Administrator November, 2011

Other Names:
celtic ~ Summer’s End, pronounced “sow” (rhymes with now) “en” (Ireland), sow-een (Wales) – “mh” in the middle is a “w” sound – Greater Sabbat(High Holiday) – Fire Festival Oct 31-Nov 1(North Hemisphere) – Apr 30-May 1 – The Great Sabbat, Samhiunn, Samana, Samhuin, Sam-fuin, Samonios, Halloween, Hallomas, All Hallows Eve, All Saints/All Souls Day(Catholic), Day of the Dead (Mexican), Witches New Year, Trinoux Samonia, Celtic/ Druid New Year, Shadowfest (Strega), Martinmas or Old Hallowmas (Scotttish/Celtic) Lá Samhna (Modern Irish), Festival of the Dead, Feile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess), Hallowtide (Scottish Gaelis Dictionary), Feast of All Souls, Nos Galen-gae-of Night of the Winter Calends (Welsh), La Houney or Hollantide Day, Sauin or Souney ( Manx), oidhche na h-aimiléise-the night of mischief or confusion(Ireland), Oidhche Shamna (Scotland)

Rituals:
End of summer, honoring of the dead,scrying, divination, last harvest, meat harvest

Incense:
Copal, sandalwood, mastic resin, benzoin, sweetgrass, wormwood, mugwort, sage, myrrh or patchouli

Tools:
Besom, cauldron, tarot, obsidian ball, pendulum, runes, oghams, Ouija boards, black cauldron or bowl filled with black ink or water, or magick mirror

Stones/Gems:
Black obsidian, jasper, carnelian, onyx, smoky quartz, jet, bloodstone

Colors:
Black, orange, red

Symbols & Decorations:
Apples, autumn flowers, acorns, bat, black cat, bones, corn stalks, colored leaves, crows, death/dying, divination and the tools associated with it, ghosts, gourds, Indian corn, jack-o-lantern, nuts , oak leaves, pomegranates, pumpkins, scarecrows, scythes, waning moon

Foods:
Apples, apple dishes, cider, meat (traditionally this is the meat harvest) especially pork, mulled cider with spices, nuts-representing resurrection and rebirth, nuts, pomegranates, potatoes, pumpkins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted pumpkin seeds, squash.

Goddesses:
The Crone, Hecate(Greek), Cerridwen(Welsh-Scottish), Arianrhod(Welsh), Caillech (Irish-Scottish), Baba Yaga (Russian), Al-Ilat(persian), Bast (Egyptian), Persephone (Greek), Hel(Norse), Kali(Hindu), all Death & Otherworld Goddesses

Gods:
Horned Hunter(European), Cernnunos(Greco-Celtic), Osiris(Egyptian), Hades (Greek), Gwynn ap Nudd (British), Anubis(Egyptian), Coyote Brother (Native American), Loki (Norse), Dis (Roman), Arawn (Welsh), acrificial/Dying/Aging
Gods, Death and Otherworld Gods

Herbs and Flowers:
Almond, apple leaf , autumn joy sedum, bay leaf, calendula, Cinnamon, Cloves cosmos, garlic, ginger , hazelnut, hemlock cones, mandrake root, marigold, mums, mugwort (to aid in divination), mullein seeds, nettle, passionflower, pine needles, pumpkin seeds, rosemary (for remembrance of our ancestors), rue, sage, sunflower petals and seeds, tarragon, wild ginseng, wormwood

Animals:
Stag, cat, bat, owl, jackal, elephant, ram, scorpion, heron, crow, robin

Mythical Beings:
Pooka, goblin,medusa, beansidhe, harpies

Essence:
Magick, plenty; knowledge, the night, death & rebirth, success, protection; rest, new beginning; ancestors; lifting of the veil, mundane laws in abeyance, return, change

Dynamics/Meaning:
Death & transformation, Wiccan new year,wisdom of the Crone, end of summer, honoring, thinning of the veil between worlds, death of the year, time outside of time, night of the Wild Hunt, begin new projects, end old projects

Work:
Sex magick, release of bad habits, banishing, fairy magick, divination of any kind, candle magick, astral projection, past life work, dark moon mysteries, mirror spells (reflection), casting protection , inner work, propitiation, clearing obstacles, uncrossing, inspiration, workings of transition or culmination, manifesting transformation,creative visualization, contacting those who have departed this plane

