Heddy M. Johannesen's Blog, page 7

Samhain Party Ideas

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Greetings,

Samhain is almost here!! Grab your broomsticks, it’s time to fly!!

I am busy preparing for a party on Friday night. I baked well ahead of time and stored the yummy treats in the freezer. I would love to know what you have all conjured or brewed for Samhain. I also plan to hold an ancestral supper next week too. My dress project has been postponed.

There are just  not enough hours in a day for me to accomplish everything. But I may make your travail a little easier with some awesome totally do-able and affordable tips here for your own eerie Halloween gathering!! So get on your broomsticks and grab that cup of mocha!!

I like to buy good sized pumpkins ahead of time. By month’s end, only the soiled pumpkins remain at the stores. Never put them in the fridge. After Samhain  has passed, put your pumpkins in the garden to compost and nourish the soil.

You do not have to spend tons of money. I repeat, you don’t have to spend tons of money.

Buy black paper Halloween themed napkins, black plates and even black plastic cutlery at your local thrift or dollar store. Store them until needed. Even better, keep the ones still in reusable condition for next year.

Yes you can use acrylic paints on glass jars. I coated a jar with black paint within three days. I painted the inside of the jar with grey paint. Now it truly looks like a potions jar!

Bake ahead of time and store the food in the freezer. Haul your witchy goodies out just before the party.

If you want Samhain party decorating ideas, visit your local library for crafts books. Read them ahead of time so you can plan and create crafts. Use whatever craft supplies you already have on hand.

Stones and fallen tree branches are great free decorating supplies. Twigs and branches can be painted black for a spooky effect. Tape black bats or spiders to the branches and twigs. The spiders and bats can  be made from black cardboard paper.

I created my own cool book of shadows from a plain journal. I used magazine paper, painted it black on both sides, let it dry and then covered one side of the page with glue. I glued the page (now serving as a cover for the journal) to the journal cover. I stapled it where it didn’t stay down. I then did a stencil on the new book cover of a Celtic knot design and with purple marker, wrote in the words Book of Shadows. With grey acrylic paint, I worked in a grey spider web and a black spider on the cover. The journal looks really cool. And it hardly cost me a thing. I just used my imagination.

A party is a good time to put those witchy brooms and cauldrons that hide in the corner to use. Arrange your cauldron and besoms in one corner of your kitchen. But try putting something eerie, green and bubbling in the cauldron to create interest or burn incense. Hang the brooms up or cross them over a doorway no one will  use.

Make your own spooky party music mix!!

Roasted pumpkin seeds in a cauldron bowl are a great attraction. Recipes on the internet are free and available everywhere!

Score a cool Halloween black lace spiderweb tablecloth from the local dollar store. The ones I have are so nice they could be used any time and not just to adorn a table. I even got a Halloween black lace spiderweb table runner from the dollar store. If you really know how to look, you can get some great stuff there.

A black lace spidery tablecloth might look great over a plain white tablecloth! For an interesting centerpiece, arrange a fake skull, candelabra, (use melted crayons for red blood effect), dried flowers, black plates, pumpkins, wine glasses, cauldrons, a stack of plates and those cool Halloween napkins you scored earlier. It would stimulate discussion but also function and hopefully save on dish washing later. People really want the food.

For a sparkling cider, pour a jug of cider into a pot, and add rose petals, oranges with the peel, apples (chopped), and cinnamon sticks. This brew will warm your guest’s hearts and leave them begging for more. !

Still  not sure what to do with your black candles and incense bits? Well do remember fire safety. Consider if pets and kids are around. Burn candles but maybe leave curious Felix the cat in another room. Black draws in energy and does reflect Samhain but your apartment burning down and you getting evicted is NOT COOL! Keep candles away from curtains. Use glass covers for the candles if you can. Never leave candles unattended.

Or make your own cool Samhain essential oil brew and burn it in a nice oil burner to fragrance the room! Make your own spice mix and sprinkle it in a nice pot to fragrance the room. Use dragon’s blood, rosemary, frankincense, cinnamon, star anise stars, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and lemon for a pumpkin-ish delightful potion!

