Mobile pages for those who use Mobile to visit Enchanted

Forest!!
Ning Mobile Upgrade
Redesigned mobile version goes live this week
This banner will appear on your phone and will update
you on latest activities on site, blogs and latest activities in
groups.
Have also added "My Page"
This is in Beta stage so if you have any questions or
problems let us know so we can report it..
Thank you
Shadow and Breeze

Enchanted Forest Magazines

These are magazines we put together from articles posted on site by all members.
These magazines are Free!! We have done these since almost the beginning and have
over 70 in our Scribd Library.
On the right side of the Forest pages you will see current magazine covers shown..
Just click on those and they will take you to the magazine.. no sign up required and
Free download.
If you would like to submit an article please check out our magazine group tab on
site menu. There will have the instructions on how to send in your article and want
to Thank all those who have supported our magazine through the years.. great read
with allot of helpful information.
Thank you
Shadow and Breeze

We at the Enchanted Forest are honoured to support and host the live chats
given by Susun Weed on a monthly basis. Susun is an expert in her field of
Herbs and this is a great opportunity for all to increase their knowledge
and skills by learning from Susun FREE !!!
To come along to these chats join
http://enchantedforrest.ning.com/group/herbswithsusunweed
Times of classes below
USA
Central - 6 pm
Eastern - 7 pm
Western 4 pm
Mountain Time 5 pm
Australia (Melbourne) - 11 am
UK - Midnight

History of Samhain
Also known as Halloween
Posted by SapphireMoonRaven

The History Of Samhain

And Halloween
Samhain's History
Samhain (pronounced Sow-en), dates back to the ancient Celts who lived 2,000 years
ago. Contrary to what some believe, is not a celebration of a Celtic god of the dead.
Instead, it is a Celtic word meaning "summer's end." The Celts believed that summer
came to an end on October 31st and the New Year began on November 1st with the start
of winter. But the Celts also followed a lunar calendar and their celebrations began at
sunset the night before.
Many today see Halloween as the pagan holiday. But that's not really accurate. As the
pagan holiday of Samhain is on November 1st. But their celebrations did and still do,
start at sunset on October 31st, on Samhain Eve. During the day on October 31st, the
fires within the home are extinguished. Often families would engage in a good "fall"
cleaning to clear out the old and make way for the new. Starting the winter months
with fresh and clean household items.
At sunset on October 31, clans or local villages begin the formal ceremonies of Samhain
by lighting a giant bonfire. The people would gather around the fire to burn crops and
animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. It was a method of giving the Gods and
Goddesses their share of the previous years herd or crops. In addition these sacred fires
were a big part of the cleansing of the old year and a method to prepare for the coming
new year.
During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, and danced around the bonfire. Many
of these dances told stories or played out the cycles of life and death or commemorated
the cycle of Wheel of Life. These costumes were adorned for three primary reasons.

The first was to honor the dead who were allowed to rise from the Otherworld. The
Celts believed that souls were set free from the land of the dead during the eve of
Samhain. Those that had been trapped in the bodies of animals were released by the
Lord of the Dead and sent to their new incarnations. The wearing of these costumes
signified the release of these souls into the physical world.
Not all of these souls were honored and respected. Some were also feared as they
would return to the physical world and destroy crops, hide livestock or 'haunt' the
living who may have done them wrong. The second reason for these traditional
costumes was to hide from these malevolent spirits to escape their trickery.
The final representation was a method to honor the Celtic Gods and Goddesses of the
harvest, fields and flocks. Giving thanks and homage to those deities who assisted the
village or clan through the trials and tribulations of the previous year. And to ask for
their favor during the coming year and the harsh winter months that were approaching.
In addition to celebrations and dance, it was believed that this thin veil between the
physical world and the Otherworld provided extra energy for communications between
the living and the dead. With these communications, Druid Priests, and Celtic Shamans
would attempted to tell the fortunes of individual people through a variety of methods.
For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an
important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.
These psychic readings would be conducted with a variety of divination tools. Such as
throwing bones, or casting the Celtic Ogham. There is some historical evidence that
additional tools of divination were also used. Most of this comes from writings
recorded by Roman invaders, but there are stories of reading tea leaves, rocks and
twigs, and even simple spiritual communications that today we'd call Channeling.
Some historians have suggested that these early people were the first to use tiles made
from wood and painted with various images which were the precursor to Tarot Cards.
There's no real evidence to support this, but the 'story' of these tiles has lingered for
centuries.
When the community celebration was over, each family would take a torch or burning
ember from the sacred bonfire and return to their own home. The home fires that has
been extinguished during the day were re-lit by the flame of the sacred bonfire to help
protect the dwelling and it's inhabitants during the coming winter. These fires were
kept burning night and day during the next several months. It was believed that if a
home lost it's fire, tragedy and troubles would soon follow.

