litha celebration.

Let's begin by looking at when Litha actually takes place, as well as some of the history of this sunny summer holiday! We'll also discuss ideas for your Litha altar, and you can view photos of other readers' altars as well.

History of Midsummer
An Ancient Solar Celebration:
Nearly every agricultural society has marked the high point of summer in some way, shape or form. On this date – usually around June 21 or 22 (or December 21/22 in the southern hemisphere) – the sun reaches its zenith in the sky. It is the longest day of the year, and the point at which the sun seems to just hang there without moving – in fact, the word “solstice” is from the Latin wordsolstitium, which literally translates to “sun stands still.” The travels of the sun were marked and recorded. Stone circles such as Stonehenge were oriented to highlight the rising of the sun on the day of the summer solstice.

Traveling the Heavens:
Although few primary sources are available detailing the practices of the ancient Celts, some information can be found in the chronicles kept by early Christian monks. Some of these writings, combined with surviving folklore, indicate that Midsummer was celebrated with hilltop bonfires and that it was a time to honor the space between earth and the heavens.

Fire and Water:
In addition to the polarity between land and sky, Litha is a time to find a balance between fire and water. According to Ceisiwr Serith, in his book The Pagan Family, European traditions celebrated this time of year by setting large wheels on fire and then rolling them down a hill into a body of water. He suggests that this may be because this is when the sun is at its strongest yet also the day at which it begins to weaken. Another possibility is that the water mitigates the heat of the sun, and subordinating the sun wheel to water may prevent drought.

Saxon Traditions:
When they arrived in the British Isles, the Saxon invaders brought with them the tradition of calling the month of June Aerra Litha. They marked Midsummer with huge bonfires that celebrated the power of the sun over darkness. For people in Scandinavian countries and in the farther reaches of the Northern hemisphere, Midsummer was very important. The nearly endless hours of light in June are a happy contrast to the constant darkness found six months later in the middle of winter.

Roman Festivals :
The Romans, who had a festival for anything and everything, celebrated this time as sacred to Juno, the wife of Jupiter and goddess of women and childbirth. She is also called Juno Lunaand blesses women with the privilege of menstruation. The month of June was named for her, and because Juno was the patroness of marriage, her month remains an ever-popular time for weddings. This time of year was also sacred to Vesta, goddess of the hearth. The matrons of Rome entered her temple on Midsummer and made offerings of salted meal for eight days, in hopes that she would confer her blessings upon their homes.

Midsummer for Modern Pagans:
Litha has often been a source of contention among modern Pagan and Wiccan groups, because there's always been a question about whether or not Midsummer was truly celebrated by the ancients. While there's scholarly evidence to indicate that it was indeed observed, there were suggestions made by Gerald Gardner, the founder of modern Wicca, that the solar festivals (the solstices and equinoxes) were actually added later and imported from the Middle East. Regardless of the origins, many modern Wiccans and Pagans do choose to celebrate Litha every year in June.

In some traditions, Litha is a time at which there is a battle between light and dark. The Oak King is seen as the ruler of the year between winter solstice and summer solstice, and the Holly King from summer to winter. At each solstice they battle for power, and while the Oak King may be in charge of things at the beginning of June, by the end of Midsummer he is defeated by the Holly King.

This is a time of year of brightness and warmth. Crops are growing in their fields with the heat of the sun, but may require water to keep them alive. The power of the sun at Midsummer is at its most potent, and the earth is fertile with the bounty of growing life.

For contemporary Pagans, this is a day of inner power and brightness. Find yourself a quiet spot and meditate on the darkness and the light both in the world and in your personal life. Celebrate the turning of the Wheel of the Year with fire and water, night and day, and other symbols of the opposition of light and dark.

Litha is a great time to celebrate outdoors if you have children. Take them swimming or just turn on the sprinkler to run through, and then have a bonfire or barbeque at the end of the day. Let them stay up late to say goodnight to the sun, and celebrate nightfall with sparklers, storytelling, and music. This is also an ideal Sabbat to do some love magic or celebrate ahandfasting, since June is the month of marriages and family.

