[fancymagick]

Cleansing Mist✨

what you will need:

Spray Bottle

Essential Oils or Herbs

Water (Sun or Moon water works best)

Salt

For my cleansing mist, I used sun water, sea salt, mint, eucalyptus, and rosemary oils.

The three listed above are nice to use, but lemongrass and tea tree work as well! Personally, I added some grapefruit scented oil, so feel free to add other good smelling things that you like!

If you choose to use herbs rather than oil, use cleansing herbs!

Ex: sage, cedar, basil, lavender, etc.

Feel free to ask questions✨

[will-o-the-witch]

Jar of Consequences Hex

This is my personal take on a pretty conventional hex. In my experience, it’s very effective, and I’ve had some pretty interesting results come of it. I’ll make notes as I go, and do my best to explain the purpose of each action so that you can make substitutions/alterations in an effective way.

Before We Begin

I’m calling this a hex, but this can really pack a whallop depending on how you make it. If you feel like you need something harsher or softer, then adjust as needed. If your personal code does not allow for any kind of baneful magic, you may have better luck with a different spell. Also, the specific actions and words I use are just examples, you do not have to recite them verbatim. It’s just to convey the gist of what’s happening.

What You’ll Need

A poppet of your target, or something similar to identify them.

A sturdy container, preferably glass. (Note: just make sure whatever you put in can’t seep out of it. I like mason jars because they’re easy to acquire, hold pretty much any material, and also create broken glass if shattered, which is nice for a hex.)

Nails, pins, needles, or something else stabby and abundant.

Thread or twine, black preferable. 

Thumb tacks, glass shards, or other sharps

Hot sauce, lemon juice, pepper seeds, or anything else sour/spicy you wouldn’t want to put on a wound. (Note: never fw a witch who enjoys fancy killer hot sauces.)

Dust, grime, or other gross stuff you can scrape up from around your house. 

A black cloth or black trash bag. Something thick enough to block light.

What To Do

Prep your ritual space however you normally would, get your mind ready and have the materials pre-gathered and onhand. (Note: the best time to perform this would be a Saturday night, particularly on a full or new moon, especially at an hour where Saturn is most influential. If all of those can’t align for you in a timely manner, pick your favorites or just do what you can.)

If you haven’t already done so, consecrate your poppet now. Make sure the Universe knows exactly who this poppet is supposed to represent. 

Now is the time to air your grievances towards the poppet. Speak to it as if you were speaking to the target with no holds barred. Tell them exactly how they’ve fucked up, how they’ve messed with the wrong witch, and now it’s time to face some consequences. 

Take your pins/needles and drive them into the poppet. Name each wrongdoing they’ve committed as you go. “This one is for betraying my trust. This one is for threatening my loved ones. May you feel each like a pin stuck in you until you make right on it.” 

Wrap the poppet in thread. Cover it completely if you feel the need to. “I hereby bind you from acting in this way.” Alternatively, “may your web of lies become so thick and tangled that you can’t move.” 

Place the poppet in the jar, then fill the jar with whatever sharps, spicies, and nasties you like. (Note: you can forego any of these ingredients if you’d like to make it a more gentle hex, or up the anti to make it harsher. Basically, you’re creating a toxic environment inside the jar either for them to rot inside, or that will harm them if they break your binds. The latter works best if the poppet is wrapped completely so that they’re not actually touching the hot sauce… yet.)

Say any final words about their situation. Be specific and think it through, this part is personal to you. Do you want them to rot in this jar for what they did? Will the curse be lifted when they make right on their actions? Is there a specific way you want to see this metaphor to manifest in real life?

Close the jar and cover it. Make it so the sun can’t reach it.

Storage/Disposal. This part depends on your goal! If you just want to teach your target a lesson, store the wrapped jar in a dark, private place (the back of a closet works great) where it won’t see the sun or be disturbed. If you KNOW you will never want to lift this hex and this spell is an act of war, put it in a garbage bag and fling that shit into a dumpster where it won’t ever see the light of day until it’s ground up into a landfill.

Recovery. If you’ve chosen the dumpster method, there’s no need for this part! If you decided to keep it and feel like your spell has adequately run its course, you can lift the hex simply by taking the jar back into the light and removing the poppet. You can also take out any pins you put in it.  