If you have lots of brown paper bags around, they are useful too! Trace and cut out an eerie black cat, spider or bat onto black paper or color the paper black. Then adhere them to the front of the paper bag. With a pair of scissors, cut up the tops of the paper bags. Store candy or party favors in the bag. Tie with a ribbon. Offer them to guests when they leave.

Those are some great tips on how to have fun and save money.

Merry Samhain!

Blessings Spiderwitch

 

Samhain Cooking

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Merry meet all,

Samhain is almost here! I am trying to prepare for a party for Samhain. It’s been lots of work and I had no cash on me, save for some petty cash from a friend. However I used my brain and figured out ways to bake goods for the party and barely spend a dime.

I did buy a small pumpkin which I pureed and stored in the freezer. I used some of the pureed pumpkin to bake two loaves of pumpkin bread. The rest is for soup. I did purchase a package of black turtle beans for the ancestral supper. I used whatever ingredients I had on hand from my pantry. I happen to have a lot of baking goods, which makes life easier. For the chocolate apple spice cake, I wanted orange frosting. I overcame the problem of not finding the orange frosting by compromising and using chocolate frosting. I would have needed to dole out cash I don’t have and using the cocoa and making frosting with what I had. My stress immediately went down. I also used apples from the neighborhood for the recipe. That saved a lot of money. It doesn’t have to cost a lot. If you want to get fancy with frosting, you can put a hole in a small plastic clean ziplog bag and doling out the frosting that way. It can be googled for more information.

If you wish to bake well ahead of time, I suggest that you store the baked goods in your freezer. That way, they don’t go bad and will remain in good condition for your own Samhain shindig.

I plan to bake chocolate cupcakes and soul cakes for the party. All that and cider and it should be more than enough to suffice. I have black plates, Halloween napkins, a black spiderweb lace table cloth for an ancestral supper. Everything will be spooky fun!!!!

I will perform a solitary Samhain Ritual too. I love the month of October. No other month is quite like October. That is why I love it. It has a magickal feel. I hope that you have boundless fun for your own party or celebration!!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

Samhain Origins

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Greetings,

Today someone asked me what Samhain meant. It means several things to me, and I shall outline it here in this post. Samhain is a festival begun by the ancient Celts thousands of years ago. Today Samhain is still celebrated as a pagan holiday. It is pronounced “Sow-en”, and is the New Year for many practicing Wiccans or Pagans today.

Samhain is an ancient holiday honored by the Celts and Druids. It occurs between sunset of October 31st to November 1-2, it is halfway between the vernal equinox and winter solstice. People honored the dead, dressed up in costumes ( a tradition we still follow today).

So the veil between the worlds is what separates the unseen world from the seen world. It is the divider between the world of spirits and the living. Though some days at least in my home that veil wears thin and it occurs any time of the year. It is widely believed that the veil is thinner at Samhain.

Samhain is a time closely associated by many cultures as a season of death. Once October arrives, there is no season or holiday that is more thought of as the Death season than fall. We sense the shift in the energy, a crispness in the air, and adorn our decks with decorations that correspond with Death.

If you notice that your kitty, whether you have a black kitty or not, is staring at a spot more often than most times, it is probable there is a spirit around. Cats are psychic and more psychic than us mere mortals. Cats also guard a home and can even guide spirits over to the next realm. It is a tradition in some countries to let a cat inspect a home and cleanse it of any negative energies before the people move in. I would love to try that idea some time.

I encourage you all to try to reach out to spirits/ ghosts. Well don’t contact anything nasty. Never summon anything you can’t banish. It never goes well. But there are other friendlier less malovelent spirits in the astral realm that often want to guide or aid those they loved when they were alive. It is the ideal time to try though this can be done any time of the year.

Blessings Spiderwitch

 

Samhain Divination & Cooking

 

Merry meet all,

Today’s post is about foods to enjoy at the time of Samhain. I know pumpkins immediately come to  mind but they are not just for carving. 

