When Did You First Fall In Love With Halloween?

 

When did you first fall in love with Halloween? For me, it was when I was quite young. My grandmother spent $2 on a paper fold-out centerpiece of a haunted house( an exorbitant amount in those days) when I was in second grade. 58 years later, I still have it. It's missing the little picket fence that attached to the front, but over the years I have carefully preserved it and packed it away.



Halloween is my childhood. It's also the holiest day in my personal calendar. I was seven years old when I hung my first Halloween decorations, and since that time I've had a special affinity for the holiday.

Autumn is my favorite time of the year : the colors of changing leaves, cool, crisp mornings, darker nights and the silence that reflects the echo of train whistles and nocturnal animals vocalizations and movements. And the Beloved Dead...

I have always known there was another dimension other than the one I've currently inhabiting. I didn't know what to call it or how to describe it, but I instinctively knew it existed. And I have never been afraid of the Dead. Even as a child I knew that Death was a transition, like stepping through Alice's looking glass. I knew there were spirits that were mischievous- some were down right evil- but the majority of those who have made the transition through the veil mean the living no harm. I still hold with that belief.

I love the folklore, the stories, the myths and the legends that come out of Halloween's past. The history of the holiday, though often not apparent, has formulated our current celebration. I like the idea of giving out treats because in it's own transformed way preserves the tradition of ' souling' ( children going house to house asking for a specially baked cake in exchange for prayers for the departed of the household). I like seeing the costumes, reminiscent of the living dressing up to fool the malevolent dead so no harm came to them). I give to everyone because it's a small way to spread joy and community...and yes, I even give to the kids traditionally too old to be out trick or treating, because whether or not they know it, they've chosen to retain a bit of their childhood when they could be out doing other more destructive things. It's not really about the candy. Maybe they don't know it, but it's something more, something intangible they don't yet understand.

So, a few friends and  I stand on the corner of the main street in our little town and hand out treats as the Trick or Treaters run by, barely containing their excitement of dressing up and shapeshifting into the persona of imaginary beings ( we don't want the possibility of a liability issue with the apartment complex, so we move off the property.) Their excitement is contagious, and at the same time, a bit of child-like wonder rubs off on us. I dress up, too! As dour, serious adults, we need this recharging  of our psyches at least once a year. Later we normally retire for our own gathering to partake of coffee and cake in someone's apartment, for reminiscing about past Halloweens, and those who are no longer with us. It's a bittersweet moment among the evening's gaiety.

Afterward, I retire to my own sacred space to spent time with my own beloved dead. The ritual begins formally, but becomes a time of joyful remembrance and tears, and I am at once grateful that my spiritual tradition allows me to spend time with those who have gone before. I spend time honoring my ancestors, even those I didn't gravitate to when they were alive, even those who abused and traumatized me, because I believe they deserve recognition for their contribution to who I am, and they deserve their due. There are photos of ancestors I never met, who died long before I was born. I don't even know their names. They were relatives of my grandparents and great grandparents, but they are my ancestors just the same. I confess that I spend more time with my own friends and acquaintances who have crossed The Veil. The list grows longer each year as more people pass on. The first few years I'm a bit sad, actually. This year, Sabrina Underwood Hodges-Sabrina the Ink Witch- is among the gathering. Her sudden death is something I never fathomed happening so soon. I wasn't ready to say goodbye, and neither was she. But the human body is fragile, and we're all subject to failure of it's mortality. But ... my heart and head undeniably know we never truly leave this plain, even if we only return for one night...this night, the eve before All Hallows.

My human companions aren't the only spirits invited to visit: I welcome my animal companions, from those of my childhood to the most recent, to spend time with me. I place the ashes of the latest, Kitty Boo, on my ancestor altar, and photos and mementos of others. They were truly my companions ( I no longer refer to animal companions as 'familiars', even those who participated in ritual with me, because  as Uncle Birch pointed out earlier this year, that's the name those who prosecuted witches called them.
( I understand the propensity to want to continue the cultural reference, and if you wish to do so, that is your choice, just as it is my choice to stop doing so.With me it's just a personal fine point, so, no judgement;  I don't have a problem with incorporating changes as our Craft evolves.)

