Making Preparations

So this is post 667. Not quite as exciting, huh? Well, I'm freakin' excited! Samhain is almost here, and for the first time in a long time, I have what may turn into actual plans!

I've been chatting with one of my friends and making plans in our spare time. I hope to get some good pictures of everything to document it. I hope it all works out. So far, everything feels good.

The tentative schedule:

Friday, Oct. 30 will be the night we make our rosemary remembrance cookies. I may tell the story of the first jack o'lantern to my friends' daughter (I'll make sure it isn't too spooky because she is a fabulous five years old), or we might wait until Saturday. I want to work in some pumpkin pretzels at some point, too. I might have to get up early for that.

Saturday, Oct. 31 will be the day we celebrate. Now, if you look at the actual cross-quarter days, you'll see that Samhain is November 7. Why not celebrate both days? I might!

The cemeteries around here close at 2:00 on Saturdays, so we will have to get our butts up and moving early. The plan is to go clean up any areas that could use some TLC, give the kiddo some more information on what we're doing and why, and leave some offerings. We're also planning a little bit of a picnic, hence the pretzels.

After we have cleaned up a bit and discussed the significance of the day, we can get ready for the evening plans. Food will need to be prepared for the ancestors' potluck/dumb supper.

The evening ritual will be an opportunity to remember not only our deceased loved ones, but also to remember those who don't have anyone else to honor them. Some people are forgotten in sickness and at death. They are alone. I will be one of those people, so it's especially important to show some love, I think. They will all be invited to the supper.

As is traditional, divination will happen later on. I'd like to do some tarot, and I (badly) painted a spirit board:

Those are our tentative plans. It will require a healthy dose of organization, so I'm glad I have help. I wouldn't want to do this alone! Fingers crossed that all goes well, even if it isn't 100% according to plan. 

What are your plans? 

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

This Samhain, I am trying to organize something with my boyfriend and some friends of ours. I hope it works out because I have already started making plans. I'm really excited, but if it doesn't work out, I know I will just feel depressed and do hardly anything at all. Fall asleep on the couch watching horror movies. Eat Reese's til I puke. Who knows.

Anywaayyy... I have some ideas that I thought I would share.

Food (of course): Ancestors' Potluck - The guests and I will supply one or two dishes that loved ones particularly enjoyed or would have enjoyed.

I am going to make fried catfish in honor of my friend Bill, a beef, mushroom, and Guinness pie for some of Martin's relatives, and a lemon ricotta cake that my grandmother and everyone else would have liked.

I am going to make a punch for the little chickpea who is attending. We may have to let her sleep here for a while if we stay up late. She's my friends' kiddo and she is five. She rocks. I will make an apple cider-cranberry juice-ginger ale-orange sorbet punch for her.

Adults get a twist on my hot buttered rum recipe. I might put some caramel in it, and I plan to use some pumpkin pie spice. *gasp* I know! A pumpkin spice hot buttered rum! Do to me what you will. I think it will be delishuz.

If I get a chance, I will make rosemary remembrance cookies with the kiddo and her parental units. I also want to try pumpkin soft pretzels.

Symbolism:

I think I will ask my guests to bring some cheap dollar store decorations like bats, skulls, spiders, witches, etc. I am after a decent-sized plastic skeleton. I want to adorn it with flowers and some "jewels". It will represent the beloved dead and have a spot somewhere. I can set up a table outside and put some food out there.

Ritual-y Stuff:

I don't know about that yet. I don't want to make that decision completely on my own.I'm not that kind of person, usually. I'd rather it be a collection of ideas and traditions. I'd like to toast to the ancestors and share stories. I'll probably cry a lot because that's what I do, but that's okay.

Divination/Tarot, etc. can take place later. We'll figure out what to do with the kiddo later.

If I end up on my own, there is a Tarot thing I plan on doing either way. I will go out by the fire if I can. I'll still make the food, too.

My friend also wants to go to a cemetery and clean some graves out of respect for those who don't have anyone left to do it. I like that idea, and I hope we get to do it. Again, we'll see.

I want to hear about your plans. What are you doing? What are you making? Who are you honoring? Let's get excited about Samhain! The veil is thinning! Hail the beloved dead. :)

EDIT: This is post 666 on this blog. Hehehehehe.

Thinner...

Here it is the middle of September only, and so many of us can already feel the veil getting thinner. It's exciting and I wonder if it's earlier this year than it has been in some years past? Or maybe it's just me being more sensitive due to things like the Mercury retrograde (vomit) and the approach of my period. Who can be sure.

When do you typically notice the veil between the worlds thinning? What are some of the first signs for you? Weird shit happens around here. Things disappear. Strange feelings come and go - not necessarily bad, but definitely the feeling of not being alone. Things disappearing and just fucking up in general makes me think maybe the retrograde is at least partially responsible. It's set to end before the middle of October, I believe.

I need to figure out what to do. Who am I going to remember? How am I going to do it?

