Pumpkin Carving Ritual

Time to start decorating! I love decorating for this day. You would, if you visited, find bats, Witches, skeletons, scarecrows, and ghosts peeking out of every pot, pan, bowl, closet, drawer, and bookshelf in the house. One of my favorite traditions at this time of year is to carve pumpkins. Sometimes I carve one large pumpkin. But more often, I will carve three smaller pumpkins, each with a different expression. Plenty of Halloween books, magazines, and articles offer ideas for carving methods and creative designs. I like to turn my carving into a ritual. I gather all my carving tools, my pumpkins, and my ritual tools. I cast a circle and ask angels of creativity for inspiration. Sometimes, I have designs worked out on paper ahead of time. Most often, I take the advice of sculptors: They let what is inside the stone or clay come out. In other words, I let the spirit of the pumpkin express itself. It’s not easy, as words are more natural to me than artwork. But it is always rewarding. The innards become pumpkin pies or pumpkin cookies. Some of the seeds are toasted, and some of the seeds are given as offerings to the spirit of pumpkin and to the angels. Every year’s pumpkins are different, because the spirit of each pumpkin is unique. Each pumpkin is a living being. The merry expressions lit by candlelight fill my home with joy and blessings.

...by: Cerridwen Iris Shea

We picked these gorgeous pumpkins. I can't wait to carve them. I love using the carving patterns. Especially from this site!
After that I love to roast the pumpkin seeds too.

Pumpkin Seeds

Spray a cookie sheet with no-stick cooking spray and spread them evenly across the sheet. Very lightly spray the seeds before roasting.

Put them in the oven and bake at 300° for about 35 minutes, until they're a toasted, golden brown. Salt the seeds to your preference

-Carol

Right now, on SYFY Interview with a Vampire is on. Still yummy after all these years!! Second horror movie that I find the actors to be hot! lmao! Maybe that should become a topic! Horror hotties..... :)
-Carol

One more thing I'm doing this month is learning the Thriller dance. Goofy I know...but they are zombies! There is even going to be the worlds largest simultaneous dance happening! I think is this Saturday at 8:30 pm in the USA. Want to join? Check here for details.
And check here to learn the dance.




See the Thriller video

I love making these cookies, they are fairly easy too and make a ton. They do spread out a little bit, so experiment and make them skinnier to look more like fingers. They taste great too. I used roasted pumpkin seeds for the finger nails w/ the point facing up, they look real cool that way.
Recipe here Enjoy!!!
-carol

I love skeletons. I found this garland at the dollar store and bunched it all up and hung it on my door. They are so fun!

During this Samhain season , I want to make an effort to horor my ancestors. I just got an email from my aunt with my grandmothers stuffed cabbage recipe on it. I'm going to try and recreate it this week. I'm also setting out any old pictures I might have of my grandparents and other family members too.
-Carol


Autumn is the season when the dark of the year arrives. It is a time to turn inward and reflect on our ancestors and on those we love who have crossed to the other side of the veil. Begin building energy to welcome your loved ones on Samhain by placing photos or mementos of them on a table, bookshelf, or windowsill in the east area of a room. (East is the direction associated with ancestors and family.) Along with ancestral photos, you may want to include goddess images of Hecate, Cerridwen, Kali, Inanna, or Cybele. Samhain is when the goddess enters her crone aspect as Dark Mother and Wise One. She takes away what she has created, but in her dark womb is the seed of the next New Year. All that is old is new again.
by Sedwin

Well, I finally got to see Zombieland! It was so fun. It was more funny than scary, especially if you love zombies, like I do! I love any zombie movie, pretty much! I probably still wouldn't recommend it for small children, it did have it's share of guts and gore. And, it's official I am marrying Woody Harrelson. He gives me butterflies ;)

I can always get the boys to eat this and it sneaks in some veggies too. Throwing in a handful of butterscitch chips makes it that much better!

