Offerings Of The Spirit

There are 8 Wiccan Sabbats in a year. Each has their own meanings and associations. These Sabbats are but into two categories: The Minor Sabbats and the Major Sabbats. They are spaced about 45 days apart from each other.
The Minor Sabbats consist of four Sabbats. The two Equinoxes of March 21st (Spring Equinox Ostara) and September 21st (Autumn Equinox Mabon), when day and night are each 12 hours long. Then there are the two Solstices of June 21st (Summer Solstice Litha) and December 21st (Winter Solstice Yule). Litha has the longest daytime of the year and Yule has the longest night of the year. The exact dates of the Minor Sabbats vary from year to year and may occur on the 20th to the 23rd of the month.
The Major Sabbats consist of four Sabbats as well. They occur roughly midway between the Minor Sabbats and are usually at the end of the month. There are many names and dates to these Sabbats, but the meanings of them are the same. Samhain (October 31st), Imbolg (February 2nd), Beltaine (April 30th), and Lammas (August 1st) are the 8 Major Sabbats.
The Wheel of the Year as it is called, starts with Samhain and ends with Mabon. The following is the descriptions and associations for each Sabbat starting with Samhain.

Samhain (October 31st)
Samhain is a time to remember those who have left us. This is a time to remember our ancestors, both ancient and wise. This is the time when the barriers between our world and the next become blurred, and those from the other side are free to visit our world, as well as guide us.
It is also the time when the Witches and Wiccans say goodbye to the god. Thought this temporary as the God gets ready to be reborn from the Goddess.
This is a time for reflection, to look back over the past year. A time to come to terms with the one great phenomenon of life in which we have no control of Death.
The year starts with Samhain, for it is in the dark half of the year. The great Druids believed that the day began with the setting of the sun; therefore, the dark half of the year is the beginning. New Years resolutions are made on Samhain.
Samhain is the traditional day to raise a Covener within a circle.
Other Names: Third Harvest, Samana, Vigil of Saman, Shadowfest (Strega), Halloween, All Hallows Eve, Hallowe'en, and the Scottish Gaelic spellings for Samhain are Samhuin or Samhuinn.
Correspondences and Associations:
Colors: Black, Orange, White, Silver, Scarlet, Dark Brown, Bronze and Gold
Foods: Apples,Pumpkin Pie, Hazelnuts, Corn, Cranberry Muffins and Bread, Ale, Nuts, Cider, Turnips, Gourds, Mulled Wines, Beef, Pork, Poultry, and Herbal Teas.
Symbols: Jack-o-Lanterns, Photos of the Deceased, Apples, Squashes, Autumn Flowers, Fall Leaves, Gourds, Black Cats, Bats, Crows, Oak Leaves, Divination Acorns and Besoms.
Incense: Apple, Heliotrope, Mint, Nutmeg, Sandalwood, Myrrh, Mugwort, Patchouli and Sage.
Candles: Black, Orange, White, Silver, and Gold.
Gemstones: All Black Gemstones (Jet, Obsidian, and Onyx), Carnelian, Jasper, Smoky Quarts, and Bloodstone.
Deities: Anubis, Arianrhod, Astarte, Cernunnos, Cerridwen, Crone, Dark Lord & Lady, Demeter, Hathor, Hecate, Horned God, Innana, Isis, Kali, Odin, Morrigan, and Lilith
Herbs: Mugwort, Allspice, Broom, Catnip, Deadly Nightshade, Mandrake, Oak Leaves, Sage, Pumpkin, Apples, Chrysanthemums, Thistle, Rosemary, Rue, Calendula, Sunflower Petals, Pumpkin Seeds, Apple Leaves, Mushrooms, Wild Ginseng, Wormwood, Tarragon, Bay Leaf, Almond, Hazelnut, Passionflower, Nettle, Mandrake Root, Hemlock Cones, Garlic, Pine Needles, Acorns, and Straw.
Animals: Stag, Cat, Bat, Owl, Jackal, Elephant, Ram, Scorpion, Heron, Crow, and Robin.
Work: Sex Magick, Release of Bad Habits, Banishing, Faerie Magick, Divination of any kind, Candle Magick, Astral Projection, Past Life Work, Dark Moon Mysteries, Mirror Spells (reflection), Casting Protection, Inner Work, Clearing Obstacles, Uncrossing, Inspiration, Creative Visualization, and Contacting those who are no longer on this plane.
Tools: Besom, Cauldron, Tarot, Obsidian Ball, Pendulum, Runes, Ouija Board, Black Cauldron or Bowl filled with Black Ink or Water, and Magick Mirror.

