Samhain
By: Calliope Hellice
October 31st
Also known as: Hallowmas, All Hallow�s Eve, All Saints Eve, All Souls Night, Savin, Hallowe�en

The nights are longer, the days are colder. The leaves have changed fully to the colour of fire, and are now falling to the earth. People are bundled up in sweaters and coats. Gloves, mittens, scarves and hats come out of storage. Pumpkins line up on porches, some carved with ghoulish or friendly grins. Houses are decorated with ghosts and skeletons, ready to celebrate the night of the dead.

It is Samhain, the festival of the dead. Six months past Beltaine, the festival of life, fertility and rebirth, we celebrate rebirth through death.

The Horned Lord, who was the God of Life, Harvest and Greenwood, now takes His throne as Lord of the Underworld, Lord of Shadows, and Taker of Souls. The Goddess, once Maiden, and then Mother of Summer and Goddess of the Harvest, becomes the Dark Mother, the Crone who devours the God so that She may give birth to Him again at Yule. Her womb is the tomb, and the Horned One resides there until He is reborn as the Sun.

This is a time for reflection, a time for introspection. We honour our ancestors through ritual and meditation, we divine the future as Samhain is also the Celtic New Year, and we release the burdens of the past. Samhain is a good time for banishings, for making resolutions, for taking stock of the last year and meditating upon what we learned. Samhain is also a time of the Shades, a time to look into the dark side of ourselves.

This is a feast for the dead, a time for bloodshed, as this is a time when livestock was slaughtered to be eaten in hearty meals, and salted to be preserved for the coming winter. The last of harvest is eaten, and what can be preserved is canned and stored. We set a place for the dead to share in the meal, and eat in silent contemplation. This is Samhain, the Feast of the Dead.

Activities:
-pumpkin carving
-making resolutions
-leave a candle burning in the window or on the porch to guide the spirits
-leave food out for the spirits and fae
-make masks representing what/who you would like to be
-make or decorate a besom
-perform divination (spirit board, tarot, scrying, pendulum, runes)
-perform a seance
-tell ghost stories
-make an ancestors altar with photos of your beloved departed
-dress in costumes

All Hallows Week:
According to Margie McArthur, in her book �WiccaCraft for Families�, the following dates are celebrated by many for the entire week preceding October 31st, called "All-Hallows Week":

October 24th - Festival Prelude and Night of Seers - decorate and remember those who have seen the future.
October 25th - Night of Heroes and Martyrs - honoring members of families who died in war and peace, those who have died for their faith.
October 26th - Night of Artists - for remembering those who speak of the Old Ways through the arts.
October 27th - Night of Nurturers - those who keep the home fires burning, caring for those in need of care.
October 28th - Night of Remembrance of Family Pets, recalled and cherished.
October 29th - Night of Remembrance of Forgotten Ancestors, heritage, and origins.
October 30th - Night of the Recent Dead - trip to cemetery.
October 31st - Family Fire Festival

Oil and Incense Recipes

Protection Oil
1 dram olive oil
1 dram Patchouli oil
1 tsp. broken pieces of Mandrake Root
1 dram Cinnamon Oil
3 heaping tsp. coarse sea salt ground very fine
1 dram Myrrh Oil

Samhain Incense #1
Nettle
Calendula
Patchouli leaves
Myrrh
Bay Leaf
Oak Leaf
Tarragon
2 drops Cinnamon Oil
Sage

Samhain Incense #2
1 Part Powdered Allspice
1 Part Ground Black Pepper
2 Parts Clove Powder
1 Part Myrrh (small resin chunks)
12 Parts lightly crushed Rose Petals

Samhain Incense #3
1 Part crushed Mugwort Leaves
1 Part Frankincense Tears (small resin chunks)
1 Part Myrrh Resin (small chunks)
2 Parts crushed Rosemary Leaves

Samhain Oil
1/2 dram Pine Oil
1/4 dram Frankincense oil
1/4 dram Patchouli oil
1/4 dram Lavendar oil
Mix well and bottle.

Samhain Blessing Incense
1/4 cup sea salt
1 tablespoon finely powdered cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon finely powdered benzoin resin
1 teaspoon finely powdered dragon's blood resin
1 teaspoon dark musk oil
1 teaspoon crushed lavender buds
1 teaspoon finely crushed rose petals

Samhain House Blessing Potpourri
4 cups rose and other dried flowers of your choice (love)
1 cup lemon Verbana (purification & joy)
1 cup lavender (protection & love)
1 tbsp. rosemary (protection & love)
1 tbsp. basil (protection & love)
1 tbsp. marjoram (protection & love)
2 tbsp. cloves (protection)
2 tbsp. cinnamon (protection, love & psychic powers)
2 tbsp. nutmeg (health)
1 vanilla bean, crushed (love)
1 tbsp. grated orange rind (love)
1 tbsp. grated lemon rind (protection)
2 tbsp. Orris root (preservative & psychic correspondence)
6 drops lavender oil Place first ingredient in bowl.

Samhain Oil
3 drops rosemary oil
3 drops pine oil
3 drops bay oil
3 drops apple oil
2 drops patchouli oil

Samhain Oil
1/2 dram pine oil
1/4 dram frankincense oil
1/4 dram patchouli oil
1/4 dram lavender oil

Samhain Ritual Potpourri
Recipe by Gerina Dunwich
45 drops patchouli oil
1 cup oak moss
2 cups dried apple blossoms
2 cups dried heather flowers
1 cup dried and chopped apple peel
1 cup dried pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup dried and chopped mandrake root

Samhain Incense
3 parts frankincense
2 parts mullein
1 part heather
½ part sage
A pinch pulverized oak leaf

Samhain Incense
3 parts Frankincense
2 parts Myrrh
1 part Rosemary
1 part Cedar
1 part Juniper

Hecate Incense
Source: Gerina Dunwich
1/2 teaspoon Dried Bay Leaves
1/2 teaspoon Dried Mint Leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme
pinch of Myrrh Resin
pinch of Frankincense Resin
13 drops Cypress Oil
3 drops Camphor Oil