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Saijen SilverWolf Profile
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Samhain: How we honor it.


Is it important to us? Do we see anything in other faiths that are similar to this Sabbat?


Hmm...how do I honor Samhain. Well, my very first Samhain as an anything in the Pagan world, was when me and Onyxsprite did our initiation together out in my backyard, at midnight, around a fire.
The second one, was pretty dull,
the third was when I met my HPS and others for the first time. I went to an Ancestral Dinner at her house, which was so awesome, and kind of propelled me onto a more structured path, leading me to study with this group, and eventually become initiated into a Coven.
This year, we're having the Ancestral Dinner on the 4th, as well as holding a birthday party for my HPS, and she and I will have our Croning that night as well. I am SOO excited about it this year, as I'll KNOW everyone in attendance, as opposed to last year not knowing a soul there (well, I may have known the soul, but not the person...lol)
We will start the evening off with libations, then a ritual down in our ritual room, which will be an open circle, so all in attendance can join..there will be singing, dancing, inviting our loved ones from the other side of the veil to join us...after the ritual, we'll have a really nice sit-down meal, talk about/to a specific ancestor we want to spend the evening with..we'll have a special Ancestral Altar set up with either a photo, memento, or candle ingraved with their name, in the diningroom where we'll be eating. Each person will bring what they choose. Right now, I think there will be 7 of us all together. I don't know if anyone else outside of our immediate circle (not coven, but circle) has been invited.
After dinner, we'll all probably gather in the livingroom and talk, laugh, and just enjoy the remainder of the evening. DH and I will spend the night, as it will be rather late, and we have a ways to drive (it's about 50 miles or more to their house)

I think Samhain is very important to us. It's a time of endings and beginnings. This is the Witch's New Year. A time for new beginnings...all things new. A clean slate.
It's the end of summer.....our world (in the states) is in "death" mode (Winter), but even in death, there is life...birds, deer, rabbits..all foraging for food, berries. It is another turn of the Wheel. We should be sensitive to each turn, and notice how we, ourselves, are involved within that turn/cycle. What does it do to our bodies, our emotions, our all over physical and mental health.

I honestly can't say that I see very many paralles with Samhain and other religions. Actually, upon reflection, I don't see any. But then, I'm not very well versed in other religions outside of this and Christianity.
Ohh..wait, I do know that in some other countries (and in New Orleans) this time of year is Celebrated. Isn't it in Mexico they have a Day of the Dead? With street parades, and what-not? And a lot of those people are closer to Catholic I think than anything else..so maybe even within the Christian realm there are a few similarities.

I guess I need to read up on this...lol.

*great topic, playful!*


---
Blessed Be,
~*~ Saijen ~*~

~~*~~ .~~*~~
10/30/2006, 4:56 pm Link to this post Send Email to Saijen SilverWolf   Send PM to Saijen SilverWolf Yahoo
 
playfultree Profile
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Re: Samhain: How we honor it.


Samhain has always been special to me even before I knew what it was. I do see some similarity in other faiths. Mexico and all their festivities around the dead and honoring ancestors. The Catholic Church and there beliefs.

I will set a fire to throw any leftover mixtures, candles, and herbs into. To release their magic and draw close too or rekindle spells cast during the year. I will reflect on what I have done over the year, how I could improve, changes I should make, and be thankful for yet another year.

I will leave a plate of food and wine out for my ancestors, spirits, and unseen entities.

This year I think I will take my crystals outside and recharge them asking spirits to whisper things into them I may need for the year.


---
Love and Light

tree



May your journey be full of happiness and blessings
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Firlefanz Profile
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Re: Samhain: How we honor it.


Playfulltree, I very much like your fire and how it serves as end and a new beginning.

I've never observed Samhain just yet, but I might find my own way to do so soon.

 emoticon

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- Firlefanz

Reading: "The Golem's Eye" by J. Stroud
Writing: Rewrite of the Unicorn Girl YA novel

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MagiCat Profile
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Re: Samhain: How we honor it.


I like the fire idea too. I have some old sweetgrass that I think needs to be burned.

It is a transformative time of year, that's for sure. And I have been doing lots of clearing out, cleaning, changing. It never even occurred to me that Samhain might be the cause of this, but now it's making complete sense.