Purpose:
Honoring the dead, especially departed ancestors, knowing we will not be forgotten; clear knowledge of our path; guidance, protection, celebrating reincarnation

Rituals/Magicks:
Foreseeing future, honoring/consulting ancestors, releasing the old, power, understanding death and rebirth, entering the underworld, divination, dance of the dead, fire calling, past life recall

Customs:
Ancestor altar, costumes, divination, carving jack-o-lanterns, spirit plate, the Feast of the Dead, feasting, paying debts, fairs, drying winter herbs, masks, bonfires, apple games, tricks, washing clothes

Element:
Water

Gender:
Male

Threshold:
Midnight

Tags: halloween

• Correspondences

Mother Moon October, 2011

Celebrating Samhain

The coolness of Autumn has come to many of us.  We find ourselves drawing close to yet another year.  The wheel has come full circle and once again we prepare ourselves for the coming of a new year.

It is a time when the old God dies, returning once more to the earth; Only to be  reborn when Yule comes later in the year.  The time of the Goddess represented as mother is over. The long days of sun filled days of vibrant life and color have come to an end.   It is now the time of the Crone.  A time for self reflection. As the year ends and death comes, we turn ourselves inward.  We seek wisdom and good counsel for the time ahead, the coming new year.  It is a chance for new beginnings and a time to once again plant and grow in hopes of a future good harvest.  This is considered not only in a rational sense yet also in a fugitive sense.

Yet before we can start our journey into a new year, we prepare ourselves to celebrate the Celtic Festival of the Dead or Samhain as many know it. To many this is the most important of all festivals celebrated throughout the year.  This is a time when the veil which stands between the world as most know it and the Otherworld is said to be at its thinnest.  It is a time when the spirits of those passed on come and walk among us. It is a time when we pay homage to those who have led us, taught us, and loved us in times before.  It is a time of remembrance of those passed on.

Extra place settings  are set at evening meal tables  for those who may be expected to join the celebration even though they have not been physically among us for some time.  Candles are  placed in the windows to show such visitors where to come and where they will be welcomed.  Alters are arranged with photos and memorabilia of those passed showing respect and also acknowledging their presence as well as their welcomed participation in the evening festivities.  The feasting table is lined with special dishes prepared especially with the taste of those passed in mind.

This time always holds a special dearness to my heart as the spirits of the those who have come is always so strong.  It is as festive as any time of family and friends gathering can be. As well as the presence of those passed on, this is also a keen time to pay respect to the wee folk if that be something that you believe in.  The Fae (or fairy as many call them) are among us at all times yet always quite difficult to catch a glimpse of.  On Samhain when the veil is thin, it is also a good time to catch a glimpse of the delicate folk.  For those of you who tend a garden like myself, a small treat of cream, fresh butter, and some honey will tempt any fairy folk you may have to come out and spend a bit of time.  Although a mischievous lot, they can also be quite helpful and beneficial if befriended.  I give much of the credit to my wild garden near the woods to the Fae I know live just within the woods.  I have made it a point to acknowledge their presence and to make sure that I remember them at such times of the year.  They in turn help me to see that my garden is nurtured and bountiful.

As you prepare yourself for the closing of this wheels cycle, I wish you peace and calmness.  May your Samhain be filled with the presence of those who mean most to you, both near and already passed.  And may the coming year bring you new and eventful opportunities that will  bring you closer to knowing yourself as well as being the fulfillment of what it is you are meant to be.

Blessings

Mother Moon

Tags: halloween, holiday, sabbat, samhain

• Articles

Marisol Velasco October, 2011

Now we all know what time of year is upon us….yes it’s our favorite holiday full of ghouls and ghost, candy and pumpkins Halloween!

But did you know why else October is such a special time of year?

It is believed that during this time of year the veil that separates the world of the living and the world of spirits is thin cumulating on October 31st when the veil is at it’s thinnest.  This belief goes way back to ancient times when the Celts believed that during this time the souls of the dead would come back.  October 31st was known as Samhain and was celebrated as the new year a time when crops were harvested and cold and darkness where upon us.