Pumpkins can be baked into breads (yum!), into cookies, and soup. I always buy a few pumpkins to cook with not just carve. There are plenty of them in stores. I want a couple white ones too. White pumpkins make me think of ghosts. 

Apples are popular now. Apples can be made into applesauce, pies, and apple crisp. Which reminds me, I have plenty of rhubarb in the freezer. Mm I might bake rhubarb cobbler with apple. 

The popular spices and herbs for baking during the autumn season are: cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, basil, clove, anise and orange. Add lavender to cookies. Another fun thing to try is Halloween cookie cutters. I have a wide range of cookie cutters in the shapes of moons, coffins, bats, pumpkins, tombstones and witches. Add sprinkles, frosting, or even  natural food dye for ghoulish delights! 

Cocoa will keep you warm this fall. Cocoa can be combined with espresso in coffee or a batch of brownies. 

Nuts like walnuts, sesame seeds, coconut, dried fruit and almonds add health and flavor to your food. Mix up a batch of tasty morning granola with the ingredients mentioned in this post for some health and immune boosting breakfast. Some popular recipes to try are pumpkin bread, soups, stews, other dark breads, and root veggie recipes. Doesn’t this all sound good? 

Gather some lentils too for lentil soup or save your potatoes and get a leek or two from the local organic farmers market for an invigorating bowl of potato and leek soup. I love my cauldron pot. It looks like a cauldron pot. I brew many a soup or stew in that pot. I use a blender that my Mom owned since I was a baby. I puree the soups, pumpkin or squash in it and it still works like a charm. 

Cooking food from scratch has some advantages. It is more effort to be sure. You have control over what ingredients go into your food. You can freeze the soups for later use. Empower your meal with energy for health or other things. You can see how it’s made and add your own special touch to the recipe. I personally prefer to be a die hard slow cooking kitchen witch, concocting my own recipes and know that I am not adding too many processed food ingredients.

My witch hazel tree flowered! I also gathered herbs from my garden such as calendula, lady’s mantle, leopard’s bane, woodruff, and lamb’s ear. 

When you are done cooking, relax and let the dishes soak in the sink. Perform divination while you sip hot herbal tea. You can choose to divine by guessing the shape of clouds floating by. Or peel an apple all in one piece. Drop the peel on the floor. The shape the apple peel forms is the letter of your future lover’s name. At midnight, slice an apple into nine pieces. Nine is a mystical number. When you come to the ninth piece after eating the pieces, toss the ninth piece over your shoulder. The face of your lover should appear in the mirror. 

Scry by peering into a cauldron of spring water. It is optional to add drops of olive oil. Drop melting beeswax into the water in the cauldron and divine things by studying the shapes of wax on the water surface. 

There are other methods of divination, such as studying candle flames, studying the blue part of the candle flame, the way that incense smoke floats and rises. You can divine autumn leaves or see if you receive messages from the wind in the trees. It doesn’t have to cost anything to perform divination or be complicated or dangerous. It should be fun and magickal. That is the point of it all. Put your energy into it and be open to impressions. 

Enjoy the magic of Samhain!

Blessings

Lady Spiderwitch )O(

Horror crafting

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Merry meet,

Horror fascinates people whether it is stories shared at a bonfire or the creepy feeling on the nape of your neck as you lie in bed late at night. Bring some horror into your home with crafts.

Yup horror crafts

I have a few projects to try here that are eerie fun and won’t break the bank. Let’s add some ghoulish fun to your afternoon!

POT OF GRAVEYARD SOIL

Gather a terracotta plant pot, a Popsicle stick, gray clay, graveyard dirt and a paintbrush. First clean the terracotta pot until it is spotless. Paint it black and add a few coats of paint to take care of the streaks that may show through. Let it dry. While the pot dries, visit a graveyard to gather the soil. Try to be discreet to avoid questioning glances from normal people. Remove the insects and return them to where they were. Go home with your soil and return to the black plant pot.