[memewhore]

[hexfeathers-deactivated20241121]

Sometimes the most effective way to curse someone who has wronged you is to make them paranoid enough to truly believe that you already cast the hex.

Let them sit in it.

Let their paranoia chew them apart and leave them with mange.

Let them manifest it.

Let them curse themselves.

[scarletarosa]

Anubis

Egyptian god of death, mummification, embalming, tombs, and cemeteries

Anubis (Egyptian: Anup, Yinepu, or Anpu) was the original King of the Dead until he changed roles and Osiris became King of the Underworld in his place. Due to this, Anubis was placed into the myth where his mother is Nephthys and father is Osiris; though originally, his parents were said to be Ra and Hesat. Because  of him being born by Nephthys, Anubis was raised by Isis in order for him and his mother to be protected from Set, who was enraged by Nephthys’ act of adultery against him. When Osiris became the new King of the Underworld, Anubis evolved to be more of a guardian and a psychopomp (one who guides spirits to the Underworld). Anubis is said to have fathered the goddess Qebhet with his wife Anput (Anubis’ feminine counterpart). He is most often depicted as a man with the head of a black Egyptian hound, holding an ankh and a flail (an agricultural tool of a shepherd), or in the complete form of an Egyptian hound. The colour black is significant due to it being associated with rebirth in Ancient Egypt.

The Journey through Duat: Anubis is the god who guards the gateway to Duat (the Underworld) and is one of the deities to assist in judging souls in the Hall of Ma’at, making certain that no one wicked can pass on. It is said that once a mummy was sealed up, Anubis would come with the god Wepwawet and the two of them would guide the soul of the deceased towards the Hall of Ma’at, where they would be judged. While the soul waits for their turn, Qebhet, goddess of cool waters and the daughter of Anubis, is said to come and attend to them. She would be joined by other goddesses such as Nephthys and Serqet, who all comfort and provide for the deceased person. 

Once it is their turn, the soul then comes before the fourty-two judges and has to recite the Negative Confessions, claiming to be free or guilty of certain sins (which would change depending on the person). The spirit’s heart would then be placed upon the golden Scales of Truth to be weighed against a feather of Ma’at, the goddess of truth and justice. If the heart was heavier than the feather, the spirit would be given the chance to justify any of their misdeeds, then the judges would deem whether the spirit should be allowed to move on. Anubis is then the one to guide the pure towards the paradise of The Field of Reeds, while the souls of the wicked would have their heart devoured by the goddess Ammit, causing them to be unable to move on and would then be subject to severe punishments.

Other roles: Anubis was also thought to be the inventor and guardian of mummification; watching over the embalming process of every mummy and granting permission to the priests who cut open the bodies. In the myth of Osiris’ death and resurrection, he can be seen assisting Isis and Nephthys in rebuilding and preserving the corpse of Osiris until he could be revived. He is also seen as the god of lost souls, including orphans, and is the one to help guide them towards peace since he is the “shepherd of the dead”. Another role of this god is to watch over the resting places of the dead, punishing anyone who would dare desecrate the area. Thus, Anubis earned the epithet “He Who is Upon the Mountain”, as he was believed to protect the graves and tombs from high above where he could see all. Images of Anubis would be stamped on many of the seals to tombs in the Valley of the Kings, symbolizing the protection of Anubis against raiders and ill-wishers upon the dead. He was even known as the god who had knowledge of the mysteries of the afterlife, including the secrets of magic.  

Personal experiences: Anubis is one of the most noble gods I have ever had the honour to meet. He is deeply compassionate, just, diligent, protective, and patient; among the finest of the Netjeru. He is also quite serious and withdrawn, and does not like stupidity or most jokes. Despite what Egyptologists have assumed, Anubis states that he does not actually take the form of a jackal, but of a black Egyptian hound. This is because he guards the dead with stern protection, whereas jackals eat the dead (and he doesn’t look like a jackal at all either). Anubis is also one of the deities who strongly values their own evolution, so he travels through the dark in order to seek the light, and gradually changes for betterment. For this reason, he had stepped down from being the king of the Egyptian Underworld in order to evolve under a different role. It is true that he is the son of Osiris and Nephthys when these two gods had an affair; though despite this, Isis adores Anubis and does not hold anything negative towards him. The goddess Ma’at also claims Anubis to be one of the most wonderful souls in existence due to his noble and generous nature. In addition, Anubis is to be treated with great respect (as all deities should) so do not call him anything insulting or refer to him as a dog, as this can invoke his wrath. 

