Crafty's Halloween Haunted Blog Tour Stop

Welcome to Crafty's Cuppa Coffee
- my humble little slice of cyberspace; so happy to have you.

I am Danae, your hostess on today's leg of

Mrs. B's 31 Day's of Halloween, Haunted Blog Tour.

I absolutely adore Mrs. B & am excited to take part in such a fun blog event,

along with this bunch of extremely talented & creative individuals.

*

Merry Meet to you all!

&

Welcome to our

Halloween & Samhain Celebration!

*
I am Danae, the Crafty Mama of 2 great kids, Makayla & Jeremiah.
*
*
In addition to being a Mother, I am a Witch, an Artist & a Writer.
*
*
My Family, my Faith & my Art, are the important driving forces in my life;

and my blog- Crafty's Cuppa Coffee, is a synthesis of my experiences, spirituality, writing, art and ideas; -my way of sharing myself with others.
*
A big theme in my life, as well as my writing- is incorporating my spiritual life, with my everyday lifestyle.

*

As much as I sometimes wish I could renounce the material world, run off to the mountains, & meditate all day, wearing saffron robes- I have chosen to remain in the concrete jungle, raise a family & still commune with nature, Deity & the Elements.
*

(Besides- saffron is not really my color- & I would definitely go into Internet withdrawl! Lol!)
*
I seek to live an awakened & authentic spiritual life- in the midst of the daily activities of modern family life.

And even more than that- I strive to share my spiritual philosophy & beliefs with my children in ways that come alive and inspire them. I believe that magick & tradition has as important a place in our daily lives- as it does in the circle, and on special occasions.
*

Like so many of you- Autumn is my favorite season;

and Halloween & Samhain are my favorite holidays to celebrate.

This makes our visit today an extra special treat. The kids and I just love to have friends over to share in our fun times.

*
We decided that the occasion was a perfect opportunity to share
a bit of our own Halloween & Samhain Magick with you all...
*
*
as well as talk about ways that the modern Pagan Family
can incorporate the customs, symbolism & meaning
of the spiritual holiday of Samhain-
into the fun and revelry of its secular counterpart, Halloween.
*
There are so many creative way to blend the 2 holidays,
and to bring spiritual intention & meaning to the traditions & activities of the season.
*
The photos for this post, come from
our Autumn Equinox/Full Harvest Moon Celebration & Ritual
that we had last week (September 24th 2010. )
*

*
We got a bit of a jump on the Halloween Season (for this post),
by setting out some of our Halloween decorations early;
and having a Witchy Tea Party
under the Full Harvest Moon.
*
*
We created a beautiful altar, decorated the patio
& had a lovely Full Moon Circle;
where we burnt our Seasonal Thanks & Goal Petitions;
crafted Personal & Family Talismans;
danced, played & feasted
under the gorgeous Mabon Harvest Moon.
*
Makayla got gussied up in one of her Witchy dresses, for the occaision,
& J.D. is wore his skull shirt, a zombie glove & a handcuff.
*
The kids and I often have special rituals,
both of the everyday sort, as well as for holidays

-and they love playing dress up, creating Altars
& celebrating the tides of the natural world.
*
I know these are the things we will remember when they are grown
-and I treasure this time with them!
*
*
In our house, we have alot of discussions about
life, spirituality, nature,
the Gods & Goddesses, our ancestors
and the meanings of our holidays & traditions.
*
This creates a framework from which to incorporate
these things into our daily life;
as well as giving me clues as to which of these interests my kids.
*

*
(Jeremiah is all about the skulls.)
*

*
When religion & spirituality are incorporated
into the activities of daily life-
then the celebration of holidays becomes a natural expression
of love & gratitude for the Gods,
the natural world & the blessings in our lives.
*

(I happened to catch Makayla in this prayerful pose-
how ironic is this for all of those people who are worried
that Halloween puts 'bad' ideas into our kid's heads?
Here is my sweet Little Witch thanking God & Goddess
for the many blessings in her life.)
*
*
Since I beleive that the best way to teach my children about my faith,
is to live it-
I try to infuse our common activities-
both daily & seasonally-
with a bit of intention & magick.
*



