Samhain/Halloween Spell - complete

Following on from yesterday, I have now put together the spell that I will use this evening and have now set up the altar and set aside some quiet time. If you want to know how I have gone about the arrangements of tools and ingredients, it's all in yesterday's post!

Here is the spell I will be working with:

At Samhain I'm surrounded by the echoes of the past
They chime with who I am now
The strengths and lessons I bid will outlast
The mistakes, the fears to which I'll no longer kowtow

I will all always remember, I will never forget
The kindness given to me
But to the hurt and the bad times, I owe no debt
So from its hold, I see that I'm free

I move on without burden
Through the dark days ahead
But am lightened and spurred on
For the new path I'll tread!

As mentioned yesterday, I will continue to reflect and meditate in the evenings over the next 5 days so that I do not rush such an important transition in terms of my feelings and outlook.

Hope you have a great Samhain - blessings and hugs!!

Fran xx

Samhain/Halloween Spell - Everything but the spell

Ok, I've been working on my Samhain/Halloween spell this morning and trying to bring all of my ideas together. All that's needed is the final details on my ritual and I shall be ready for tomorrow!

I have tried to make the focus more on the smoke than the fire because of my theme of the 'ghosts' of the past and trying to move beyond them. I have selected:

Bay leaves for inspiration - this is because I feel it's important to see your way forward rather than just try to leave the past behind, leaving a complete blank where the future should be!

Boldo leaf for spiritual cleansing - an obvious one. It's about enabling yourself to let go without fears of the gaps that it leaves. It helps you to welcome the feeling of a fresh start.

Apple incense - apples have associations with Halloween obviously, but it's also about tapping into the lovely, fresh energy that apples can bring. The smell of the above herbs can be quite pungent and apple incense can cut through this nicely as it's quite sweet.

Orange and black candles - this is a traditional colour combo for candles and Samhain and I see no reason to move away from it!

Symbols - I have chosen some very personal symbols to represent the various memories and feelings that I intend to learn from, keep, or let go of. These will be placed on my altar for 5 days so that I can spend some time every day sitting on front of them and lighting candles for 5 minutes to reflect and meditate*. I will place them in the centre with my herbs and incense placed around them to both protect and fence them in. Again, it's about focus.

Of course, Samhain is very much a time of hope and strength so that we can make it through the harsh winter months. For most of us these days, this is more of an emotional matter than a physical one. But nevertheless, it's always important to take a little time at these important Sabbats to give thanks for the assistance you get in making it through and being able to enjoy the good times!

Blessings
Fran xx

*some people do not like the idea of not using spell candles in one go but I don't feel it is totally a bad thing. Just make sure that you don't blow the candle out, always use a snuffer so that you hold all of the energies that you've been working with inside.

Samhain/Halloween Spell - On second thoughts!

Ok, I have been trying to think of ways to bring all of my Samhain spell ideas together and most of this has been while driving in the car - I've done a lot of this lately! It actually seems to help me think because of the movement and change of scenery. Try it!

But I've been thinking through my plans to try to work at leaving the past behind but in a way that doesn't merely ignore the issues that I need to confront. It's all about separating out the good and the bad, sifting through the memories that I have and being totally honest with myself about what is beneficial to my life and what has turned to insecurities.

So I have been trying to think of some symbols for these areas that I want to focus on. What can represent the positives and the strengths that I want to remember and hang on to, and what can similarly be used to symbolise the areas that don't serve me well and need to go. The reason that I feel this is important is because it makes you literally sit and look at what you need to do - avoidance isn't possible.

In this sense, my altar is going to look like a mini shrine! So I will be having to work with the types of symbols that I select and then explore ways to work with the right tools and ingredients or herbs to maximise the potential.

I will be getting the bulk of my work done tomorrow morning - so next post follows quickly behind this one :)

Blessings xx

Samhain/Halloween: First thoughts

I mentioned the other day that I am going to focus on moving on from the negative aspects of the past for my Samhain/Halloween ritual - chasing the ghosts of the past away in other words! I've been giving some thought to some of the herbs that I want to use and am opting for:

Bay leaves - for inspiration
Boldo Leaf - for spiritual cleansing

Both of these burn really well and I like the visual associations between the smoke (and its whispy qualities) and the spirits of the past that I am trying to banish from my life. It also blends in well with the use of fire which I would like to make quite central to my spell too as I like the power of both vibrant light and creation and potential destruction. It brings about just the right balance.

My next thoughts are going to be around something to drive me forwards. It's easier to move on from negative aspects of the past when you have something to look forward to!