Some of his Epithets:

Guardian of the Scales

Chief Physician

Counter of Hearts

Beautiful Guardian

Chief Healer

Guardian of Souls

Guide of the Two Lands

He Who Checks the Scales

He Who Makes the Corpses

He Who is Hidden

High and Mighty One

Immense Strength

Keeper of the Keys to the Underworld

Lord of the Coffin

Lord of the Underworld

Lord of Purification

Master of the Secrets of the Underworld

He Who is Upon the Mountain

Pharaoh of the Underworld

Ruler of Eternity

Lord of the Sacred Land

Offerings: red dry wine, rum, apple juice, coffee (mochas, Ethiopian), hot chocolate, rye bread, rhubarb, red grapes, figs, lemons, limes, parsley, cooked chicken, curry, hummus, olive oil, dark chocolate, almonds, pinecones, beetroots, aubergines, ivy, chrysanthemum, amaranth, henbane, obsidian, black onyx, smokey quartz, tigers eye, jet, cat skulls, wild dog skulls, bones, fossils, papyrus, linen, leather-bound books, balancing scales, cedar essential oil, bronze incense burners, smyrna resin, black olibanum incense, oud incense, statues of Anubis

[dragoncastings]

Witchcraft: Colors

Chromomancy is the practice of using colors in magic in any form, although many use the term specifically for shifting the colors of the vibrations around you. Chromomancy can also be used with clothing items, weaving, craftsmanship, baking or cooking, home decorations, artwork, sigils and spells, and candle colors (Which can be very helpful for the broom closeted). 

Shades:

Whites:

Purification, positivity, cleansing, light, banishment, healing, Innocence, radiance, revitalization, cold energies, Lunar energies, and can also be used for any intention.

Greys:

Duality, neutrality, negativity, spirit work, baneful magic, justice, clarify, fogginess, stormy weather, temperament, communication, temperance, and impartialness.

Blacks:

Deep-seated matters, the subconscious, protection, banishment, baneful magic, inner strength, emotions, purification, and can also be used for any intention.

Pinks:

Friendships, bonds, relationships, love, self-love, affection, passion, adoration, desire, beauty, coordination, glamour, connection, gratitude, healing, kindness, and harmony.

Colors:

Purples:

Magickal power, intelligence, insight, wisdom, ambition, power, truth, peace, divine guidance and connection, spirituality itself, and visions or premonitions.

Blues:

Divine talents, sensitivity, expression, communication, soothing, development, harmony, understanding, the ocean and sky, synchronicity, compassion, and emotional healing.

Greens:

Earthly strengths, material gain, healing, grounding, fortune, rejuvenation, prosperity, wealth, abundance, magick itself, neutrality, revitalization, and pure, complete love.

Yellows:

Youth, positivity, vitality, stamina, strength, determination, force, Solar energy, radiance, ambition, accomplishments, wellbeing, individuality, confidence, and focus.

Oranges:

Justice, confidence, imagination, bravery, warmth, aspiration, triumph, creativity, talents, skill, strength, vigor, self-esteem, and your personality.

Reds:

Wrath, carnality, aggression, impulsivity, sex, bravery, passion, courage, valor, fire, love, lust, fury, desire, and vigor.

[strickenspirit]

I am the demonic infestation you are looking for

[crystalherbalist]

black salt 🧂

black salt is super useful in magic and pretty versatile. my personal favourite use is placing some above my doorway for protection/absorbing negative energies. you can use it as part of a witches jar and for hexing/cursing, etc. ive also had pretty solid results with black salt in anti-nightmare sachets. 🖤

what you’ll need:

sea/pink salt: protection, cleansing, purification.

*candle ash: protection, repels bad intentions.

- black candles

- red candles

- brown candles

- protective scents (see below, personal associations work too ofc)

incense and/or herb ash: protection, psychic ability, banish negative energies.

- dragons blood

- patchouli

- sage

- wormwood

- rosemary

- myrrh

- cinnamon

black pepper: repell negativity, protection.

chili pepper: protection, banishing unwanted entities, psychic protection.

you’ll also probably need a mortar and pestle or similar set up

* they have little clippers to snip the top bulb off your candle wick but if you don’t feel like hunting one down you can just pinch it off but I recommend using a tissue or something to grab it, it’s a bitch to clean off.