Now shape some grey clay into the shape of a headstone/ tombstone. You can etch in with a tool you have nearby the shape of a cherub or skull onto the headstone. Add the Popsicle stick to the clay and bake it in the oven or allow to air dry if you are using self-hardening clay. Fill the black plant pot with soil and then settle the clay headstone into the pot of soil. The plant pot acquires a very spooky urn feeling. Enjoy your ‘urn’ and add it to your Halloween decorations.

BLACK BAT MOBILE

Gather a branch from outdoors about twenty inches in length. Take a branch that has fallen on the earth, not from a living tree. Be kind to the tree. Remove any twigs from it and leaves. Discard them and bring the branch indoors. Paint the branch black and let dry. Then obtain black bristle board and a bat template. You will also need a hole puncher, scissors and string. Cut out the bats from the bat template using your scissors. Make as many as you wish. Hole punch each black bat made from the bristle board. Loop string into the holes and string the black bats onto the branch. Knot the ends of the loops and arrange the black bats on the branch as you desire. Hang the black bat mobile over a mantle or at a window.

SAMHAIN INCENSE

2 parts cinnamon, 1 part ground cloves, 1 part dragon’s blood resin, 1 part hyssop, 1 part patchouli, 2 parts rosemary, 1 part sage, and a dash of sea salt. Add your ingredients to your mixing bowl one at a time. Measure carefully, and crush your ingredients in a mortar and pestle. As you blend, channel your intent into your herbs and resins. Try chanting an incantation like this one:

The veil is thin, the moon shines bright, I blend these herbs on Samhain night,/ Celebrating life and death and rebirth/ With these herbs from the cold earth/ I call upon my ancestors to bless and protect me this night. 

Store your incense in a labeled and sealed jar. Tie a ribbon around the jar and add a charm for a magical look. Use within three months so it remains charged and fresh. 

 

PUMPKIN CANDLES

Buy a small pumpkin and cut off the top of the pumpkin. Scoop out the insides and save the seeds to roast. Consider what size of pumpkin you want. Gather your supplies together. You will need wick, wax, scissors, metal wax discs, a spoon for scooping out the flesh, a double boiler. 

Melt the wax in the double boiler. Secure the wick in the pumpkin to the bottom of the pumpkin’s inside. Keep the wick straight as you can.

Add scent or color to the wax in the pot. It is best if you dedicate a pot to candle wax. Stir before pouring. Once you’ve poured the wax, make sure the wick is centered and straight. Prop the wick up. 

Once the wax has cooled, you might notice a small indentation around the wick where the wax sunk. Fill it in with some remaining wax from the pot. Trim the wick to 1/4″ long.  If the inside of the pumpkin starts to burn, extinguish the candle. 

PAINTED PUMPKINS

While we’re on the subject of pumpkins, give this a try, I saw the coolest picture on Facebook of a pumpkin painted black decorated with a crescent moon. To paint your own pumpkin (any way you want- try a triple moon!!), you will need a pumpkin! painter’s tape, and spray paint. 

Mark your design on the pumpkin with a pencil then cover with tape where you don’t want to paint. Spray the pumpkin with the spray paint of your choice. Allow it to dry for several hours before removing the tape. Paint where you removed the tape. Admire your artistic pumpkin. 

ORANGE CANDLES

This will make your place smell beautiful. Use a lemon or an orange and cut it in half. Eat the middle portion (of an orange), and leave the center-core like stem intact. Pour kitchen oil like organic olive oil into the orange just below the top of the stem. Light stem. It will burn for hours and smell beautiful. 

ORANGE INCENSE POWDER

Buy some oranges- the smaller ones are perfect for this project. Peel several oranges and cut the peels into several smaller pieces. Put the peels on a cookie sheet and bake the peels in the oven. Make sure the peels are face down.  Let the peels dry for 3 to 4 hours, checking on the peels every 15 minutes. Turn off the oven, letting the peels dry overnight. Grind to a powder with your mortar and pestle to a powder. Store in a pretty jar. 

