Have a Blessed Samhain and Happy Witches' New Year!

"Kore"

Yea, she hath passed hereby, and blessed the sheaves,
And the great garths, and stacks, and quiet farms,
And all the tawny, and the crimson leaves.
Yea, she hath passed with poppies in her arms,
Under the star of dusk, through stealing mist,
And blessed the earth, and gone, while no man wist.

With slow, reluctant feet, and weary eyes,
And eye-lids heavy with the coming sleep,
With small breasts lifted up in stress of sighs,
She passed, as shadows pass, among the sheep;
While the earth dreamed, and only I was ware
Of that faint fragrance blown from her soft hair.

The land lay steeped in peace of silent dreams;
There was no sound amid the sacred boughs.
Nor any mournful music in her streams:
Only I saw the shadow on her brows,
Only I knew her for the yearly slain,
And wept, and weep until she come again.

Frederic Manning, 1909

1 Day Until Samhain! Samhain Night Prayer

Samhain Night Prayer

This prayer should be done at night, between dusk and dawn.

Opening
"Hail Dark Lady of the Crossroads,
of wisdom hard-won,
grant me Thy blessing, purify my heart,
and teach me the truth of my soul;
show me that death is but the gateway to life.
Blessed Be."

Main Prayer
Lady,
You offer me a lambent grail
of softly glowing moonlight,
as between one heartbeat and the next
souls flit from life to life
with death a well-worn pathway
of the Wise -
a place of respite and release.
Deeply I drink -
a willing sacrifice to eternal motion -
a moment of spirit upon the wind
and another life experience to embrace.

Meditation
How death is but a gateway to life.

Dream Images
In the Name of the Dark Crone: I see the Crone as teacher.

Closing Prayer
"I bow to Thee Hecate, Diana, Mari and thank
Thee for Thy blessing - the Cauldron of Night
full of life, and death, and life again;
Thy magic gives me wings.
Blessed Be."

From http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/angelline/.

2 Days Until Samhain! Samhain Evening Prayer

Samhain Evening Prayer

This prayer should be done in the evening, between 3pm and dusk.

Opening
"Hail Mother of the golden wheat, You of
plenty and fertile womb, breathe Thy blessing
upon my heart, nourish my soul
that I, too, may create the world with love.
Blessed Be."

Main Prayer
Lady,
You are Prophetess and Queen.
The Final Harvest has been met;
the land lies sleeping, expectant.
In Winter's stillness You will
conceive tomorrow's hope.
Receptive and quiescent Your
dreams unfold as a counterpoint
to the Dark Night that will
enshroud us all.
Life and Death are balanced.
Endings and beginnings wrought.
Your blessing weaves all into
a holy tapestry,
complete and irrevocable.

Meditation
What do you want others to learn from your life?

Daily Affirmation
In the Name of the All-Mother: I will notice the elders today and pay attention to what they tell me.

Closing Prayer
"Terra Mater, Mother of all life, I give
Thee thanks for Thy blessing -
the fruit of the vines, the fruit of my spirit;
life's abundance.
Blessed Be."

From http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/angelline/.

3 Days Until Samhain! Samhain Afternoon Prayer

Samhain Afternoon Prayer

This prayer should be done in the afternoon, between noon and 3pm.

Opening
"O God of Thunder, God of Might,
set aside Your lightning bolts
and take Your ease of Love with me.
You are the God of laughter!
You are the God of all delights!
Blessed Be."

Main Prayer
Lord,
The solitary motion of
the heart
can be found on the edge of
Winter's shadow.
The Great God sleeps.
The Mother's womb grows
every sort of possibility
and holds the kernel of returning light.
The absence of the God
provides opportunities for
inner seeing;
visions unfold like the
unveiling of the Sun
from morning mist.
I seek the God in
hidden landscapes of my
silent soul as
He sleeps and dreams
me into being.
The Dark Night cloaks
revelation in the God's enigmatic heart.

Meditation
What kernels of possibility are hidden in your heart awaiting revelation?

Daily Affirmation
In the Name of the God: I will honor my visions, and dream dreams.

Closing Prayer
"Thanks to Thee, Lord of the Dance,
for leading me into the deeper mysteries
of the heart.
Be with me now and always.
Blessed Be."

From http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/angelline/.

4 Days Until Samhain! Samhain Morning Prayer

Samhain Morning Prayer

This prayer should be done in the morning, between dawn and noon.