This belief of the thinning of the veil is celebrated throughout the world for example Mexico celebrates the Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) where families visit the cementeries not only cleaning and repairing headstones and plots but also taking the time to commune with the dead in the form of celebration where a meal is eaten and the families pray for their loved ones. Even the Roman church got involved celebrating All Saints Day to honor the saints and martyrs of the church.

As a result of the thinning of the veil between the worlds it is a prime time for Tarot card readings and any type of psychic work.   As a reader during this time you should be able to have an easier connection to the spirit world and your readings should be more fluid and accurate. As a client you will be more open to recieving a reading and this in turn allows your reader to give you a prime reading. The intuitive and psychic abilities of many people become magnified during this time of year.

If your in the process of learning the Tarot the month of  October should be used as a time for practice not only in the definition of the cards but also allowing yourself to listen to the internal voices and vibrations that reach you.

So keep in mind as we travel towards the end of the Celtic Year to focus on strengthening your inner connection and voice to the spirit world. Take some time to pull out your tarot cards and play yes play with them, look them over, handle them, cast them. Take advantage of not only the fun aspects of October but also the psychic aspects and enjoy not the candy and the vibrate connection that comes with All Hallows Eve.

Tags: cards, celtic, Divination, halloween, new year, reading, samhain, tarot

• Articles

Mamie M. October, 2011

A Thin Veil

Towards the end of October it seems that everyone has ghosts on their mind with Halloween just around the corner.  There are many traditions and superstitions that have carried over many years.  Some we have barely modified and some have taken on a life of their own.  Many carry on these old traditions without knowing how or why they came to be.  Even for those who do not believe in the paranormal, Halloween turns almost everyone superstitious for one night.

The holiday we celebrate today is a large blend of different beliefs, religions and folklore that accumulated over the years.   The Celtic belief, over 2,000 years ago, was the night before their new year, November 1^st, the veil between the living and the dead was very thin.  On October 31^st they celebrated Samhain .  The Celts believed that on this night the dead would return to earth and potentially damage their crops.  There was also the belief that druids would return and share knowledge about the future.  To celebrate, the Celts would build huge bonfires and dress up in animal skins.

Later around 43 AD the Romans combined their festivals with the Celtic celebrations.  One Roman festival was to honor the Roman Goddess of fruit and trees Pomona, whose symbol was the apple.  This is one explanation for the tradition of bobbing for apples that is performed at many Halloween parties today.

Depending on the culture and traditions, this Holiday as always been about either communicating with or warding off spirits.  The belief that this is the best time for spirit interaction has stayed strong for thousands of years.

Not until the second half of the nineteenth century, many immigrants came over to America and helped to popularize Halloween, mixing many Irish and English traditions.

Since many believed ghosts walked among us on this night, they would go out disguised as spirits to blend in.  The tradition of trick or treating was also brought over.  During the All Souls Day celebration in England, poor citizens would beg for food and money.  Families would give them pastries called “Soul Cakes” in exchange for a promise they would pray for their dead relatives.  This practice was more welcomed by the Church than the older tradition of leaving wine and food out for roaming spirits.

The belief of the dead returning was so strong, it wasn’t uncommon for people to set the dinner table in hopes of welcoming back a deceased family member.  Food and candles were left on doorsteps and along the roads for the spirit to find its way.  Many forms of divination were performed on this night as well, since the veil was so thin many hoped for a glimpse of their future.

There was a belief many years ago that a young woman should name a hazelnut for each of her suitors, and then toss them one by one into the fire.  The nut that completely burned to ashes, without popping or exploding was the one named for her future husband.  Young women would also peel apples and toss the peel over their shoulder to reveal the initials of their true love.  Scrying was also popular on Halloween night.  Many would drop egg yolks into a bowl of water and peer into it, or stand in front of a mirror in a dark room holding a candle.  Staring long enough into the mirror would bring the vision of a face over your shoulder.

Many Pagans still celebrate Samhain and honor the old ways.  We who practice the Craft and Magic understand this history and keep it alive.  The Witches New Year will soon be upon us and for one night many people of many different backgrounds will celebrate.  This holiday is centered greatly on spirits and superstitions but it is also a symbol that wherever there is death there is always new life.  The circle will always continue.