Have some spooky fun with these enchanting crafts!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

 

Solomon’s Seal

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Greetings:

I am busy preparing for Samhain, the most important time of year to me. I have harvested a lot of herbs from my garden. I even harvested Solomon’s seal, the root, flowers and leaves. I plan to grind the root of the Solomon’s seal and the leaves etc and put it all in a labeled jar. It can be a potent herb for protection and banishing bad energies.

I find people scarier than any spirit. It is true because people are far likelier to act on their own selfish plans. Anyway I just had a row with some people in my life who are not in my life because of their attitudes. Life is short so I am still recovering from that.

This is copied from Witchipedia where I give credit to.

“Polygonatum biflorum

Other Names American Solomon’s Seal, King Solomon’s Seal, King Solomon’s-seal, Small Solomon’s Seal, Lady’s Seals. St. Mary’s Seal, True Solomon’s Seal, Sow’s Tits, Sow’s Teats, Dropberry, Sealroot, Sealwort

Solomons Seal Root Profile

General Information

Solomon’s Seal is a lovely woodland perennial with native varieties in North America, Asia and Europe. It can grow up to two feet tall. (Greater Solomon’s Seal is much larger than True Solomon’s Seal, but they have identical properties.) The plant consists of a single stem with many broad, ovate leaves with parallel venation arranged alternately along the length of it and clasping the base. The plant often grows in a slight arc and the flowers dangle from the leaf axils beneath the arc of the stem. (This gives the plant its folk name “sow’s teats”) The flowers are small, white to pale yellowish green and tubular and occur in drooping clusters of two to five. Blooming begins in April and continues through midsummer. The berries appear as the flowers fade and resemble a hard black pea.

The root is a rhizome and it is said that the circular scar left by the stem after it breaks away from the root resembles the seal of Solomon of Hebrew folklore. (Also known as the Star of David.)

In addition to True and Greater Solomon’s Seal, the gardening industry has created a lovely variegated Solomon’s Seal. This has identical properties to the original but looks a bit different with lighter colored splashes on the leaves.

History and Folklore

Solomon’s Seal is named for King Solomon of Hebrew lore who was granted great wisdom by the Hebrew God and had a special seal that aided him in his magical workings, allowing him to command demons without coming to harm.

According to herbal lore, King Solomon himself placed his seal upon this plant when he recognized its great value. Those with imagination can see the seal on the root stock in the circular scars left by the stem after it dies back.

Solomon’s Seal has also been traditionally used to “seal” wounds.

You can estimate the plant’s age by examining the rhizome. Each year the stem leaves on scar, or “seal” on the rhizome. Counting these will give you an idea of how long your plant has been alive.

Propagation

Solomon’s Seal prefers a light soil, a good mulch and a shady location in zones 4 through 9. It can be grown by division or by seed. It will return year after year and spread itself. It is a lovely, delicate addition to a shade garden.

Some areas list Solomon’s Seal as an invasive weed.

Harvesting & Storage

Although this plant is not currently listed as endangered, the usual warnings about responsible wildcrafting apply. Because this plant is so easy to grow in a shady garden bed, wildcrafting is not necessary.

Gather the rhizomes in the fall and lay on a screen to dry in a warm, dry location with good circulation free from humidity and sunlight. Once dry, store in a cool location away from light.

Magical Attributes

Solomon’s Seal is associated with the planet Saturn and the element water.

Solomon’s Seal aids one in making difficult decisions and accepting and seeking change. Helps in spellwork to aid changing/breaking habits and helps in smooth transitions for changes beyond our control. It is also used in love potions to amplify commitment between partners and to “seal” a spell or a sacred oath or promise.

An infusion of Solomon’s Seal, or incense made of Solomon’s Seal root can both be used to drive away negative vibrations and malicious spirits. It can also be used to summon helpful spirits and elementals.