🗡 mix in some garlic oil or any specific oil you want, and use it to draw protection sigils.

🗡 when it comes to the peppers etc you can use whatever suits your purpose better, whole peppercorns and chilis for a spell jar or powered for a topical ashy result (what I use above my doorway)

🗡 dab some around your plants pot to protect it or to use your plants to create a barrier.

🗡 jar some up and carry it in your car, purse, or as a necklace.

🗡 charge with smokey quartz, black tourmaline, obsidian, bloodstone, clear quartz, red carnelian, or garnet.

🗡 thorns are a good addition for if you’re using this in jar form.

safe witching 🌿

[the-clever-cupboard]

Reading Candles for Yes/No Answers

High, steady flame: Yes

Low, steady flame: No

Short, weak flame: No

Dancing flame: Needs more focus. Reground and try again.

Violent flickering flame: Strong no. Take this as a warning if you are certain this isn’t caused by an outside force or natural defect in a candle.

Sputtering/Cracking flame: There is more to your answer than a simple yes or no,

Dual-flame: Thinking, waiting for an answer.

Flame leaning to left: Yes

Flame leaning to right: No

Candle will not light: Ask later

Candle will not go out: You are not done yet. There is more you need to hear.

The candle goes out during the session: Now is not the time to ask.

[scarletarosa]

Hello! I hope you’re fine ❤️ I was wondering if you could advice me on which deities could I go for help for hexing someone and protecting me and my loved ones at the same time since this person is gossiping about me and my life spreading lies and it is starting to affect me and my relationship with people (this person is defaming me). Thank you so much in advance and I wish you have a great day! ✨

For cursing, speak with Hekate, as she loves dealing with gossipers. For exposing liars and shattering the web of deceit, go to Apollo.

If you would like the assistance of a demon, seek Bael, since he is exceptional at exposing liars.

All three of these beings are excellent for this matter, and can all be spoken to if you wish. Remember to leave an offering of thanks as well.

[scarletarosa]

Sins for the Left Hand Path

The concept of Sin has always been tricky to define, especially when moving away from the Right Hand Path perspective. What is sin? Are there some things that are universally condemnable? Is there a superior set of moral rules, overruling those of mortal society? Is all morality subjective, or is there a code of Ethics or something similar that applies in a more absolute way, no matter which society and subgroup asks that question? These points are difficult to prove, because there won’t be any agreement between different parties; also, a consensus can only be reached if there is no other way but to accept certain conditions for the arguments, and this has been notoriously hard to do, especially when people use argumentative ways or various philosophical schools to support or to disprove their theories.

In attempting to define what Sin is, I will first remove the concept of automatic stigma or blame from the equation. By automatic I mean the easy condemnation across the board if someone does something, without taking into account the specific circumstances for the act or one’s own mental state. Does that mean that all types of Sin are excused, or pardonable? No. Of course not. But in attempting to understand what Sin is, we must first reach an agreement on the foundation of stone of this concept. It simply means, to err. It is a faulty or wrong approach on something that is disadvantageous to the person or to someone else, or even the whole of humanity. Is it possible to avoid erring? No. In fact, it’s part of our nature to err. It’s through the process of erring that we learn and we evolve. So there should be no inherent blame in erring, when ignorant of the error or the consequences.

But here’s the thing; people often use excuses for themselves, because they don’t like being put on a bad spot. So they pretend not to see what they do, or they quickly disregard the outcomes of their actions, choosing to be superficial about many things and their consequences. Also, by being superficial they make a conscious choice to remain ignorant, either because it’s easier for them, or because they have a good excuse for doing the wrong thing. So it is safe to conclude that while ignorance as a starting stage is not a sin, choosing to remain ignorant is certainly a bad thing, leading to many errors; so we can call willful ignorance a sin.

A denial of certain obvious truths is another such sin. For example, we know that things change and that Change in fact is a major force in everyone’s life. To stubbornly hold on to disproved ideas, superstitions, problematic mentality, and so on simply because there’s a refusal to change, is not the best approach in life. Also, anything that condemns us to a life of subservience to oppressors and tyrants for no other reason other than them being some sort of appointed rulers should be equally abhorrent, similar to a life enslaved and made to do things that violate one’s essential freedoms. So whatever causes this could also be listed among the sins.