Don't forget to let me know if you are working on any ideas of your own!

Samhain/Halloween 2010!!

Ok, I think we all know that Samhain/Halloween is a time of renewal and new beginnings. It's a wonderful time to garner these energies and make real plans for real changes in your life. But I have decided that I'm going to place a slightly different focus on my Samhain this year.

For it is also a time when the division between the two worlds of the living and the dead are weakest, when the departed are said to walk alongside us and we in turn, respect the life that they once had and their place amongst us. This is going to, in part, be the inspiration for my focus this year - the ghosts of the past and working on being able to move on wherever necessary!

Leaving the past behind is not always the sensible decision, of course. By ignoring it you often forget or fail to learn very important decisions. But repeating patterns, failing to let go of regrets and not spending enough time looking at the future though, is equally dangerous and so this is what I am going to concentrate on this year.

So, hope you join me over the next few weeks as I unfold my intentions and write my Samhain spells!

Samhain Spell

Ok, I’ve finally managed to put together my spell for Samhain!! If you have read any of my other posts on what I was intending to focus on this year (to stop doing too many things at once), you will know that it’s ironic that the reason I have taken so long is I got distracted trying to do other things :(

Anyways, I have now got a plan! Here is what I generally do for festivals combined with some of the specifics I’ll be doing for Samhain:

1) In the morning I will light some resin incense - I’m going for resign rock copal as this will help to cleanse my energies for the day. I will then repeat the following 5 times:
To start afresh
Is my wish
I’ll change my ways
And enrich my days!

2) At about 7pm, when it’s nice and dark, I’m going to be doing some scrying to fit in with the theme of the festival. However, I will be using this in order to see what guidance comes to me rather than making a connection directly with spirit. Before hand I like to meditate in order to open up my senses and will be focusing on bringing forth insight into my potential and aptitudes. For me, scrying tends to project quick flashes of thoughts into my head. You may experience something different. I keep a notebook handy to jot anything down immediately afterwards. It’s not a good idea to write anything at the time as you will disrupt the flow.

3) Celebrate! I’m having a meal with a few friends to just be able to relax and feel in high spirits. I’ll be lighting my black and orange candles, burning incense and will be arranging a few orange and red flowers which hopefully I’ll have been able to pick up earlier in the day without too many problems!

4) Getting close to midnight I will be doing my spell. I have gone for a blue colour scheme for my altar as it helps me to relax and be fluid in my thinking. These are the energies that I want to encourage with the spell. I’ll be burning guggul to help bring about change and will have some fallen leaves to symbolise the time has come for me to enter a new cycle of life - a more productive one hopefully! I also have a small bell placed on my altar as this will help me ‘ring the changes’ in. You’ll see where it fits in. And lastly, I have placed a medal that I won years ago at the centre, to remind me that success and focus is within my reach. Personally, I always like a small personal touch to help things along. So, start with:

The time has now come
To break with old habits
To proceed with what’s worthy
Or else call it quits!

*Ring the bell once*

I value my virtues
I value my time
I seek guidance and knowledge
To begin with this chime

*Ring the bell*

Here I have prepared a hand-written statement of intent that’s a little too personal to include here. But I have composed a short, 200 or so word piece on what I feel my weaknesses are in not letting go of projects that aren’t benefiting me and also how I try to do too many things at once so can hardly tell what is likely to be successful given the chance! I will read it out at this point. Then:

I take pride in my strengths
And pray that they’re fruitful
With clarity and purpose
I’m gainful, not wasteful!

*Ring the bell three times to signify the end*

5) After the spell? Cleaning! I find it incredibly lifting to start a little symbolic sweeping and cleaning at Samhain. Seeing as my focus is getting rid of mental clutter I’m going to particularly focus on a drawer of junk that I need to sort through.

Hope you have fun celebrating in your own way - I know I'm looking forward to it!!

Samhain - Time to Reflect and Get Focused!

Ok, starting to formulate a plan now for my Samhain celebrations! I mentioned before that I wanted to focus particularly on reflection this year and this is actually more traditionally a part of the festival than you may think. In the Wheel of Life, this is the time of the year when the Horned God/Sun God dies - to be reborn at Yule. So it’s a time of rest and recuperation. Not too much of a stretch of the imagination to link this with nature’s time of hibernation!

So I am determined to make this a time to really focus on my weaknesses, to challenge them and to incorporate self improvement into my spell casting. I’ve found over the last few months that I’ve really lacked focus and have tried to do way too many things at once. The consequence of course is that I’ve not completed things and I’ve wound up stressed. So clear minded thinking and prioritising are my aims!