The root can be carried as an amulet to ward off malicious spirits and to increase wisdom.

Solomon’s Seal is appropriate for use during Autumnal Equinox rituals.

Healing Attributes

The fresh root, pounded and applied topically helps fade bruising. (I have not tried this on a hickey, but it might work for that too.) A decoction can also be used as a facial rinse to help fade blemishes or for poison ivy and similar skin problems.

An infusion can be used for profuse menstruation and internal bleeding, indigestion and other stomach and digestive complaints including ulcers, bowel problems and hemorrhoids. It is also said to speed the healing of broken bones. Used as a mouthwash, it is said to help strengthen gums.

Solomon’s Seal root tea is a good tonic acting on the kidneys, heart and sexual organs as well as soothing the digestive system.

Oil infused with Solomon’s Seal root is good to keep on hand for first aid treatment of sprains, strains and broken or bruised bones. (Not to replace, but to enhance modern medical intervention.) Solomon’s Seal root tea or tincture aids in the repair of broken bones and may be drunk after a doctor has set the break. It is also great for torn ligaments, dislocations and other issues with joints.

Culinary Use

Young shoots harvested in early spring can be prepared and eaten like asparagus.

The roots should be boiled with three changes of water before being roasted and eaten.

All parts of the adult plant, especially the berries are poisonous and should not be consumed.

Additional Notes

Solomon’s Seal seems innocuous, especially when young, but parts of it are poisonous. Seek out a personal consultation with a skilled herbalist before using internally for food or medicine.”

I shall use the harvested Solomon’s Seal to banish bad energies. It’s potent so I shall use a small amount at a time. It is all I need to use. It will last a long time that way. Never underestimate how potent herbs are.

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

The Ancestral tradition of dumb suppers

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Merry meet all,

I like to honor my ancestors at Samhain. I already have a black spiderweb lace tablecloth and a black spiderweb lace table runner on my table. It looks very morbidly delightful. I have a faux skull, and black skull cardboard plates and matching Halloweenish napkins. I do have Virgo in my natal chart because I am sure you have noticed I pay attention to detail. I bet you are all thinking.. ok she has black cutlery too right? Well.. no. But that’s next lol. I want to perform an ancestral supper this year as I do every year. Oh and candles. I have to have candles.

This is best performed on or around Samhain, the beginning of Samhain. The veil is thinnest then, it is believed. It is up to you what you serve for a menu. Soul cakes are popular as well as black bean soup, apples, pumpkin related meals like pumpkin soup or bread, cider, or maybe a nice stew dish would be nice or game. Set the table with everything black like the above mentioned black tablecloths, cutlery, napkins, etc., and use candles. You can glue black lace to the clear glass candle holders. Then light the candles and get a cool spooky effect Be cautious when using candles to avoid fire.

It doesn’t have to be expensive. 99% of the supplies I have are found at the local dollar store. You don’t have to spend tons and your ancestors who love you don’t expect you to. So breathe a sigh of relief. I like to be simple -and pay attention to detail. If you opt to play music, perhaps make an Itunes playlist ahead of time. Consider playing what your ancestors would have enjoyed listening to.

I usually perform a dump supper alone. I find I am the only one who understands what I am doing. I don’t fit in well with my family. That doesn’t matter to me. I perform them alone because this is my religion and my choice. I choose it this way because it will bring me the most peace. Now the entire point of a dump supper is you perform it in complete silence. Well some people talk but most people do it in silence. I do. I shall arrange photos of those who have gone before me on the dinner table.

Cast a sacred space in the kitchen. Smudge the space ahead of time, scour and clean and be sure to turn off distracting televisions and cell phones. Set a spot at the head of the table for Spirit and then seat yourself at the table. The point again, is complete silence. Light a tealight candle at the table for Spirit and place a shroud at the seat for Spirit. Pray to Spirit, serve Spirit first then yourself or your guests next. Enjoy the meal and don’t talk for the duration. Then consider sharing notes or more prayers as you are seated.