*
And kids, as well as grown-ups, LOVE Magick!
*

*
In the Autumn, I focus alot on the seasonal theme of Death & Regeneration
-as this is the time of the death of the (natural) year,
and the time of hibernation before its Spring rebirth.
*
This time of year, we do alot of Ancestor Honoring,
cleansings of our home & self as we end the old year
& blessings, goal setting & protection to ready ourselves for the new.
*
I also do plenty of work with the enhanced psychic energies that abound this season.
*
*
At the beginning of each season, the kids & I have a Petition Ritual
of Thanksgiving, Goal Setting & Calling Blessings into our lives.
*

*

Most of the time we burn them; along with seasonal herbs-

there is something so cool about tossing things into the fire.

Lots of energy & the Kids just love it! :0)

*

After burning our petitions-

we crafted & consecrated Talismans.

*

We talked about the meaning of the season,

what we are thankful for & what we hope to accomplish.

*

Then we played under the moonlight with our new kittens

&

feasted on Ben & Jerry's Sundaes.

*

*

All in all- a wonderful & very powerful evening.

*

In fact, the energy from the Sabbat,

the Full Moon & the spell work,

had me up until the sunrise!

*

Not a bad way to balance the energies of an Equinox,

with that of a Full Moon.

*

*

And, as you can see- the children had a nice time too.

*

*
**************************************************

Our Family's Autumn Talismans -This is a Successful Business Talisman

that I created & charged this Autumn Equinox

for prosperity, focus & productivity

in starting & running a successful Art Business.

*

Inside the bag, are homegrown herbs, a petition,

along with personal effects to connect it to me, then sealed with 9 knots.

*

The charged Crystal & Talisman

will sit in my Art Studio to remind me of my goals

& the energies I set in motion.

*
***************************************************

This next one, is an

Autumn Equinox Blessing Spell for Our Family

*

-It consists of a grouping of photos of myself & my children;

surrounded by a ring of Rosemary for Protection; Geranium for Love;

Peppermint for Prosperity and an Autumn Herb blend

of Pumpkin, Chai, Black Tea, Cinnamon, Nutmeg & Clove

-to correspond with the seasonal vibrations of Autumn,

as well as Home & Family.

*

-Here is the bouquet & petition packet, ready to be hung.

*

-After the spell was finished;

we let the setup remain charging under the Full Moon all night.

*

In the morning,

I folded the petition packet with the loose herbs inside;

tied it up with red thread & 9 knots; and bundled the ring of herbs

into a bouquetwhich will hang at my Kitchen Altar.

***************************************************

*

**************************************************

Thank You all for joining us today!

&

A really big Thank You to Mrs. B for hosting

this fantastic month of Halloween Blog Fun!

*

We had a ball cooking up this fun, family oriented Halloween / Samhain post for you! Please come back soon for plenty more fun Halloween ideas, activities & tips for bringing Pagan Spirituality into your everyday life.

*
~Have a Spooktacular Day!

*

~Danae <(:0) & the Kids !

Halloween / Samhain Correspondences

*
There are so many easy & fun ways to incorporate the spiritual side of Samhain into Halloween.

-Here are a few common Halloween & Samhain Correspondences to get you started.