With the hearth fires lit, the families would place food and drink outside their doors.
This was done to appease the roaming spirits who might play tricks on the family.
The Romans began to conquer the Celtic territories. By A.D. 43 they had succeeded in
claiming the majority of the Celtic lands. They ruled for approximately four hundred
years combining or influencing many Celtic traditional celebrations with their own.
Two Roman holidays were merged with Samhain.
1. Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the
passing of the dead.
2. Pomona's Day of Honoring, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of
Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably
explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

Samhain to Halloween
With the coming of Christianity in the 800s AD, the early Church in England tried to
Christianize the old Celtic festivals. Pope Boniface IV designated the 1st of November
as "All Saints Day," honoring saints and martyrs. He also decreed October 31 as "All
Hallows Eve", that eventually became Hallow'een.
Scholars today widely accept that the Pope was attempting to replace the earlier Celtic
pagan festival with a church-sanctioned holiday. As this Christian holiday spread, the
name evolved as well. Also called All-hallows Eve or All-hallowmas (from Middle
English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day). 200 years later, in 1000 AD, the
church made November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It is celebrated
similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints,
angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints',
and All Souls' day, are called Hallowmas.
November 1st or May 13th?
Some people confuse Samhain being originally celebrated in May with other pagan
and early Christian holidays.
Samhain comes from the Gaelic word samain. "Sam" - summer and "fuin" - end. It
literally means Summer's End. The early Irish and Brythonic cultures believed the year
was divided in half. The dark half and the light half. Samhain marked the end of the
light half and the beginning of the Celtic new year or the dark half.

According to Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia (1979 Vol 12 p 152), The Druids
originated the holiday. It was a celebration of Saman Lord of the Dead who was the
God of Evil Spirits. There is some debate about this origination as the Druids were not
the only, or the first spiritual pagans of Ireland.
Some of the earliest archaeological evidence of the Celts come from their trade routes
with the Greeks. Their culture can be followed with great precision from the 5th
Century BC through the La Tne culture. From these early records with the Greeks we
know of some of their great festivals and in particular one of their biggest Samhain the
new years festival. Certainly we can gain information from Julius Caesar who wrote
extensively about the Gauls during his invasion campaigns in Ireland during 4th
Century BC. Eventually Rome is sacked by the Celts in 3rd Century BC, around 390BC.
The Romans in general wrote of their warlike inhabitants and many of their barbaric
celebrations. Which included Samhain.
In most if not all of these accounts, Samhain is immersed in blood and sacrifice. Often
in the earliest of times, those sacrifices were human. One Greek account states these
early Celts sacrificed prisoners captured during a battle during their New Years festival
of Samhain. In The History and Origins of Druidism by Lewis Spencer writes about the
Druids stating they burned their victims in holy fire which had to be consecrated by a
Druid priest.
The confusion of May to November 1st probably comes from the Christians and pagan
Roman festivals. The Roman Empire was a pagan culture. During their reign they held
many pagan festivals and celebrations, one being the Feast of the Lemures on May 13th.
During this time malevolent and restless spirits of the dead were appeased and festival
participants would attempt to gain the favor of the spirits. The feast covered a three day
period that honored "all the dead" with food, drink and sacrifice.
At the same time Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon at Rome to the Blessed
Virgin and all the martyrs. This was celebrated in the west from May 13, 609 to 610.
Pope Gregory III (731741) during an oratory in St. Peter's for the relics "of the holy
apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors, of all the just made perfect who are at
rest throughout the world", moved All Saints Day to November 1.
This is further confused by the early Irish churches who did not celebrate All Hallows
Day in November or May, but rather in early spring on April 20th during the Felire of
Oengus and the Martyrology of Talaght. A festival of All Saints was already widely
celebrated in the days of Charlemagne in November.

But it took a decree at the insistence of Pope Gregory IV to all the bishops, that the
celebration be confirmed on November 1st.
These early similar celebrations come together around 835AD. The Roman pagan
festival is over taken by the early Church, the Irish Church conforms it's celebrations
with Rome, and everyone seems to move their day of the dead to coincide with early
Irish pagans and their celebration of Samhain on November 1st.
There's no doubt, however, that the Irish festival of Samhain has always been at the
end of summer on November 1st, and has been one of the prominent harvest festivals
for Celtic pagans from the past and the present.