I think the most efficient way to do it, and the easiest, is to write down everyone's names. You can write down birthdays and/or the days they passed, as well. I don't really have any photos of anyone; they are at my mom's house. I will write down the names of grandparents and friends who have passed.

I may also include some way of honoring others who are important to me but to whom I am not related or closely acquainted.

As for decorations and such, I made a groovy wreath last year, but my ferrets destroyed it. I guess it's back to square one, there. I am going to set up a small folding table on the porch with the names, some food, candles, booze, and maybe some cigs for anyone who has fond memories of smoking.

As for food, one of the dishes I plan to make is fried catfish. I mentioned that in an earlier blog post, shortly after my friend Bill died so unexpectedly. He was a good ol' Southern gentleman and loved his fried catfish and sweet, sweet tea. So he shall have some. I imagine I'll work some taters 'n' cabbage in there somewhere, too. I'll make a separate post when we get closer.

The Corn(y) Post

Corn. Maize. Whatever you call it, this delicious grain has been cultivated by Mesoamericans since prehistoric times. Corn is believed by historians to have first been cultivated in Mexico, but it is not known precisely when. 

Corn means different things in different countries. In England, 'corn' can refer to wheat, while in Ireland, it can refer to oats (other posts for other times). Corn may have been introduced to Europe by that d-bag Columbus, or it could have been another d-bag European explorer/conquistador. Either way, corn as we typically think of it is indigenous to North and Central America. When the Bible says 'corn', it means wheat or barley, most likely. 

It is/was the staple of many an indigenous diet, along with beans and squash (The Three Sisters) here in North America. 

Corn is ruled by the Sun and the element of Fire. Corn energy is Corn Mother energy to me - fertility, love, protection. Spirituality is included in the list of corn's energies. 

Cornmeal can be used in spiritual practices to represent the four elements. It can be given as an offering. Blue is considered the most sacred. It also represent west. Yellow represents north; white is for east; red is for the south. 

Lammas and Mabon are excellent times to utilize corn. Stalks can be used for decoration. Dishes featuring corn are appropriate for the sabbat meal. 

One of my favorite corn recipes is the cornbread we've made in my family for years. 

Nar's Family Cornbread:

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar (or less if you prefer)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 cup butter milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp melted butter or shortening
2 tsp. salt

Whisk together sugar, buttermilk, egg, and butter or shortening. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder in another bowl. Add to wet ingredients. 

This recipe is perfect for a cast-iron skillet if you have one. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Grease the skillet with shortening. Pour in the batter and bake for 22-25 minutes. 


References:

Cunningham, S. (2003). Cunningham's encyclopedia of Wicca in the kitchen (3rd ed.). St. Paul, Minn.: Llewellyn Publications.

Gibson, L., & Benson, G. (2002). Origin, History, and Uses of Corn (Zea mays). Retrieved September 17, 2015.

Not Against the Grain

September greetings! Can you believe it? Autumn is so close I can almost smell it. I can certainly feel it in the air, even though it was 91 here today.

Another harvest approaches, and that means Mabon is on its way as well. The "Pagan Thanksgiving" is one of my favorites. I want to try to carve out some time to do a few fall things between now and Samhain, but you know me. And if you don't, I'll tell you: I procrastinate like crazy and end up doing diddly-squat, usually.

Aaaaaanyway, this post has a purpose, and I am about to get to it, but first, a little word association.

Harvest.
Fall.
Blue skies.
Crisp apples.
Smoky fires.
Fuzzy blankets.
Grains.

Wait, grains? Grains? But, Nar, aren't those EEEBIL??  Don't they cause everything from weight gain to asthma to butt rot?

Er, no, not exactly. If you aren't one of the people affected by autoimmune disorders such as Celiac Disease, grains aren't going to turn you into some writhing, foaming, acne-coated, wheezing, nearsighted, unfocused, fat mess.

I'm not here to talk about that, though. No, no, I'm here to talk about the historical, cultural, and magical significance of grain. Keep checking this space as I explore wheat, corn, rye, barley, and all sorts of other grains that people have been eating for centuries. What can they bring to your spiritual life? Stay tuned! I shall show you.

I Feel Better Now!

Greetings, once again.

The other day, I was feeling bad that I hadn't gotten around to making any Lammas or even blue moon posts, but then I happened upon this in my newsfeed: Why I'm Boycotting Lughnasadh

I feel much better about not observing most of the holidays now. I agreed with a lot of what the author said, especially about how some rituals are escapist. It does seem that, even when rituals are done outdoors, there is a disconnect between what we tell ourselves the day is about and what is actually happening in nature around us.

I am guilty of this, too. I mean, how in-season is the produce I incorporate into my recipes, really? How local is it? Probably not very. I am trying to harmonize my body with the cycles of nature and the seasons, but why? Shouldn't my body already be that way? Has our modern world messed with us that much? Eep!

Read the article and let me know what you think.