I was actually in Mexico recently (I LOVED it!!! I love traveling...) and I got the sense, from the guidebooks, and an amazing Mexico City museum, plus observing some interesting traditional/I-think-Pagan practices, that Day of the Dead in Mexico probably has a number of ways it's celebrated, depending upon who's celebrating (I may be wrong, I am no expert). I think maybe some people celebrate it in a more "commercial??" way ( I saw lots of little rubber skeleton heads for sale in the market, or bakery goods resembling the same thing), and others might incorporate more indigeonous or Pagan rituals (like preparing the home for the ancestors, or preparing the doorway in a certain way). And in general there seems to be some blending (depending upon people of course) of Catholicism and Pagan practices. Absolutely fascinating place! (I'm still high...from traveling...) Off the subject, for example, I saw that people would tie little bundles of herbs (??) on the grills of their cars. According to my Mexican friend, this means the driver of the car recently took a pilgrimage. I have no ideas of the origin of that practice. And I got to see many representations of various Gods and Goddesses, one who was quite similar to Kali. Very cool.

If I have time tonight, I'll update more, maybe in To Be Silent, just 'cause I'm kind of shy,
take care, all,
Cat
10/30/2006, 11:09 pm Link to this post Send Email to MagiCat   Send PM to MagiCat
 
Saijen SilverWolf Profile
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Re: Samhain: How we honor it.


Playful..what a wonderful idea with the fire.
We have fire at our ritual, but not like what you're talking about. I may mention this to my HPS and see what she thinks of maybe implimenting this next year. Our 'card' is full for this year's celebration.
We have our ritual, the Ancestral Dinner, this year we're celebrating the HPS's b'day, she and I have our Croning ceremony, and we're going to try to have a drum circle. LOTS to do, and all in one short evening.

Cat..hey there and good to see ya!!! You've been missed!! emoticon
Thanks for the input on what's happening in Mexico. And I'm jealous...I wanna go!!!! lol

Happy Samhain to one and all!!

 emoticon

---
Blessed Be,
~*~ Saijen ~*~

~~*~~ .~~*~~
10/31/2006, 9:09 pm Link to this post Send Email to Saijen SilverWolf   Send PM to Saijen SilverWolf Yahoo
 
playfultree Profile
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Re: Samhain: How we honor it.


Cat that is just too cool, really do want to hear more.

Saijen you do sound like you have a busy night planned.

---
Love and Light

tree



May your journey be full of happiness and blessings
11/1/2006, 5:17 pm Link to this post Send Email to playfultree   Send PM to playfultree Yahoo
 
Saijen SilverWolf Profile
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Re: Samhain: How we honor it.


busy is an understatement...LOL

---
Blessed Be,
~*~ Saijen ~*~

~~*~~ .~~*~~
11/3/2006, 5:56 pm Link to this post Send Email to Saijen SilverWolf   Send PM to Saijen SilverWolf Yahoo
 
Saijen SilverWolf Profile
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Re: Samhain: How we honor it.----Revisited


Since Samhain is quickly approaching, I think it would be nice to revisit this topic.

I've learned a lot about Samhain, yet still have so much more to learn.
Since I am actually helping to create this year's ritual, it's been a bit disheartening in some cases, and enlightening in others.

Samhain is the close of the harvest season, it's the time when things begin to die....the gardens are done, the leaves are dying and falling off the trees, flowers have stopped blooming....the earth starts to die. But, in that death, we get life. Without all these things dying, we'd not have a natural compost/fertilizer, that helps nurish the earth for new plantings in the Spring. This death replinishes what is taken out during the planting season. Also, this is the precursor to a time of quiteness.....winter. A time when the earth is asleep....reginerating itself....recharging it's batteries, as Fenyx would say emoticon
While it's a dark time....a time of death, it gives us hope.
Also, at this time, the veil between the worlds is at it's thinnest. It's a good time to communicate with those who have gone on to the Summerland. To visit with loved ones. That is what our ritual is mostly about, that visitation. I love that we do this each year. We always set a place for our visitors (one place.....it's symbolic), that they are all welcome at our table.
I am still working on the meditation. After talking to my HPS the other day, I had to pretty much scrap everything I had and start over. I had forgotten the little things that mean so much for this meditation. This meditation is what opens our guests up to the visitation, and to what will happen during the dinner. Talking about our loved ones, some will talk about what happened during the meditation, others will talk just about the person they are honoring that evening.

This is also the beginning of the Witch's year...so this is our New Year. A good time to make changes in your life. Job change, work changes, etc. Now is a good time to make decisions in many directions of your life. We are heading into the cleansing tide, so, make those decisions. emoticon

---
Blessed Be,
~*~ Saijen ~*~

~~*~~ .~~*~~
10/8/2007, 3:52 pm Link to this post Send Email to Saijen SilverWolf   Send PM to Saijen SilverWolf Yahoo
 


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