Yule (December 21st)
Yule has the longest night and the shortest day of the year. It is the time when the Goddess gives birth to a son, the God. Witches and Wiccans celebrate the Festival of the God's Rebirth. It is a time to honor the Holly King. Accomplishes of the past, love, togetherness, and love are also celebrated. These things are celebrated by burning the Yule Log in a bonfire. A portion of the Yule Log is always saved to be used to light next years Yule Log. The Yule Log is usually oak. It is kept throughout the year to protect the home as well.
Other Names: Winter Solstice, Christmas, Alban Arthan, Finn's Day, Festival of Sol, Yuletide, Great Day of the Cauldron, and the Festival of Growth.
Correspondences and Associations:
Colors: Red, Green, White, Silver, Gold, Yellow, and Orange.
Foods: Roasted Turkey,Nuts, Eggnog, Cookies, Fruit, Pork, Ale, Roasted Apples and Mulled Wine.
Symbols: Yule Log, Evergreen Boughs, Wreaths, Holly, Mistletoe, Gold Pillar Candles, Baskets of Clove Studded Fruits, Poinsettias, Cinnamon Sticks, Ivy, Wheel, and Fir or Pin Bows.
Incense: Bayberry, Pine, Cedar, Rosemary, Juniper, Cinnamon, and Frankincense.
Candles: Red, Green, White, and Gold.
Gemstones: Ruby, Cat's Eye, Blue Zircon, Turquoise, Serpentine, Emeralds, and Diamonds.
Deities: Athena, Attis, Dionysus, Fates, Frey, Freyja, Hathor, Lucina, Norns, Osiris, Woden, and the Horned God.
Herbs: Bayberry, Blessed Thistle, Evergreen, Frankincense, Holly, Laurel, Mistletoe, Oak, Pine, Sage, and Yellow Cedar.
Animals: Reindeer, the Stage, Mouse, Deer, Horse, Squirrel, Phoenix, and Bear.
Work: Peace, Harmony, Love, Happiness, Banishing Disease, Seeking Past Lives, Meditation, Singing Around the Hearth Fire, and Goals and Accomplishments.
Tools: Bells.

Imbolg (February 2nd)
Imbolg is the time to welcome spring, and celebrate the festival of the end of winter. It is a Festival of Light and Fertility. Imbolg is the recovery of the Goddess after giving birth to the God. The lengthening periods of light awaken her. The God is now young and lusty, but his power is felt during the longer days. Marking the return of Spring, the Earth feels his warmth. Imbolg represents new beginnings, spiritual growth, and the "sweeping of the old".
Other Names: Imbolic, Candlemas, St. Bridget's Day, Brides Day, Lady Day, Imbolc, Lupercus, and the Snowdrop Festival.
Correspondences and Associations:
Colors: White, Pink, Red, Orange, Yellow, Light Green, and Brown.
Foods: Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Muffins, Dairy Products, Peppers, Onions, Raisins, Garlic, Poppy Seed Bread and Cakes, Herbal Teas, Spiced Wines, Potatoes, and Turnips.
Symbols: White Flowers, Candle Wheels, Yellow Flowers, Lamps, and a Dish of Snow.
Incense: Basil, Bay, Cinnamon, Violet, Vanilla, Rosemary, and Wisteria.
Candles: Brown, Pink, and Red.
Gemstones: Amethyst, Garnet, Bloodstone, and Onyx.
Deities: Bridget, Aradia, Gaia, Dagda, Pan, and Herne.
Herbs: Angelica, Basil, Bay, Blackberries, Celandine, Coltsfoot, Heather, Iris, Myrrh, Tansy, Snowdrops, and Violets.
Animals: Sheep, Wolves, Bears, Stags, Eagles, Ravens, Groundhogs, Owls, and Snakes.
Work: Blessing the Seeds for this years Garden, Fertility and Purification, All Virgin and Maiden Goddess are honored, Candle Lightings, Stone Gathering, Searching for signs of spring, and Rituals of Initiation.
Tools: Plough and Garden Implements.