***********************************************************

Halloween / Samhain Themes & Activities

***********************************************************

-Death & Regeneration

-Celtic / Agricultural New Year

-Time Between the Worlds-a Time of Magick & Increased Psychic Energy

-Time to Honor & Communicate with Departed Ancestors

-Time of Thanksgiving for the Abundance of Spring & Summer

& a time of Gathering In for the Autumn & Winter

- 3rd & Final Harvest - anything not harvested by Nov 1st belongs to the Crone

-Time of Home, Family & Friends

*********************************************************************

***************************************************************
Halloween / Samhain Symbols
****************************************************************
-Natural Autumn Objects: leaves, nuts, seeds, barren tree branches,
-Autumn Fruits & Vegetables: pumpkins, pommegranite, squash, apples, corn,
-Tools of Witchcraft & Magick: Cauldron, Pentacle, Crystal Ball, Besom, Witch's Hat,
The Moon-Crescent or Full; Crone Goddess, Tarot Cards, Ouija Board,
-Gods & Goddesses of Magick, Death & Regeneration, the Underworld, Crone Goddesses,
-Halloween Symbols & Images: Witches, Skeletons, Bats, Cats, Crows, Ghosts,
Candy Apples & Chocolate Treats, Jack-o-Lanterns, Costumed Children
********************************************************************
*************************************************************
Halloween / Samhain Animals
**************************************************************
-Creatures of the Night: Black Cats, Bats, Spiders, Rats, Wolves,
-Animals that represent Death & Regeneration: Snakes, Ravens, Crows,
-Animals that represent Wisdom, Magick & Psychicism: Owls,
***************************************************************

**************************************************************

Halloween / Samhain Colors

*************************************************************

-Autumn Colors: Orange, Rust, Brown, Gold, Dark Red

-Colors of Death & Regeneration: Black & White

-Colors of Mystery, Psychicism & Magick: Black, Purple, Silver,
**********************************************************************

********************************************************
Halloween / Samhain Foods

********************************************************

-Autumn Vegetables & Fruits: pumpkins, pommegranite, squash, potatoes, turnips,

rutebegas, carrots, root vegetables, apples, grapes, nuts
-Corn, Wheat, Cereals and Grains

- Comfort Foods: soups, stews, casseroles
-Fertility Foods (that contain life hidden within them, for the next season): nuts, seeds,
-Yellow & Orange colored foods: are attracting & promote prosperity & abundance

*************************************************************

*********************************************************

Halloween / Samhain Herbs & Flowers **********************************************************

-Warming Spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, anise

-Flowers: sunflowers, mums, dried flowers & seed pods, natural grasses,

-Herbs to enhance psychic developement & dream activity: mugwort, frankinsence & myrrh, sandalwood

-Banishing Herbs: salt, cayenne, black pepper, paprika, dragon's blood

*******************************************************************

**************************************************

Halloween / Samhain Crafts

**************************************************

-Make Ancestor Shrines to burn Candles & Leave Offererings of Food

-Make natural Besoms & Consecrate them

-Craft Spell Bottles for various goals or desired attributes

-Carve Symbols into an apple, turnip or potato & charge with intentions for the season

-Make Protective Talismans for the home & person

-Create & Charge a Homemade Scarecrow as the Guardian of the Home for the Autumn Season.

-Bless & Charge Herbs and Make Dream Pillows for Psychic Dreaming

-Play Games & Do Activities geared for Psychic Developement; such as Psychometry with cards containing simple shapes (plus, circle, star, square, crescent); Craft & Practice Scrying with a Pendulum, or Black Ink Water; Work with the Tarot Cards;

*************************************************

Halloween / Samhain Spells

*******************************************************
-Blessings Spells for the New Year

-Spells to Increase Psychic Developement

-Spells to Aid in Divination

-Crafting & Blessing Talismans for the Person & Home

-Protection Spells

-Spells for Astral Travel & Lucid Dreaming

-Love Spells

-Prosperity Spells

-Petition Burning Spells
*******************************

by Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

Free Halloween Printable Labels

Hello Happy Bloggers!

I thought I would reward those of you who took the time to visit my blog & read all the way down to here with a little Halloween Freebie. (Of course, many of you will eventually be coming in from a Google search of Free Halloween.... I'm sure) :0)

These are some cool labels to use in your Halloween Crafting & Decorating.

The top set are Potion Labels from Michael Mead. LOVE his Halloween stuff & recomend his books and site for inspiration and more printables. He always has a simple, yet classy stye.

The next are a set of blank bookplates that (I beleive) came from either The Graphics Fairy or The Vintage Moth- both excellent sources for free vintage graphics. I am including the blanks; as well as the sets of Herb & Potion Labels that I created with them. They look great when used as part of a Halloween Vingette with glass potion bottles, herb jars, a mortar & pestle, spell book, cauldron, & other Witchy accoutrements.

Some of the concoctions are pure fantasy; while others are the common names of actual herbs. It is fun to test your herbal knowledge to see which ones are real- like Dragon's Blood; and which are fakes- such as Unicorn Horn.