One can make such a list of things that are to be aware of and to avoid, if wanting to lead a healthy and balanced life. For those walking on the left hand path (LHP), like myself, I have attempted to compile such a list, which is by no means complete. Feel free to add whatever you deem necessary.

1. Desire to remain ignorant or naïve.

Obstinacy to gain knowledge, and having boredom or idleness towards improving oneself will certainly lead you to become one of the herd. In almost any case in life, ignorance or naivety leads to exploitation and further drama. To protect oneself, quite the opposite should be sought after. Becoming truly transformed through wisdom and Truth is always a difficult process, which requires sacrificing the mundane self which latches onto simplicity, sentimentality, and having a bubble of comfort. Reality is often harsh, and the Left Hand Path is for those who seek to be warriors in the face of adversity, as it will teach us through struggle and make us stronger. In this path, our limitations must be shed, and our minds must be fully accepting of the actual reality of things, no matter if it is painful or not. Ignorance will lead us nowhere in the end, and will keep us small and stagnant. To Transform, our weaknesses, fears, and old perspectives must die. 

2. Deliberate narrow-mindedness.

Refusing to change attitudes and perspectives when shown a better way or the truth of something. Stubbornness, rigidity /inflexibility, adherence to customs and old habits even when proved to be a fallacy or superstition.

3. Endorsing Abrahamist mentality.

Servitude (all are slaves to God), guilt-tripping (born with the original sin), forced indoctrination/induction from young age (like baptism, circumcision etc), enslavement of the mind (against scientific discoveries), inferiority of women (Bible and Q’ran statements etc), scapegoating (blaming others or Satan for their own faults and misbehaving), not taking accountability (Vatican not apologizing for former grave errors), promoting racial hatred and genocide (crusades etc), violation of sacred lands (Native Americans, etc), legitimization of torture and persecution (Inquisition), thus violating essential human rights, against contraception (thus promoting unwanted pregnancies, and diseases like HIV spreading in poor countries), using falsified documents as evidence and miracles that didn’t happen as proof of divinity or divinely appointed status, and arrogance to other spiritual people who belong to different groups.

4. Overtly merciful.

This makes others overtly dependent upon the giver, and puts the giver into a disadvantageous position, or weakening their resource pool. Mercy must be tempered by reason, and in certain cases, by severity. People tend not to take too seriously those who give too easily. Also, such actions will discourage the person in the weaker position to do anything to improve their situation, and will make them idle and dependent on others for all their lives. Tempered mercy would be to empower the weaker person, and even heal them or assist them in finding some opportunities, and then let them fly with their own wings. Another issue is that mercy and forgiveness are far too often given to the undeserving. Many may view this as being “strong” or “noble”, but this actually creates more issues, and appropriate justice is therefore not delivered. By being merciful towards those who are not deserving of it, the guilty ones will feel more inclined to continue their wrong-doings. In these cases, such mercy breeds more evil into the world, as the people who are overtly merciful are too weak-willed to bring the deserving justice to the guilty, rooting out their corruption. Mercy should only be shown to those who are genuinely regretful of their mistakes, and are making an active commitment to changing themselves for the better.

5. Ingratitude when helped, or receiving help after asking.

Nobody likes this, whether they are a human being or a deity. It is good to have manners, especially when you ask for assistance. When you are given help, you should show appreciation. To say that “it would have happened anyway”, or “it was random, an accident”, is certainly the wrong thing to say. Even if the spirits don’t penalize you, they will certainly be unimpressed by you. This would also damage your credibility and the chance of assistance in the future.

Keep reading

[sevenclocks]

“i am literally insane” i say as i display a common trait of a disorder that i’ve known i’ve had for years

[twinnedpeaks]

journal excerpt, july first

[sasukesplug]

[gayanese]

[scarletarosa]

The Shadow Self and Shadow Work

The Shadow is the part of our psyche that we are born with, showing our darker natures. In Ancient Egypt, it was known as the Khaibit. These entities do not usually look similar to us, but often appear as horrific or ugly humanoids or creatures. Throughout our lives, this Shadow grows stronger through our negative and traumatic experiences, and through us listening to their manipulations. Therefore, the Shadow is part of us, but is their own entity at the same time; an accumulation of all our pains, doubts, anger, and self-destructive desires.