It's Litha, and that means the sun is at its highest point in the sky. Midsummer is the time when we can celebrate the growing of crops, and take heart in knowing that the seeds we planted in the spring are now in full bloom. It's a time of celebrating the sun, and spending as much time as you can outdoors. Try to set up your Midsummer altar outside if at all possible. If you can't, that's okay -- but try to find a spot near a window where the sun will shine in and brighten your altar setup with its rays.

Colors of the Season

This sabbat is all about the sun celebration, so think of solar colors. Yellows, oranges, fiery reds and golds are all appropriate this time of year. Use candles in bright sunny colors, or cover your altar with cloths that represent the solar aspect of the season.

Solar Symbols

Litha is when the sun is at its highest point above us. In some traditions, the sun rolls across the sky like a great wheel - consider using pinwheels or some other disc to represent the sun. Circles and discs are the most basic sun symbol of all, and are seen as far back as the tombs of ancient Egypt. Use equal-armed crosses, such as the Brighid's Cross, or even the swastika - remember, it was originally a good luck symbol to both the Hindus and Scandinavians before it became associated with the Nazis.

A Time of Light and Dark

The solstice is also a time seen as a battle between light and dark. Although the sun is strong now, in just six months the days will be short again. Much like the battle between the Oak King and the Holly King, light and dark must battle for supremacy. At this sabbat, darkness wins, and the days will begin to grow shorter once more. Decorate your altar with symbols of the triumph of darkness over light - and that includes using other opposites, such as fire and water, night and day, etc.

Other Symbols of Litha

• Midsummer flowers, fruits and vegetables from your garden
• Gods Eyes in sunny colors
• Sunflowers, roses
• Oak trees and acorns
• Sandalwood, saffron, frankincense, laurel

At Litha, the summer solstice, the sun is at its highest point in the sky. Many ancient cultures marked this date as significant, and the concept of sun worship is one nearly as old as mankind itself. In societies that were primarily agricultural, and depended on the sun for life and sustenance, it is no surprise that the sun became deified. While many people today might take the day to grill out, go to the beach, or work on their tans, for our ancestors the summer solstice was a time of great spiritual import.

The Egyptian peoples honored Ra, the sun god. For people in ancient Egypt, the sun was a source of life. It was power and energy, light and warmth. It was what made the crops grow each season, so it is no surprise that the cult of Ra had immense power and was widespread. Ra was the ruler of the heavens. He was the god of the sun, the bringer of light, and patron to the pharaohs. According to legend, the sun travels the skies as Ra drives his chariot through the heavens. Although he originally was associated only with the midday sun, as time went by, Ra became connected to the sun's presence all day long.

The Greeks honored Helios, who was similar to Ra in his many aspects. Homer describes Helios as "giving light both to gods and men." The cult of Helios celebrated each year with an impressive ritual that involved a giant chariot pulled by horses off the end of a cliff and into the sea.

In Native American cultures, such as the Iroquois and Plains peoples, the sun was recognized as a life-giving force. Many Plains tribes still perform a Sun Dance each year, which is seen as a renewal of the bond man has with life, earth, and the growing season. In MesoAmerican cultures, the sun was associated with kingship, and many rulers claimed divine rights by way of their direct descendency from the sun.

As part of the cult of Mithra, early Persian societies celebrated the rising of the sun each day. The legend of Mithra may well have given birth to the Christian resurrection story. Honoring the sun was an integral part of ritual and ceremony in Mithraism, at least as far as scholars have been able to determine. One of the highest ranks one could achieve in a Mithraic temple was that of heliodromus, or sun-carrier.

Sun worship has also been found in Babylonian texts and in a number of Asian religious cults. Today, many Pagans honor the sun at Midsummer, and it continues to shine its fiery energy upon us, bringing light and warmth to the earth.