A Thin Veil Towards the end of October it seems that everyone has ghosts on their mind with Halloween just around the corner.  There are many traditions and superstitions that have carried over many years.  Some we have barely modified and some have taken on a life of their own.  Many carry on these old traditions without knowing how or why they came to be.  Even for those who do not believe in the paranormal, Halloween turns almost everyone superstitious for one night.      The holiday we celebrate today is a large blend of different beliefs, religions and folklore that accumulated over the years.   The Celtic belief, over 2,000 years ago, was the night before their new year, November 1^st, the veil between the living and the dead was very thin.  On October 31^st they celebrated Samhain .  The Celts believed that on this night the dead would return to earth and potentially damage their crops.  There was also the belief that druids would return and share knowledge about the future.  To celebrate, the Celts would build huge bonfires and dress up in animal skins.      Later around 43 AD the Romans combined their festivals with the Celtic celebrations.  One Roman festival was to honor the Roman Goddess of fruit and trees Pomona, whose symbol was the apple.  This is one explanation for the tradition of bobbing for apples that is performed at many Halloween parties today.      Depending on the culture and traditions, this Holiday as always been about either communicating with or warding off spirits.  The belief that this is the best time for spirit interaction has stayed strong for thousands of years.       Not until the second half of the nineteenth century, many immigrants came over to America and helped to popularize Halloween, mixing many Irish and English traditions.        Since many believed ghosts walked among us on this night, they would go out disguised as spirits to blend in.  The tradition of trick or treating was also brought over.  During the All Souls Day celebration in England, poor citizens would beg for food and money.  Families would give them pastries called “Soul Cakes” in exchange for a promise they would pray for their dead relatives.  This practice was more welcomed by the Church than the older tradition of leaving wine and food out for roaming spirits.      The belief of the dead returning was so strong, it wasn’t uncommon for people to set the dinner table in hopes of welcoming back a deceased family member.  Food and candles were left on doorsteps and along the roads for the spirit to find its way.  Many forms of divination were performed on this night as well, since the veil was so thin many hoped for a glimpse of their future.      There was a belief many years ago that a young woman should name a hazelnut for each of her suitors, and then toss them one by one into the fire.  The nut that completely burned to ashes, without popping or exploding was the one named for her future husband.  Young women would also peel apples and toss the peel over their shoulder to reveal the initials of their true love.  Scrying was also popular on Halloween night.  Many would drop egg yolks into a bowl of water and peer into it, or stand in front of a mirror in a dark room holding a candle.  Staring long enough into the mirror would bring the vision of a face over your shoulder.       Many Pagans still celebrate Samhain and honor the old ways.  We who practice the Craft and Magic understand this history and keep it alive.  The Witches New Year will soon be upon us and for one night many people of many different backgrounds will celebrate.  This holiday is centered greatly on spirits and superstitions but it is also a symbol that wherever there is death there is always new life.  The circle will always continue.

Tags: halloween, holiday, sabbat, thin veil

• Articles

Willow Winterborne October, 2011

*The Hedgewitch lives in the space between the Village and the Forest. Between the mundane and the magical. S/He lives with a foot in both worlds.

Tags: halloween, holiday, meditation, mindfulness, samhain, thining veil

• Articles

Red Pixie October, 2011

Samhain Traditions & Folklore.

Its almost here, the best holiday of them all, in my opinion at least, I love Samhain (pron Sow in – for those unsure) I remember even as a small child Samhain was a celebration for me of people who has passed over, I am still unsure to this day where I gained that knowledge from considering my own parents are far from Pagan and really never spoken about religion or the history of the holiday, to me at least.

I have, to this day, certain traditions that I will always carry out and pass down to my own children, should they wish to follow them of course.  I think for me ‘Halloween’ is much more commercialised than I’d like it to be, more about ‘the kids’ or ‘candy’ or in some cases ‘money’ can you belive it!  But I am not going to focus upon the negative aspects that I can pin point instead I’m going to focus on the joy and happiness that fills Samhain.