The Evolution Of Halloween

"Trick-or-treating" is a modern tradition that probably finds it's roots in the early All
Souls' Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food
and families would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to
pray for the family's dead relatives. The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by
the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming
spirits. The practice, which was referred to as "going a-souling" was eventually taken
up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale,
food, and money.
"Dressing up" for Halloween gets it roots from dressing up around the sacred bonfire
during the original Celtic festival. Some suggest, this practice originates from England,
when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world on Halloween. People
thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes, so to avoid being
recognized people would wear masks after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them
for fellow spirits. In addition, these early English people, would place bowls of food
outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter or
cause harm to their homes. A tradition obviously taken from the ancient Celtic pagans.
As European came to America, they brought their varied Halloween traditions with
them. Celebration of Halloween in colonial times was much more common in Maryland
and the southern colonies. Primarily because Celtic immigrants settled more in these
regions than in the north.

As the beliefs and customs of different European ethnic groups meshed together a
distinctly American version of Halloween began to emerge. The first celebrations
included "play parties," public events held to celebrate the harvest, where neighbors
would share stories of the dead, tell each other's fortunes, dance, and sing. Colonial
Halloween festivities also featured the telling of ghost stories and mischief-making of
all kinds. By the middle of the nineteenth century, annual autumn festivities were
common, but Halloween was not yet celebrated everywhere in the country.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, America entered an age of mysticism.
What was more often termed spiritualism. Metaphysical groups and clubs began to
spring up throughout the Golden Age and the wealthier set of Americans. At the same
time, America was welcoming a new group of immigrants, especially the millions of
Irish fleeing Ireland's potato famine of 1846. This new cultural influence brought with
it a melding of Irish and English traditions, and a new Americans culture was born.
People began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money,
a practice that eventually became today's "trick-or-treat" tradition. Young women
believed that, on Halloween, they could divine the name or appearance of their future
husband by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings, or mirrors.

In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday more
about community and neighborly get-togethers, than about ghosts, pranks, and
witchcraft. At the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults
became the most common way to celebrate the day. Parties focused on games, foods of
the season, and festive costumes. Parents were encouraged by newspapers and
community leaders to take anything "frightening" or "grotesque" out of Halloween
celebrations. Because of their efforts, Halloween lost most of its superstitious and
religious overtones by the beginning of the twentieth century.

By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween had become a secular, but community-centered
holiday, with parades and town-wide parties as the featured entertainment. Despite the
best efforts of many schools and communities, vandalism began to plague Halloween
celebrations in many communities during this time.

By the 1950s, town leaders had successfully limited vandalism and Halloween had
evolved into a holiday directed mainly at the young. Due to the high numbers of young
children during the fifties baby boom, parties moved from town civic centers into the
classroom or home, where they could be more easily accommodated.

Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was also revived.
Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the
Halloween celebration. In theory, families could also prevent tricks being played on
them by providing the neighborhood children with small treats. A new American
tradition was born, and it has continued to grow.

By the 1990s, Americans have made Halloween one of the largest commercial holidays.
Spending an estimated $6.9 billion annually on Halloween costumes, accessories,
decorations and pumpkins.

Samhain Traditions
To pagans the world over, November 1st, still marks the beginning of the New Year. To
Witches and Pagans, Samhain is the Festival of the Dead, and for many, it is the most
important Sabbat (Holiday) of the year. Although the Feast of the Dead forms a major
part of most Pagan celebrations on this eve, and at Samhain voluntary communications
are expected and hoped for. The departed are never harassed, and their presence is
never commanded. The spirits of the dead are, however, ritually invited to attend the
Sabbat and to be present within the Circle.

Orange and Black:

The colors of this Sabbat are black and orange. Black to represent the time of darkness
after the death of the God (who is represented by fire and the sun) during an earlier
sabbat known as Lughnasadh, and the waning of light during the day. Orange
represents the awaiting of the dawn during Yule (Dec. 21st to Jan. 1st) when the God is
reborn.

Jack O'Lanterns:
There is some debate about the origination of Jack-o-lanterns. One line suggests this
custom originated from the lighting of candles for the dead to follow as they walked
the earth. These candles were placed in hallowed out gourds and put on the ground to
light the way.

Others suggest the practice originates from a Christianized Irish myth about a man
nicknamed "Stingy Jack."