Enjoy! ~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

*******************************************************************************

Make sure to left click on the image to get to the highest resolution before saving.

These are only for personal use - NOT to be used for resale.

If the worded version is used as a freebie on another site; Crafty's Cuppa Coffee would appreciate credit & a friendly link back- Thanks!

Samhain~ The Witches' New Year

Autumn is a most magickal time of year.

Along with glorious seasonal changes taking place-

*

the joys of pumpkin carving, treat baking, costume making,

and devious plans to get the neighborhood kid's knees a shaking...

*

-some of us folk have another aspect of the season to celebrate.

********************

Samhain

pronounced (Sow-en)

*************

- otherwise known as 'Summers End', and the Witch's New Year.
**********************************************************************

Samhain, later called Hallowmas,
or All Hallows Eve was the Celtic New Year;
and is the 3rd Harvest and final festival

on the Wheel of the Year.

*

All that is left unharvested

in the feilds,

or in the hearts & lives of men-

is said to belong to the Crone after this night.
***
To the Celts who celebrated Samhain in the past,

as well as to the modern day Witches, Pagans, & Druids

who keep the ancient traditions today-

the agricultural & physical cycles of the Heavens & Earth,

mark the changing of the seasons as well as the

ways in which we honor our Deities.

*

This season of Autumn,

corresponds to the death of the year,

the physical death of the life cycle,

as well as the mythological life & death cycle of the Gods.

*

The ancient Celts called its opposite on the Wheel, 'Winter's End'

-Gamain (Gow-en);

celebrated on May 1st, as Beltane.

*

The Light Half of the Year is marked astronomically,

by the rising of the Pleiades at Gamain;

as is the Dark Half by its setting at Samhain.
*****

Often called Spirit Night

-Samhain begins at sunset on October 31st; and continues for 3 days to a week-

it is at this time,
when the veils between the Worlds of Man & Spirit are at their thinnest

- that the souls of the newly departed,
make their final trip to the Otherworld, accompanied by the Goddess.

The people of the Earth have traditionally used this night
to honor & communicate with the souls of their ancestors & loved ones; leaving offerings of favorite foods amongst photographs, beloved trinkets, and seasonal flowers.

*

Along with the harvest of the land,

any animals, not fit to last the cold;

would be slaughtered off and preserved.

Anything left over brought to the Hallowmas feast.

*
Gatherings of Family & Friends sustained the people's hearts;

thru the coming dark months

spent confined and alone until the Spring.

*

It was a time to rejoice & revel in the high points of the year,

and to heal after it's losses.
*

Divinations & predictions telling the fate of the coming year
were performed with fruit, nuts water and fire.

*

Faces and symbols were carved into turnip lanterns

to protect the owner from malevolent spirits out on this night.

*

Costumed children as well as adults went 'Soul Caking';

out into the town singing seasonal songs

begging for Soul Cakes in exchange for prayers for their dead.

*

Mummers danced & played & told legends and performed feats.

Traditionally, these included a Challenge, a Battle, a Death,

and a Magickal Revivial.

*

The mummers received Soul Cakes at the end of their performance.

In some places, in England- these tradtitions have been revived.

*

Many Harvest Celebrations center around the Element of Fire;

whether hearth fire, candle flame, bon-or 'Need Fire';

as well as the Element of Water;

as found in rituals such as bobbing for apples,

floating nuts in bowls and ink scrying.
*

As we Pagans and Witches integrate the traditions of Samhain

into our modern day Halloween celebrations-

we trace the footprints of our spirtual ancestry,

while creating new legends of our own .

*

***************************************************************

~Danae <(:0) aka 'Crafty'

middle image "Samhain", by Jade Benco ,

word tags unknown

3 Halloween / Samhain Spell Crafts To Do With The Family

There are some seasonal activities that are so common

to both Pagan, Chistian & even secular holiday celebrations,

- that they make wonderful 'crossover' activities

to incorporate into your own family's traditions.

*

My children & I often take common activities, and infuse a bit of spirituality & magick into them.