One of the traditions I have been doing over the past couple of years, is an age old folk tale of ‘feeding the dead’ I take an apple, no particular type just an apple, I take mine from the apple tree in my garden but you can use one from your fruit bowl, and under the moon, bury the apple in the ground, it is said to nurish the souls of the dead that roam the earth at this time.  Another popular folklore tale is that if you bury thirteen leaves from a harvested apple tree on Halloween you would be guareteed a bumper crop the following year.  How fantastic is that. Another one I follow is to eat a full apple on halloween night before you go to bed as it is said that you will not suffer any illness within the next twelve months, and eating a slice from three apples on halloween night also ensures a year filled with good luck.  These are all folk tales but seriously why would you not try them out, thinking back to last year I did all of these and the results are very good indeed.

Another tradition we have is pumpkin carving, it’s great to do as a family and the pumkin can be then used for soup or pie so there’s no waste and if you dry the seeds out you can plant them next year and grow your own pumpkins.  Even better, free pumpkins for next year and just think of all that lovely soup you can make and freeze for throughout the year (pumpkin soup has been my favourite since I made my first batch about four years ago).

I heard about some ‘Moon Omens’ that I want to share with you  – If the Moon is New on Halloween  it indicates that the coming year will be firtile ground for new beginnings to take place such as a new project, career or a new way of thinking.  If the moon is Waxing on Halloween it means good luck throughout the coming year it also indicates growth and an increase of all things that are of a positive nature.  A Full Moon on Halloween could mean a wish made at midnight will be realised within the coming year, it also insures that the powers of all forms of magic and divination practised will be at their greatest.  A Halloween Waning Moon this can be an indication of an omen of good or bad consequences.  If the moon is in its ‘Dark Phase’ on Halloween its believed to be a very negative omen, advise for extreme caustion in all your endevors over the coming twelve months and it wouldn’t hurt to protect yourself by carrying a talisman designed to ward off bad luck and misfortune.

I love the folklore that surrounds Samhain, I can just imagine sat around the fire in a field surrounded by good friends  toasting marshmellows and telling folktales, what a perfect Samhain that would be.

Do you guys have any traditions that you follow?  Maybe trick or treating with you children or something else, I ould love to hear from you and what your traditions are.   Whatever you do celebrate this festival with love in your hearts and smiles on your faces but above all be safe and look after eachother.

Brightest Blessings

Tags: folklore, halloween, holiday, sabbat, samhain, traditions

• Articles

Administrator October, 2010

Other Names:
celtic ~ Summer’s End, pronounced “sow” (rhymes with now) “en” (Ireland), sow-een (Wales) – “mh” in the middle is a “w” sound – Greater Sabbat(High Holiday) – Fire Festival Oct 31-Nov 1(North Hemisphere) – Apr 30-May 1 – The Great Sabbat, Samhiunn, Samana, Samhuin, Sam-fuin, Samonios, Halloween, Hallomas, All Hallows Eve, All Saints/All Souls Day(Catholic), Day of the Dead (Mexican), Witches New Year, Trinoux Samonia, Celtic/ Druid New Year, Shadowfest (Strega), Martinmas or Old Hallowmas (Scotttish/Celtic) Lá Samhna (Modern Irish), Festival of the Dead, Feile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess), Hallowtide (Scottish Gaelis Dictionary), Feast of All Souls, Nos Galen-gae-of Night of the Winter Calends (Welsh), La Houney or Hollantide Day, Sauin or Souney ( Manx), oidhche na h-aimiléise-the night of mischief or confusion(Ireland), Oidhche Shamna (Scotland)

Rituals:
End of summer, honoring of the dead,scrying, divination, last harvest, meat harvest

Incense:
Copal, sandalwood, mastic resin, benzoin, sweetgrass, wormwood, mugwort, sage, myrrh or patchouli

Tools:
Besom, cauldron, tarot, obsidian ball, pendulum, runes, oghams, Ouija boards, black cauldron or bowl filled with black ink or water, or magick mirror

Stones/Gems:
Black obsidian, jasper, carnelian, onyx, smoky quartz, jet, bloodstone

Colors:
Black, orange, red

Symbols & Decorations:
Apples, autumn flowers, acorns, bat, black cat, bones, corn stalks, colored leaves, crows, death/dying, divination and the tools associated with it, ghosts, gourds, Indian corn, jack-o-lantern, nuts , oak leaves, pomegranates, pumpkins, scarecrows, scythes, waning moon

Foods:
Apples, apple dishes, cider, meat (traditionally this is the meat harvest) especially pork, mulled cider with spices, nuts-representing resurrection and rebirth, nuts, pomegranates, potatoes, pumpkins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted pumpkin seeds, squash.