Stingy Jack and the Devil enter a pub to have a drink. Jack convinces the Devil to turn
himself into a coin to pay for the drinks. But instead of using the coin, Jack slipped it
into his pocket and next to a silver cross. The cross prevented the Devil from changing
back into his original form. But Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition
that he would not bother Jack for one year. And if Jack should die during that year, the
Devil would not claim his soul. And the Devil agreed to these terms.

Jack again tricked the Devil. This time, the Devil climbed into a tree to pick a piece of
fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so
that the Devil could not come down. Once again, Jacked struck a bargain with the
Devil. He would free the Devil from the tree if he promised not to bother Jack for ten
more years. And if Jack died during those years, the Devil would not claim his soul.
And the Devil again agreed to these terms.

Not long after this, Jack did indeed died. But because of his trickery, God would not
allow him into heaven. In keeping his word not to take his soul, the Devil also would
not allow Jack into hell. Instead, the Devil sent Jack out into the darkness of the world
between worlds with nothing but a burning piece of coal. Jack placed the coal into a
carved out turnip and has been roaming the Earth ever since. The Irish began to refer to
Jack's ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply as "Jack O'Lantern."

The Irish and Scottish people began making lanterns by carving scary faces into
turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away the
wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets were used. Immigrants from these
countries brought the tradition to America where they found the pumpkin, a fruit
native to America, that made the perfect jack o'lanterns.

Tricks & Treats:

Treats also originated from an old custom of leaving cookies and other foods out for
those relatives to enjoy as they shared this one night of feasting. The 'trick' portion of
"Trick or Treat" was an invention of the Christians. The tricks were supposedly caused
by the dead who didn't receive a treat of food left for them when they arrived at your
door.

The Contraversary of Samhain and Halloween

Sad to say there have been many fundamentalists who are inciting ignorance and
bigotry into the celebrations of Halloween. No longer is Halloween a religious festival
here in the US. It has become commercialized as an event for kids to have fun, play
dress up and be scared by ghouls and ghosts. It has become nothing more than a
secular holiday.

Those who have tried to link Halloween to Samhain are also missing the boat. As
Halloween, All Hallows Eve are Christian created holidays devised by the early
Churches of Europe as a means to convert pagans to Christianity. The celebrations were
indeed taken from pagan practices, but their purposes have long since been corrupted
and are no longer pagan in nature. Right down to being practiced on October 31st.

Someone asked me if I cared that a nearby town was attempting to change Halloween
from October 31st to the last Friday of each October. My response is why should I
mind? Halloween is a Christian holiday, do with it what you will.

The modern celebrations of Halloween do not take away or alter the spiritual
significance of Samhain for pagan practitioners. Our Sabbat is still intact and still
honored with reverence and in the traditional methods practiced by our ancient pagan
ancestors. Though we don't make animal sacrifices any longer, there are some who
will toss a steak into a bonfire as a symbolic gesture. The main focus of the holiday for
pagans is still to honor our loved ones who have passed on and to share in
communication with them during this time when the veil between worlds is narrowed.

Additional articles of interests:

* Pagan Sabbats - High Holy Days
* The Celtic Samhain
Additional Reading:
In addition to the sources listed below that were used to write this article, you might
also check out the following resources:

* Natural History periodical - October 1983 p43-44

* Pagan Celtic Britain by Anne Ross
* Celtic Mythology by McCane
* The Druids and Their Heritage by Ward Rutherford
* The Black Arts by Richard Cavendish
* Human Sacrifice by Lewis Spencer
* The History and Origins of Druidism by Lewis Spencer

Credit- http://www.paganspath.com/magik/samhain-history.htm

KNOW YOUR SELF

AS WELL AS YOUR BODY
Posted by Nancy Anderson

Health According to The Signs:

I will start out with Libra since the Sun is in that part of our body as I
write this. The reason to know a little bit about what I'm going to share with you is
that, many times health conditions, come and go in a course of two or three
weeks as the Sun transits that part of the body. We notice in this short
amount of time the problem has passed on with out a lot of help from Doctors
or prescriptions.

In the Month of Libra, Scorpio & Sagittarius

Illness in the body can be near your waist line, down into the hips and the
lower back.

