Moon of Hecate

The twenty-ninth day of each month is known as the Moon of Hecate, regardless of the Moon cycle at the time. Hecate, Greek goddess of the underworld, is sometimes misunderstood and aligned with dark forces. Hecate is actually a symbol of empowerment for many women. Her image is represented as a woman who faces three directions, expressing the Triple Goddess of maiden, mother, and crone, whose wisdom can also see in all directions.

Today, two days before Samhain, invoke the energies of Hecate to uncover secrets that are hidden from you, or to help find an answer to a question you need to have answered. Speak these words:

Hecate,
Come help me unfold,
What has remained untold.
With your vision help me see what remains unseen by me.

Meditate and allow thought to flow freely, taking note of whatever enters your mind.

By: Emely Flak

Five Ways to Celebrate Samhain

Magick is in the air, and it's important to just let things happen.

Keep good fun thoughts in your mind, with hope for the future. These positive thoughts will turn into Magick energy and be released... that is the power of Samhain!

Here are 5 ways to celebrate Samhain.

1. Honor the dead
Honoring the dead is one of the best ways to create Magick on Samhain. How do you honor the dead? By remembering them. Think of all the people that have passed on in your life, and don't let their memories fade. Spend some time looking through old photographs. Think deeply about what they were like in life, what did they do... what did they feel? Tell them you miss them. Tell them you love them. Talk about them to friends and family.

2. Have a "dumb" supper
Pick a person (alive or passed away) that has qualities you admire... maybe someone you love and care about that isn't with you. Have dinner as usual, but leave an empty plate for them and "pretend" they are there.

You can either talk to them...ask them how they are doing. Or you can have dinner in complete silence, and think about them deeply. Treat your "guest" with a delicious meal, some good wine, and a tasty dessert. The person you are honoring will feel the energy, and you'll boost your emotional and Magick sources.

3. Carve a pumpkin
Pumpkin carving is a pagan pastime. It actually has it's roots in the belief that carving faces into turnips would keep evil away. Pumpkins work just as well and are easier to carve. Yes, it's fun, and it will also keep any bad luck and negative energy away.

4. Feast... feast... feast!
This is one of the best ways to celebrate Samhain because the positive emotions that build up will directly influence the effects of your divinations and rituals. If you have like-minded friends or family, get together and make a feast! There are many special recipes that work wonders for enhancing your Magick...

5. Do your Divinations
This is the BEST time of the year for seeing what is to come...and don't let it pass by without doing at least one divination ritual. You could do Tarot, Runes, Scrying, Pendulum divination, Tea Reading, and any other divination techniques that resonate with you. It's best to do your divinations AFTER the feast because that's when the energy is at it's peak.

~ Rose Ariadne

Old Superstitions About Spiders

Never kill a spider, it's very bad luck! Here are some of the "old country" beliefs about seeing spiders and what it might mean:

• A spider with syrup cures fever.
• Seeing a spider run down a web in the afternoon means you'll take a trip.
• You'll meet a new friend if you run into a web.
• A spider is a repellent against plague when worn around the neck in a walnut shell.
• Seen running over clothes - a new set of clothes
• Finding a spider in the morning - Sorrow
• Finding a spider at midday - Anxiety
• Finding a spider in the evening - Loss
• A spider spinning in the morning - Good Luck
• A spider climbing its thread - Good News
• A spider dropping on its thread - Good Luck
• Finding a spider on your body - Good Fortune
• Seeing a spider cross a wall - Good Luck
• A spider's web on a doorway - A Visitor
• A spider on your clothes – Money

Seeing Bats

What does it mean when you see a bat?

• In a church during a wedding ceremony - it's a bad omen.
• In the house - either a death or a sign that the humans will soon be leaving.
• Flying close to a person - that person will be betrayed.
• Flying vertically upwards then dropping back to earth - 'The Witches Hour Has Come.'
• Flying early in the evening - good weather.

The Chinese believe that bats are a symbol of long life and happiness

Feeding Ghosts

For little strokes of "good luck" and other goodies, do this every night from now through October 31st (Samhain/Halloween). It will please and appease the lonely ghosts that wander through the night hours this time of year.

Here's what to do:

Every night before you go to bed, place a glass of milk and a plate of barley outside your home under the stars.

This will ease lonely ghosts' "hunger" for attention. It will prevent any mischief, and will bring blessings, luck, and fortune into your life during the next week. If you'd like, you can continue the practice by leaving a little something every evening until the first day of Spring.

Magical Pins

"See a pin and pick it up
All day long you'll have good luck."

The pin, however, must point away. If you pick it up when it points towards you, or by the point, it will bring disappointment. It was also thought unlucky to lend a pin. One way around this was for the lender to turn their back so as not to see the pin being taken.

Unmarried women would remove all the pins from the Bride's costume to enhance their own chances of marrying within the year. The Bride was given a pin immediately after her wedding so that she would have control in the house.

Pins have traditionally been associated with Witches, and accepting a pin from a Witch was thought to place you in her power. Of course, they were also stuck into images, poppets, potatoes, and the like, as a curse.

Magically, pins are placed in a candle to signify the point at which the magic is sent forth. They can also be used in time-specific spells to "pin" the magic to a date. They are, and have always been, cast into wells as an offering, and placed under doorsteps, or in doorframes to protect the house.

In today's world, pins do not seem to have much value, but this was not the case in the past. The humble pin held things together: clothes, wrappings, even small wooden items. For this reason, it had much value, and pins were always kept safely.

When pins are called for in a spell, it can mean a straight pin, a safety pin, hat pin, a fine sturdy tack, or even a brooch.

source: Kate West

Thought for the day!

"... for magic to happen in your life,
you must believe in magic."

~ Lynn Andrews