Ostara (March 21st)
Ostara marks the true fist day of spring. This is the time to celebrate the balance of seasons and the passage of Night into Day. The Goddess covers the earth with Fertility as she bursts forth from her sleep. The God stretches and grows into maturity. He walks among the greening earth and delights in the abundance of nature. On Ostara, the hours of the day and night are equal. This is a time of beginnings, of action, or planting seeds for future grains.
As spring reaches its midpoint, night and day stand in perfect balance. (with light on the increase.) The young Sun God now celebrates a sacred marriage with the young maiden Goddess, who conceives. In nine months she will again become the Great Mother. It is a time of great fertility and growth, and newborn animals.
Ostara is the time of Fertility of the Earth. Other Names: Eostre and Spring Equinox.
Correspondences and Associations:
Colors: Light Green, Lemon Yellow, and Pale Pink.
Foods: Hard-Boiled Eggs, Honey Cakes, 1st Fruit of the Season, Leafy Greens, Dairy Products, Nuts, Sunflower Seeds, and Flower Dishes.
Symbols: Eggs, Rabbits, Seeds, Spring Flowers, Four Leaf Clover, and Colored Ribbons.
Incense: African Violet, Jasmine, Rose, Sage, and Strawberry.
Candles: Gold, Green, and Yellow.
Gemstones: Aquamarine, Amethyst, and Red Jasper.
Deities: Diana, Artemis, Ostara, Eos, Eostre, Mars, Ares, The Green Man and The Maiden.
Herbs: Daffodil, Jonquils, Woodruff, Violet, Gorse, Olive, Peony, Iris, Tansy, Honeysuckle, and all Spring Flowers.
Animals: Rabbits, Hares, Robins, Dragons, Lambs, and Chicks.
Work: Planting, Coloring Eggs, Fertility Rites, Herb Work, Spells for new beginnings, prosperity, fertility, and potential.
Tools: Eggs, Baskets, and Green Clothe.

Beltaine (April 30th to May 1st)
Beltaine marks the emergence of the Sun God in manhood. Stirred by the energies at work in nature, he desires the Goddess. They fall in love, laying amongst the grass and flowers and unit. The Goddess then becomes pregnant.
Beltaine marks the return of vitality, of passions and hopes consummated. This is the last Spring Fertility Festival. It is time to dance around the Maypole, a symbol of Fertility. This Festival celebrates the union and marriage of the God and Goddess and reawakening of the Earth's fertility at its greatest. The time for plating seeds has ended and the time to wait has begun. It is one of the two most important Sabbats of the year. Beltaine is the compliment  of Samhain. The Barriers between our world and the next are again blurred. At Samhain the Otherworld visits us, at Beltaine we can visit the Otherworld.
Jumping over the bonfire promotes fertility and prosperity. Wild Water is collected on this day and used the bathe in or used to drink for health. Beltaine literally means "Fire of Bel" (Celtic God of Light and Fire.). May is the month for sensuality and sexuality to be revitalized. The awakening of the Earth and her Children.
Other Names: Beltane, May Day, or May Eve.
Correspondences and Associations:
Colors: Pink, White, Green, Soft Pink, Blue, Yellow, and Red.
Foods: Red Fruits, Herbal Salads, Red or Pink Wine/Punch, Large round Oatmeal or Barley Cake, Strawberries, Cherries, Passion Fruit, Kiwi, Marigold Custard, Vanilla Ice Cream, and Green Salads.
Symbols: Bonfires, Maypole, and Flowers.
Incense: Frankincense, Lilac, and Rose.
Candles: Dark Green.
Gemstones: Emerald, Orange Carnelian, Sapphire, Rose Quarts, Amber, and Malachite.
Deities: Flora, Diana and Artemis, Pan, Aphrodite, Venus and Maia.
Herbs: Honeysuckle, St. Johns Wort, Almond, Angelica, Ash Tree, Bluebells, Daisies, Hawthorn, Ivy, Lilac, Marigold, Dandelion, and Apple Tree.
Animals: Swallows, Doves, Swans, Cats, Lynx, and Leopards.
Work: Fertilize, Activities of Pleasure, Leaping Bonfires, Making Garlands, Dancing around the maypole, and Feasting.
Tools: Besom, Bonfire, and Cauldron.