Goddesses:
The Crone, Hecate(Greek), Cerridwen(Welsh-Scottish), Arianrhod(Welsh), Caillech (Irish-Scottish), Baba Yaga (Russian), Al-Ilat(persian), Bast (Egyptian), Persephone (Greek), Hel(Norse), Kali(Hindu), all Death & Otherworld Goddesses

Gods:
Horned Hunter(European), Cernnunos(Greco-Celtic), Osiris(Egyptian), Hades (Greek), Gwynn ap Nudd (British), Anubis(Egyptian), Coyote Brother (Native American), Loki (Norse), Dis (Roman), Arawn (Welsh), acrificial/Dying/Aging
Gods, Death and Otherworld Gods

Herbs and Flowers:
Almond, apple leaf , autumn joy sedum, bay leaf, calendula, Cinnamon, Cloves cosmos, garlic, ginger , hazelnut, hemlock cones, mandrake root, marigold, mums, mugwort (to aid in divination), mullein seeds, nettle, passionflower, pine needles, pumpkin seeds, rosemary (for remembrance of our ancestors), rue, sage, sunflower petals and seeds, tarragon, wild ginseng, wormwood

Animals:
Stag, cat, bat, owl, jackal, elephant, ram, scorpion, heron, crow, robin

Mythical Beings:
Pooka, goblin,medusa, beansidhe, harpies

Essence:
Magick, plenty; knowledge, the night, death & rebirth, success, protection; rest, new beginning; ancestors; lifting of the veil, mundane laws in abeyance, return, change

Dynamics/Meaning:
Death & transformation, Wiccan new year,wisdom of the Crone, end of summer, honoring, thinning of the veil between worlds, death of the year, time outside of time, night of the Wild Hunt, begin new projects, end old projects

Work:
Sex magick, release of bad habits, banishing, fairy magick, divination of any kind, candle magick, astral projection, past life work, dark moon mysteries, mirror spells (reflection), casting protection , inner work, propitiation, clearing obstacles, uncrossing, inspiration, workings of transition or culmination, manifesting transformation,creative visualization, contacting those who have departed this plane

Purpose:
Honoring the dead, especially departed ancestors, knowing we will not be forgotten; clear knowledge of our path; guidance, protection, celebrating reincarnation

Rituals/Magicks:
Foreseeing future, honoring/consulting ancestors, releasing the old, power, understanding death and rebirth, entering the underworld, divination, dance of the dead, fire calling, past life recall

Customs:
Ancestor altar, costumes, divination, carving jack-o-lanterns, spirit plate, the Feast of the Dead, feasting, paying debts, fairs, drying winter herbs, masks, bonfires, apple games, tricks, washing clothes

Element:
Water

Gender:
Male

Threshold:
Midnight

Tags: halloween, holiday, sabbat, samhain

• Correspondences

Anne Baird October, 2010

CERRIDWEN

Samhain/Halloween

Samhain (pronounced “Sow-en”) or Halloween is the most magical night of the year! Celebrated on October 31st, beginning at sundown, it is the greatest of the four Pagan Sabbats that divide the ancient calendar into winter, spring, summer and fall. Samhain means “end of summer.” The summer reign of the Goddess is now over; the Winter King is on his way.

In ancient days, Samhain was the Celtic New Year, a time of gathering in for pastoral folk. Crops were harvested and stored. Animals were driven in from summer pasturage and slaughtered for food, or housed in barns and pens. People came home to ride out the harsh winter with families. Their very survival depended on the harvest and on a tightly knit community.

On this mysterious night when the old year turned to the new, the veils between the natural and supernatural world were thought to have thinned. The ghosts of ancestors, heroes, heroines, villains, and a host of fairy and otherworldly creatures, returned to Earth. Leprechauns might appear. Trees might talk.

