meditation | The Paranormal Quill

Samhain is almost here. The energy of autumn crackles in the air. Today’s post is from another fellow Witch and she shares many ways to celebrate Samhain. Dust off your cauldrons!

Write a Samhain Journal Entry

Take a few minutes from your day and write down the changes you would like to see moving forward. What things are you ready to let go of and what goals are you ready to really tackle?

Many consider this the Witches New Year and it’s a perfect time for planning new beginnings.

Make a Witchy Bucket List

Make a list of all of the things you would like to accomplish in your spiritual practice in the days, weeks, and months ahead. Perhaps you want to learn more about herbs, kitchen magick, start a Grimoire/BOS, or begin connecting with a deity. Maybe all of those things!

Write them down and check them off throughout the year as you accomplish them. I don’t know about you but checking things off a list always makes me feel accomplished.

Have a Nature Walk

A wonderful way to celebrate Samhain, and any other Sabbat really. Take a few minutes from your day, go outside, and connect with nature.

Autumn is such a glorious season. As you are walking clear your mind and really take in your surroundings,the trees, the colours, the scents of fall, the way the air feels on your face. And during your walk give thanks to mother earth for all that she does for us.

Do a Meditation to Honour Your Ancestors

A meditation doesn’t need to be an hour long. Even if you can only spare 10 minutes from your day for this you will feel good that you took the time to make it happen.

Sit somewhere quiet and take these few minutes to remember your loved ones who have passed on, think of happy memories, their smile, their favourite things and let them know they are in your heart and with you always.

Honouring those who have passed on is an integral part of Samhain and shouldn’t be forgotten.

Do a Quick Tarot Reading for Yourself

Even just a little three card reading can be beneficial to see a glimmer of what may be in store this year and give you a bit to think about in terms of you path and the directions and changes you will make moving forward.

Celebrate Samhain & Halloween with Decorations!

Embrace the symbols and colours of the season.

Surround yourself with pumpkins, skulls, ghosty things, and maybe carve a pumpkin. Decorating is a hugely fun part of the holiday, and a fun activity to do with the little ones if you happen to have any running around.

Bake a Halloween Treat Symbolizing New Beginnings

There is always some baking going on in my house for Samhain and Halloween. No reason not to infuse a little magick into your treats this year.

Enjoying some special goodies is also a staple part of the season. Most holidays have food involved and Samhain is no different.

Light Candles for Your Loved Ones

Light candles for your loved ones as a sign of remembrance.

You can place them in the window to help guide them on their journey this night where the veil is thinned and spirits roam.

Light a Candle for Yourself

Light a candle and recite affirmations for yourself.

Things you would like to see yourself accomplish in the coming weeks and months. Candle work is a mini fire ritual on its own, no huge bonfire required.

Have a Ritual Bath

A peaceful bath with some candles, maybe some oils and salts, to release negativity is a timely activity to perform on Samhain.

Releasing any negative energies that you have built up in order to enter this new year feeling cleansed and refreshed.

Cleanse Your Space

We don’t want to forget about our homes as well!

Simply burning appropriate herbs and walking through each room of your house will do the trick. Walk throughout your home slowly, focusing your energies and visualizing any negativity lifting away out into the aether.

It’s Not Halloween Without Costumes!

We usually have a party at our place and costumes are required lol. Alas, this year there will be no gathering of friends but that’s no excuse to not really have some fun and get into costume!

And it’ll be fun for the trick or treaters, if trick or treating is still happening in your area. And if not, just get dressed up and have a photoshoot, because let’s be honest that is always a good time!

Tell Ghost Stories

Samhain is steeped in lore about ghosts, ghouls, demons, and the like. All of these otherworldly creatures are said to walk the earth during Samhain when the veil between worlds is at it’s thinnest.

Embrace the spookier side of the season, make a hot bevvy and tell some stories. If you’re brave enough that is!

And you can check out this article from Reader’s Digest to get you started: The 13 Most Haunted Places in the World.

Watch a Scary Movie

What would this season be without some good jump scares. ‘Halloween’ anyone?

Charge Your Crystals

This Samhain is also a Full Moon. Take advantage of that energy and set your crystals outside to charge.

Charging your crystals under a Full Moon is a powerful way to re-invigorate their energies, and doing so under a Samhain Full Moon will be doubly so.

Host a Dumb Supper

During your evening meal leave a place setting empty for your loved ones who have passed and eat your meal in silence.

If you don’t want to do the silent part you can still leave out the empty place setting. This literally takes no extra time out of your day.

Add Some Samhain Pages to Your BOS or Grimoire

If you keep a Book of Shadows or Grimoire add some info in there on Samhain.

If you already have pages on the Sabbat there is always something new you can add in. Some facts you maybe didn’t know or a new ritual perhaps. Be creative!

Keeping one of these is a wonderful outlet for both your practice and your creative spirit.

Create a Space to Honour Your Ancestors or Loved Ones

You can add these things to your altar if you have one but if not, you can simply set up a little space for them somewhere in your home.

You can put pictures, flowers, foods, and some of their favourite things. A simple and wonderful way to show remembrance.

Let Your Hair Down and Dance

Dance has long been associated with celebration and life.