In many Celtic-based traditions of neopaganism, there is the enduring legend of the battle between the Oak King and the Holly King. These two mighty rulers fight for supremacy as the Wheel of the Year turns each season. At the Winter Solstice, or Yule, the Oak King kills the Holly King, and then reigns until Midsummer, or Litha. Once the Summer Solstice arrives, the Holly King returns to do battle with the old king, and defeats him. The Holly King them rules until Yule.

In some Wiccan traditions, the Oak King and the Holly King are seen as dual aspects of the Horned God. Each of these twin aspects rules for half the year, battles for the favor of the Goddess, and then retires to nurse his wounds for the next six months, until it is time for him to reign once more.

Often, these two entities are portrayed in familiar ways - the Holly King frequently appears as a woodsy version of Santa Claus. He dresses in red, wears a sprig of holly in his tangled hair, and is sometimes depicted driving a team of eight stags. The Oak King is portrayed as a fertility god, and occasionally appears as the Green Man or other lord of the forest.

Ultimately, while these two beings do battle all year long, they are two essential parts of a whole. Despite being enemies, without one, the other would no longer exist.

The summer solstice has long been a time when cultures celebrated the lengthening year. It is on this day, sometimes calledLitha, that there is more daylight than any other time; a direct counterpoint to the darkness of Yule. No matter where you live, or what you call it, chances are you can connect to a culture that honored a sun deity around this time of year. Here are just a few of the gods and goddesses from around the world that are connected with the summer solstice.

• Amaterasu (Shinto): This solar goddess is the sister of the moon deity and the storm god of Japan, and is known as the goddess "from which all light comes". She is much loved by her worshippers, and treats them with warmth and compassion. Every year in July, she is celebrated in the streets of Japan.


• Aten (Egypt): This god was at one point an aspect of Ra, but rather than being depicted as an anthropomorphic being (like most of the other ancient Egyptian gods), Aten was represented by the disc of the sun, with rays of light emanating outward.


• Apollo (Greek): The son of Zeus by Leto, Apollo was a multi-faceted god. In addition to being the god of the sun, he also presided over music, medicine and healing. He was at one point identified with Helios. As worship of him spread throughout the Roman empire into the British Isles, he took on many of the aspects of the Celtic deities, and was seen as a god of the sun and of healing.


• Hestia (Greek): This goddess watched over domesticity and the family. She was given the first offering at any sacrifice made in the home. On a public level, the local town hall served as a shrine for her -- any time a new settlement was formed, a flame from the public hearth was taken to the new village from the old one.


• Horus (Egyptian): Horus was one of the solar deities of the ancient Egyptians. He rose and set every day, and is often associated with Nut, the sky god. Horus later became connected with another sun god, Ra.


• Huitzilopochtli (Aztec): This warrior god of the ancient Aztecs was a sun god and the patron of the city of Tenochtitlan. He battled with Nanahuatzin, an earlier solar god. Huitzilopochtli fought against darkness, and required his worshipers to make regular sacrifices to ensure the sun's survival over the next fifty-two years, which is a significant number in Mesoamerican myths.


• Juno (Roman): She is also called Juno Luna and blesses women with the privilege of menstruation. The month of June was named for her, and because Juno was the patroness of marriage, her month remains an ever-popular time for weddings and handfasting.


• Lugh (Celtic): Similar to the Roman god Mercury, Lugh was known as a god of both skill and the distribution of talent. He is sometimes associated with midsummer because of his role as a harvest god, and during the summer solstice the crops are flourishing, waiting to be plucked from the ground at Lughnasadh.


• Sulis Minerva (Celtic, Roman): When the Romans occupied the British Isles, they took the aspects of the Celtic sun goddess, Sulis, and blended her with their own goddess of wisdom, Minerva. The resulting combination was Sulis Minerva, who watched over the hot springs and sacred waters in the town of Bath.


• Sunna or Sol (Germanic): Little is known about this Norse goddess of the sun, but she appears in the poetic eddas as the sister of the moon god.