So, as I dust off my pointy hat, I wish you prosperity and peace and a bountiful harvest of whatever you need. Happy Halloween, and a Blessed Samhain!

Whispering Leaves

 

"Autumn is an artist who uses an oak leaf to paint a masterpiece"
                                                 ~ William Allen Ward


We sit at the edge of the Veil, leaves of every color dancing round in circles at our feet, a crisp nip in the air in the morning, the sun rising up later and lower each day.

It is finally my favorite time of year. I don't mind wearing a jacket when I go to town to shop: you can always take it off if you get too warm while doing errands, but you can only remove so much clothing to stay cooler in the heat of Summer.

I have said before that I am not a Summer person. No matter how much or how thickly I slather on sun block, I turn a bright, painful pink within the hour and feel like I'm frying-because I am. No tanning for this redhead! Thankfully I no longer freckle, but subsequent sun burns has left me with  a pesky spot or two of pre-cancerous skin lesions that have amounted to little more than a bother. Still, I am careful.


I love the dusky smell of fallen leaves that have turned crunchy, and damn it all, I do like the combination of ingredients that make up Pumpkin Spice. Not the commercial stuff : the blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger that you grind into fiery dust with  a mortar and pestal and use to flavor pies and quick bread. Mix a little in with ground coffee and make your own version of what cost $5.00 a cup at Starbucks. It's fresher, and the shot of spice will surprise you.

That same mixture can be sprinkled around your house, or stuffed in a sachet or used to dress a candle, because those spices ( sometimes along with mace and cloves) are protective. The afore mentioned spices all correspond to the element of fire and deities called upon for safeguarding home and hearth.

Mainstream healthcare finally acknowledges the bioactive and healing  properties  herbalists have known since antiquity. Herbs and spices like rosemary, sage, thyme and spices such as cinnamon, cloves, coriander, nutmeg, ginger, tumeric and mace (among others) are now being recognized for their polyphenol content ( Read up on it yourself, it's too complicated to list here. It's a rabbit hole, but you'll learn something if you do.) Ah, Science...

Back to those Autumn leaves that we love...

Did you know that the changing colors are a form of chromatherapy? The therapeutic use of color and light to balance the body's energy and vibration has been used for centuries. The vibrant colors of Autumn are a natural expression of this alternative form of healing... and it's free! Take a walk in the park or the woods among the varieties of colored leaves and see if it doesn't leave you revitalized and ultimately happier! The use of color has long been used to elevate mood and relieve anxiety.

We finally come to the part about the whispering leaves. The clamoring of leaves and branches in a soft breeze create "white noise" : the frequency of sound masks other distractions and leads to relaxation, much as the sound of rain, the ocean, and other sounds of Nature. ( And although I'm using the term "white noise" broadly here, frequencies of sound are actually matched to colors of light; for example, the sound of rain is technically  considered as "pink noise" by auditory experts-which I most certainly am not. You don't need to be an expert to understand the science/theory on a very basic level..)

If you have any thoughts on the Autumnal season, I'd love to hear them in the comments.

Your Path, My Path

Like many of you, I am tired of , for lack of a better term, "witch wars". Likewise the haughty attitude of  "My tradition/magick is better, stronger, more worthy, more authentic, more _______( fill in the blank)."


ARGGGH!!!! That was me screaming in frustration because I thought we'd been over this a few thousand times at least.

Just stop it. Stop it now. We have better things to do than to spew hatred and negativity at each other.

Don't we get enough of that from those outside the Craft and NeoPaganism who don't understand what we do? Isn't it enough we aren't taken seriously by the majority of society? Leave.Other. People Alone. The continual bickering and backbiting looks bad and makes all of us appear ridiculous. Stop the damn in-fighting on Facebook, Tik Tok, and Twitter. It makes us no better that the Christians some of us love to mock. No one tradition, occult/magickal or otherwise is right for everyone; each contain a grain of Truth. 

Social Media is filled with Witches, Pagans and other occult/magickal practitioners lecturing, degrading and 'correcting' each other of perceived and imagined gaffs in methods, techniques, beliefs and other faux pas regarding particular traditions or practices.  I was formally initiated into a Gardnerian coven, so yes, I am well aware of magickal groups having "rules" and a belief system to follow. I also am aware that for the serious and experienced, those rules and beliefs are , unbreakable and static. What it is is what it is, and unyielding to change.This is what you do, and how you do it; there are steps to follow because that's how it's done because it works. I'm not disagreeing with that if that is your tradition, and that is how you practice, then that is right and correct for you.

