Samhain, means "End of Summer", and is the third and final Harvest. The dark winter half of the year commences on this Sabbat. Various other names for this Greater Sabbat are Third Harvest, Samana, Day of the Dead, Old Hallowmas (Scottish/Celtic), Vigil of Saman, Shadowfest (Strega), and Samhuinn. Also known as All Hallow's Eve, (that day actually falls on November 7th), and Martinmas (that is celebrated November 11th), Samhain is now generally considered the Witch's New Year.
It is generally celebrated on October 31st, but some traditions prefer November 1st. It is one of the two "spirit-nights" each year, the other being Beltane. It is a magical interval when the mundane laws of time and space are temporarily suspended, and the Thin Veil between the worlds is lifted. Communicating with ancestors and departed loved ones is easy at this time, for they journey through this world on their way to the Summerlands. It is a time to study the Dark Mysteries and honor the Dark Mother and the Dark Father, symbolized by the Crone and her aged Consort.
Samhain was a significant time for divination, perhaps even more so than May or Midsummer’s Eve, because this was the chief of the three Spirit Nights. Divination customs and games frequently featured apples and nuts from the recent harvest, and candles played an important part in adding atmosphere to the mysteries. In Scotland, a child born at Samhain was said to be gifted with an dà shealladh, "The Two Sights" commonly known as "second sight," or clairvoyance.
Symbols of SamhainGourds, Apples, Black Cats, Jack-O-Lanterns, Besoms.
Herbs of SamhainMugwort, Allspice, Broom, Catnip, Deadly Nightshade, Mandrake, Oak leaves, Sage, Rosemary, and Straw.
Foods of SamhainTurnips, Apples, Gourds, Nuts, Mulled Wines, Beef, Pork, Poultry.
Stones of SamhainBlack obsidian, smoky quartz, jet, amber, pyrite, garnet, granite, clear quartz, marble, sandstone, gold, diamond, iron, steel, ruby, hematite, brass
Deities of SamhainCrone Goddesses, Dying/Aging Gods, Sacrificial Gods, Death and Otherworld Deities
Samhain Activities
Make resolutions, write them on a small piece of parchment, and burn in a candle flame, preferably a black votive candle within a cauldron on the altar.
Drink apple cider spiced with cinnamon to honor the dead. Bury an apple or pomegranate in the garden as food for spirits passing by on their way to being reborn.
Do divinations for the next year using tarot, a crystal ball, flame, pendulum, magick mirror, black bowl, runes, or a black cauldron filled with black ink or water.
Make a witch's broom. Tie dried corn husks or herbs (broom, cedar, fennel, lavender, peppermint, rosemary) around a strong, relatively straight branch of your choice.
Make a
witches ladder for protection or as an expression of what you hope to manifest in the year ahead.
Find a magick wand of oak, holly, ash, rowan, birch, hazel, elm, hawthorne or willow.
Let this be the traditional time that you make candles for the coming year, infusing them with color, power, herbs, and scent depending on the magickal purpose.
Taken from...@
chalicecentre.net@
wicca.com@
earthwitchery.com@
joellessacredgrove.com
Samhain 
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soo very much for Membership, Friendship,
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Our true love we recognize by the light in our eyes... and what ever we're searching for lays in us..
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Follow the Aurora. Listen to the oceans. Taste the clear air. Smell the flower's fragrance. Feel the warmth of the sun. See the world around you and find your dreams...
On this night, the veil between this world and the next grows thin. The spirits of those who came before us are near, and they hear us when we call upon them. All part of the endless cycle, life and death walk hand in hand, side by side. Without one, we cannot have the other. As light begins to fade, we embrace the dark part of the year, knowing that without the darkness, the light is meaningless. Take time to reflect on what this new year means to you, and what it meant to those we call the Ancient Ones. May your ancestors look upon you proudly as you honor them tonight.
kalyre
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Life is a series of moments entangled together controlled by time. To somehow stop time and capture a piece of life, bringing forth a sense of intimacy and emotion is the essence of art.
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if you can't do it naked it's not worth doing!
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