Many Pagan and Wiccan couples choose to have a handfasting ritual instead of a traditional wedding ceremony. In some cases, it may be simply ceremonial -- a couple declaring their love for one another without the benefit of a state license. For other couples, it can be tied in with a state marriage certification issued by a legally authorized party such as a clergyperson or justice of the peace. Either way, it's becoming more and more popular, as Pagan and Wiccan couples are seeing that there is indeed an alternative for non-Christians who want more than just a courthouse wedding.

Marriages, Irregular and RegularIn centuries gone by, handfasting was a popular custom in the British Isles. In rural areas, it could be weeks or even months before a clergyman happened to stop by your village, so couples learned to make allowances. A handfasting was the equivalent of today's common-law marriage -- a man and woman simply clasped hands and declared themselves married. Generally this was done in the presence of a witness or witnesses. In Scotland, marriages were considered the office of the church until 1560, when marriage became a civil matter rather than a church sacrament. After that time, marriages were divided into "regular" and "irregular" marriages.

A regular marriage took place when banns were read, followed by a clergyman performing the duties of the ceremony. An irregular marriage could take place in one of three ways: a public declaration by the couple that they were husband and wife, followed by consummation of the relationship; by mutual agreement; or simply by living together and being recognized as husband and wife. As long as everyone was above the age of consent (12 for brides, 14 for grooms) and not too closely related, irregular marriages were generally considered as valid as a regular marriage.

Typically the gentry and landowners were married in the "regular" way, so there could be no question later on if the marriage was legally recognized or not -- in cases of inheritance, this could be a big issue. Handfastings or irregular marriages were considered the domain of the lower class and peasants. Around the middle of the 1700s, irregular marriages were made illegal in England -- but since Scotland kept the tradition, it wasn’t uncommon for an amorous British couple to elope over the border. Gretna Green became famous because it was the first town in Scotland that elopers would encounter once they left England -- and the Old Blacksmith's shop there became the site of many 'anvil weddings', performed by the village smith.

An Old Concept, New IdeasThe word "handfasting" fell by the wayside for many years. In the 1950s, when the witchcraft laws were repealed in England, various occultists and witches -- including Gerald Gardner andDoreen Valiente -- searched for a non-Christian term for their wedding ceremonies. They settled on "handfasting", and the concept was resurrected within the Neopagan movement. Typically, a Pagan handfasting was meant to be a secret ceremony, held only in front of your coven or study group. As Wicca and Paganism become more mainstream, however, more and more couples are finding ways to work their Pagan and Wiccan spirituality into their marriage ceremony.

The actual term "handfasting" comes from the tradition of the bride and groom crossing arms and joining hands -- basically, creating the infinity symbol (a figure-eight) with the hands. In Neopagan ceremonies, the clergyperson performing the ceremony will join the couple's hands with a cord or ribbon during the ritual. In some traditions, the cord remains in place until the couple consummates the marriage. While some people may choose to have their handfasting be a permanent bond, others might declare it to be valid for "a year and a day", at which point they will re-evaluate the relationship and determine whether to continue or not.

Who Can Be Handfast? Anyone!One benefit of having a handfasting ceremony is that it because it's not the same as a legal wedding, there are more options available to people in non-traditional relationships. Anyone can have a handfasting -- same-sex couples, polyamorus families, transgender couples, etc. In Dianic Wicca, Z Budapest used the word "tryst" to refer to a ceremony for a lesbian couple.

Dormant for so long, the idea of the handfasting ceremony has enjoyed a huge rise in popularity. If you're fortunate enough to find someone you love enough to spend your life with, you may wish to consider having a handfasting rather than a traditional wedding ceremony.

Handfastings
Jumping The Besom: Broom Handfastings

Throughout history, nearly all cultures have had gods and goddesses associated with love and marriage. Although a few are male -- Eros and Cupid come to mind -- most are female, because the institution of marriage has long been viewed as the domain of women. If you're doing a working relating to love, or if you wish to honor a particular deity as part of a marriage ceremony, these are some of the gods and goddesses associated with the very human emotion of love.
 