Capricorn rules the knees

Aquarius is the calf of the leg, ankles and top of the foot.
Pisces is the foot in general and the toe nails,,, but also is known as the
Sole of the foot which should never be cut into.( The Soul as the dictionary
express (the central or vital part of everything,) kinda interesting isn't
it...Sole & Soul

NOW!
Back to the top of the Body is Aries the head. The great hard head of the
Ram,,,The headaches, nose, mouth teeth and the troubles of the kids with
their bumps and bruises. The eyes and the brain. The Head is always moving
upwards as the Ram does on the mountain.
.
Taurus is the neck (like the neck of the bull..Strong but needs respect. If
and accident should happen, and if healing is needed a collar is placed at
the neck that will rest on the shoulders for respect,help and support..)

Gemini the sign of the twin but attached as define in us as we have a Left
shoulder and a Right shoulder again attached to the body.
Gemini big chest, has the lungs ,the arms and the hands and fingers. Let's
not forget the HEART OF THE MATTER..AS WE THINK ABOUT the area of the heart
and the lungs. Never thinking of all the connection that is going on, we
do so much Abuse to the sign that we think about being the TWINS......and
then the Liver catches all that is deposited there from a life of so called
fun, Drinking, Drugs as well as foods, of all kinds..
Now lets go to the sign of Cancer, to start off with the sound of that Sign
might be trying to tell us if we continually succeed to put waste in our
body, if we do what we know we should not do it all just ends in the
emotions part of our body CALLED NERVERS... and that is what we know is our
Center, our digestive and emotional part of the body...So we might think
about what lands up in the Stomach parts of are self..Ruled by the Moon and
darkness
Then we have Leo and we are then really to the Heart of all matters the Sun
light of our life, IS BEATING TUNING the good sense of our life. Or feel
good, Our love of Life, the heart that want to keep on beating for us.

Then Virgo,,,,The on looker of all health and diet and nutritionist.

Exercise, play time, work time..the dispenser to every one.
The Virgo is a quick judge, but can lose people's attention very quickly if
they do not themselves use patience. Judge the Virgo can be too potent for
most and find them sleeves alone. Studies comes easy in their younger days
of their lives and can be of great help to others once they learn to not be
so combative as it causes the stress to their own lives so intense that it
effects different part of their body, which is the gall batter, digestive
and restlessness in their sleep...I've always told my Virgo Clients don't
go towards becoming a lawyer, counselor or a Judge...LOL.
I hope you are enjoying this topic as it is just
A little hit and miss on the way our life and our bodies is connected.
Astrological Signs tells us in very simple turns how to look adjust our
life patterns to the Season that you were born. .Learn Treatments Healing,
and know your our Doctors, and insist that they know about you. That also is
such a part of our creation...

For example: Why do we have chiropractors? God, said because, "I did not
make a way to adjust your back with out one."

More later.( If you have any questions about your Heath and your Sign let me
know.

Nancy Anderson

Writing To Your Guides

Posted by Whispr

In addition to talking to and speaking aloud what thoughts they pop

into your mind, another direct way to communicate with your guides is
through writing. Your hands are direct conduits of your heart, the
place where your guides speak to you.

To start, it's best to pick a specific time of day to write to them

and write only then. If you have questions or issues that come up
before your writing session, jot them down in a small notebook and
save them until your appointment. Don't be surprised, however, if by
writing time, answers have appeared.

Choose a time when you will be relaxed and uninterrupted. Unplug the
phone and choose a place where you can shut the door to ensure
privacy. Notice that I said privacy, not secrecy. Contacting your
spirit guides for assistance is your right as a spiritual being and
you can do so in private without censorship or interruption and
without explanation to others.

This is a very important point in assuming your spiritual maturity.

Many times clients have told me they need to hide their efforts at
contacting their spirit guides from their intimates, such as spouses,
family, even children because they would not approve and negatively
judge them.
As a spiritual being, you do not need another's approval when growing
your own soul and seeking guided support to do so. If you are working
to connect with your guides and are at risk of encountering negative
reactions from others, it is self-loving and healthy to protect
yourself and your efforts by keeping your pursuits discreet. But
private is different from secret. If you try to contact your guides
with an attitude of doubt and secrecy, you are at risk of attracting
low-vibration and not the high- vibration guides who can serve you.
I hesitated about saying this, but my guides insisted I do because
it's a common issue and I am asked about this often. Just be practical
when setting the stage to connect. There is no need to advertise your
intention to those who wouldn't be receptive enough to understand and
respect your effort, just as you don't advertise writing in a journal.
Just quietly find undisturbed time and work in deserved privacy.
SETTING THE INTENTION
To ensure that you make contact with high spirit guides and not
freelance entities that will do you no good, it is important to set
your intentions.
You can do this in several ways. First, start by saying a short prayer
asking your angels to protect you and only allow high-vibration guides
to enter your frequency as you write. You can also light a small
votive candle to indicate the light of your spirit, intending only to
receive guidance that supports the highest good of your spirit.

