The Mystical Cauldron
Samhain Edition - October 2008
When you think of Halloween, what do you think of? Do you think of dressing up in costumes and going door to door in your neighborhood, knocking on doors and shouting "Trick or Treat" when the door was
answered? Or perhaps you think about when you got home and emptied out your goody bag, separating out the 'good' stuff and either eating it first or saving it for last. Maybe your favorite memory involves
Halloween parties with lots of apple cider and bobbing for apples. Of course, all these things are part of our modern day Halloween but they do have roots in the history of the holiday that gave birth to Halloween.... Samhain (pronounced sow-in).
It is at Samhain that the Crone Goddess rules. Known as Cerridwen, Hecate, Kali, Persephone, Arianrhod, the Morrigan and many other names, She governs the areas of death and rebirth, esoteric sciences, healing, and the wisdom of the ages. It is She who opens the gate in the West for those who have departed to travel into the Summerland. Wise mother of us all, we look to Her to help us in transition from one life to the next. She brings us into the Womb of the Mother to assist us in being reborn once again. It is through Her wisdom and guidance that we learn lessons from our past and begin life anew. Witches perform rituals, using the Crone's assistance, to leave behind anything they do not want to carry on into the future; past relationships, insecurities, bad habits, and those things that are not for our benefit.
Samhain is the third of three harvest festivals still celebrated by Wiccans and marks the time for harvesting meat since this was the time that our ancestors culled their flocks to make sure both the herd and the family survived the winter. It was also the time that the ancient Celts celebrated New Year. We still celebrate this time as the Celtic New Year and it is the perfect time for renewal and ridding yourself of bad habits or unwanted things. Samhain is also a time to remember those who have passed over. The veil between the world of man and the world of the Spirits is quite thin at this Sabbat so our departed loved ones can easily cross the veil to visit and share this Sabbat with us.
Because this day is a very spiritual one for Wiccans, many witches often have two separate celebrations for Samhain. A Halloween celebration for their "non-Craft" friends and a Samhain celebration for their Craft friends, which would include the traditional Sabbat ritual circle. Dreamweaver and I are very blessed in that our friends all know the path we follow and even those who do not understand it, DO understand that it is the correct path for us. Because of the open-mindedness and unconditional love we share with our friends and family, we are able to have a Samhain party/celebration. We have our friends and covenmates over and share food, discussion, games (like Smack The
Piñata and a Pagan pre-cursor to bobbing for apples that includes inserting a single coin into each apple, stringing them on cords and suspending from a tree or clothesline. Then people try to bite the coin out of their apple using nothing but their mouth and tongue... no hands. If they succeed, they are insured prosperity for the coming year.) Our Samhain ritual is always at midnight and everyone - Pagan and non-Pagan alike, stands in circle and remembers their loved ones. It is always a very intense and touching ceremony and one I look forward to each year. (This year will be our
15th annual Samhain celebration).
© Raven Spirit 2008
I am sitting at work as I write this. It is a slow day, but my mind is racing. I keep hearing the call of the Ancestors begging to be heard. So hopefully before this paper is over we will hear them.
Who are your ancestors? Are they the people that you have known from your past that have touched you? Are they people you have never met but have paved the way for your future growth?
I remember sitting in my Grandmothers kitchen as a small child. We had just finished picking a batch of rhubarb that grew beside her house. It was a very big deal for the two of us to watch the plants grow and become ready for use. We would pick them and clean them, finally making them in to the pie we would share with the rest of the family.
I remember how my Grandfather played with me in the restaurant my family owned. I would build a fort out of the boxes and hid in them. He would hold the top closed and laugh at me as I fought to get out. This is one of the only memories of my Grandfather I have. So I cherish it and hold on to it tightly. He had a stroke and was very ill shortly after this and was not the same man he had been.