*

The 3 Halloween / Samhain Spell Crafts that we are about to share with you,

center around seasonal activies that are common in many homes;

Making Spiced Cider, Cleaning & Carving Pumpkins

& Roasting Pumkin Seeds-

*

The simple addition of magickal intent & charged ingredients

is what transforms them from

simply fun Fall traditions,

into powerful Seasonal Magick!

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Prosperous New Year Autumn Cider

***********************************************
Ingredients:

*

Apple Juice, Clove studded Apples & Oranges,

Cinnamon Sticks, Nutmeg, Allspice

*

Honey (to be added just before serving)

*******************************************************

Making the Cider

*******************************************************

-Gather materials, and prepare workspace.

*

-Take a moment to wash your hands, and clear your mind.

*

-Discuss the things you hope to draw into your life;

and how the fruits & spices to be used

carry the energy of the intention you charm them with.

*

-The act of cooking, and then ingesting the cider

helps to bring about that change in your own physical body & life.

*

-Explain that you are using Elemental Magick in this spell

-as the Earth is represtented by the fruits & spices;

Fire is used to simmer the Cider;

Water is represented by the liquids used

and Air is represented by the steam & aroma of the simmering Cider.

The energy used to charge the foods & work the spell

is the Element of Spirit.

*

- Charge each ingredient with the desired quality.

*

-Remind the kids that you are working for 'real life' magickal changes-

so be sure to visualize 'practical' qualities such as health & prosperity;

(as opposed to invisibility, or flying power.)

*

-Set the ingredients onto the stove in a large pot, to simmer

for at least an hour, and the longer, the better. Stir the cider clockwise.

*

-As you drink the cider, visualize yourself & your life

being filled with the positive attributes that you desire.

*

***************************************************

Halloween / Samhain

New Year's Carved Pumpkin

Cleansing & Re-Filling Spell

*****************************************************
-begin by preparing the work space & materials

*

-during this time, talk with the kids about how the ending of an old cycle,

and the begining of a new one,

is an oppourtunity to clear away unwanted things out of our lives

*

- things like old habits, attitudes, people

and out moded aspects of ourselves can be cleared away,

to make room for a fresh start & for calling in positive things that we do want in our life.

*

-I use the example of how a snake must shed his old skin,

before his new one can grow in;

*

-when all is ready,take a minute to wash hands & calm the mind,

preparing yourself for the work to be done.

*

- You can use a pumpkin for each individual, representing the self;

or one communal pumpkin to represent the family unit.

*

-Wash the pumpkin, and consecrate it to symbolize the intended person.

*

-With a permanent marker, write the full name & DOB of the intended person

(or the family members names), onto the backside of the pumpkin.

This ties the pumpkin to the person with sympathetic magick.

*

-Sit with it in your lap,

and visualise your energy flowing into & combining with that of the pumpkin.
*

-As you cut the circle into the top of the pumpkin;

see this as an act of opening yourself up,

to let out all of the stagnant & unwanted energy.

*

-Kids of all ages can participate in the scooping out of the pumpkin guts.

Using a scoop, hands or large spoon, remove all of the innards,

while visualising this as removing the unwanted qualities from yourself & your life.

It is great to name the qualities you are releasing, as you work.

.
*

-Thoroughly wash the seeds & then discard of the 'guts';

making sure to see this act as getting rid of the old, to make room for the new.

Set the clean seeds aside to be used in the second part of this spell.

*

-draw a face on the pumkin that characterises the person it is meant to represent.

Then draw symbols in the empty spaces, that represent the positive energies & traits

that are being called into the self & life.
*

-It may be helpful to have a simple chart prepared of the basic symbols

& their meanings. (ie: a heart for love, a smiley face for happiness;

dollar sign for prosperity; a 5 pointed star for protection;

a house shape with a heart around it for a loving home, an A+ for good grades, etc.)

*

-You may also like to draw a few simple runes & their meanings

to choose from.

*

-Visualise youself & your life being filled up

with the postive energy and traits you are drawing onto the pumpkin.

*

-Now you are ready to decorate the pumpkin.

You can carve, draw or paint the face & symbols onto it.

*

-This is personal choice, and really dictated by how much light you would like

to have shining through the pumpkin at night.

*

*If you plan on using a candle- then you must carve at least a hole or two in order to have enough oxygen to keep the candle lit & to be able to see the light.

