Bringing olden ways to modern days,
For Wiccans,
Witches,
Pagans,
And all who honor a nature-based path.
This is Desert Magic with Crow Moon.
Merry Meet,
And welcome back once again to another episode of Desert Magic.
Coming to you from the beautiful and magical desert of southern Arizona,
My name is Crow Moon,
And I'm your host.
October is finally here.
For various reasons,
This is a widely anticipated time of the year.
Many will refer to this month in particular as the spooky season,
But I shy away from that description because,
In my opinion anyway,
The spooky season is year-round,
Any time you choose to tune into the news.
Doing so provides a jump scare that rivals those from any corn maze.
If anything,
This is more accurately a time of spirits,
A time in which we seem to become more aware of them,
And in some cases,
Thrilled by their existence.
Of course,
I'm talking about Halloween,
And the Sabbath of Samhain,
With Halloween being the more secular celebration of things,
And Samhain an observance more rooted in spirituality.
Personally,
I celebrate and enjoy both.
For Wiccans,
However,
Samhain is huge.
This is the third and final harvest.
It's the witch's new year.
It is the day in which the veil between our world and the spirit realm is at its thinnest,
And therefore,
Many of us find ourselves able to more easily communicate with those of the other world.
And it is perhaps this component that fuels much of the enthusiasm for both observances.
As one who has communicated with spirits many times,
I can assure you that there is nothing inherently scary about doing so.
Some spirits are quite friendly.
Some seem unhappy.
In the end,
There's hardly any difference between those of the spirit realm which we encounter,
And the people of this realm we come across on a daily basis.
Whether or not those from either camp are evil is a matter of personal opinion or interpretation.
I've met many angry people who I would not classify as evil.
Communicating or interacting with the spirit realm isn't exclusively tied to this time of year,
And I would also like to point out that doing so is quite natural.
I'm not saying that there's nothing special about it,
But I do feel as though,
In some ways,
It's been hyped up beyond what it actually is.
Communication.
If anything,
What saddens me is the fact that many who will rush out to purchase a Ouija board in order to communicate with the beyond won't go so far as to even say good morning to someone they encounter at a bus stop.
Those individuals,
Too,
Are spirits.
Let us not wait until someone has crossed over before we begin to develop an interest in them.
That was a summoning by yours truly.
I can't remember meeting one person in my lifetime who simply hates Halloween.
Naturally,
I've encountered some who,
For religious reasons,
View things such as jack-o'-lanterns,
Dressing in costumes,
And any traditions which reference the afterlife to be inappropriate for people of their faith.
But generally speaking,
I find there to be a very high degree of excitement for not only this particular day,
But the season surrounding it as well.
Of course,
Some of that does have to do with the fact that many will welcome any excuse to have a party.
Beyond that,
However,
It seems as though people embrace the opportunity to act out to a certain degree,
Such as dressing up,
Activities that aren't considered to be everyday.
On St.
Patrick's Day,
We often hear,
Everyone can be Irish for a day.
Likewise,
The unspoken invitation with Halloween is,
If I were to wear my ritual attire to the library,
I would be greeted with sideways glances and stares of disapproval.
Unless I were to do so on October 31st.
Then all would be fine.
So while people certainly enjoy parties,
Dressing in costume,
And curling up under a blanket to watch movies about ghosts and goblins,
I think the most overlooked factors fueling the excitement for Halloween are smells and tastes.
Do this test with me.
If you're not driving right now,
And if it's otherwise safe for you to do so,
Close your eyes.
With your eyes closed,
Imagine nothing beyond the next two things I'm about to say to you.
Picking a vine-ripened tomato in summer.
Cutting into a pumpkin and opening it to make a pumpkin pie.
You can open your eyes now.
Did you smile at the mention of those?
Did the smell of each come rushing back to you?
I'm willing to bet that I was right in both cases,
And I'm willing to bet everything on the table that the recollection of each of those things brought a smile to your face.
The taste and smell of a vine-ripened tomato in summer awakens us to summer's energy and fills us with that same vigor.
Pumpkins roasting.
Apple pies baking.
Crisp leaves with dew on them.
Call our minds to nature's message for us at this time,
Which is that we are entering a period of rest.
The pace is slowing.
Everything around us is becoming cozy.
The veil is thinning.
That was Coven's Tavern,
Also by me.
While society tends to associate Halloween with just the macabre,
Placing emphasis on death and darkness,
Wiccans and Witches view Halloween and Samhain with less of a sense of finality,
And observe this season as a time in which we remember and honor those who have gone before us.
As I have done in many of my talks and courses,
I want to emphasize that those we choose to honor and remember need not necessarily be blood relatives.
In my practice,
I view anyone who came before me as an ancestor,
And some of those I celebrate each year at Samhain.
It's of no importance to me whether or not I personally knew them.
I give thanks for those who have,
In whatever way,
Made a positive impact on my life.
Their words and actions are forever etched in my mind and continue to bring a smile to my face.
Occasionally,
Remembering that they are no longer present in the physical realm will give me a momentary pause of sadness,
But it's important for all of us to know that Samhain is not a period of mourning.
It is a time of remembrance.
To my ancestors and my beloved kin who have departed from this realm,
Here do I light this candle in your honor as a sign of my unending love for you.
Blessed be the memory of you who now live on in my heart and mind.
So mote it be.
May you who have gone before me always walk beside me.
May you who have gone before me always live within me.
Although I can no longer see you in earthly form,
I thank you for continuing to make your presence known to me.
I hear your voice in the wind.
I see your smile in the light of the sun.
I sense your assurance under the glow of moonlight.
From another realm and through mediums new,
You continue to cheer me when I stand tall,
Lift me when I stumble.
You continue to teach me,
Stepping aside temporarily,
Only when you see that my own strength is enough.
You have never forgotten me,
And I will never forget you.
Whether you celebrate Halloween,
Samhain,
Cooler weather,
Or simply take joy in making a jack-o'-lantern,
May this season bring you many bright blessings,
And may you savor the magic that's all around you.
Until next time,
The crow flies from me to thee,
To send the message,
Blessed Be.