Litha (June 21st)
Litha is the Summer Solstice. It marks the longest day of the year. Litha is the classic time for Magick of all kinds. Believe whatever is dreamt of will become true for the dreamer. This is a time to celebrate passion and success. Litha is the opposite of Yule. On this day of the longest daylight, life and light are abundant. This is the time when the Sun God has reached the his greatest strength. Seated on his greenwood throne, he is God of the forests. The powers of nature are at their highest point. Bonfires are lit to represent the Sun God and to rouse love, purification, health, and fertility. Litha Eve is also special for adherents of the Faerie Faith.
Other Names: Midsummer, and Leetha.
Correspondences and Associations:
Colors: Blue, Green, and Yellow.
Foods: Fresh Vegetables, Summer Fruits, Pumpernickel Bread, Ale, and Mead.
Symbols: Dried Herbs, Potpourri, Seashells, Summer Flowers and Fruits.
Incense: Frankincense, Lemon, Myrrh, Pine, Rose, and Wisteria.
Candles: Blue, Green, Gold, and Red.
Gemstones: Emerald, Jade, Lapis, and Diamond.
Deities: Ra,Bast, Mother Earth, Mother Nature, Father Sun, Father Sky, and the Oak King.
Herbs: Lavender, Chamomile, Roses, Daisies, Cheekweed, Apple, Vervain, and Lilies.
Animals: Butterflies, Caterpillars, Sea Creatures, Wren, Robins, Horses, Cattle, Satyrs, Faeries, Firebird, Dragon and the Thunder Bird.
Work: Herb Drying, protection, luck, health, transformation, career, and relationships.
Tools: Drums, Rattles, Bonfire, Mirrors for reflecting the sun or bonfire, Earth circles of stone energies.

Lammas (August 1st)
Lammas is the time for the first Harvest, when the plants begin to wither and drop their seeds for our use as well to ensure future crops. The Sun God losses his strength as the sun rises farther in the south each day and the nights grow longer. The God is dying, but living inside the Goddess as her child. We are reminded that nothing in the universe is constant. Lammas stands for the funeral games of lugh. (lugh referring to the Irish Sun God.) However, the funeral is not his own, but the funeral games he hosts for his foster-mother Tailte. For that reason, the traditional Tailtean Craft fairs and Tailtean Marriages are celebrated at this time.
Other Names: Lughnasadh, Cornucopia, Lughsasa, and Thingtide.
Correspondences and Associations:
Colors: Yellow, Orange, Green, and Brown.
Foods: Homemade Breads (Wheat, Oat, and Corn), Nuts, Wildberries, Apples, Rye, Berry Pies, Elderberry Wine, Ale, Corn, Rice, and Meadowsweet Tea.
Symbols: Corn Dolls, Wheat Weaving, Corn, and Wheat Stalks.
Incense: Aloes, Rose, and Sandalwood.
Candles: Orange and Yellow
Gemstones: Aventurine, Citrine, Peridot, Sardonyx, and Tourmaline.
Deities: Lugh, Demeter, Epona, Tailte, Cerridwen, and Rhiannon.
Herbs: Heather, Hollyhock, Grapes, Crab Apples, Sunflowers, and Pears.
Animals: Goats, Lamas, and Horses.
Work: Grains woven into God and Goddess symbols and Meditation.
Tools: Athame

