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Bob for Apples
Drink apple cider warmed and spiced with cinnamon to honour the dead.
Bury an apple or pomegranate in the garden as food for spirits passing by on their way to be reborn.
Carve a jack-o-lantern.
Pick a spirit candle.
This is a white candle anointed with patchouli oil.
Say:
With this candle and by its light,
I welcome you spirits this Samhain night."
Place it inside the jack-o'-lantern.
Set out a Mute Supper.
Have a New Years party to celebrate the turning of the wheel!
Make a mask of your shadow self.
Make a besom, or witches broom.
Make a witches cord as an expression of what you hope to manifest in the year ahead.
Let this be the traditional time that you make candles for the coming year, infusing them with color, power, herbs, and scent depending on its purpose.
Enjoy the trick or treating of the season.
Wear costumes that reflect what we hope or wish for in the upcoming year.
Make resolutions, write them on a small piece of parchment, and burn in a candle flame, preferably a black votive candle within a cauldron on the altar. This is like New Year's resolutions, as for many Samhain is the New Year.
Divination - Samhain is the beginning of the pagan year, divinations were done to see the future of the coming year. It is said that this is the time of the Crone and it is incumbent upon us to see whatever wisdom she is willing to part with on our behalf. Many types of divination are practiced for Samhain. Dark Mirrors - Fire or Water Scrying - Tarot cards - and of course the Crystal Ball.
Activities of Old
On this day people would gather early in the day since there were so many things going on. In olden times the affair would last for two or three days. Crafting included brewing Mead for the days festivities as well as for the winter season to come. They carved Jack-o-Lanterns to discourage negative spirits from bothering the people at the gathering. Candles were blessed for use throughout the winter, as well as blending oils for magical uses. Simples were brewed to make sure each person had a good tonic to see them through the hard days of winter.
Anything that was braided was thought to be lucky since it was binding things together and by doing that bringing the community closer together. Quilts were gathered to be finished and ladies shared their recipes for simples and for dying cloth. The men of the clan hunted for days before the gathering to insure food for everyone. Children would be sent on �Nutting� parties and they would produce that bounty to be shared by everyone.
Games of strength and chance were played by young and old alike. This was also a great time for story telling and in this way the patterns of life were passed down from one generation to another year after year. At this time of the year we are reminded of the tribal beginnings that we have all come from and it is appropriate that we still use the basic instruments of drum and gourd, cymbal, and horns. We chant together into the night and recreate the spiral dances.
Bringing people together for singing and dancing is very important even if they are not the best of singers or dancers. The manner of performance is not important, the pleasure of the joining is!
updated April 16, 2000
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