Samhain Ritual Ideas

Below are a few ritual ideas for Samhain, some are great for solitaries, while some are better suited for groups. Many rituals will focus upon one or two of these themes.


Theme: Honoring Ancestors
In your ritual, evoke the ancestors
Create an ancestor altar
Write a letter to a loved one and read it out loud
Read a list of people who have passed on either in your life or in the past year
Ask your ancestors to bless an item
Non-ritual idea: Have a dumb supper- make a plate of food for those who have passed on, many eat in silence as part of their supper


Theme: The Dying God
Evoke the Sage/Old God
Honor the God in his last phase of life
Make offerings to the God and/or to underworld gods
Ask for blessings of the Old God for the new year


Theme: Divination
Do divination for the upcoming year
Get together with friends and do readings for one another
Try a sort of divination that you’ve never tried, or that has never worked well for you
Non-ritual idea: Get together with friends, and have a divination night where you teach one another a type of divination- it’s a great way to get introduced to different ways to divine.


Theme: The Final Harvest
Meditate on what you are thankful for
In a group- state out loud what you are thankful for, and praise deity accordingly
Do offerings to your deities to thank them for the good fortune brought your way this year
Ask for blessings for the upcoming year

Pumpkin Doughnuts (Vegan)

Beth contributes this yummy fall recipe, a hit at any Samhain potluck...



Pumpkin Doughnuts (Special equipment needed; donut baking pan.)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup AP flour
• 1 cup WW Pastry Flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp nutmeg)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup pumpkin, freshly roasted or canned
• 1 1/4 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance (or other margarine), softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

 

In to a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt, then add in the brown sugar.

Add pumpkin, soy milk, vanilla, margarine, & vanilla; beat with an electric mixer on low speed or whisk until just mixed.

Add the apple cider vinegar & carefully fold it in until just mixed.

Fill the wells of your donut pan almost to the brim. Bake them for 10 minutes, or till golden brown.

Remove the doughnuts from the oven & allow them to cool on a rack.

 

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Cinnamon Doughnut Glaze

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 4 tablespoons soy milk
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon, or to taste 

Instructions:

Whisk all of the ingredients together.

 

If you like a thicker glaze, add more confectioners sugar, to make it more icing-like.

After the doughnuts have cooled, use a spoon to drizzle the tops, allowing the excess to fall to parchment paper below your cooling rack.

 

For the LAST time, Wiccans are NOT fluffy...

.... well, perhaps those who call themselves Wiccan- solely because it's fun- are fluffy.*


But anyone who has any concept of the actual religion of Wicca would know better. There is this “Witchier than thou” ego-centric crap that has made its way through the Pagan community, and it sickens me. Guess what? What we do is not more right or more wrong than what your tradition does. There is this strange misconception that Wicca is all about love and light, and harming none. This is incorrect.

The Wiccan Rede is indeed: An’ it harm none, do as ye will. However, the word “rede” means advice. Not law, advice. We are advised to do what we will, while it harms none. Most Wiccans believe in some sort aspect of the Law of Return, or the Threefold Law. This means that what we put out, will come back to us- summed up it means personal responsibility. Can I do something that might affect someone in a negative way and still be Wiccan? This is a question that does come up from time to time. The idea of what I put out coming back to me is what keeps me in check, regardless of the Rede.

Many people think that Wiccans shy away from protective magick that sends negative energy back to the sender. I am Wiccan, but I am also a Witch. I will protect and defend myself, my family and my coven sisters. Period. If I need to be the hand of the Gods and return what another person puts out, so be it. Does this happen often? No. Will I take responsibility for whatever backblow occurs? Absolutely. Will I still honor both the God and Goddess, celebrate the Sabbats and the moon, circle within the Wiccan ritual structure, use traditional Wiccan tools, and honor polarity, both light and dark? Of course. This can be a little different if one is part of a coven, as then we have hive mind and other issues at stake, of course- that’s where perfect love and trust come in (but that’s another blog post).

Generally, I think that Wiccans are associated with love, light, etc. because one of the goals that many of us have is personal growth and achieving a successful life balance. So, maybe Wiccans are more perky than your average Pagan? That doesn’t mean that they aren’t doing shadow work to get to know themselves better. And if they are- it’s none of your business. Our relationships with our gods aren’t your business either.
If you are a non-Wiccan witch and get offended and upset when people automatically assume you are Wiccan, examine that. Why do you feel this way? Wicca is the most widely known tradition of Paganism. Use it as a teachable moment, not a moment to clutch your pentacle (in lieu of pearls, of course), and gasp- “I’m not one of them!” Explain the difference, don’t propagate more misconceptions of Wicca. While Wicca is more structured than many other Pagan traditions, this doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for flexibility and self-discovery. This is just done with a healthy respect of polarity and balance. This isn’t fluffy- Wicca is more deeply faceted than you might ever think.

*In this post, I may generalize, but keep in mind, my generalization as Wicca and Wiccans, includes only those who are traditional-style Wiccans | This was cross-posted from Ivy's blog- Beyond the Circle.