The Shadow seeks nothing but to always cause us more suffering, since it feeds off this and grows stronger. The only way to fight the Shadow is to stop feeding it, but this can be extremely difficult depending on how much your Shadow has grown over the years, since it entangles itself everywhere within you. In extremely rare cases, one’s Shadow may have a change of heart and choose to help their human self instead. But again, this is very rare and the vast majority of Shadows are always toxic and dangerous.

This dark part of our psyche is not ever to be underestimated. Because they are part of us, they know everything about us; every harmful detail about ourselves is known to them, even if we are currently unaware of certain things. They can use plenty of tactics to crush our hearts, but their style of doing this often depends on what your personal issues are, and what sort of Shadow archetype you have. The following are some examples of the archetypes:

Shadow Archetypes:

-The Abuser

This is typically the Shadow of someone who was hurt badly in the past, likely for many years. In response, you would become bitter and resentful, feeling betrayed by the world. Thus, your subconsciousness gradually empowered the Abuser Shadow, which in turn urges you towards the destructive tendencies of cruelty and selfishness. Deep down, you feel that everyone should hurt just as much as you have; why should the world be kinder towards the rest? This Shadow therefore convinces you that other people deserve to suffer, especially when you hit your lowest points of mindset or when you suddenly get triggered by someone. Such instances may cause you to become suddenly very angry, even to the point of making physical attacks. You may often dislike those around you, and are influenced by your Shadow to think and say scornful things towards others, especially due to your quick temper and impatience. The Abuser Shadow will have you lash out at anyone when you get triggered, even loved ones if it gets the chance. They may also tell you to try and be controlling towards others, using either manipulation or scare-tactics. Though you will always be its primary target, as it causes you to lose all the chances for happiness you could have had.

-The Director

This Shadow is cold and calculating, primarily focusing on strategic ways to bring you into a self-destructive spiral. It will quietly keep all your bad memories, thoughts, guilts, doubts, and fears organized, waiting for each perfect moment to bring them into your consciousness. It will carefully bring forward intense pessimism into your mind, tainting your perspective in order to destroy your happiness or any pleasant moment. This suddenly causes a wave of despair to wash over your vision, clouding you from your normal clarity and reasoning. This Shadow convinces you that it is always right, as they are very logical and can even provide “proof” for these things. This Shadow will strategically strip away all the things that make you happy through reasoning, showing you various examples as to why joy and hope are meaningless for you. It will distort your happy moments and even your loved ones, targeting things about them and your inner-weaknesses to try and force you into a dark, pessimistic perspective. The Director will often try to manipulate you into destroying your happiness through this way, sometimes it may even cause you to enjoy the downward spiral.

-The Freak

This Shadow is fueled by your self-hatred, often targeting your various faults and insecurities to make you feel ridiculous and humiliated. You likely felt ridiculed a lot while growing up, which helped fuel the strength of your Shadow, while also making you more likely to believe its toxic words. They love to say horrible things to you, making fun of whatever you do. And when people shun you or mock you, this Shadow is quick to point it out and make you feel even worse. The Freak will always want to make you feel like an outcast, a fool, and a nobody. “You’re so weird and different from all of them, why would anyone like you or take you seriously?” it sneers. And not knowing any better, you usually listen, and feel deep shame. You beat yourself up for not being “cooler” or more perfect; nothing you do seems to be right. The Freak may also even convince you to do impulsive things that will cause you to look even more shameful, causing you to quickly regret your actions. This Shadow wants you to always hate yourself, causing you to never truly feel happy or even confident enough to go do what you want in life. 

Keep reading

[seggsy-mothman]

How much of a father figure are you (and is it possible to say some words of comfort, please)?

you are excellent

I am proud of you

your talons are the perfect shape for hunting mice

the way you shriek at the moon is music to my earholes

and your fangs are very nice and sharp

[underthebracken]

Samhain magic 🍂

Samhain rings in the dark half of the year. While it marks the transition from summer to winter, Samhain itself is “without time”, a liminal space not only in between the realms of living and dead but also in between the seasons. Like all Celtic feasts, Samhain begins at nightfall taking place from the evening of October 31 to nightfall on November 1. Although, this most important Celtic festival used to last three days and three nights, and failure to take part in the celebrations was believed to result in divine punishment (sickness or even death).