Magickal Pumpkin Bread
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla (love & mental prowess)
(symbolizing fertility & money) 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups sugar (love & passion)
2 large eggs (fertility)
3/4 teaspoon salt (protection) 1/3 cup water (cleansing)
1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup fresh pumpkin (abundance) 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (health & wishes)
(spirituality & protection ) Powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (luck & health) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients
(except walnuts and powdered sugar).
Mix well. In another bowl, combine pumpkin, water, eggs, vanilla and
oil.
Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and beat thoroughly.
Stir in nuts and pour batter into a greased loaf pan.
Bake for 75-80 minutes.
Cool 15 minutes before removing from pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Gypsy Magick Newseletter for October 11 2004

-Carol

These always turn out very pretty. You can decorate your house while you are casting your spell!!
-Carol






PUMPKIN ABUNDANCE SPELL LIGHTS


These are great for magickal party favors and will cost you very little.

6 miniature pumpkins
6 tea lights
knife or pumpkin carving tools

Cut off the tops of the little pumpkins and clean them out Cut faces into the pumpkins. Insert tea lights. Hold your hands over the pumpkins and chant:


Keep your hands over the pumpkins until your palms tingle or grow
warm. Give them to your friends with a smile, and repeat the spell
to them. Tell them to light the candle in the pumpkin at midnight
on Samhain to activate the spell.
-unknown

This spell I saved is dedicated to Mori. Hope it helps you this month as we come upon the one year anniversary of your son's death. My heart is with you- -Carol

Often, when we think of those who have passed on we are over-come with grief. This following spell for condolence can help ease the pain. On the stove top or in a potpourri burner, place three parts lemon balm, two parts lavender, one part sage, one-half part rosemary, and one-quarter part allspice. You may also add sweet peas, elder bark, fennel seed, or willow leaves if you have them. Allow the mixture to simmer while you visualize it sending a healing hug.


Black Iris image by Georgia O'Keefe

-Carol

I just love Zombies. Anything zombie, especially movies! I was so excited when these guys creeped out on stage. They did Thriller... of course. It was fun. I wish it was a little bit of a closer picture!

Has anyone seen Zombieland yet??

-Carol

I'm excited to join in the Halloween Blog fun! I have lots of Halloween images and Samhain spells saved up. I'm going to work on doing some of these in preparation of Samhain and I'm going to try and share them with you as well! I'm going to start off by freshening up the place and clearing the air-

Clearing Your Home Spell

Samhain is almost upon us. The indoor season will soon follow. To prepare for this we should do a clearing, so that stagnant energies cannot build up during the dormant time of the year. Set up a tray with a censer containing sage incense, a bell, and a small bowl with blessed water containing basil. You will also need your besom. Walk through your home in a clockwise manner beginning at the front door and ending at the back. Enter the first room and waft the sage smoke everywhere. Dip your fingers in the water and sprinkle it about. Next, walk the room in a clockwise fashion ringing the bell. Take your besom and sweep any leftover energy to the door saying: “I sweep the bad out, and good remains throughout.”
by: Tammy Sullivan

Samhain Blessings!
-Carol

We spent some time this weekend at Great Adventure in NJ. WE had so much fun. Rode lots of roller coasters, saw a freak show, met some Zombies! Couldn't have had a better time. But so tired now....

Correspondences to start the month off-
Nature Spirits: frost faeries, plant faeries
Herbs: pennyroyal, thyme, catnip, uva ursi, angelica, burdock
Colors: dark blue-green
Flowers: calendula, marigold, cosmos
Scents: strawberry, apple blossom, cherry Stones: opal, tourmaline, beryl, turquoise
Trees: yew, cypress, acacia
Animals: stag, jackal, elephant, ram, scorpion
Birds: heron, crow, robin
Deities: Ishtar, Astarte, Demeter, Kore, Lakshmi, Horned God, Belili, Hathor
Power Flow: to let go; inner cleansing. Karma and reincarnation. Justice and balance. Inner harmony.