Crank up your favourite seasonal tunes and let yourself go. Dancing is a wonderful way to release energies from the body and can have you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Just what the new year called for.

Make Moon Water

Fill a glass jar with water and focus your intentions on what the water will be used for, take your time with this process so that your focus is clear. Leave the jar outside over night to soak up those awesome Full Moon energies.

Celebrate Life

While this can be a somber day when we are missing our loved ones, it is also a day that should be filled with life and celebration.

This can mean anything that you feel is celebrating and honouring life. Indulge in your favourite foods, read a book, dance around your house, have sex…whatever it may be cherish the moments and really LIVE.

There you have it!

These ideas, especially some of them, should be fairly easy to incorporate into your day if you are crunched for time.

Pick one or two that really call out to you and do them with vigour. Really enjoy the moments, take them in, and savour them.

You can of course do as many of them as you wish or spend more time on any of them if you have it. Take a long luxurious bath, do an hour-long meditation, perform a lengthier ritual, or dedicate your whole day and do 15 different things lol. You do what resonates with you and what your schedule will allow.

If you feel you got the most out of your day and are happy with how you celebrated, that is what truly matters.

You can also check out my full post on Samhain Celebrations and Correspondences for some more ideas and inspiration if you wish.

Your turn! Tell me your Samhain wishes!

Do you normally celebrate Samhain, Halloween, or both? How will you be celebrating this year? I always love to hear your thoughts, so please leave a comment or drop me a line. There are lots of ways for us to connect

And if you enjoyed the post, remember you can SUBSCRIBE, receive your Mini Autumn Grimoire Bundle for FREE, and be the first to know about new content and exclusive freebies!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

Credit to: https://www.thewholesomewitch.com/ways-celebrate-samhain-halloween/

Merry meet all,

The invasion has begun! It is inescapable. Penny has run out of play room too! Oh my what am I to do? Did I get your attention? Ok I’m referring to the invasion of seedlings that have taken over my home, Goodness there are so many plant pots in here. Burn a candle and light some incense! Play relaxing music.

This post is about how to create your own soil mixes for your own tender seedlings. You DO have young green seedlings in your apartment right? lol

Well let’s get started. I like mixing up the soil.

Ever notice that plant pots are round in shape? I like to think of the planters and plant pots as cauldrons. They have a lot more to do with cauldrons than you think. This may just change the way you garden from now on. Grab a cup of tea and join me.

I mentioned the benefits of purchasing and using good quality soil in the last post, right? There is a good reason for that. It helps your plants get off to their best start, off to the races running. or, in this case, growing. Let’s take it a step further.

Set down newspaper on the counter or wherever you choose to work in your home. Put the plant pot or seedling plant pot on the newspaper. Be willing to get your hands dirty. I love getting my hands right into the soil but that’s just me. Place a pitcher full of cold water nearby. Open the bag of soil. Next tip: I put a cloth grocery bag (plastic bags are banned here). It keeps the bag from spilling or making a mess. Just don’t forget about it but you won’t, will you?

Mix the soil into the plant pot. As you do this, envision that you are filling the pot with the energy of the Goddess. (Use a round pot for this.) You will see why now. The pot is round, so is a cauldron. The pot is deep ( well, most of them are). So is a cauldron. The cauldron is the deep earthy womb of the Goddess. The pot is too once it is full of soil. Once it is full of soil, meditate and reflect on the earthy goodness of the soil from the Goddess and the pot too. Mix that soil up in your hands. Smell it, feel it, cradle it in your hands. Visualize the energy traveling from your hands to the soil. Feel the energy traveling from the soil to you. I always do feel the energy of the soil. That is why I never wear gardening gloves. I love feeling the connection.

Stir the soil with a wooden spoon or your own eager hands. Loosen up any clumps and remove rocks. If you want, depending on what stage of growing your seedlings you are at, you can add fertilizer. Mix in bonemeal, bloodmeal, worm castings, coffee grounds or ground eggshells. Be sure to stir thoroughly. As you do, mix well and visualize. Direct the energy of your intention into the soil.

If you choose, you can put the seedling into the plant pot THEN fill it with the soil. After that, when you have centered the seedling into the pot, and placed it in deeper than it was before in the starter pot, add the soil. Be sure to visualize, direct the energy and feel the soil in your hands. Grow with love and you will get love. The DNA of the future plant is contained within the seed. So planting a seed truly is an act of magic!

Once the seed is planted, in a matter of days a cotyledon emerges, a tiny sprout. That sprout can grow into an oak tree, parsley or a pumpkin. Don’t crowd your seedlings – their tender roots need room to grow. I watched my Mother transplant over three dozen cherry tomato plant seedlings. Some of the starter pots contained up to five seedlings! They are all growing in their own pots now, much less crowded.

A plant is a living being with feelings. Treat the plant like that and you will be rewarded many times over with a plant happy to grow and bloom and/ or bear fruit or seeds! If it is thirsty, water it. If it droops, place it in more light. If it is crowded or rootbound, repot it. I can sense when a plant is thirsty. You can also use your hair dryer to blow for a few seconds on your plants. That signals to them that they should grow strong stems. If it is warm enough where you live, leave the window open. The wind that wafts in will help them grow!

I hope this post inspires you to get growing your own plants! Let me know in the comments below.

Blessings, Spiderwitch