*

-The act of removing the seeds provided the actions for the cleansing portion of the spell

and the face, name, DOB & symbols drawn or carved;

along with the visualization-

are the actions neccesary for the filling up and charging of the spell.

*

-When the drawing, painting &/or carving is complete,

again sit quietly with the pumpkin creation;

& visualize the freshly cleansed pumpkin 'selves'

being filled with positive energy

& all of the qualities that you desire to have in your life.

*

-See this as a bright white light that is pouring from nature, God & Goddess,

into the pumpkins & into yourself.

*

-When the pumpkin is completely filled up & 'glowing' with the energy-

light a tealight (supervise the children), and place it within the pumpkin

(*if there are no carved portions, omit the candle step).

*

-Replace the lid onto the pumpkin & see this as 'sealing in' the magick.

*

-*If desired, you can preserve the pumpkin longer, by spraying a coat of Lysol,

or cooking spray onto the insides and all carved areas of the pumpkin-

(*before lighting the candle*)

*

-As the candles burn each night- the magick is reinforced & the intended person is being charged up with good energy & attributes for the coming year.

*

-When Halloween is over, and the pumpkins are to be disposed of,

they can either be bagged up and thrown away,

or better yet, ( & my prefered method)

*

- they can be left outside in a natural spot (like a bush, or compost pile),

to decay & return to the earth.

*
************************************************************************************

***********************************************************

Halloween / Samhain

Prosperous New Year

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
***********************************************************

*

Possible Spices & Flavor Blends

*

-There are many possible choices-

Spicy, Savory, Sweet & Salty, Garlic Lime, Pesto, Tex Mex,

and as with anything; each ingredient carries a distinct energy pattern & symbolic correspondences, which can be tapped in to for use in ritual & magick

-so use your imagination & intention; and prepare to taste.

*

*Butter is used in all of these as a base to coat the seeds

*

Garlic, Onion, Salt, Black Pepper, Red Pepper, Cayenne, Paprika, Curry, Cumin, Chili Powder, Lime, Seasoned Salt Blends, Parmesean Cheese, Rosemary, Basil, Thyme, Oregano

*

Sugar, Pumpkin Flavor, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Allspice, Chai Tea

*

************************************************************************

Preparing & Roasting the Pumpkin Seeds

************************************************************************
-Gather all materials needed; wash hands & clear mind for the work to be done.

*

-Talk with the children about how we can infuse our foods with enegy & intenions & that when we eat them, we take those qualities into ourselves.

*

-Explain how the different foods, herbs & spices have different meanings

& energy patterns that we can use to help boost our own

natural energy & personal power.

*

-Make a list of the different herbs & spices that you have available;

and decide which flavor blends you care to try

& what energetic value they represent.

*

-Kids are usually great at intuiting what energies the various foods contain.

(ie: spicy foods contain lots of energy; green foods are good for prosperity; red juicy fruits for love; sweet foods for kindness; seeds & eggs for fertility; & orange foods for happiness, etc.)

*

-Have them try to figure out what energetic qualities the herbs & spices

that you have chosen to use contain.

*

-Have them think & talk about what qualities they would like to call into themselves

for this next year.

*

-Charge each one with the desired attributes.

*

-Then, choose a spice blend; and take a moment to charge the blend

with your own personal energy.

*

-Toss the pumpkin seeds in a bowl or ziploc bag with melted butter, to coat.

Then lay the coated seeds out onto a prepared baking pan.

*

-Lightly sprinkle the spices over the pumpkin seeds;

shake & toss the seeds until they are fully coated with the blend;

while visualizing this act as the person being 'coated'

with the desired positive energy & traits.

*

-Roast the pumpkin seeds in the oven at 375 degrees, cooking for 10-15 minutes, untill seeds are golden brown (I like to flip mine halfway thru, at about 6 minutes).

*

-As you & the children eat the seeds;

tell them that they are ingesting their hopes & goals for the future-

and that each of the charmed seeds with take 'root' and 'grow'

into the positive attributes that they charged them with.

*

*********************************************
~Danae <(:0) aka 'Crafty'