Mabon (September 21st)
Mabon is the Autumn Equinox. Mabon is the completion of the Harvest that began at Lammas. Once again day and night are equal. The God prepares to leave his physical body and begin the great journey to the unseen, towards renewal and rebirth of the Goddess. Nature begins to die, laying in rest for next springs bounty. The Goddess nods in the weakening sun, but fire burns within her womb. We all take a moment to pay our respects to impending darkness. We also give thanks to the waning sunlight as we store our harvest of this year's crops. Offerings of Ciders, Wines, Herbs, and Fertilizer are appropriate at this time. Witches and Wiccans celebrate the aging Goddess as she passes from Mother to Crone, and her consort the God as he prepares for death and re-birth.
Other Names: Fall or Autumn Equinox
Correspondences and Associations:
Colors: Orange, Dark Red, Yellow, Brown, Maroon, Deep Gold, Violet, and Indigo.
Foods: Corn Bread Cakes, Wheat Products, Breads, Nuts, Vegetables, Apples, Cider, Carrots, Onions, Potatoes, Wine, Ale, and Pomegranates.
Symbols: Acorns, Pine Cones, Baskets of Fallen Leaves, Ivy Vines, Dried Seeds, Dried Leaves, and Dried Flowers.
Incense: Benzoin, Myrrh, Pine, Cinnamon, Cloves, Jasmine, Frankincense, and Sage.
Candles: Brown, Green, Orange, and Yellow.
Gemstones: Sapphire, Lapis Lazuli, Yellow Agates, and Yellow Topaz.
Deities: Thor, Morgan, Green Man, Epona, and Land Mother and the Muses.
Herbs: Hazel, Corn, Acorns, Oaks, Wheat Stalks, Cypress Cones, Pine Cones, Thistles, Milkweed, Pine, Cedar, and Sage.
Animals: Dogs, Wolves, Stag, Owl, Eagle, Salmon, Goat, and Blackbirds.
Work: Celebration of the Second Harvest, Ritual sprinkling of leaves, protection, prosperity, security, and self-confidence.
Tools: Red Alter Cloth and Bolline.


Written by Celina Kilburger

                                                    

   
                                                                Introduction
These poems have been inspired by the Goddess Brighid herself. They developed over the course of a year from the original Invocation I made to Bride at Candlemass in February 2008. This is the first poem in the cycle.
The cycle then follows the wheel of the Celtic year, with New Year starting in the darkness of Samhuinn (November), and working through Winter Solstice, Imbolc, Spring Equinox, Beltane, Summer Solstice, Lammas and finishing with Autumn Equinox. The poems contain nuances and subtle correspondences to the Festivals they represent and are intended to be used prayerfully and meditatively during the Festival season.
Living close to the sea in Ayrshire, Scotland, I frequently see the Oystercatcher along the shore and rejoice in the connection between this beautiful bird and Brihde. The poetry is part of their song.
No charge is made for downloading these poems, but I would ask that anyone who does so, makes a donation to a charity in their neighbourhood, and then emails me at brihdein@live.co.uk and lets me know they have done so. Wouldn't it be marvellous if benefits from this poetry poured out into nature and the environment, health and social care, human rights and peace!
May the Blessing of Brighid be always with you
May the Blessing of Brighid be always with those you love
May the Blessing of Brighid be always a bright and eternal flame in your heart

AN INVOCATION TO BRIHDE AT CANDLEMASS
1 February
Blessèd Brihde my one desire
Is you before me by the fire
Spreading rays of radiant light
Bringing end to winter’s night.
You’re also known as hallowed Bride
And greeted at this Imbolc-tide.
Your triple calling speaks to me:
Healer, forge and poetry.
Blest Brihde your spirit touches mine –
The name of Smith is in my line.
The words I write are breath of Brihde
My garden heals a world in need
I thank you for the gifts you send
Of snowdrop flowers at winter’s end
And in return I send your way
An Imbolc gift of milk this day.
Blest Brihde sweet Lady of the Hearth
Illuminate my faltering path
Inspire my words and heal my pain
And help me forge my life again

SAMHUINN
1 November
Under cover of darkness the Old Year seeps away
Daily becoming thinner, weaker, more dilute
Fraying at the edges, ragged, pale and grey
Washed-out fabric, fragile, feathered jute.
Under cover of darkness the New Year grows apace
Daily becoming tougher, stronger, more distinct
Knitting at the edges, broderie anglais, lace
Saturated colour, pearlised with a deeper tint
Between the feathering and the filigree
Shimmering chiffon separates the two
A strange world veiled in organdie
Where does old end? Where starts the new?
This sacred season of Hallowed Eve
Samhuinn Night - the Old Year's tail -
Allows for passage through the weave
For ancestors to cross the veil
Under cover of darkness mysteries unfold
The seam is stitched together, memories fade
But in deepest shadow throughout the winter cold
There shines the light of Brighid in gold brocade!