Others have a more eclectic approach, picking from a variety of sources and traditions which meets their needs and suits their intentions because they get results - and that is right and correct for them..


You may not agree with their practice and think it's scatter-shot or appropriation, or whatever popular term is currently in vogue to express your level of personal outrage. That's fine, too. You get to be upset about what you perceive as bastardization of your sacred rites and tradition, and you get to express that outrage as much or as little as you see fit. But what you don't get to do is condemn anyone else for doing what works for them because however you feel about it, you are only a self-appointed expert. You may think that as a follower of a particular spiritual practice or tradition that you  know the character or nature of a deity, but you are not that deity, and I suspect the majority of those deities can and will speak up for themselves without any of us mere mortals putting in our puny two cents worth to someone causing them offense. Bellyaching is a waste of precious energy and time unless you like hearing yourself talk, talking down to the next person doesn't make you superior, it makes you sound like an ass. While it's perfectly acceptable to say, " I disagree and I believe in doing it this way", it's not okay to tell the other guy he's going to be damned by the gods ...because YOU might just end up reaping the result of your vitriol. I'm of the mind to let the gods handle it. We learn from our mistakes.

Everyone of us have a different understanding of worship. Everyone of us has an individual concept of how things are or should be.That is what is right and true for the individual. Each of us have developed a personal practice, whether a seasoned devotee or newbie. For what it's worth ( and because it's my blog), my opinion is that an individual's pure intention is more pleasing to the Divine than a few gaffs or false starts, or faltering on the fine points. You may disagree, and you may say so...but you don't get to bitch about my way of doing things because the ultimate truth is that everything we do, in all of our traditions and practices, originates from Mystery. I've heard the simple statement that we all draw from the same well, and for the most part, I believe that to be true because my experience is that all  occult practices stem from The Unknown. Poisoning that well with hatred and negativity negates the work of the Greater Good, and it's a fact they you often die from poisoned water.

My way of the Craft, how I form it, how I practice my spirituality, is between me and the Divine. What I do to get the results I need to have my needs met, are strictly up to me. If I screw up, well...that's on me. I do what I believe is right because it feels right for me. You do the same. I may not agree with your methods or beliefs, but if it benefits you, then that's all there is to it. To be frank, your opinion of what others do doesn't matter. And neither does mine.

Last year Witchdoctor Utu published a book about Harriett "Moma Moses" Tubman and the role conjure played in the Underground Railroad. Utu, who is the founder of the Niagara Voodoo Shrine, was vilified by of armchair voodoo and hoodoo experts for 'appropriation' of African spiritual traditions. These haters forgot one very important point in their criticism - that few direct lines to the traditions of years gone by exist and that what we now do is reconstruction from history, oral tradition, and myths. Our spiritual practices consist of an amalgamation, a blending, of beliefs.

Seriously, folks...let's go easy one each other. Yes, I do think there's a lot of silliness and grandstanding and bullshit, but there always has been and that's not going to change anytime soon. Go on about your business, do what you do, and give one another space to be who they are.

May the Path you're on be blessed.

Confused?

 There's a bit of a situation going on with the name of this blog and a new Facebook community calling itself Broom With A View.

To be clear, this blog, has been in place as Broom With A View for 10+ years with 10,000 monthly hits globally. To say I am humbled to have readership in places around the world as far reaching as Australia, China, New Zealand, England, Ireland and the Ukraine. That is beyond my wildest imagination, and I am grateful for each of you.

This blog is not affiliated in any way with the Broom With A View community on Facebook created by Witchemy.com.


I have contacted the owner/creator of that page/community and we are currently working things out.


There is no harm intended by the other page; no one is stealing content, etc., as some readers have assumed.Thank you for contacting me. This is not like the situation last year where 140 posts were maliciously stolen and claimed as original by another site when I took legal action to have them taken down. I believe this new situation is an innocent mistake that does not require reporting to Facebook or Google. Like I said, we're working things out. Sometimes FB and Google analytics don't work for name approvals when searching and there is a geographical error.. Things slip through the cracks.