During the Samhain celebrations, hearth fires were left to burn out while the last of the harvest was brought in. Druids would light huge sacred bonfires from the remnants of which the fires in the homes were re-lit to ensure protection and warmth during the winter months. Another tradition was to sacrifice animals and toss their bones in to the flames of the sacred fires leading also to them being called bonfire (“bone fire”). Offerings for the fae were left outside the village, fortunes were told, debts were repaid, business matters settled and trials held.

In the Middle Ages, the tradition of sacred bonfires changed. Now it was mostly families lighting smaller bonfires, so called Samghnagans . It was also during this time that the tradition of carving jack-o’-lanterns emerged, first using turnips and later pumpkins.

Some ideas to celebrate

🔮 On Samhain night the veil between the worlds is thin. Therefore it is the perfect time for spirit work and divination. Some say, that if you walk three times around the graves of a grave yard (sunwise) at midnight you might be able to get a glimpse of the future. If you’d rather not walk around a grave yard on Samhain night, you can use any other form of divination such as pendulums, tarot and scrying.

👻 One form of spirit work popular on Samhain are dumb suppers. During this medieval tradition, you set up an extra plate on your dinner table for (a) dead loved one(s) or ancestor(s) to invite them to join you that night. The dinner is held in silence and gives the participants to interact with the deceased guests. To guide the spirits through the night you can leave a candle burning in front of the window. (Make sure nothing can catch fire.) Burn a black candle or leave a jack-o’-lantern in front of your house to ward of negative energies and malevolent spirits.

🎃 One of my Samhain traditions is to make pumpkin soup, so here is my recipe… I used to make pumpkin soup with Hokkaido pumpkin, potatoes and cream which tastes great, but recently I got some kabocha squash and improvised with an amazing result.

For approximately four people you will need a small kabocha squash, two to four potatoes and one or two apples, a piece of ginger, as well as water, vegetable broth, some oil (olive oil or alternatively sunflower or rapeseed), salt, nutmeg and mugwort.

Begin by peeling and chopping your ginger into tiny pieces. Peel the squash, potatoes and apple(s) (you can eat the rind/peel of all of them but the colour of the soup will be nicer if you peel them) and cut them into pieces.

Heat some oil in a pot and briefly fry the ginger, then add the squash, apple and potato. Pour enough water into the pot to cover them and add one cube of vegetable broth per 500ml of water. After a while add a few leaves of mugwort. You can also add them in the end, however, if you add them now they will be better integrated into the soup and you won’t have fairly large bits of it floating in your soup.

Once the squash and potato have become soft, take the pot off the heat and blend your soup until it has become a smooth, thick liquid.

Put the pot back on the hob and let the soup boil up again seasoning it with salt and nutmeg. Serve with a sprinkle of pumpkin seed oil and/or pumpkin seeds.

I find that this soup, like most others, tastes best prepared in advance and then re-heated. Here, nutmeg and mugwort serve two purposes: their taste and their properties which I list below along with the (Samhain-relevant) properties and magical uses of the other ingredients.

apple: (love) divination, the Otherworld

pumpkin/ squash: granting wishes, protection

ginger: increases magical powers, break hexes

potato: protection, connection to the Earth

mugwort: protection, divination (psychic vision and prophetic dreams)

nutmeg: luck in legal matters and for travelling, clairvoyance, encouraging visions

salt: protection, purification

🔥 As Samhain marks the end of summer and the beginning of the cold and dark time of the year, it presents an opportunity to be thankful for what summer and the harvest have brought you and let go of what no longer serves you. You can write a list of what you are grateful for, or spend times with your loved ones. Finish any long-overdue projects, resolve any unresolved issues, write down what you want to banish and burn the paper. (Again, make sure nothing else can catch fire.)

📖 The dark half of the year is not only a time of reflection and recovery but also one of stories. So, how could it start better than with a good story in front of a fire - be it a bonfire or a simple candle? The Second Battle of Mag Tuired and The Adventures of Nera are two Celtic tales ideal for Samhain. Personally, I love to dig out my collection of Edgar Allan Poe’s stories and poems to read for instance The Tell-Tale Heart, Ligeia and The Raven.

Blessed Samhain! 🍂 

[broomsick]

Witchy Tip!

As Samhain draws near and the veil thins, try leaving a burning candle on a windowsill to help guide spirits~