WINTER SOLSTICE
21 December
In the stillness of the Shortest Day
The rising sun dawns quite alone
A single sunbeam casts a golden ray
On a solitary frosted standing stone
In the forest sheltered from the wind
A unicorn glimpsed white through falling snow
Sparkling prisms of glistening crystal ice
Illuminate the sickled mistletoe
Ivy entwines the berried holly tree
A deer slips by unnoticed in the shade
The sun paints fingers of streaming light
Across the frozen river of the glade
The setting sun sinks slowly into dusk
Darkness gathers early - candlelight
The pine log crackles fragrant in the open hearth
The Shortest Day : the Longest Night
The Queen of Fire and Light puts on her boots
And wraps her mantle tightly to her side
It's time for work - a six week journey to the beach
To bring the world to life at Imbolc-tide

IMBOLC
1 February
Brihde crossed the machair to the sea
An oystercatcher in her hand
She scooped a cup of the rising sun
And sprinkled sunbeams o'er the land

SPRING EQUINOX
21 March
Spring is not a time of peace
It jumps and jerks and wrestles free
March hares boxing bound wild-eyed
Buds erupting on the tree
Last year’s seeds burst into life
Hard earth cracks as shoots emerge
Wild winds storm across the sea
And whip the flooding tidal surge
A time to leap before you look
To follow Fool – step off the ledge
A time of reckless folly, risk
To dare to balance on the edge
Herne the Hunter heralds havoc
Dances in a fairy ring
Mad Hatter loups across the fields
Then stops, high-fives Green Man of Spring
Bridie wrings a rainbow out
Cascading colours crown the hills
Glade and garden emerald green
And golden dancing daffodils

BELTANE
01 May
On the fields around the bridle-path
Young grass sparkles in morning dew
The day stands tip-toe, waiting, ready
Beltane sun is shining through
In a dappled blossom-laden lane
The scent of hawthorn fills the air
Brihde bestows a glimpse of grace
As she tends the birthing of a pregnant mare
Lovers circle spiralled ribbons
Dancing through the May Day morn
Song and laughter, Beltane bonfire
Labour ends. A foal is born

SUMMER SOLSTICE
21 June
In all the wonder of brilliant light
Of blazing blinding transfiguring flame
Of the power and the passion of the Solar circle
Brihde a rose by any other name
Brihde the Queen of Fire and Light
Who hangs her mantle on the Sun
Brihde of courage, fortitude and strength
Brihde of life ere life begun
Brihde of Solstice in exalted glory
You come with light for the good of all
But your throne is a daisy surrounded by bees
For you burn with love for all things small

LAMMAS
1 August
Bridie drowses in the barley,
on the way to Lammas Fair.
Weaves the crop stalks in a circle;
plaited poppies in her hair.
Kinsfolk gather at the bonfire:
contracts actioned; bought and sold.
A time of measure, introspection.
Bring in the new, discard the old.
Blest Lady take me as I am and gather me
as new-scythed corn
Open arms in winnowing wind,
scattering seeds to be reborn.
Brighid of hearth, your oven bakes
the harvest of the Lammas field.
The bread is shared; a mystic glimpse:
a world at war is cherished, healed.
The Oystercatcher flutes at dawn,
a warning in her soulful call.
The barn is full, the harvest ends.
High summer preludes autumn fall.