What have I learned from this set of Ancestors? I learned devotion to family, and the rewards of hard work. I learned that that family unit is key to survival and it should mean something. I learned to take one day at a time and not to waste a second on trivial things. This is a lesson I need to be reminded of from time to time.
I also think about my linage. In some circles a lot is placed on linage. Mine is as follows (for those interested) Angelus and Dream Weaver, Shanem Falconfire and Tanzara, Bel'Mor, Janet and Stewart Farrar, Alex and Maxine Sanders, Pat Kopanski, Gerald Gardner. Is it really that important? No, maybe not. But what is important is the contribution to Witchcraft and future generations of Witches that these people made to the Craft Community. They made sacrifices so that we can enjoy the ability to hold events in the public parks and to share deeper wisdoms among ourselves. The people in our lineage (and yours too) have raised us up in the Craft by teaching and helping to guide us. They helped to place out feet on the path of enlightenment.
I was taught and believe that there is a "chain of command" to get to the Gods. In the Craft we learn that everything has a cycle so talking to Deity should be no different.
When I cast a circle I will call the quarters, the Ancestors, and then the Gods. Why do I do this? Well in short I call the quarters to watch my circle, the ancestors to share knowledge and to help guide, The Gods to bless and honor my work.
I understand that not everyone does it this way or even sees things this way. That is OK, this works for me. I also understand that there is a deeper relationship to the Ancestors then I am covering here. My hope is this Samhain that that connection will be renewed.
Now I am going to give you a couple of ways to contact and gain wisdom from your ancestors.
The first is to have a dumb supper. This is a supper made of all of the favorite foods of the people you are honoring. Sit at your table and place a plate on the table in their honor. Fill it with food a quietly sit and eat the meal. The whole time thinking about the people you are remembering. Welcome them to your home and listen for their voice. In time you will hear it.
You could also take a black candle and think on the Ancestor till you have full vivid visions of them. Light the candle and tell them what is on your mind… talk to them like they are sitting right there with you. Let the candle burn out and then go to sleep. In your dreams you will gain the wisdom you are seeking
Some people have shrines to the Ancestors in their homes. These shrines are called Lare (lar-ay) shrines. These were family shrines to honor the guardian spirits of the families. Candles and offerings were placed in these shrines at times of change with in the family. This way the Ancestors are still connected to the family.
So you see there are many ways to involve your ancestors in your Spirituality and your daily lives.
There are many crafts in books and on the internet for you and your children to enjoy together. I have included a few ideas here................ ENJOY!!!!!!!!!
Scary Head
What you need:
A balloon
Plenty of newspaper
Flour and Water (or wallpaper paste)
Paint (acrylic, tempura, or whatever kind of paint you prefer)
Instructions...
1. Inflate the balloon to around the size of a normal head and tie a knot in the bottom.
2. Mix the flour and water until you have a gooey paste and tear the newspaper into strips.
3. Soak the bits of newspaper in the gooey paste before applying a layer of newspaper to the outside of the balloon.
4. Continue applying layers to the balloon, putting extra layers where you will want a nose and not so much around the eye sockets..
5. When you are happy with the shape of your head leave it to dry - Overnight or longer is best!
6. Once dry, you can pop the balloon and paint the head in any scary (or funny) way you please.
Make a Halloween Luminary
What you need:
It's possible to make a luminary from any kind of tin can (smooth ones are best but can be difficult to find). Make this a family project, and you'll have plenty to decorate the patio or line the sidewalk for Halloween night.
You Will Need:
Paper
Pencil
Hammer & Nail (or awl)
Metal can
Old Towel
Rubber bands
Instructions:
1. To start, remove the label from the can and wash it out. If there are any sharp edges left on the inside, hammer them flat.
2. Fill the can with cold water, leaving at least 1-2" of space at the top. (You must leave room at the top… otherwise, the bottom of the can will bulge out as the water freezes and make it unusable as a luminary.)
