Merry Meet all!

So, Its time for All Hallows again, is it? Yes, yes, I know we dont celebrate Halloween, but I just love the word, and the root 'to make hallowed' rings in my bones with a certain antiquity. I can't believe how fast the Wheel spins these days.
I will never forget celebrating my first Samhain when I was thirteen - The circle was memorable, done all around and within with golden Oak leaves, lying ankle deep. When people entered, through a black veil, they were greeted with grinning Jack-o's, glowing cauldron fires, and the glistening of swords in the full moonlight... That was the first circle I ever decorated, 9 years ago, and its been a passion ever since.

Like most Witches and Pagans, Samhain is one of my favorite festivals (though it's hard to find favorites, isnt it?)
This year has been crazy for us all, and with exams, I thought I would begin the decorating early - I guess election day was good for something after all ;)

My mother and I decided to stock up the wood pile in our home. Yes, we are fortunate enough to live in a home that is nearing its 100th birthday, complete with wooden floors and freezing bedrooms. It's tradition in our home to make the first fire on Samhain, and these we continue to burn until Yule and beyond (if not in the fireplace all the time, then we keep a perpetual flame lit just above the hearth).
Yesterday I brought out the All Hallows decor, mom sewed a new altar cloth (mine just get covered with wax every year), and my step dad, although not Pagan - he is, in fact, persuing a degree in Christian theology - is clearing space in the garden for the Pumkins to be strategically placed. We also have begun changing the colours of our rooms and the lounge from the pinks, blues and greens of summer to darker, warmer blues, browns, and oranges of winter. Even my cat, Sassy (she is in fact black, cliche I know), had the luxury of being bought a new kitty blanket today, and finally convinced us to haul out her heater from the garage, as I'm sure we can all feel the nights are growing a bit chillier! Being a die-hard Pagan as I am, I have even decorated my room a bit more with statues of witches, skulls, and made a new wall-hanging for Baron above my ancestral altar. Tomorrow we will doing our final major 'spring' clean (sigh), setting the winter sheets on the beds, and making sure the fireplace is cleaned, cleansed and blessed so that it can be lit in style, and in true honor of the Old Gods. We are also making new Calliech Stones, so that we can bless them on the sabbat night. The Calliech (said Kah-lee-yeCH, or Koy-laCH, with the CH being like the G in Afrikaans) is the Crone Goddess of our Scottish blood who guards Witches, and brings in the cold of winter. She is that most amazingly dark, delicious and fiercely protective Crone, the other half of Brighid, who has a blue face, a piercing eyes, wild silver hair, and a single fang with the blood of her enemies dripping off it. Sound scary? Good! She can be. But if honored, loved and respected, she will be your spiritual grandmother, teacher (she's amazing with herbs and cooking), guardian, and comforter on cold wintery nights - not to mention the old gal has a WICKED sense of humor!! The stones that we make are of Pow-Wow origin, also called Lightning or Divinity Stones - I have used them for years in my healing work, as they are great in banishing illness, sucking up negativity and stress, and protecting the wearer. I also use mine to pray with and to talk to in times of doubt. Its a great tool!

In the garden we are hanging bells, chimes, and shiny-thingies to chase away gremlins, ooglies, nasties and even bothersome Tokoloshes (who, a sangoma friend of mine informs me, loves terrorising families around this time!)
We have aslo set blue bottles in the windows to chase away badies and the evil eye, and set in them various herbs and powders for the same - rosemary (protection), salt (no need to say), nails, broken glass, cloves and hawthorn berries (little Tokolshes HATE these!!)

So, it's safe to say, Samhain has definately set its cloak around the ElfLeaf home, and I hope the season is inspiring you all to do the same!

May the Calliech and the great Hooded God of the Shadow Realms guide, guard, and bless you, your families and friends...

Merry Meet and Merry Part,
Bright the Cheeks and Warm the Heart!!!

Raphael ElfLeaf *+)