I am so not an expert at this but it will serve.
Nephew’s Christmas Present
He is 7 and I hope he likes it. Since I’m only working part time I have to get very creative with my money. $10 for nephew and he gets this lovely box and a plastic sheep wearing a santa hat that poops brown jelly beans. The box hide the sheep and lots of beans.
Our coven celebrated Samhain on Wednesday night. It was the full moon too but the group conscience says that we never mix a full moon with Samhain. We concentrate fully on the Sabbat.
I made a special dish, which I highly recommend, perfect for Samhain and those who are especially connected to Hekate. Chopped hard boiled eggs with mayo and pepper on the bottom layer, sweet onions (saved the walla walla’s for this), cream cheese and sour cream, topped with black caviar. You can take chopped parsley and “frost” the sides too but I didn’t. All Her favorites. Black, white, eggs, onions. Served on crackers, it was delicious. Spendy but I wanted to celebrate all the abundance that I’ve received of late.
Everyone brought their divination tools. Before hand we were drawing cards and ogham sticks and I was getting some really great stuff. Pulled the 9 of cups from my High Priest’s deck. Niiiiice.
We had the ancestor altar and a large dumb supper. I had remembered to bring two photos because I printed them off at work and completely forgot the photos of my ancestors. So I had the photo of me and Joel and one of Steve Marriott. LMAO. I figured that my ancestors were close enough and I did got messages from all of them. But I got a lot of stuff from Joel and Steve. What was really weird is that folks kept saying things that were titles and lyrics from S.M.’s songs, including one of my favorite love songs, Say No More. It was a little uncanny after awhile.
During the ritual we had a lot of drumming and rattles and singing and dancing, really frikking cool, the coolest ever. The God took each of us to the divination corner one at a time while this was going on. I did a brief grounding and meditation, talked to Joel and Steve (and Alva and Lou and Nana and Beebo and Grandpa Uncle Bill), pulled some cards from my DruidCraft deck. Thanks guys, that about sums it up. Smiled my ass off. Suffice it to say that I got a lot of high cup cards that night. Went back to the group, picked up my rattle, and tranced out and yet remained fully there.
Asked an ancestor that was of my blood to show up. I’m adopted so all my ancestors are not of the blood. I was curious who might be connected to me in that way. And I got some voodoo queen, all caribbean, rattles and snakes and fire and blood and rum, Papa Legba and Urzulie. Extremely interesting images and energy. How frikking cool and very curious since my Mom’s family is from Kingston Barbados. Perhaps, blood or no blood, they are still my ancestors.
And I said a long and heartfelt goodbye to Joel, thanked him again for all the good. Asked him to send me someone to love who had many of his qualities and who would be a strong love like ours but without the drunkeness and womanizing. *wink*
It has to be the best ritual I’ve ever attended. I’ve attended a few Samhains that have knocked my socks off, my favorite sabbat of all, but this one was just amazing. I can’t even tell you about the drawing down the goddess part. Really, I can’t even tell you. Holy Mother, it was astonishing though.
So, tonight I’m gonna boogie til the rooster crows or I turn into a pumpkin…
Turns out she’s not a redhead after all. *laugh*
It says a lot about how things have been this past year when I tell you that this is the first altar I’ve decorated for the sabbats since I moved out of my little home in the woods. I must be feeling better. Endings and beginnings, my favorite time of year.
It’s been stormy and blustery and the ground is totally soaked with an abundance of water. It’s sound was wonderful to wake up to. I love the gold/red/purple leaves against a stormy sky. The flowers are from me mum as are the pomegranates. She gives me poms every year at this time, she has for over 40 years. It’s just such a lovely gesture. I think when Mom is gone and this time of year comes I will miss her the most. It was she who taught me the wonders of late autumn…
Last night there were a few folks. Some of the students were there from Thursday Outer Grove, some others. But since it was only for folks with grieving to do, especially suicides, and those who wanted to receive the booklet of Hekate devotionals, there weren’t as many as last year.
After the circle and once your personal devotions have been completed, each person passes into the house for the dumb supper. No talking allowed in the house. Which I find quite nice actually. A heavy ritual like that leaves me wanting silence. Since I was the one female dedicated to Hekate I had the honor of being High Priestess for the evening with my High Priest from the coven. I can’t tell you how I love this man.
I had forgotten my offering to Hekate so I ran the fingers of both hands through the flames as my offering. She pointed to the beer behind me that someone had brought for others to use. So flying, foaming, cascading beer She did get. And I wonder if my sober friends will smell it on my coat, which really shouldn’t be washed.
I knew that it worked when I broke out into a huge grin on my walk to the car. And when I awoke this morning the same thing. Huge grin.
I got in the car and changed the music. For me, Samhain has begun.
Stitch Witch Cottage 