The wise Celt honored returning spirits by setting out treats on the doorstep for them. Empty chairs were set at dining tables in case an unexpected ancestor popped in for a meal. Jack ‘o Lanterns were carved and carried to frighten off unfriendly ghosts. Costumes were worn as disguises to throw vengeful spooks off the track.

Samhain was also a night of serious reflection. Speculation about and resolutions for the future were made.

In this image, instead of the traditional black-costumed witch, I have painted Cerridwen, the wise Welsh triple goddess. (Maiden, Mother, Crone.) Cerridwen is celebrated as the “keeper of the cauldron.” Her story is powerful, and even a little frightening.

Cerridwen had two children: a beautiful daughter, and a very ugly son. To compensate for her son’s hideous appearance, the loving mother brewed a potent elixir of knowledge in her cauldron, intending to give it to Afagdu, so he might have wisdom since beauty had been denied him. However, as often happens, the magical gift went astray.

A young boy, Gwion, whose job was to constantly stir the magic brew for Cerridwen, accidentally splashed three burning drops of the mixture on his hand. He sucked on his burned fingers to relieve the pain. Instantly, he knew all the secrets of the past and of the future, as the gift intended for Afagdu became his instead.

The enraged goddess pursued Gwion to punish him. Using his newfound magical powers, the boy turned himself into many different creatures as he fled, trying to escape the Goddess. Finally, he cleverly turned himself into a single grain of corn. But Cerridwen turned herself into a hen, and ate the kernel!

From this seed, she became pregnant, and in due course, bore another son. This boy was so beautiful that she couldn’t bear to allow the jealous Afagdu to kill him, as she had promised. Instead, she sewed the infant into a bag, and cast him into the sea.

But even the wrath of Cerridwen and the malice of Afagdu could not deny the destiny of this magical child. A Welsh lord named Gwyddno Garanhir rescued him, named him Taliesin, and raised him to become the greatest bard and poet the Celtic world has ever known. He joined the court of King arthur at Camelot, where he became chief harpist and adviser to the legendary king.

Despite this fierce history, his mother, Cerridwen is revered as the goddess of inspiration, rebirth, regeneration, and divination.

On this night of introspection and new directions, she looks deep into her cauldron of water to see what the future may bring. She is focused, fearless, and filled with a discerning spirit. So may we all be.

Anne Baird, Designer/Owner of GODDESS CARDS, is a self-taught artist who has been painting and writing since childhood. Her chosen media for her unique line of greeting cards is watercolor, with touches of gouache, ink and colored pencil.

Her GODDESS CARD line grew from a birthday card she created for her daughter, Amanda, in 2001. Amanda was disheartened at being a curvaceous beauty in the Land of Thin. (Los Angeles.) That seminal card declaring, “You’re a GODDESS, not a nymph!” evolved into a long line of love notes and affirmations for ALL women. At over 125 cards, the line is steadily growing.

Anne is inspired by the archetypal Legendary Goddesses, who have so much to teach today’s women. Her greatest inspiration however, comes from the Goddesses of Today, who write her with wonderful suggestions and thoughts that expand her consciousness and card line.

She has launched  an E-Goddess Card website, where the Goddess on the Go can send Goddess “e-cards”, enriched with music and stories, at the click of a mouse. (A virtual mouse.)

Tags: cerridwen, halloween, samhain

• Articles

Kerry Morgan December, 2009

Tags: halloween, samhain

• Articles

Administrator October, 2009

Other Names:
celtic ~ Summer’s End, pronounced “sow” (rhymes with now) “en” (Ireland), sow-een (Wales) – “mh” in the middle is a “w” sound – Greater Sabbat(High Holiday) – Fire Festival Oct 31-Nov 1(North Hemisphere) – Apr 30-May 1 – The Great Sabbat, Samhiunn, Samana, Samhuin, Sam-fuin, Samonios, Halloween, Hallomas, All Hallows Eve, All Saints/All Souls Day(Catholic), Day of the Dead (Mexican), Witches New Year, Trinoux Samonia, Celtic/ Druid New Year, Shadowfest (Strega), Martinmas or Old Hallowmas (Scotttish/Celtic) Lá Samhna (Modern Irish), Festival of the Dead, Feile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess), Hallowtide (Scottish Gaelis Dictionary), Feast of All Souls, Nos Galen-gae-of Night of the Winter Calends (Welsh), La Houney or Hollantide Day, Sauin or Souney ( Manx), oidhche na h-aimiléise-the night of mischief or confusion(Ireland), Oidhche Shamna (Scotland)