You can also write your intention to only connect with spirit guides
that are on a very high and loving frequency and will assist your
soul's growth, or you can simply state out loud that you intend to
work only with the highest vibration guides possible and block out all
lower frequencies from this exercise.

Once your intention is set, you can begin writing to your guides
immediately. State your questions one at a time.

The first question my students ask me is whether to use pen and paper
or a computer. Out of habit I used to say always use pen and paper
because it's more organic and bypasses the brain. But then I ran into
people like my husband, Patrick, who has terrible handwriting, which
stresses him to write, or my daughter, who has dyslexia, which
confuses her. They both find writing on a computer easier. Now I say
write by hand unless it causes you stress; if so, use a computer as
long as you can flow with it.

When writing to your guides by hand you have two options: either use
your dominant hand to write the question and your other hand to write
the answer, or mentally change channels and use your dominant hand for
both. Do what feels best; the key is to write quickly and get into
flow. Just know the guides will show up when asked and whichever
method you use is a matter of how you best give up control.

Your guides don't care. Of course, using a computer eliminates and conflict.
Once you've set your intention and started to write, introduce
yourself and ask for guidance in this way: "I am Sonia and I am asking
my spirit guides for assistance and support at this time."
Be polite and respectful and remember you are asking for guidance and
not turning your life over for the spirit world to run. Word your
questions appropriately, avoiding "should I" questions, but asking
"what guidance can you offer on this (fill in the blank) subject?"
Approach your guides gently. Don't bombard them with too many
questions at once. Stick to three or four at first and don't get hung
up on such requests as "who are you?" because guides often work in
groups in response to writing. I will address who your guides are in
following chapters. Just intend to summon the highest guides to
complete your writing exercise and leave it at that.
Keep your questions simple and direct. Your guides are intimately
connected to you and far more familiar with your struggles than you
know, so there is no need for details. For example, you might write:
"I am struggling with finding satisfying work. I feel blocked and
frustrated. What guidance can you offer about the nature of my blocks
and what steps to take to move forward."
The guides are smart. Trust them to know what you're seeking far
beyond your words.
After you write your question, put up your pen for a moment, open your
heart, and listen inward. Trust your body and relax. Then, holding the
pen loosely, begin writing again when you feel the urge. Don't think
about your hand being taken over. Your guides will gently nudge you to
write, although there were times when my guides were so enthusiastic
and I was so open that it felt like a great force had taken over. But
usually, at least in the beginning, the urge to write is subtle.
Subtle or not, you will feel an urge to write; when you do, begin.

Easy Pumpkin Candle

Posted by cyndi

The pumpkin is one of the best-known members of the squash family. From September
to November, they're all over the place - we see them carved into jack-o-lanterns,
painted, and practically invading every roadside stand in town. With Samhain growing
nearer, the pumpkin crop is at its peak, and there are all kinds of things you can do with
them. Everyone loves candles, so why not use a few small pumpkins to jazz up your
Sabbat decor?
The first thing you'll need is a baking-size pumpkin (you can use an acorn squash for
this project too). Here's a hint -- before you buy a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch,
check your grocery store's produce section.
Unless you already have candle-making equipment and paraffin wax, the other thing
you'll need to get is some soy wax chips. These are inexpensive, melt easily and safely in
your microwave, and burn cleaner than paraffin wax. If you already have paraffin, you
can use that for this project, but you'll need to melt it over a double burner instead. If
you want to add color or scent, you'll need some of that too.
Finally, you'll need a wick. You can either make your own by coating a string in wax, or
you can buy a pre-made wick at any craft or hobby store. The pre-made ones typically
have a small metal disc at the bottom for the base.
Assemble all your supplies, and cut the top off the pumpkin. Scoop out the goop inside
(you can save the seeds for roasting later) and scrape the interior clean. A melon-baller
actually works really well for this step.
Melt your wax -- again, if you use soy chips you can melt them in the microwave. Eight
cups of dry chips will give you about four cups of melted wax, which is just about
enough to fill a baking pumpkin or acorn squash. Before you pour the wax, secure the
wick to the bottom of the pumpkin's inside. It's okay if it flops over a little, because
we'll prop it up later when the wax is in place.

Once your wax is melted, add scent or color chips if you like. Stir before pouring. Fill
the pumpkin with wax up to the bottom edge of the opening. You'll probably have a
little bit left over -- don't throw it away, you'll need it later!