Thank You for your concern and loyalty, and may you Be Blessed.

Standing On The Edge

Usually at this time of year I write a post about hearing and feeling the Veil opening...well, not this year. The Veil has been open since Spring, and there was no gentle thrumming or humming. The sound was more like the renting of fabric as thousands crossed in a long line, their faces worn, bodies exhausted by the long battle with COVID-19. Mothers, fathers, grandparents, children...and so many healthcare workers. Every loved one reduced to a haggard shade of humanity.

How could this have happened? Human nature made us desperately search for something or someone to blame.  Thousands dying of a modern Plague, alone, unable to say goodbye through their drug-induced coma, many before their time, their loved one terrified to touch or kiss them in their final moments, a nurse or doctor providing solace.

Through the earlier part of this year we've been weighed down not only by helplessness and grief, but anger. A pall of negativity spread over communities thrown into week after week of mourning. Those of us fearful of the possibility of bring this Plague into our home follow the guideline of common sense: wash your hands, wear a face covering, only go out when necessary, otherwise stay at home. Every little cough or sneeze being suspect, we panic and brace for the worst.

Our world has been thrown off kilter to tilt toward a dark unknown. We gnash our teeth when our favorite coffee spot is closed, when we have to keep six feet or more apart, when our routine is interrupted by uncertain governmental warnings, by ridiculous, irrational  political theater, by armchair Facebook experts and the loss of normalcy.

In the blink of an eye and less time it takes to catch our breath, our comfortable routine, our normalcy, is gone. Gone. If anything like normal ever returns, it will be a new "normal". And it will take some getting used to.

Meanwhile, our metaphysical communities, occult practitioners, seers, sages, psychics, healers, light workers are all thrown into a type of vertigo. The Unknown, the Mysterious, whatever and from wherever we draw our power, is fuzzy and scattered. It takes every ounce of strength and focus we have to work our craft. But we persevere.

We're learning new ways to virtually gather online because it's important to keep in touch. We hunger for a word of encouragement and kindness from those familiar to us...even if it is on Zoom.

The single constant we have is the natural world. Despite our planet having it's own share of affliction heaped upon it by selfish mortals, we are still welcomed to walk or meditate in the outdoors, to fill our lungs and ourselves with sun and air. The Earth, our Mother, no matter how we abuse her, still loves us.
Bare feet on naked soil still grounds us, and we are invigorated. Watching deer and birds in the wild during these autumnal days reminds us that we are not alone. We share this world with others who keep the spark of life inside. Even more, we are, as the futuristic thinker Buckminister Fuller said,                 " Passengers  of  Spaceship Earth". All of us are on a journey. That's hard to remember when surrounded by so much gloom and doom. It's hard to be an enthusiastic traveler in these times.

Those of us engaged in Earth-centered spirituality see Death and dying differently. Our worldview is that of Death as transition, a natural part of the cycle of Life. Death is not in and of itself an ending, but linked to regeneration and rebirth. If Life is truly a loop ( and we have seen proof it is) then it is much easier to accept Death, painful as the separation may be, as temporary.

The Wheel of Life and the Wheel of the Year turn in a parallel unity. As we loose friends, family and loved ones to this modern Plague, it is wise to remember that they pass from this life into the Realm of the Ancestors. Our Ancestors are always with us, but especially at this time of year. A practice I've adopted is a ritual to let those who die suddenly go with love, with their memory keep in my heart. Letting go is a gift...yes, I said gift. Their existence in my life, sharing our humanity together, even if that relationship is difficult, gives me a new understanding and expression of who I am. But enough waxing poetic for now.

We welcome the Ancestors, new and old, everyday, but especially as we approach Samhain, the Final Harvest. We stand on the edge of the place of passage, where the Veil opens, and welcome those who have crossed with love and compassion. Each of us have our own personal rituals and ceremonies. I'd like to hear about them if you're willing to share.
 

Interrupted

There is nothing I hate more than being interrupted. But...such are the ways of life...

I am a creature of discipline. I like routine, and I'm set in my ways. I don't like change. Having said all that...I'm ready for some change.

