Happy Samhain! For pagans, Samhain is about more than just trick-or-treat and scary films. It’s about ancestors and is the time when the vail between the worlds of the living and the dead is at its thinnest. I’m spending the day and evening with my good friends Simon & Chrys.
If you want to know more about Samhain, or any of the other pagan festivals, see my Pagan Festivals blog post.
If you want to to Making a pumpkin lantern for Samhain, click the link for instructions. Remember that the insides of a pumpkin can be used to make many delicious things, such as pumpkin pie or cookies, so don’t let the insides go to waste. Recipes for pumpkin insides can be found online.
This year Samhain was a two day event! It started on Tuesday (30th) night when Sye and I carved pumpkins (for how to carve pumpkins see Making a pumpkin lantern for Samhain). Here’a our finished pumpkins:
Left: Jill – looking shocked (mine),
Right: Jacko Sye’s piece of artwork. (Click on image for full size.)
Sye & I also used the pumpkin insides to make some Pumpkin Cookies after I found a recipe on the Facebook of Pagan Magic, here’s a photo of the cookies:
They look fantastic and were so delicious. (Click on image for full size.)
Sye & I had a cookie (or two), a brew (or Milk in Sye’s case) and I wished him happy Samhain as by the time we’d finished it was the early hours of the morning.
In the evening of Samhain (31st) I went round to do ritual with Jayne & Joan. We wrote letters to ancestors which was a brilliant idea of Jayne’s that I have never thought of doing. Then we burned the letters to release the messages into the cosmos in Jayne’s fire pit:
The Fire Pit lit, despite the rain.
We even had some green flames,
I’ve only ever seen them on Samhain. (Click on image for full size.)
Me tending to the fire in my ritual robe. (Click on image for full size.)
By the fire we discussed what we were thankful for over the last twelve months; we also burnt slips of paper with things we wanted to banish over the next twelve months. To finish the ritual we went inside, relaxed and asked any spirits that wish to communicate with us to do so. I didn’t get any spirit communication unless you count the cat that uncharacteristically came up to me and started purring.
Samhain or Halloween, is very important to us pagans. In a previous post Pagan Festivals, I said this about Samhain (Halloween to most people):
Samhain – 31st October
The last harvest. When the vails between the worlds are thin. Seen as the pagan ‘New Year’. Also known as Halloween.
The goddess is now the crone. With age coming wisdom.
Colours: Black, orange, purpose, violet, white.
Themes: Ancestors, death, rebirth, banishing & bindings, spirit & guide communication, guidance.
(From: Pagan Festivals @antonysimpson.com, Last Accessed: 26th October 2010)
Rather than the elaborate rituals with lots of people, costumes, dancing, chanting like the previous years, this year I will celebrate it alone quietly as a time of reflection. I decided to get creative and make my own pumpkin lantern. I googled on how to and got this video:
The video’s good, but the music is somewhat unbearable so heres my written guide to Making a pumpkin latern for Samhain.
What you will need
x1 pumpkin
A sharp knife
A pen (with ink that will wipe off) or pencil
Step 1 – Choose a side and draw the outline
Choose a side of your pumpkin that’s best for the face. Ideally one that’s not got any scuffs on it. Draw an outline like below:
Step 2 – Cut off the top and scrape out the insides
Using your guide lines you’ve drawn on, cut carefully around the top off the head and pull it off. You’ll see the pumpkin insides and seeds which you need to scrape out (see photo below). Some of the cooking experts around may choose to keep the insides to make a pumpkin pie, which you can google for a recipe if you want.
Step 3 – Turn your attention to the face
Now you’ve scrapped out the insides. Go back to the outline of the face you drew and carefully cut out the eyes, nose and mouth. Once these pieces have been removed, take a tea light candle and place it inside lit. (Please never leave a lit candle unattended.) Replace the lid of your pumkin and switch off the light to admire your handy work. It should look like this:
I have named him Jacko, I know how original. Hope you found this guide useful. Write soon,
Antony
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Wednesday 27 October 2010
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