Samhain celebrations?

[Loobyloo]

Hello folks,

I'm going to try and mark samhain somehow this year ( I always want to but end up busy!) but I'm not really sure how. I was wondering if any of you would mind sharing with me your traditions for this festival? I know it should be personal to you but I was hoping for some inspiration?

I'm feeling fairly low at the moment (well maybe more than 'fairly') and feel that getting back to my beliefs could help somehow.

Any advice or ideas greatfully received.


Loo
x

[Milims]

I don't know if it's strictly Samhain but our celebration usually involves a bonfire. It just seems to be right to have something warm and light at such a dark cold time of year.

[Loobyloo]

Thats a good idea Milims, theres something cleansing about fire as well, could be good to get rid of all the bad energy and depression that we're both suffering with at the moment.

We need a clean new start.

[Milims]

Just a thought - why dont you write down all the negative things that are getting you down at the moment on little slips of paper and throw them into the bonfire one by one? It could be a good way of getting closure on some things and symbolically you could then start afresh. Hope you feel better about things soon. Sending good thoughts to you

Susie

As Samhain is pretty much the Pagan New Year, it's a good time to make a new start and look forward to things. Why not Google for a Samhain spell - there are some nice ones.

[mrsflibble]

it always involves fire here, we do the writing down of bad things from the last year and burn in a symbolic gesture, then we sit and remember our beloved dead, remeber good things from the last year and give thanks for those, and say what we'd like from the next year. hubby's not a pagan (he calls himself an open minded atheist; whatever!) but I am and he's happy with sophie learning about my beliefs so long as he can teach her about his.

We have a nice dinner on a well made up table, complete with centrepiece and table cloth (ok ok, it's a sheet, but it's a lovely sheet). We're having pumpkin soup, slow roast pork, seasonal veggies, boulangere potatoes, followed by home made and locally grown (as in grown by the bloke down the road from us ;) ) toffied apple slices and ice cream.

Soph and I will be having a bath as the sun goes down, getting dressed in clean clothes, clensing with salt and then going out to ground ourselves and then light the fire.

I need to take her for a walk in a bit cos i need more fire lighters. the weather is just to damp to get anything going without them today

later, when soph's in bed, James and I will sit in the garden as the fire dies, talking about our life together and rinking a little booze. probably beer as we have some in the fridge.

[Loobyloo]

Thanks for your ideas everyone, we had a really cathartic fire ritual in the garden, toasted the future with mulled local cider, had lovely feast (spent most of the day cooking! beef wellington followed by toffee apple crumble hmmm) then I read tarot for us both.

So hopefully things will start to turn around. The tarot gave us both a lot of things to think about, things we need to do for ourselves for life to improve, but its a start.

Am feeling a bit more positive now but thats tempered by Sunday dread. (I hate hate hate my new job and am dreading going in tomorrow )

So anyway, thanks again, I know I can always get good caring advice here and that means a lot, esp when I'm down! to you all.
xxx

[mrsflibble]

I went and had a tarot reading done in the town centre, we've just had a "psychic gifts" store open. the man who did my reading was amaaaaaaaazing!!!

[snapdragon]

I went and had a tarot reading done in the town centre, we've just had a "psychic gifts" store open. the man who did my reading was amaaaaaaaazing!!!

no MrsF 'tis you thats amazing - you shuffled the cards? so it was you that put them in the right order he just read them.

If the querant doesn't 'put in', then nothing (or sometimes the wrong thing) comes out.

[snapdragon]

Thanks for your ideas everyone, we had a really cathartic fire ritual in the garden, toasted the future with mulled local cider, had lovely feast (spent most of the day cooking! beef wellington followed by toffee apple crumble hmmm) then I read tarot for us both.

So hopefully things will start to turn around. The tarot gave us both a lot of things to think about, things we need to do for ourselves for life to improve, but its a start.

Am feeling a bit more positive now but thats tempered by Sunday dread. (I hate hate hate my new job and am dreading going in tomorrow )

So anyway, thanks again, I know I can always get good caring advice here and that means a lot, esp when I'm down! to you all.
xxx

positive thoughts on your new job LL - don't forget to use pity as a tool instead of hate, turns the sharp bit around.

[mrsflibble]

I went and had a tarot reading done in the town centre, we've just had a "psychic gifts" store open. the man who did my reading was amaaaaaaaazing!!!

no MrsF 'tis you thats amazing - you shuffled the cards? so it was you that put them in the right order he just read them.

If the querant doesn't 'put in', then nothing (or sometimes the wrong thing) comes out.

I've never had one done before, so it was all a new experience for me. and amazing one, and one I want again... probably next samhain lol.