3. Place the can of water in the freezer and leave it there until it's solid. (Overnight would be best). The ice will keep your can from crushing in on itself when you begin to put the holes into it.
4. While the can of water is freezing, use this time to create a pattern that you want to put on your luminary. Simple shapes are best… jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, stars, bats, etc.
5. Take the frozen can out of the freezer once it is solid and use rubber bands to hold your design in place on the can.
6. Place the can on an old towel that is folded for cushioning.
7. Use the hammer and nail (or an awl) to poke holes into the can. Follow the lines, leaving spaces between the holes.
8. When finished, allow the ice to melt and empty the can.
9. Place a votive candle or tealight candle in the bottom of the can.
10.When you have enough luminaries, use them to line your walkway or patio.
11.When it gets dark, have an adult help to light the candles.
Witch Candy Holder
Materials:
3 terra cotta pots (any size as long as all three are the same size)
Terra cotta pot saucer
Black, Green, and White acrylic paint (**Note*** acrylic paint dries quickly but doesn't come out of clothes, so wear something old or an apron to cover your clothes up)
Black permanent marker
Black construction paper
Green construction paper
Scissors
1" Paintbrush
Small paintbrush (for fine detail work)
Glue or scotch tape
STEP 1: Paint the Pots
1. The first pot you paint will be the head. Paint the rim and 2/3 of the way around the rest of the pot black (this will be her hair) Refer to the picture if the directions are unclear.
2. Once that has dried, paint the other 1/3 of the pot green (this will be her face) Again, refer to the picture if the directions are unclear.
3. Paint the other two pots completely black
4. Paint the outside and bottom of the saucer all green or all black (depending on what color you want her feet to be).
STEP 2: Make the Hat
1. Trace around a dinner plate onto a piece of black construction paper.
2. Again, trace around a dinner plate onto a piece of black construction paper.
3. Cut both circles out. (One of the circles will be the hat rim and the other will be the cone part of the hat).
4. On one circle, cut a straight line across it to the other center.
5. Roll into a cone by overlapping the cut edges until you get the size cone you want and then glue it together (place a piece of tape on the inside to hold it together while the glue dries)
6. Tape the cone onto the circle to finish the witch's hat (This is the lid for your candy container)
STEP 3: Make the Arms
1. Cut two 5" by 3" strips from black construction paper (measurements don't have to be exact).
2. Roll each strip around a pencil or fat marker to make a cylinder for the arm.
3. Cut simple hand (or mitten) shapes out of green construction paper
4. Insert the hand into the arm and secure it with a small piece of tape or a dab of glue.
5. Squeeze the other end of the arm flat and tape it or glue it to the bottom of one of the black pots once the paint has dried. Repeat with the other arm.
STEP 4: Make the Face:
1. Draw a mouth, a small nose, two goofy eyes and some eyebrows onto the face with the permanent black marker.
2. Use the white paint to fill in the eyeballs and dot a bit of white in the black part of the eyes and the top of the nose.
STEP 5: Assemble the Witch:
1. Use the black marker (or the white paint) to draw a line down the saucer so it looks like two feet. Put the saucer, upside down, where your witch will be standing.