Rituals:
End of summer, honoring of the dead,scrying, divination, last harvest, meat harvest

Incense:
Copal, sandalwood, mastic resin, benzoin, sweetgrass, wormwood, mugwort, sage, myrrh or patchouli

Tools:
Besom, cauldron, tarot, obsidian ball, pendulum, runes, oghams, Ouija boards, black cauldron or bowl filled with black ink or water, or magick mirror

Stones/Gems:
Black obsidian, jasper, carnelian, onyx, smoky quartz, jet, bloodstone

Colors:
Black, orange, red

Symbols & Decorations:
Apples, autumn flowers, acorns, bat, black cat, bones, corn stalks, colored leaves, crows, death/dying, divination and the tools associated with it, ghosts, gourds, Indian corn, jack-o-lantern, nuts , oak leaves, pomegranates, pumpkins, scarecrows, scythes, waning moon

Foods:
Apples, apple dishes, cider, meat (traditionally this is the meat harvest) especially pork, mulled cider with spices, nuts-representing resurrection and rebirth, nuts, pomegranates, potatoes, pumpkins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted pumpkin seeds, squash.

Goddesses:
The Crone, Hecate(Greek), Cerridwen(Welsh-Scottish), Arianrhod(Welsh), Caillech (Irish-Scottish), Baba Yaga (Russian), Al-Ilat(persian), Bast (Egyptian), Persephone (Greek), Hel(Norse), Kali(Hindu), all Death & Otherworld Goddesses

Gods:
Horned Hunter(European), Cernnunos(Greco-Celtic), Osiris(Egyptian), Hades (Greek), Gwynn ap Nudd (British), Anubis(Egyptian), Coyote Brother (Native American), Loki (Norse), Dis (Roman), Arawn (Welsh), acrificial/Dying/Aging
Gods, Death and Otherworld Gods

Herbs and Flowers:
Almond, apple leaf , autumn joy sedum, bay leaf, calendula, Cinnamon, Cloves cosmos, garlic, ginger , hazelnut, hemlock cones, mandrake root, marigold, mums, mugwort (to aid in divination), mullein seeds, nettle, passionflower, pine needles, pumpkin seeds, rosemary (for remembrance of our ancestors), rue, sage, sunflower petals and seeds, tarragon, wild ginseng, wormwood

Animals:
Stag, cat, bat, owl, jackal, elephant, ram, scorpion, heron, crow, robin

Mythical Beings:
Pooka, goblin,medusa, beansidhe, harpies

Essence:
Magick, plenty; knowledge, the night, death & rebirth, success, protection; rest, new beginning; ancestors; lifting of the veil, mundane laws in abeyance, return, change

Dynamics/Meaning:
Death & transformation, Wiccan new year,wisdom of the Crone, end of summer, honoring, thinning of the veil between worlds, death of the year, time outside of time, night of the Wild Hunt, begin new projects, end old projects

Work:
Sex magick, release of bad habits, banishing, fairy magick, divination of any kind, candle magick, astral projection, past life work, dark moon mysteries, mirror spells (reflection), casting protection , inner work, propitiation, clearing obstacles, uncrossing, inspiration, workings of transition or culmination, manifesting transformation,creative visualization, contacting those who have departed this plane

Purpose:
Honoring the dead, especially departed ancestors, knowing we will not be forgotten; clear knowledge of our path; guidance, protection, celebrating reincarnation

Rituals/Magicks:
Foreseeing future, honoring/consulting ancestors, releasing the old, power, understanding death and rebirth, entering the underworld, divination, dance of the dead, fire calling, past life recall

Customs:
Ancestor altar, costumes, divination, carving jack-o-lanterns, spirit plate, the Feast of the Dead, feasting, paying debts, fairs, drying winter herbs, masks, bonfires, apple games, tricks, washing clothes

Element:
Water

Gender:
Male

Threshold:
Midnight

Tags: halloween, october, samhain

• Correspondences