October 31, Samhain (SOW-in) marked the beginning of the old Celtic new year, and many Celtic Pagans still observe Samhain as the renewal of the Wheel of the Year.
This was the night that the old God died, returning to the Land of the Dead to await rebirth at Yule (December 21st), and a time when the Crone Goddess would go into mourning for her lost son/consort, leaving her people in temporary darkness.
As in days long past, Celtic Pagans believe that the veil between the world of the living and that of the dead is at its thinnest on this night, and that the spirits of our departed loved ones walk the earth, visit family and friends, and join in the ritual celebrations. This makes Samhain a prime night for any type of spirit contact rituals.
The feeding of the dead is a widespread practice, even in modern Celtic lands. In Brittany and Ireland food is always left out for these spirit travelers, and candles are placed in windows to guide them along their way, and these were the origins of the modern Halloween customs of the jack o'lantern and trick-or-treat

In case ya wanna try out a Samhain ritual, this is mine. Use it in full or modify to suit yerself.

First, prepare a meal using foods in season (pumpkin, apples, pears, herb, any kind of meat, etc.) grown by you or grown locally. Clean the area; use a magical broom for sweeping if you have one. Put out, in their places as determined by yer practice, any magical implements you have. Light some (preferably white) candles and put them your windows to help guide the spirits of ancestors and loved ones home. Set extra chairs around the table and around the hearth for the unseen guests. If you wanna go all-out, you can bury apples along roadsides and paths for spirits who were lost or had no descendants to provide for them.

Now, cast a circle around yer feast table repeating the below at each direction; walk the circle east to west clockwise:
Be thou cast, Circle and invoke now the warriors to guard us. As I walk your boundaries so do you hold our power. Set us apart from the world of man. Make us apart from the world of spirit. Hold us between both worlds as we work our magick. Heka (This word is ancient Egyptian. It means 'the power of working magick, incantations.)

After you finish your magickal practices and have consumed the feast and smoked the herb, you must close the circle using these words, or words to this effect: (Sorry, I can’t tell you what kind of magick to do within the circle, you must decide that on yer own--not my fault, it’s one of the occult rules, but hint, hint, calling up the dead is a good one. Warning: if you call the dead, please do be careful. If yer scared about doing this, and you should be, just say some prayers of good travel and hopes of liberation to those you know that have died.)
Our magickal practice for now complete, the Circle be now closed, the warriors released. Qerut-shetaut (again, Egyptian, means 'close the hidden circles'. Again, repeat this in each direction, counterclockwise, west to east.

Now clean up yer mess, and there ya have it. Happy calling forth the dead.

)O(-Donna

fascinating!

Well, then, deer, maybe U should give it a tryout?

I am always up for new tricks.....especially things like this, I am a history geek - and I read alot about practices of all kinds of religions and their rituals - this one, however I find most intruiging!!

Well, ya autta try a ritual on for size, might fit. IMHO, we all gota lil Pagan inside us.

I made squash casserole last night (its all i had time to do) i set 2 extra places....i told my mom, who is an avid occult and super-natural enthusiast, she had heard of the apple burying before and she said she did that on the 30th....and i definatley smoked the herb when i was done! I hope some wayward souls found their way..

beckon the call.....by demons be driven.... (RIP Dimebag, that one was for you!!)

quote:

Originally posted by carolinagirl:
I am always up for new tricks.....especially things like this, I am a history geek - and I read alot about practices of all kinds of religions and their rituals - this one, however I find most intruiging!!

Ditto, unfortunately I haven't read up on modern wickens. I have read quite a bit about peagans and celts, I am irish, so it's kinda my heritage.

You go, Carolinagirl! Don't it just feel sweet to get in touch with the supernatural world?
I called upon the Dime myself, set a place for him, had him over for snacks. Lit a million candles so he could find me. Got inked too.
)O(-D.

inked!! what did you get???? and Yes, it was rather gratifying!!

It's the Egyptian god of science, knowledge and alchemy, and the ruler of my Tarot cards. His name is Toth, and here he is depicted in the form of a heron with the power of the sun god Re (the red disk above the bird).
I have 2 of them, on my lower back. One on each side of me other tatt, facing inward. The other tatt is the triple goddess symbol )O(, the waxing moon, the full moon and the waning moon. The triple goddess symbol is one of the oldest know to man.
I'll see if I can get somebody to take a pic of it this weekend.
)O(-D
BTW: It really fucking hurt. Had 'em both done at same time. First wasn't so bad, but that second one, it was a muther-fucker.

very cool - very original!! i bet it did hurt like a bitch! I recently had a cover up job done on my shoulder/shoulder blade and forgot how painful it is over bone....the one on my neck really didn't hurt much at all, nor did the shinedown logo, but i have plenty of cushion for that one!

great tats donna! The meaning behind them makes them so special!!!

Here's mine Carolinagirl, where's yours?

wow - that turned out GREAT! i haven't got any pics of the treble cleft on my neck or the cover-up one i have on my shoulder. I think everyone here has seen the shinedown one at some point over the last two years! Let me dig through soem of the pics I had done this weekend and last...i think there are some shots of my back I can crop the tats and post 'em....i plan to lock myself in my apt this weekend and get all of that stuff done i have been putting off for the last 3 weeks.... domestic BS ya know....

your tat artist did a NICE job!!!!

Yes, he did a great job and only cost me $80. Can't see the detail in the pic, but the birds' feathers are real detailed w/purple/blue/white.

I be looking forward to seeing yers.

$80 - damn good price! The cover up i had is not huge, but has alot of different colors in so it took just over an hour. Had he charged me for it, it would have been $120, but I have known johnny savage (Savage & Heads, Raleigh NC) forever - it was a bday gift from him. I will get something up this weekend - will try to find an old pic of the dragon he covered up...ya know.. before & after.....you can'r even tell it was ever a dragon at all.

the treble cleft gets ALOT of compliments.