Aphrodite (Greek)
Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and sexuality, a job she took very seriously. She was married to Hephaistos, but also had a multitude of lovers -- one of her favorites was the warrior god Ares. A festival was held regularly to honor Aphrodite, appropriately called the Aphrodisiac. At her temple in Corinth, revelers often paid tribute to Aphrodite by having rambunctious sex with her priestesses. The temple was later destroyed by the Romans, and not rebuilt, but fertility rites appear to have continued in the area. Like many Greek gods, Aphrodite spent a lot of time meddling in the lives of humans -- particularly their love lives -- and was instrumental in the cause of the Trojan War.
 
Cupid (Roman)
In ancient Rome, Cupid was the incarnation of Eros, the god of lust and desire. Eventually, though, he evolved into the image we have today of a chubby cherub, flitting about zapping people with his arrows. In particular, he enjoyed matching people up with odd partners, and this eventually ended up being his own undoing, when he fell in love with Psyche. Cupid was the son of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. He typically is seen on Valentine's Day cards and decorations, and is invoked as a god of pure love and innocence -- a far cry from his original form.
 
Eros (Greek)
Although not specifically a god of love, Eros is often invoked as a god of lust and passion. This son of Aphrodite was a Greek god of lust and primal sexual desire. In fact, the word erotic comes from his name. He is personified in all kinds of love and lust -- heterosexual and homosexual -- and was worshipped at the center of a fertility cult that honored both Eros and Aphrodite together. During the classical Roman period, Eros evolved into Cupid, and became portrayed as the chubby cherub that still remains as a popular image today. He is typically shown blindfolded -- because, after all, love is blind -- and carrying a bow, with which he shot arrows at his intended targets.
 
Frigga (Norse)
Frigga was the wife of the all-powerful Odin, and was considered a goddess of fertility and marriage within the Norse pantheon. Frigga is the only one besides Odin who is allowed to sit on his throne, Hlidskjalf, and she is known in some Norse tales as the Queen of Heaven. Today, many modern Norse Pagans honor Frigga as a goddess of both marriage and prophecy.
 
Hathor (Egyptian)
As the wife of the Sun God, Ra, Hathor is known in Egyptian legend as the patroness of wives. In most classical depictions, she is portrayed either as a cow goddess, or with a cow nearby -- it is her role as mother that is most often seen. However, in later periods, she was associated with fertility, love and passion.
 
Hera (Greek)
Hera was the Greek goddess of marriage, and as the wife of Zeus, Hera was the queen of all wives! Although Hera fell in love with Zeus (her brother) immediately, he isn't often faithful to her, so Hera spends a lot of time fighting off her husband's numerous lovers. Hera is centered around the hearth and home, and focuses on family relationships.
 
Juno (Roman)
In ancient Rome, Juno was the goddess who watched over women and marriage. Although Juno's festival, the Matronalia, was actually celebrated in March, the month of June was named for her. It's a month for weddings and handfastings, so she is often honored at Litha, the time of the summer solstice. During the Matronalia, women received gifts from their husbands and daughters, and gave their female slaves the day off work.
 
Parvati (Hindu)
Parvati was the consort of the Hindu god Shiva, and is known as a goddess of love and devotion. She is one of many forms of Shakti, the all-powerful female force in the universe. Her union with Shiva taught him to embrace pleasure, and so in addition to being a destroyer god, Shiva is also a patron of the arts and dance. Parvati is an example of a female entity who has a profound effect on the male in her life, for without her, Shiva would not have been complete.
 
Venus (Roman)
The Roman equivalent of Aphrodite, Venus was a goddess of love and beauty. Originally, she was associated with gardens and fruitfulness, but later took on all the aspects of Aphrodite from the Greek traditions. Similar to Aphrodite, Venus took a number of lovers, both mortal and divine. Venus is nearly always portrayed as young and lovely. The statue Aphrodite of Milos, better known as the Venus de Milo, depicts the goddess as classically beautiful, with womanly curves and a knowing smile.
 