When you are done, offer the food to Spirit or leave the food as an offering outdoors. Attend to Spirit one last time and leave the room in silence.

Blessings, Spiderwitch

October’s Brew

 

 

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Merry meet all,

Today my blog for the Horror Writers Association annual blog event Halloween Haunts was posted. I am posting it here Enjoy the read all and stay spooky!!!

http://horror.org/how-to-throw-a-halloween-soiree-by-heddy-johannesen/

How to throw a Halloween Soiree by Heddy Johannesen

First create spooky invitations for all of your friends, whether furry, human or undead. Or jazz a Facebook party event page and invite them there. Plan it ahead of time. Then enter your kitchen, summon your inner kitchen witch and throw open your cupboards. After a good scrub clean, evaluate what ingredients you have. Then brew some good munchies for your party ahead of time.

Then dig up your best Halloween decorations from last year. Or if you are like me and other weird people, you left your decorations up all year from the last creepy shindig. A black spidery tablecloth topped with black dishes, cutlery and black goblets are purrfect. Put them on the table and see your table set come to morbid life. Prepare a meal such as a hearty soup with fresh baked pumpkin bread and coffin cookies or chocolatey cupcakes. You did store your goodies next to the cold body parts in your freezer right?

Light candles, burn incense such as frankincense or mugwort (good for psychic divination), and sip spicy cider. Save some for your guests! Clean the house from top to bottom, including last year’s cobwebs. Kick long dead Aunt Em out the back door. No one will ever suspect and I won’t tell!!

Adorn the Halloween tree in the corner with the bats from the cellar and play Halloween tunes on the CD player. When your guests stroll in the door, they will be amazed but you’re not done yet. Entice them with spicy cider, carved pumpkins and offer a deck of tarot cards or share a tea leaf reading. Every guest could get a turn at their fortune being told. Set the table with bowls for that hearty stew you brewed and keep the pet bed in the bedroom? Wait- you don’t have a pet. Oh, the neighbor’s demon dog, oh throw him a human bone to gnaw on. He’ll be fine.

By now, the guests have feasted and settled. But you’re not done yet! Time to wake the dead! Bring out the Ouija board for the not faint of heart. Or burn a black candle dipped in mandrake essential oil and begin scrying to gaze into the future or spirit realm.  Cue the organ music in the background! Eat Halloween candy till your teeth rot and gulp ale while you wait for Houdini to materialize in your boudoir.

Don’t be surprised if your ancestors show up at the soiree too. They remember us and will guide us through life. Leave an offering of ale, apples or coins to avoid angering the spirits. Halloween is a magical time and pleasing the guests whether alive or dead should be what a party is all about, especially at Halloween. We are all blessed and we receive more guidance through life than we think, not only from the living, but from the dead if we are but aware of them. I wish you all a magical Halloween.

TODAY’S GIVEAWAY: An HWA Final Frame t-shirt, black with the red logo.

Bio: My writing has appeared in Untimely Frost,One Night in Salem, Wax & Wane: A Gathering of Witchy Tales, The Dark Ones: Tales and Poems of the Shadow Gods, Circle Magazine, Witches and Pagans Magazine, Essential Herbal magazine,Naming the Goddess, and The Queen of the Sky: A Devotional Anthology in honor of Bast.

My Links:

My blog: https://ladyspiderwitch.wordpress.com

My Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ghosts.spiritsandapparitions/

My Twitter: magicka66

Blessings Spiderwitch

October’s enchantment

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Greetings All,

Here  it is!!! October has arrived with all its grand eeriness. I am already starting October off on the right striped sock/ buckled shoe lol. I hope you all are too. I plan to post a lot here. I will write about recipes, crafts, rituals and more. So stay tuned for spooks and many other eerie wonders.

I am participating AGAIN!! in the Horror Writers Association annual Blog event. I love being a part of the event and look forward to reading all the blog posts by other fellow writers. I enjoy the range of perspectives, eerie stories of real experiences whether the authors were kids or adults, and their experiences as writers too. They give me hope and refuel my desire to be a writer in such a tough field.

