Merry meet,
And welcome to this Herbs and Oils Workshop for the Sabbath of Samhain.
At this time of year,
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere,
We're starting to see our gardens dwindle.
But if you have some sage and rosemary that's ready to harvest,
You can dry both of them for use in your holiday feasts,
And also magic.
Sage is for any sort of cleansing working,
And rosemary is associated with purification and remembrance,
So both of these herbs are excellent for Samhain workings.
You can,
Of course,
Bind them together with twine to make a smudge stick,
But for this workshop we'll be using the herbs as loose incense.
The focus for this workshop will be on making Samhain oil and an ancestor candle.
Before you begin either of these workings,
Gather your dried herbs together onto a small plate or in a bowl.
It's important to program them with your intentions,
By holding the herbs in your hands,
Or holding your hands above them,
While saying something like the following.
I call upon the power of these herbs to act as a barrier of protection for me and my home.
Energies of Samhain I hear combine.
I hallow these blessings of the divine.
So might it be.
At this point,
You'll be ready to begin making your Samhain oil.
In addition to the herbs we just harvested,
You will need Five drops of pine essential oil Five drops of myrrh essential oil Five drops of apple essential oil Five drops of pumpkin essential oil A pinch of dried calendula flower petals Three or four dried pumpkin seeds And one crushed clove.
You will want to use a carrier oil with this blend.
I typically use grapeseed oil,
But any oil of your choice is generally okay.
It's perfectly okay if you don't have or don't want to use each of the essential oils I mentioned.
This is my personal recipe,
But please feel free to adapt it to whatever works best for you.
Mix the ingredients together in a small bottle.
Blue or brown glass is preferred to protect the essential oils from UV light,
But anything you have will be fine.
Once you have everything mixed together,
You will want to bless the oil by holding the bottle between your palms and saying something like this.
Guardians of air,
Autumn breezes.
Guardians of fire,
The festival blaze.
Guardians of water,
Fresh morning dew.
Guardians of earth,
Fields of harvest.
Mighty Lord and elegant lady,
I call upon all of you to bless this working and keep me safe.
For our highest good and to the harm of none,
As above,
So below,
So mote it be.
This oil can be used to anoint yourself or your altar tools,
And to dress spell or ritual candles.
Always practice fire safety when burning any candle,
Especially those that are dressed.
Do not use this blend on your skin unless it contains a carrier oil.
You can also use this oil in creating an ancestor candle.
Taper candles are wonderful for this,
But you can also use chime candles.
Choose a seasonal color,
Such as black,
Orange,
Or gold.
You will need a toothpick or something similar for etching the candle.
To begin,
Wrap your hands around the candle and take several deep breaths to ground yourself before saying something like this.
Departed loved ones,
This candle is for you.
May the flame of this candle celebrate and pay tribute to your lasting spirit.
Be with us this Samhain season,
If you will.
Forever you are loved.
Take the toothpick or a similar item,
And write the names or initials of those you wish to commemorate on the sides of your candle.
Once you are finished,
You might choose to dress the candle with Samhain oil and roll it from side to side in your dried herbs.
The commemorative candle can be placed on your ancestor altar or dinner table.
If you are using a chime candle,
You can also place it inside a small carved pumpkin as an offering of remembrance.
Candles are especially meaningful at Samhain because the dwindling sunlight at this time of year was quite stressful to our ancestors.
The sun would disappear more and more until spring.
With fire being the earthly component of the sun,
Our ancestors would light fires in an attempt to speed the sun's return,
And also to reassure one another that the powers of darkness would be overcome.
I wish all of you a wonderful autumn and a very blessed Samhain season.
Blessed be.