2. Glue the black pot that you did not attach the arms to right side up on top of the saucer.
3. Glue the black pot with the arms upside down on top of that.
4. Glue the head right side up on top of the arms.
5. Once the glue has dried, Fill the head with candy and place the hat on the head
Samhain Night
© Raven Spirit 2001
Listen close and you can hear
The seasons move gear by gear
Perfect movement ever round
Here the mysteries can be found
Full of fright
Yet full of light
Holy to those with inner sight
In a circle we shall stand
And honor those who held our hand
Mothers, fathers and teachers too
This is the night we honor you
The God is Lord in the Underworld
Ready to teach us what we have not understood
The Goddess too goes to join her Lord
Till she is rejoins him on Earth at Imbolg
We get caught up in what we are doing
That we can forget this Holidays holy meaning
To give Thanks for the harvest (This is the Last)
And honor the people who walked in our past
To lay to rest the things we don't need
And prepare to plants seeds by the light of the Yule King
This night is not scary for those that do know
But the last Hurrah for soon it will snow
To celebrate the seasonal stages
That brings about life's inner changes
Words Of The Morrigan
© Raven Spirit
2008
When the winter winds doth blow, you will hear my call
I am the mother of the brave, and will catch you when you fall
I am the goddess of battles long, and struggles that run deep
When the fighting is over, you are the prize you keep
You will see me as the bird most look upon as ill
But in the heart of my child the raven brings a thrill
I am the Queen of prophecy and things yet unknown
But look with in your deepest heart for there all things are shown
I walk the path way between life and death, the sword is in my hand
I strike the final and deadly blow, spilling blood upon the land
But don't think me harsh, or cold, for that is not my way
I sit and weep at the ford, washing the blood away
You are my child and I your Queen, when you take my hand
The end of time, and your days. I will lead you to Summerland
Witch's Cauldron
Ingredients:
16 ounces Velveeta cheese
2 cans regular or vegetarian chili with beans
1 cup salsa
1 cup diced black olives
1 round loaf black or pumpernickel bread
Tortilla chips (preferably black, blue, or orange and black)
Directions
1. Melt together the cheese, chili, salsa, and olives until smooth over low heat and keep warm.
2. Remove the center of the bread, leaving a thick shell.
3. Tear up the center bread pieces for dipping.
4. Pour the cheese mixture into the bread right before serving.
5. Add a small ladle to the bread and serve with the bread cubes and tortilla chips.
Pumpkin Chili
from Meals.com
Ingredients:
2 Tbl. Olive Oil
1 pound ground beef or turkey
¾ cup chopped onion
½ cup diced red bell peppers
½ cup diced green bell peppers
1 garlic clove, minced
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, including liquid
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
½ cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. In a large pot, add the olive oil and then brown the crumbled ground meat.
2. Add onion, peppers and garlic over meat and cook until the onions are transparent.
3. Drain excess grease.
4. Add tomatoes, pumpkin, tomato sauce, kidney beans, chiles, corn, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper; stir to blend.
5. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
6. Serve with sour cream, grated cheese and other condiments.
Makes 10 servings
Shrunken Heads
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Ingredients:
8 medium apples
8 wooden craft sticks
Butter
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (any variety you like)
21 ounces (about 75) vanilla caramels or chocolate caramels, unwrapped
3 tablespoons water
6 ounces vanilla-flavor candy coating
2 teaspoons shortening
Desired candies for decoration, such as licorice, candy corn, gumdrops, candy-coated chocolate pieces (optional)
Tubes of writing gel decorating icing
Canned frosting
Directions
1. Wash and dry apples. Remove stems. Insert one wood stick into the stem end of each apple.
2. Place apples on a buttered baking sheet.
3. Place chopped nuts in a shallow dish; set aside.
4. In a heavy medium saucepan, heat and stir the caramels and water over medium-low heat just until caramels are melted.
5. Dip each apple into hot caramel mixture, spooning caramel evenly over apple. Allow excess caramel to drip off. Briefly set bottoms of apples in chopped nuts. Set apples on prepared baking sheet and let stand about 30 minutes or until firm.
6. In a heavy, small saucepan, heat and stir the vanilla-flavor candy coating and shortening over low heat just until mixture is melted. Holding apples over the saucepan, spoon the melted candy coating evenly over the tops of the caramel-coated apples. Return to baking sheet and let stand about 30 minutes or until firm.
7. Decorate the apples to resemble faces or monsters using desired candies and writing gel. Use writing gel or canned frosting to attach candies to dipped apples.
Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare apples as directed. Cover and chill for up to two days.