Like many of you, I've been staying safely at home trying to avoid our modern version of the Plague ( Novel Covid-19, like I have to tell you). And to be honest...I'm not going stir crazy. I'm an introvert. I like my privacy and work well being alone. There are plenty of things to do at home and I am perfectly content doing them.

And...I rescued a cat. His name is Charlie, and he's a handful. He's a tomcat, and since he's been out on his own, he thinks he's a badass. More on him later.

I am committed to moving to a new area a little south of where I currently live by Autumn. I'll still be in the mountains in a small town, but not as isolated and remote. It's larger than the tiny town I currently reside in, but there is a lot more opportunity and I think the charge will be positive. The place I'm currently living answered to my needs at the time, and it's been an experience I don't regret, but it's time for a change. It used to be home; now it's just a place to live. I still love my little apartment which has been home for nearly eight years, but...things are different here.

I'm different, too. The combination has made me dissatisfied and uncomfortable, and it affects my mood and my ability to concentrate, which in turn affects my ability to connect with the Divine...all of this has brought back bouts of depression I've been dealing with all of my life, to the extent that it has even affected writing this blog. It's not that I have writer's block; there are plenty of ideas swirling around in my head. The problem is that I haven't felt like writing... or anything else, to be honest. I've been told by friends who deal with a similar form of depression that it gets better if you give it time. I think they're right, but waiting to reach that place has been hard.

But...here I am. I'm grateful for those of you who have stuck with me, who have been asking about the blog, and who have been patiently waiting for me to sit down at the keyboard again. ( I do post at the blog's Facebook page regularly, and I keep in touch with a number of people on my personal page.)

Meanwhile...a few loose ends:

I've gotten a moderate amount of email asking what to do with our problematic President here in the US. My answer is simple: VOTE him and his associates out of office. I'm not going on a political rant about him right now because I frankly don't have the energy. Just VOTE  on November 3rd. Four more years of the Orange Shitgibbon will absolutely guarantee you and I will not only not have the freedom to practice our personal spirituality, we could very well be imprisoned for it if the Dominionist Christian Cult gets it's way. I'm not advocating for any candidate, but please, please, VOTE your conscience for the good of humanity. Until then, I personally am focusing on sending Trump's negativity and ugliness back to him. Since he will never own it himself, I am sending it back to own HIM. I refuse to put energy into cursing this idiot, as he's doing an excellent job of doing that tom himself.

Covid-19: Response has been confusing as how to respond and what to do, but the basics are still hand washing, staying in as much as you can, and wearing a mask when you go out. Save the excuses, be a decent human being and just wear the damn mask. Believe me, it beats the alternative.

Even though it's been moved off the stove to the back burner, Climate Change is still very real. Our fragile Earth is suffering at the hands of ignorance and greed. Do what you can in your own little part of the world to help in sustainable ways. A little goes a long way. 

If you're interested in Southern Hoodoo, my friend Carolina Dean has begun a video series on YouTube. Look him up! His engaging personality will charm you.

Like many during the lockdown, Sabrina the Ink Witch and her partner, Tina,are struggling to keep their store afloat. Enchantations has become a community gathering place for Witches and Pagans in the South Bay area in California. If you have a few dollars to spare, consider helping them out at their Go Fund Me.

The always provocative Christian Day and his husband, Alexandria High Priest Brian Cain are offering a variety of online classes through their shops, Hex and Omen. Classes feature presenters such as Utu Witchdoctor and Michael Correll ( Uncle Birch from Widdershins). Sign up at Hex websites or on Facebook.

Finally, if you need a positive way to relax and learn about history and culture, I highly recommend the Pro Walks series on YouTube. My personal favorites are the Roman Forum, and the Path of the Gods. If you've never seen any ProWalks videos, they are first person hikes around popular historical and cultural areas throughout the world at ground level, just like you are doing the hike yourself, but from the comfort of your own home. They're wonderful for meditation and relaxing.

And so...here we are at the end of this post. I'm going to be working on the layout of the blog in the next week and putting up new posts ( which I hope to make weekly). Bright Blessings of the MidSummer to you.

Snakes, Oh My !

There's a theory that totem animals come from deep in the individual's subconscious, that something filters up through a repressed part of our mind to represent us. I'm not going to pretend I know the answer because I'm still working on understanding my spirit allies and where they fit in who I am becoming.