After you've poured the wax, if the wick seems to lean to one side or the other, place a
butter knife across the top of the pumpkin to hold up the wick and keep it from
flopping.

Once the wax has cooled, you may notice a small dip or indentation around the wick
where the wax has sunk. Use the leftover wax to fill this spot up. Trim the wick back so
it is no longer than 1/4" long.

When you burn your candle, be careful not to leave it unattended. If the inside of the
pumpkin begins to burn, put your candle out immediately. Use it on your altar or
around your house as part of your Samhain decorating.

The Traditional Halloween Witch

Posted by DancerofSpirit
Each year they parade her about. The traditional Halloween Witch. Misshapen green
face, stringy scraps of hair. A toothless mouth beneath her disfigured nose. Gnarled
knobby fingers twisted into a claw protracting form. A bent and twisted torso that
lurches about on wobbly legs. Most think this is abject image to be the creation of a
prejudiced mind or merely a Halloween caricature. I disagree, I believe this to be how
witches were really seen.
Consider that most witches were women, were abducted in the night and smuggled into
dungeons or prisons under secrecy of darkness and presented by the light of day as a
confessed witch. Few, in any saw a frightened normal looking woman being dragged
into a secret room filled with instruments of torture, to be questioned until she
confessed to anything that was suggested to her, and to give names or say whatever
would stop the questions.
Crowds saw the aberration denounced to the world as a self-proclaimed witch. As the
witch was paraded through the town, in route to be burned, hanged, drowned, stoned,
or disposed of in various, horrible ways, all created to free and save her soul from her
depraved body.
The jeering crowds viewed the result of hours of torture. The face, bruised and broken
by countless blows, bore a hue of sickly green. The once warm and loving smile gone,
replaced by a grimace of broken teeth, and torn gums that leer beneath a battered
disfigured nose.
The disheveled hair conceals bleeding gaps of torn scalp from whence cruel hands had
torn away the lovely tresses. Broken, twisted hands clutched the wagon for support.
Fractured fingers locked like cropping claws to steady her broken body. All semblance
of humanity gone. This was truly a demon, a bride of Satan, a witch.
I revere this Halloween Witch and hold her sacred. I honor her courage and listen to her
warnings of the dark side of humanity.
Each year I shed tears of respect.
Author unknown

Recapture the magic of everyday living

Posted by Whispr
Recapture the magic of everyday living and hearken back to the
old ways with this eclectic treasury of folklore, spells, recipes,
and practical how-tos. This year's edition emphasizes elemental magic
and features a dazzling array of articles (over fifty in all)
including:
> The Well-Organized Witch by Magenta Griffith
> labyrinths by K.D. Spitzer
> Knitting Witchcraft by Olivia O'Meir
> The First Thing a Spell Changes is You by Paniteowl
> The Subtle Art of Magic for the Workplace by Mickie Mueller
> Sigils & Signs by Sorita D'Este
> Household Omens by Muse
> Incantations and Power Songs by Kristin Madden
> Spiritually Social: A Guide for Sticky Situations by Tammy
Sullivan

> Look for the Moon's sign and phase, along with incense and color
correspondences, to help you maximize the potential of your
workings. There's also a handy list of Pagan holidays and festivals
around the world-allowing you to celebrate a new tradition nearly
every day of the year! Paperback, 384 pages.

> Other contributors include Elizabeth Barrette, Chandra Moira Beal,

Boudica, Dallas Jennifer Cobb, Ellen Dugan, Emely Flak, Sybil Fogg,
Lily Gardner, Elizabeth Genco, ilspeth, Jamse Kambos, Corrine Kenner,
Brenna Lyons, Edain McCoy, Jennifer McDevitt, Diana Rajchel, Laurel
Reufner, Cerridwen Iris Shea, and Lynn Smythe.(from Magikal Cat)
> Llewellyn's did something different this year. Instead of breaking
the articles by season... they have broken them into the four
elements. A radical but obvious way to organize magical information!
My impressions:
> Earth Magic: Great articles include a look at Powerful Objects and Ritual Tools,
Fulgurite: Crystalized Lightning (very interesting)
, Herbcraft,
Labyrinths, and Kitchen Witchcraft.
> Air Magic: A Pagen look at subjects like Color Magic, Incants and Song, Living
Together in Magic and how to act within groups, and a great article I
really enjoyed was how to bring Air magic into your life without
incense and smudgesticks (for us "non-smokers").
> Fire Magic:
> How to light up your magical life with Candles, Deity Magic,
Children and Ritual, How to make your own Magic Wands and Staffs,
Creating Sigils (signs of magic), and the Stars.
> Water Magic:
> Brewing up articles on Relationships and Emotions, Love Magic,
Potions, Brews and Oils, Magical Baths, Being Spiritally Social,
Empathy, Dealing with Loss, and Moon Lore.
> I was really happily surprised by this approach of seperating
articles by element. The Almanac Section naturally gives you day by
day info on Holidays, Moon Phases, Color of the Day, Incense of the
Day and many holiday recipes.
> The Llewellyn's Magical Almanac has been a great reference for me
for almost 15 years. I would advise anyone who is either novice or
pro to keep these nifty almanacs and build your own magical
encylopedia set!