Slime Punch
Ingredients:
1/2 gallon lime sherbet
1 quart ginger ale
1 quart lemon-lime soda
1 quart lemonade
Green food color
Directions
1. Mix lime sherbet with lemonade until fully dissolved
2. Carefully add both ginger ale and lemon-lime soda
3. Add enough green food color to make the punch creepy-looking.
**Alternate serving suggestion. You can serve the punch with frozen hands floating in it. (Make the hands by made by washing a couple of latex gloves and then filling them with the lemonade. Secure the ends closed with rubber bands and freeze them at least overnight.
Spider Wreath Cookies
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans or almonds
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/4 teaspoon orange paste food coloring
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
Milk
Red cinnamon candies or miniature candy-coated semisweet chocolate pieces (optional)
Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or until softened. Add the sugar and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in remaining flour.
2. Place half of the dough in a small mixing bowl. Stir in the pecans or almonds; set aside. To the remaining dough, knead in the orange peel and food coloring. Cover and chill both portions of dough about 30 minutes or until easy to handle.
3. On a lightly floured surface, shape each dough portion into a 12-inch-long log. Cut each log into twenty-four 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Roll each piece into a 6-inch-long rope. If necessary, cover and chill ropes for 10 to 15 minutes if soft and difficult to work with. Place a white and an orange rope side by side and twist together 5 or 6 times. Shape into a circle, gently pinching together the ends. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool on cookie sheet about 1 minute, then remove and cool thoroughly on a wire rack.
4. In a small mixing bowl, stir together sifted powdered sugar and enough milk to make an icing of piping consistency. Tint with desired colors of paste or liquid food coloring.
5. Using a decorating bag and writing tip #2, pipe icing into various-size spiders randomly on cookies. If desired, use red cinnamon candies, or candy-coated chocolate pieces for the body of the spider. Use a dab of icing to hold body on cookies. Let cookies stand until icing is set. Makes 24 cookies.
Eyeballs
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 lb icing sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
12 ozs white chocolate
Directions
1. Cream the butter and peanut butter together.
2. Add the icing sugar and vanilla and blend thoroughly.
3. Shape into small 1-inch balls and refrigerate on waxed paper for half an hour.
4. Melt the white chocolate (you can use a microwave for this).
5. With a toothpick, dip the "eyeballs" into the chocolate, covering all but a small circle on the top.
6. Let cool on waxed paper.
Makes around 40 eyeballs.
Halloween Spider Cake
When cake is cut, it spurts green goop.
Ingredients:
1 boxed cake mix (any flavor)
4-serving package green gelatin
1 can pre-prepared chocolate frosting
Blue food coloring
4 black licorice whips
2 big green gumballs
6 little gumballs
1. Prepare cake using two 9-inch round cake pans. Cool.
2. Prepare the gelatin according to package directions. It works best if it is just a little on the soft side.
3. On a foil-covered cookie-sheet, place one cake layer for the body. Cut a smaller circle out of the center of the layer. Place this smaller round of cake as the spider's head.
4. Fill the hole left in the body layer with gelatin. Place the other cake layer on top of the body and trim cake slightly to shape, if desired.
5. To prepare frosting, in a mixing bowl, add blue food coloring to the chocolate frosting until black in color. Frost the entire cake black.
6. Cut the black licorice whips in half and insert for the eight legs.
7. Position the gumballs as eyes.
Frozen Jack-O-Lanterns
Ingredients:
12 navel oranges
12 cinnamon sticks
1/2 gallon dark chocolate ice cream
1. Cut off tops of oranges. Gently hollow out pulp (reserve for another use), leaving a thick shell; hollow out pulp off tops also.
2. Cut Jack-O-Lantern faces into each orange.
3. Pack chocolate ice cream into shells, avoid letting ice cream come out of holes.
4. Cut a hole into top of orange top.
5. Set tops back on, over ice cream, and inset cinnamon stick stem through the hole.
6. Place in freezer for at least 3 hours, or until serving time.
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