Happy Halloween/ Samhain

What are you all doing tonight? Trick-or-treating was last night where I live what about everyone else?

My new notebook

Just wanted to share pictures of the Notebook I got at Barnes and Nobles yesterday. I thought it was just a random notebook with what I decided was a goddess on it. I got home and it had a sticker on the back that told me it is a painting of the goddess Selene guiding the moon by Josephine Wall.

Books!

I love love love to read and today Mrs. B is giving away an awesome sounding book b Raymond Buckland called Buckland's Book of Gypsy Magic: Travellers' Stories, Spells & Healings! It sounds like an amazing read with Romani lore, a section on tea leaves, and gypsy magick!!  I would love to nab this book so wish me luck and head over to Mrs. B's yourself to check out her giveaways and enter for your own chance to win!

Last Halloween Recap

I didn't have this blog a year ago so I decided to write a little about what I did last year.

I was living in an apartment with Wolf and our neighbor asked if she could take pictures of my ritual for her class. I allowed her an she set her camera up while I set my ritual space up in the dining room. I used my four candles to outline the circle and set up my altar with a cup of wine, bread, my candles etc. After casting the circle I made a little speech about honoring our ancestors and I wrote a petition to keep myself and family safe for the new year. It was rather short on my part mostly because I'd become a bit embarrassed and started to repeat myself. So after a short meditation I drank some wine and had a bit of bread. I closed the circle, released the elements and left the wine and bread outside. I also put a candle in the window to guide any wondering spirits.

This year I am going to be babysitting in a hotel room and I have no idea if I'll have the time to do a ritual since I won't be home until well after midnight. I might do something at three am Halloween morning. If I do I think it will be in the areas of love. I'm going through a rough patch in my relationship (read we're broken up) but I feel things will get better. I feel in my heart that Wolf and I are meant to be together and I want to do anything I can to make it work. Well...mostly anything.

Blessed Be!

Late in the day giveaway

I haven't been around the internet much these past few days due to personal issues and of course I had to check Mrs. B's to see what I missed. Today she is giving away a Wire wrapped Amethyst Point Pendulum. It is really amazing!! The site owner is Shades of Midnight so jump over to Mrs. B's blog to get the link and enter for your chance to win!

Here's another

There is another giveaway at Mrs. B's that I must blog about. This is a mini Herbal kit from Five Seed (find the link at Mrs. B's) and boy do they have some cool stuff in that shop! Go on over and check it out!!

Good Morning

Morning early birds!! I am not usually an early rise but job hunting I must go. Anywho I popped over to Mrs.B's place and she is having a giveaway from Cauldron Crafts!! Go look through their stuff (think link is on Mrs. B's blog) they have a bunch of really really cool stuff! It was hard for me to just pick one and leave a comment about it! So run run run on over and check out the awesome stuff!

Samhain

Here's a little bit of information on Samhain (pronounced Sow-in or Sahm-hayn) Anything in (Italics) is my commentary.

• It is the third and final harvest feast.
• It is a day to remember and commune with those who have passed on.
• It is a celebration of the cycle of reincarnation.
• Considered the day when the "veil between the worlds" is thinnest.

According to Sabbats by: Edain McCoy, there are two possible sources for the origin of this Sabbat's name. The first being the Aryan God of Death, Samana. The second is from the Irish Gaelic word "Samhraidhreadh" which literally means "the summer's end." (I'm sure it does. Being half Irish I've seen some pretty long and interesting words with short meanings or short words with long meanings.)
For the Celtic people Samhain marks the end of summer and the beginning of the winter months, the day after Samhain being the Celtic New Year. In many European traditions, this is the night when the old God dies and is mourned by the Crone for the next six weeks.
Samhain is more popularly known as Halloween, a contraction of the words, "Hallowed Evening." and it retains much of the original form and meaning it had long ago in Celtic lands. The Church, trying to turn this day into a day of prayer, named it Michaelmas, the feast day of St Michael. Eventually, it was renamed the Eve of All Saints or All Hallows Eve and precedes All Saint's Day.

The preceding three paragraphs are paraphrased from the book Sabbats: A witch's approach to living the old ways. By Edain McCoy. I have provided an image and a link below if you wish to order the book through Amazon.com.

Hopefully I will have more posts concerning my favorite of all holidays over the coming weeks. I am planning on putting up a section on my traditions within the next few days!
Blessed Be!
Layla

 

The Sacred Oak

Is a the shop donating to Mrs.B's second giveaway of the day! The have wonderful items check out Mrs.B's blog for the link or a chance to win!

Mrs. B during October

Mrs. B is still having giveaways!! Today my blog is letting you know about all the wonderful items at Into the Dawn Designs. I really like all of the items there. They are all unique and very well done. On Mrs. B's she is giving away an The winner will receive an African Violet & Amethyst Pendulum! So go check it out and be sure to check Mrs. B's blog everyday  for great giveaways and blog posts!!

Pagan Pride

Yesterday was the 8th annual Pagan Pride Day festival in my city. There were five workshops, four booths actually selling things, and a bake sale. This was my first time attending and I honestly thought it could have been better. Some of the vendors were selling antique store costume jewelry -_- Maybe I'll stick to the internet.

On the 8th day of Halloween

Mrs. B has a bunch of great giveaways on her blog all October. I really like the one from Agonys Decay's Creepy Craft ! Go check out her blog to see the giveaways and for your chance to win!

Ech

I am very sorry. I know there aren't a lot of people following this blog but real life has become a mess. I've had to move in with my mom while Wolf moved in with his father three hours away. I need to find another job to pay bills and save up money to move. Stress lots of stress!!! I haven't even unpacked yet and its been a week. Hopefully I'll update soon!