I also plan to bake and cook and clean. Since Samhain is the New Year, and I am now more mobile, I will be more up and about. I am not buying a costume as I have many things to do. I even want to make a costume for my cat. Oh yeah. I photocopied pictures, recipe ideas and  eerie crafts to do for Samhain from Halloween craft books. It does not need to be expensive. I may even just use twigs, branches and stones from nature for the crafts. I will post them here and how I did them too.

I also want to throw a Samhain party, attend a public Samhain Rit and honor my ancestors. I predict from my crystal ball that we are all in for a good time. So don’t change that dial!!!

Blessings Spiderwitch

Hauntings

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Merry meet all,

I’m reading a book by Zac Bagans ( no relation to Bilbo Baggins lol). The book is titled I am Haunted by Zac Bagans. He is an amazing dedicated paranormal investigator. A paranormal investigator is just that- it is defined online as this: “Ghost hunting is the process of investigating locations that are reported to be haunted by ghosts. Typically, a ghost-hunting team will attempt to collect evidence supporting the existence of paranormal activity.”

I love his book which I am almost finished reading. The whole book skips along at a brisk pace, leaving you either scared, in tears or with baited breath. I love the stories he recounts of his amazing paranormal or not so paranormal experiences such as encountering true spirits/ ghosts/ demons or odd people and genuine experiences with ghosts affecting electrical equipment. Anyone with an even slight interest in the paranormal (like me, lol) should read this book. He shares many stories but also real advice and wisdom gleaned from years of experience in his field. I have been shocked, moved to tears or genuinely scared by the anecdotes. He is truly dedicated and knowledgeable.

Each chapter is only a few pages long. That is what keeps me reading. The anecdotes pack an emotional punch. His voice comes through in the stories he shares which are sometimes hair raising or emotional. The book is honest and yet leaves you almost a believer in ghosts. I know for myself ghosts exist and I find myself relating to his experiences. I wish I could meet him, share coffee and swap true ghost stories and sit in a tavern. I know what it is like as I myself have had glimpses of the astral realm and not all of them ‘pleasant’. He is the real thing and not trying to toot his own horn. I want to buy this book. I am reading the copy from the library. I would love to add this book to my shelf.

He shares his experiences as an investigator about people, life and death. He does speak with wisdom and you can’t help but feel the honesty in each of his stories. He can be cocky and ready for a fight or quiet and wanting to hide from the world- that last one I understand only too well. Speaking of monsters, he writes about a time he may have connected with Satan himself- this book is not for the faint of heart. I was at Tim Hortons when I had a nasty unexplained experience there. I didn’t see a demon offer me coffee. I just like to think the employee was possessed. I ordered and paid for a coffee and a cream cheese bagel. I paid and got my bag. I should have looked in the bag. I limped to the library and opened  my bag once at a desk. I received a muffin so I returned and showed them. Here is the good part: I was told I had never ordered a coffee (which was in my hand) or a bagel. What the hey? They found no record of the transaction on their tills. ???? I was just there and they even remembered seeing me there. Ok so I start arguing with them. Yes I was there, yes I did order a bagel- not the muffin, and I set the coffee down and never even got a refund. As I am staring at her, bewildered, I think I see something hovering over her, dark and casting a shadow over her. That is why I think that something possessed that woman to torture me. It sure explains a lot about the way I was treated. I got more money from my Mom for a lunch but forgot the cream and sugar and had to limp around more. Then it was this and that. Oh that afternoon it took me a lot to calm down. I saw black I was so angry.

These stories are the type of stories in the book I’m reading. I like to think hell is on earth – up here, not in the core of the earth. Yup that is my belief but it is not carved in stone. You may argue or agree with me, but the minute I am out in society, every single day, I go through hell. I suffer because of peoples’ ignorance and sheer selfishness and  – I could go on. I hope you all don’t have to go through what I or Zac Bagans has to endure.

Blessings Spiderwitch