AUTUMN EQUINOX
21 September
With joyful triumphant liquid trill
Robin's song announces Autumn's here
Day and night are equal length
Darkness comes to northern hemisphere.
A time of sorrow - Summer's over
Dreams and hopes turn golden brown and die
Trees take the risk to stand skeletal, bare
Throughout the Winter's sharp and icy bite.
Their boughs are bending, laden down with fruit
Apple, hazel, beechmast, berry, haw -
Birds and insects riffle through the feast
Enough today - when Winter comes, no more.
A wave of grief floods inland from the sea
Atlantic breakers empty on the strand
A curlew gathers molluscs with the tide
Dunlin harvest food twixt sea and land.
The oystercatcher, known as Gille Brihde
Dips her beak in sand at evening light
The setting sun sinks aqueous through the clouds
Damp and misty, weak, then lost from sight.
The wind of change rampages from the west
A time to stall the cattle in the byre
A time to set the ewes down in the fold
To shut the doors and windows, stoke the fire.
From now the year progresses to its end
Shortened days and nightfall gathering.
But know that all the while the darkness reigns
That Brihde will come with sunlight in the Spring.

As Samhain is getting close, I gave a lot of thought about how will I celebrate the Celtic New Year. Since my knowledge in pagan or wiccan traditions is scarce, I searched for helpful ideas and I found this beautiful and simple way how to celebrate Samhain. But first I wanna say something  about Samhain itself.




                                                                        ( By Labgrrl )
October 31st, or November Eve, which is also called Samhain, is the cusp of the liturgical year for Wiccans and Pagans who choose to follow the Wiccan liturgical year. It marks the time when the old religious year passes, and the new religious year begins.

Like other such "Year's end" holidays, in other faiths, it is a good time to reevaluate how far we've come in our personal goals and how far we have to go.

New Wiccans, who've just started in the religion, even ones who will begin on October 31st, often want to do some activities that make them feel connected to the day. This list contains some ideas that newcomers to Wicca, and even old hands, can try with little or no background information.

#1. Honor the dead of the year. Pick people you know of who passed on this past year, and even those who you didn't know but who you felt affected by, and light a stick of incense for each one. Say their name, then light the incense, then say "May you pass freely from this world into the next, and find happiness." Then stick the incense in a pot of dirt or other holder. This should be done outside. You could also light tea candles in their names, etc, but the idea is to have a votive sacrifice, something of at least small value you consume in their honor, so don't reuse the candles.

#2. Make a list of things you have done wrong in the year, and how they can be rectified. Those things that you can make amends for either make amends for (For example, if you broke a window, fix it or pay for it to be fixed.) Those things you cannot fix, find a way that you might still make it better or right. Maybe you need to tell someone you're sorry?

#3. Write a list of all the people who have influenced you, either in your life or just this past year, and why they have influenced you. What people should you cultivate in your life (people you should get closer to) and what people are bringing you down (people you should reduce contact with.) How can you improve your influences over the next year?

#4. Come up with three goals for the next 12 months- a hard one, a not-that-hard one, and a fairly easy one. Break the goals down into three sections-what you will do immediately to further them, when you will be half-way there, and what you'll want to be like just before you're finished. Revisit the goals you made last year, if any.

#5. Let "The Dead" become untrapped from your property. Open your front door and your back door simultaneously (You may have to lock pets in another room.) Say "Let those who need pass this space pass freely." After a few minutes, close the doors.

#6. Give something that is not good for you up. Write it on a piece of paper and burn, bury or tear the paper into shreds.

#7. Put on a costume and wander around, with your cell phone handy, and 'police' your neighborhood for injured kids, crime, etc. Become a force for good on a night that some ignorant people will use for pranks and vandalism.

#8. Call up a relative you have not spoken to in a long time and say hi. Relatives become ancestors faster than you realize.

#9. Visit a grave of a lost one and tell them what you need to tell them to move on with your life.

#10. Dedicate yourself to your future, and the future of our people and our planet. Make plans, set goals, and take steps.

All of the above tasks require no special rituals or training, and represent very real things Wiccans do on this holy night. Each can help you "get the meaning" of the holiday, even if it's your first one as a Wiccan.
This is borrowed from www.labgrrl.com/2009/10/activities-for-new-wiccans-who-are.html

I found this site today, it's an online community for Pagans and Wiccans.This is what they say:

This site is devoted to the practice of Wicca. It is an excellent resource for those looking to gain a better understanding of the religion of Wicca as a whole. Through chat, discussions on our post boards, our many Wiccan groups, and links to many other sites with a Wicca connection. Wicca is an open religion devoted to the worship of the goddess, or god and goddess, The Horned God, and the Triple Goddess respectively. Traditional Wicca includes many paths, Gardnerian, Alexandrian, oftentimes referred to as British Traditional Wicca. Osian, Gaian, Cochranianism, Feri, and the Dianic. And the list goes on. Some new age covens, followings, and groups are emerging all the time.