A few years back I began resonating with Hare. What came to me from this association was a deeper connection with the Earth and my own instincts. A popular association with the hare or rabbit is sexual, but this has never been the message I've gotten from Hare. It has always been about connecting to the Earth and my own inner wisdom; I'm still exploring that connection.

Most recently Snake has come to me. Snake strikes fear in many individuals, but I've never felt one way or the other about the creature. I think they're fascinating and beautiful, but I've never had any real connection to Snake until Rick Springfield came out with a CD titled The Snake King. I'm a lifelong fan, but I'm not obsessed with the guy, and I've never been a camp follower. (I got over the fan girl thing years ago, even though I was featured in a documentary about his relationship to his fan base.) I think he still makes some great music and I can relate to the meaning in his more personal songs. The Snake King has a bluesy vibe and a link to the dark side expressed by a character called The Snake King who's an amalgamation of voodoo's Baron Samedi ( Springfield does, in fact, own a suit coat with an image of the Baron on the back that predates the album, so I suspect he's versed in his meaning) Satan, and other taboo characters including a depression riddled part of Springfield himself. All these characters tell a story throughout the album, and there are actually some upbeat tunes that are ear worm worthy...but this is not an album review, so I'll move on. Back to the Snake King and how he introduced Snake to me as a spirit ally...

Snake often travels undercover in places the sunlight doesn't reach: in rocky outcrops, under the leafy forest floor, high among the canopy of trees, underground in holes....places of deep indwelling. The Place of Deep Indwelling is a reoccurring theme with me, especially during the dark Winter months when I settle in to study my Craft and explore my inner being. It would not be an odd occurrence for Snake to come to me under these circumstances, for snakes have an aversion to the cold. Snake appearing in the Place of Deep InDwelling is actually quite natural because he is a figure of renewal and the nature of rebirth. Snake hatches from an egg, sheds his skin in order to grow, and sleeps in a coil - birth, growth and the Divine Spiral. He's a creature of Earth, and among my totems, a natural to spiritually connect to the Earth.

Snake also connects to my Celtic heritage that incorporates spirals and coils, and serpents. The opposite side of Snake's character is that he is a healer of body and soul: shedding one's skin  (transformation) represents freedom from the burden we must let go of in order to move forward and grow. Snake is symbolic of the cycle of life and death.

There was a period of painful transformation in my life that lasted several years that I would have never foreseen as happening the way it did, a shedding of who I thought I was, of my comfortably self-perceived position in society. I lost my job and my wonderfully delightful apartment and moved from the place I grew up in and had lived for the first 40+ years of my life and was briefly homeless and adrift. Thankfully I was never out on the street, but I had no money and no permanent place to live. Friends kept the material possessions most important to me while I explored this phase of life and shed layers upon layers of parental and societal conditioning until I finally became someone I felt comfortable with being. Then I came out of the darkness, realizing that I had been forced to leave the place I was so afraid of leaving. I am by no means fearless now, but I am a lot less fearful of loss in a way understood through deep personal examination and a Buddhist-like understanding of attachment.

Then Snake appeared, as they often do, coming out from the dark place to bask in the warm and light.This is my relationship with Snake currently. I respectfully acknowledge it could change again, but right now, things are comfortable and stable. Life is not so bad, and Snake and Hare hang around just make sure I stay connected and awake. The Snake King ( the album and the archetype) keep me thinking about life, society and culture : our currently crappy political situation and what has brought us here, knowing what my personal appetites are and how they help and harm me, and my relationship to the gods. It's not a bad relationship, and I an kinda grateful for the bad stuff because it makes me appreciate the good things when they come around.

Meanwhile....I need to get back to a settled spiritual practice. I have allowed mine to fall away while I sit comfortably with my cup of hot tea and the distraction of reading. It's past Imbolc and the light is beckoning me from the Place of Deep InDwelling to the Place of Joyful Being. I am shedding the skin of last Winter and my new one, though still tender and a little raw from the old one being torn away, holds the possibility for something beautiful.

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A bit of lavender added to my sage stick, and the apartment gets a good smudging, followed by a wash down with the citrus and orange, cinnamon and spice of Florida water, to clear out the old and make way for a higher, more positive vibration. How do you get unstuck after the long nights of Winter?