Opening
"Hail Bright Maiden of quicksilver delight,
shine upon me.
Thy morning blessing, which,
like the new dawn, refreshes my Spirit and
lifts my heart with song.
Blessed Be."

Main Prayer
Lady,
Lady of the Harvest, now is the time
to feast and frolic, for we meet
on the edge of Winter's shadow.
All the seed that was sown in
Springtime past has long
been reaped;
the fields stand barren, empty
and the spirit shall soon turn inward.
The world's fabric grows thin and
souls of the dead pass by on their
way to the Summerland.
Bless their passing, for though to some it
seems an ending,
this exodus of spirit foreshadows new beginnings.
Thus do we celebrate the dawn of the New Year.
Blessed Be.

Meditation
Choose an ancestor: what gift(s) have you received from him or her?

Daily Affirmation
In the Name of the Maiden: I will remember and give thanks today to my ancestors.

Closing Prayer
"Thanks to Thee Bright Maiden for Thy care,
for green laughter and fire-edged dew,
and for Thy blessing, a most precious jewel.
Blessed Be."

From http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/angelline/.

6 Days Until Samhain! Samhain Chant 3

Chant for Samhain

A year of beauty. A year of plenty.
A year of planting. A year of harvest.
A year of forests. A year of healing.
A year of vision. A year of passion.
A year of rebirth.

This year may we renew the earth.
This year may we renew the earth.

Let it begin with each step we take.
And let it begin with each change we make.
And let it begin with each chain we break.
And let it begin every time we awake.

From http://www.beliefnet.com/.

8 Days Until Samhain! Samhain Chant 2

SAMHAIN CHANT

Fire red, summer's dead
Yet it shall return.
Clear and bright, in the night,
Burn, fire, burn!

Chorus:
Dance the ring, luck to bring,
When the year's a-turninng.
Chant the rhyme at Hallows-time,
When the fire's burning.

Fire glow, vision show
Of the heart's desire,
When the spell's chanted well
Of the witching fire.

Chorus:
Dance the ring, luck to bring,
When the year's a-turninng.

Chant the rhyme at Hallows-time,
When the fire's burning.
Fire spark, when nights are dark
Makes our winter's mirth.
Red leaves fall, earth takes all,
Brings them to rebirth.

Chorus:
Dance the ring, luck to bring,
When the year's a-turninng.
Chant the rhyme at Hallows-time,
When the fire's burning.
Fire fair, earth and air,
And the heaven's rain,
All blessed be, and so may we,
at Hallows-tide again.

Chorus:
Dance the ring, luck to bring,
When the year's a-turninng.
Chant the rhyme at Hallows-time,
When the fire's burning.

Doreen Valiente
"Witchcraft For Tomorrow" p. 193

Taken from the website http://www.ladyoftheearth.com/.

10 Days Until Samhain! Samhain Chant 1

Samhain Chant

 From far beyond this mortal plane
Mothers and fathers of old
We bid that you return again
Mothers and fathers of old
To share with us the mysteries and secrets long untold
Of the ancient ways we seek to regain
Mothers and fathers of old.

From http://www.ladyoftheearth.com/.

11 Days Until Samhain! Witchy Wallpaper 4

13 Days Until Samhain! Garfield's Halloween Adventures

Garfield's Halloween Adventure (1985 Cartoon) by DemonPreyer

15 Days Until Samhain! Witchy Wallpaper 3

Happy Eid al-Adha to my Muslim readers

Eid Mubarak to my Muslim readers!  Eid al-Adha is a Muslim holiday that celebrates they end of Hajj.  Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims must do at least once in their lifetime.  During Eid al-Adha, Muslims remember the trials of Abraham, a Muslim (and Jewish) prophet, by slaughtering an animal.  The animals most commonly slaughtered are: sheep, camels, or goats.  While slaughtering the sacrificial animal, the name of Allah is spoken, to remind Muslims that life is sacred.  One third of the sacrifice is is eaten by immediate family and relatives, one third is given away to friends, and one third is donated to the poor.  This sacrifice doesn't atone for sins, but instead is a mark of piety.  

Muslims start off the day by attending the Mosque, visiting friends and family, exchanging good will and gifts, and then visiting a farm to slaughter their sacrificial animal.

18 Days Until Samhain! Witchy Wallpaper 2

22 Days Until Samhain! Witchy Wallpapers 1