Of course, Samhain is also the time when the veil between the living and the dead are at their thinnest and therefore scrying is often used for this occasion. If you’re not familiar with this method, the crystal ball is actually a form of scrying - you use a reflective surface in order to see images, messages or connect with spirits. Mirrors and water are also used and in fact, a scrying bowl is my preferred mode. I usually opt for simplicity :)

I’m going to be doing this earlier on in the evening, likely around 7pm as it’s already dark but I will have plenty of time to think on the guidance and messages that I pick up on and bring them into my work later in the evening if I need to.

Of course, it’s important that you work on something that is personal to you, but I am going to be putting together a few points on how to take your ideas and structure them into a spell, ritual or rite for an occasion so hope this will be helpful to you!!

Blessings
Francesca xxx

Free Witchcraft Spells Article

Hi, still working away on my Samhain celebrations (yay!) and will post my progress on this tomorrow. But in the meantime, I was thinking of posting something on choosing a free spell, for if you are scanning the net for one, and remembered I wrote an article on this a while back. Pre-written spells can be the perfect solution if you're not yet confident enough to write your own or need something quick. So here's a few tips on how to go about getting the right free witchcraft spell for you! Some of it may not be relevant for Samhain but I think there's some salient points still. Hope it's useful xx

Are You Familiar With the Power of the Mind?

I am currently working on my Samhain celebration ritual and am, I’m afraid to say not for the first time, getting carried away with the idea of getting a cat. I don’t know why I always get more of an urge this time of year but I guess it’s something to do with all of the stereotypical images of the black familiar you see everywhere!

It turns out, my idle thoughts may have brought me more than I bargained for. Seeing as I figured I was unlikely to be organised enough, or have enough free time, to go and buy one I commented that I was going to have to just befriend one while out. Since then, I have been inundated! Cats have followed me home, a favourite of mine amongst them has been hanging around my front door - I‘ve got more feline friends than you can shake a stick at!

Another reminder for me to be careful what you wish for :)

My Samhain Article

Hi, just a quickie to say here is my Samhain/Halloween article as promised!

Samhain (Halloween) Diary 2

I’ve been giving some more thought to my Samhain celebrations and I have decided to use a particular element of the festival that I have not used before - thoughtful reflection.

For the Celts, Samhain is the New Year and this oftens brings with it a focus on new beginnings. But outside of this tradition, the period between Samhain and Yule is known a ‘time out of time‘. In the Wiccan Wheel of Life, the God dies at Samhain and is reborn at Yule so these months represent recuperation or stillness.

To be honest it’s been a bit of a crazy year for me and the last 3 months have been particularly eventful so I have decided that now is just the right time to have a think about what has past and how I would like to move forwards in my life.

In order to start creating the right energies and buzz for this I am splitting some of my decorations for the next few weeks. I am going to go with the more traditional orange and black colours - orange candles for health and prosperity and black candles for depth. But I will be making my altar predominantly blue to encourage contemplation and to help me find the inner wisdom I need to see my way ahead. This will also be accompanied by some divination :)

Ok, enough talking about what I’m going to do, I’m off to go and actually do it! I’ll be working on some spells over the next few days so will post some suggestions soon.

Take care and blessings
Fran xx

Samhain = Halloween!

Oops, forgot to say - for all of you absolute beginners out there - that the festival of Samhain is what is more popularly known as Halloween! A witch's special night no less ;)

I will be putting up an article with all the basics soon so check back over the next few days.

And if you are an absolute beginner by the way, it just remains to say Merry Meet and Blessings to you!

Fran xx

Day 1 of my Samhain Diary

Hello! I meant to post last week to start off a proper lead up to Samhain but didn’t get the chance - but better late than never eh?! On the 1st of October I generally like to change over my altar to mark the beginning a the new season but to be honest it’s as much to do with Samhain as autumn if I‘m honest! I get pretty excited :)

I have now got everything orange, gold and a little green so I feel that the mood has changed in my spells and general work - and as ever I love it.

But you may be wondering if there is anything you need to be doing to prepare yourself for Samhain over the next coming weeks and the answer is YES. This is the perfect time to start collecting leaves and twigs for spells and rituals, get in your candles and start to think of what you will do with your altar on the day. Of course anything collected nearer the time is just as good but I personally think that building excitement is as big a part of the fun and the energies of the night as anything.

I’m going to be working on my preparations from now on and thought I would share them with you to give you some ideas of what to try so be prepared for some diary style ramblings from me.