Vesta (Roman)
Although Vesta was actually a goddess of virginity, she was honored by Roman women along with Juno. Vesta's status as a virgin represented the purity and honor of Roman women at the time of their marriage, and so it was important to keep her in high regard. In addition to her role as virgin-in-chief, however, Vesta is also a guardian of the hearth and domesticity. Her eternal flame burned in many Roman villages. Her festival, the Vestalia, was celebrated each year in June.

All About Litha, 
A Midsummer Sabbat
The gardens are blooming, and summer is in full swing. Fire up the barbecue, turn on the sprinkler, and enjoy the celebrations of Midsummer! Also called Litha, this summer solstice Sabbat honors the longest day of the year. Take advantage of the extra hours of daylight and spend as much time as you can outdoors. While you're planning your celebrations, though, you may want to take a minute to read up on:

Depending on your individual spiritual path, there are many different ways you can celebrate Litha, but the focus is nearly always on celebrating the power of the sun. It's the time of year when the crops are growing heartily and the earth has warmed up. we can spend long sunny afternoons enjoying the outdoors, and getting back to nature under the long daylight hours.

Here are a few rituals you may want to think about trying -- and remember, any of them can be adapted for either a solitary practitioner or a small group, with just a little planning ahead.

Although Litha is a typically NeoPagan holiday today, it's important to remember that throughout history, there have been a number of cultures that marked the time of Midsummer as significant. Ancient Egyptians paid homage to their sun god. Native American tribes of the plains spent days dancing to celebrate Midsummer, in hopes that they might be granted a vision from their gods. In an interesting paradox, women of Rome, honored both a goddess of marriage and an eternal virgin.

Midsummer is a time of mystery and magic in many traditions. Today, we'll look at some of the sacred sites around the world, and how they connect to the magic of Litha. Also, we'll discuss wildcrafting -- if you've never heard of it, it's a great way to get yourself connected to the magic of nature! However, it's important to wildcraft responsibly and ethically. Finally, we'll talk about how you can create an elemental garden, with each quarter celebrating one of the four cardinal elements.

Let's face it, you probably can't walk into your local discount store and ask for the "Litha Decorations" aisle, right? That's okay -- there are plenty of Litha items you can make on your own. Litha is right smack in the middle of summer, so there are all kinds of natural goodies you can use in craft projects. Why not try creating some of these simple creations as a way of celebrating the season of Midsummer?

When Litha rolls around, chances are good you're celebrating outside. Gardens are blooming, the sun is shining -- why not take advantage of that, and enjoy your celebration with some recipes that honor the themes of the season? Pick some lemon balm for a fresh pot of iced tea, grill up some veggies or salmon over the fire, or candy a bit of ginger for a spicy-sweet snack!

Then look no further! Recipes for The Pagan Soul my original fundraising cookbook for past local Pagan Pride Events is now available to you, yes you! Pagans and those curious about pagan ways and cooking will be thrilled to find delicious recipes from Sabbat & Esbat Dishes, Handfasting Ceremonies, Druidic Teas, Mead, Ale and Wine, Treats for your furry and feathered friends also known as familiars in our world. What's most unique about this 2 year title holder for Most Unique Cookbook On Amazon.com is the endless stories, touching and heartwarming, hilarious cooking anecdotes and endless history and pagan lineage from all over the modern world. Did I mention there's a potato stew in here from Ireland that has been passed down for 8 generations?! This and so much more is waiting for you and your beautiful and knowledge and food hungry family. Only $13.50 + Shipping & Handling, Located in The Old World Shoppe. 

Here's wishing you and yours a beautiful Midsummer & Midsummer Night's Dream, 
If you and your Twin Flame are ready to Unite as One under The Honeymoon, Psychic Bella & Ordained Minister of ULC Look forward to hearing from you as this June, and ongoing for LGBT Couples, Shadows Into Light Spiritual Services with Psychic Bella offers you 50% off Traditional & Free LGBT Wedding Officiant Services! 

Celebrate with the Spirit of Litha, See where the Universe Takes You, 
Wishing you a Wonderful Midsummer
Love & Light,
Namaste,
Psychic Bella