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Interweavings

Samhain

Crunchy leaves underfoot and crisp clear skies overhead bring such peace to our family! Now is the favorite time of year for this suburban pagan family.

When the kids were little, each day found us walking with baskets collecting acorns, sticks,  and pretty leaves.  Upon arrival the acorns were dispensed to the little kitchen for play food while the leaves and sticks awaited further attention.

Decorations freshly made for October begin on the first day. Little gnomes are made of acorns with pinecone bodies began to populate the hearth.

An age old craft of placing a leaf between two pieces of waxed paper and ironing it shut is inhanced by adding shaved Crayons before the top sheet and creating a beautiful stained glass picture.

Sticks are glued around votive candle holders and tied with ribbon for the altar.  Pretty bunches of leaves are hung on the branch above the kitchen table as well as the seasons herbs to dry. All in preparation for Samhain.

Dressing in costumes and eating a quick snack is still a must at our home. Doorbells begin to ring at dusk and with candles lit outside and inside and a plastic cauldron filled with candy we are ready. As each group of neighborhood children stop by I am filled with gratitude for the year now ending. Seeing the growth of these children  touches me as my own are grown and one married!

Gratitued and rememberance. Samhain is the opportunity to be thankful and to also say goodby to our loved ones who have passed.

After the last doorbell has rung, the fire is lit in the fireplace and dinner is served.  Mulled cider and stew filled with root vegetables are a favorite.  After dinner we move to the floor. Now is the time for tarot and rune readings. While the children were little we used a children’s fairy tale tarot set and made our own runes based on the Whinnie the Pooh stories.

A small basket of oak leaves gathered earlier in the month await our attention.  One leaf at a time, we name a dear one that has passed and place that leaf in the fire watching the smoke and silent blessing asend the chimney.  Earlier in our family life, each and every pet was remembered and the kids felt comforted. It is also the time to let go of negative feelings with a leaf.  Quiet listening to the fire and taking in the lovely smells of candles and wood burning brings the evening to a close.

The relief from the heat and energy of the summer now surrounds us as we move through the wheel of the year into the time of gratitude, blessings and rememberance.  Blessed be.