Blessed Magick Vapor Of Cleansing

Posted by Rev. Carol A. Ingle (Raven)

Blessed Magick Vapor Of Cleansing

For this ritual you'll need:
* Rose water (or hydrosol).
(You can "infuse" your own if you like...)
* Sugar
* Any or all of the following:
rose petals, sandalwood powder, black tea leaves, attars of jasmine, rose, sandalwood,
and henna.

STEP 1: Create your sacred space.

Once you've cleansed the area, set the stage.
Setup some candles... try to work by candlelight if possible.
Setup some soft music that stirs your emotions.

STEP 2: Sit for 5 minutes

(try to be exact with the time...set a timer if you need too.)
Visualize the thousands of students joining in you the ritual.
Visualize my little local group of witches and I sitting around the table here at my
home joining you as well.
Allow us into your heart... feel our presence alongside you.

Next...visualize every negative feeling/emotion/situation that is causing you stress, to

drain out of your feet, and into the ground...
STEP 3: Add sugar to the water and stir until it is completely dissolved...
STEP 4: Add all the ingrediants you gathered.
(it could be just 1 of them...or all of them...)
Rose petals, sandalwood powder, black tea leaves, attars of jasmine, rose, sandalwood,
and henna.
STEP 5: Simmer until steam begins to rise.
(Increase the heat if needed...)
STEP 6: Allow the steam to touch your skin... your hands, arms, face...
Feel it cleansing your body and spirit of all the negativity in your life... giving you a
"fresh" start.
Feel it fill your soul with positive energy of the light...
STEP 7: Take any objects in your home that mean a lot to you, and run them back and
forth through the steam 7 times...
STEP 8: The ritual is complete...

Spiritual Stories and Sayings

The Dalai Lama's Instructions for Life
Posted by

BZ

* Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
* When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
* Follow the three R's:
- Respect for self.
- Respect for others.
- Responsibility for all of your actions.
* Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
* Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
* Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
* When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
* Spend some time alone every day.
* Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
* Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able
to enjoy it a second time.
* A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

* In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring
up the past.

* Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

* Be gentle with the earth.

* Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

* Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds
your need for each other.

* Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

* Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

SAMHAIN
Posted by

BZ

Author Annie Finch

In the season leaves should love,

since it gives them leave to move
through the wind, towards the ground
they were watching while they hung,
legend says there is a seam
stitching darkness like a name.
Now when dying grasses veil
earth from the sky in one last pale
wave, as autumn dies to bring
winter back, and then the spring,
we who die ourselves can peel
back another kind of veil
that hangs among us like thick smoke.
Tonight at last I feel it shake.
I feel the nights stretching away
thousands long behind the days,
till they reach the darkness where
all of me is ancestor.

I turn my hand and feel a touch

move with me, and when I brush
my young mind across another,
I have met my mother's mother.

Sure as footsteps in my waiting

self, I find her, and she brings
arms having answers for me,
intimate, a waiting bounty.

"Carry me." She leaves this trail

through a shudder of the veil,
and leaves, like amber where she stays,
a gift for her perpetual gaze.

HELP WITH THE YEARLY SITE FEES

HOW YOU CAN DONATE
The site yearly fees are $600, this is at the moment paid for by
the kind donations of all our members - please help out if you
can.
IF YOU WISH TO DONATE MONIES TO THE FOREST IN
ORDER TO COVER THE YEARLY SITE FEES PLEASE CLICK
THE DONATE BUTTON ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF PAGES ;)
Many Thanks
Breeze and Shadow
Twitter and Facebook
Please take the time to share us on Twitter and facebook. Spread
the message about the site..
Where your friends can come to a friendly environment from all
the drama on the net that distracts so many from concentrating
on information that can help them improve their daily Life..