One thing all traditions hold in common is the Wiccan Rede. Though there are many forms of it, and changes to the wording, the meaning stays clear; "And thou harm none, do as thou will" It is not necessary to belong to a coven to be Wiccan. The solitary practitioner has as much a place as any coven member. Oftentimes , the solitary Wiccan will refer to themselves as an eclectic. Devoted to the idealism's and teachings. While most Wiccan covens have some sort of initiation process. Accompanied by a more strict guideline to follow, including feast days, appropriate ritual, and a variety of others. Wicca is a religion dating back to only the 1950s and was founded by Gerald Gardener. But its roots go back to generations before. Regardless of your personal religion, or whether you would call yourself Wiccan or simply just Pagan.

We hope you enjoy your time here on Wiccan Together.

So, if you think this is a place for you, visit them at www.wiccantogether.com/

This brilliant overview of the growth, supression, and modern-day reemergence of Wicca as a Goddess-worshipping religion has left an indelible mark on the feminist spiritual consciousness. In this beautiful 20th-anniversary edition, Starhawk now reveals the ways in which the practice of ritual and Goddess religion have, in the face of a changing world, developed over the last 20 years – and the ways in which these changes have influenced and enhanced her original ideas. This important spiritual guidebook provides both the tools of ancient practice and the means to adapt them to our lives today – for, according to Starhawk, ‘a living tradition is not static or fixed; it changes and responds to changing needs and changing times.’

If anyone wants to read let me know :)

"A gripping love story that transcends time as we know it....This book makes you truly believe that we all really do have soulmates and that Only Love is real."
-Raymond A. Moody, M.D., Ph.D., author of Life After Life

Chapter 1

Know, therefore, that from the greater silence I shall return.... Forget not that I shall come back to you.... A little while, a moment of rest upon the wind, and another woman shall bear me.
KAHLIL GIBRAN

There is someone special for everyone. Often there are two or three or even four. They come from different generations. They travel across oceans of time and the depths of heavenly dimensions to be with you again. They come from the other side, from heaven. They look different, but your heart knows them. Your heart has held them in arms like yours in the moon-filled deserts of Egypt and the ancient plains of Mongolia. You have ridden together in the armies of forgotten warrior-generals, and you have lived together in the sand-covered caves of the Ancient Ones. You are bonded together throughout eternity, and you will never be alone.
Your head may interfere: "I do not know you." Your heart knows.
He takes your hand for the first time, and the memory of his touch transcends time and sends a jolt through every atom of your being. She looks into your eyes, and you see a soul companion across centuries. Your stomach turns upside down. Your arms are gooseflesh. Everything outside this moment loses its importance.
He may not recognize you, even though you have finally met again, even though you know him. You can feel the bond. You can see the potential, the future. But he does not. His fears, his intellect, his problems keep a veil over his heart's eyes. He does not let you help him sweep the veil aside. You mourn and grieve, and he moves on. Destiny can be so delicate.
When both recognize each other, no volcano could erupt with more passion. The energy released is tremendous.
Soul recognition may be immediate. A sudden feeling of familiarity, of knowing this new person at depths far beyond what the conscious mind could know. At depths usually reserved for the most intimate family members. Or even deeper than that. Intuitively knowing what to say, how they will react. A feeling of safety and a trust far greater than could be earned in only one day or one week or one month.
Soul recognition may be subtle and slow. A dawning of awareness as the veil is gently lifted. Not everyone is ready to see right away. There is a timing at work, and patience may be necessary for the one who sees first.
You may be awakened to the presence of your soul companion by a look, a dream, a memory, a feeling. You may be awakened by the touch of his hands or the kiss of her lips, and your soul is jolted back to life.
The touch that awakens may be that of your child, of a parent, of a sibling, or of a true friend. Or it may be your beloved, reaching across the centuries, to kiss you of her lips, and your soul is jolted back to life.