Greetings and welcome to the Samhain issue of Cauldrons & Broomsticks.

Here we are again with another issue of Cauldrons & Broomsticks.  We hope we find you well and prepared for the winter months that lie ahead.  In this issue, we are proud to introduce you to our very own agony aunt who goes by the name of Auntie Witch, make sure you catch her column below.  We also have a $10 / £10 Amazon gift voucher up for grabs in the first of what we hope will be series of competitions.  I am afraid that this only a short introduction as we are off out trick or treating.  See you soon.

Blessings

Garnet and Magi

About Samhain

by Magi

Since Mabon, the day-light hours have been getting ever shorter and even in the days of global warming, the weather is getting colder.  The Wheel of the Year is seen to begin at Samhain. This is Celtic New Year when the veil between the worlds of life and death stand open. Samhain is a festival of the dead; when we remember those who have gone before and acknowledge the mystery of death. It is traditional on Samhain night to leave a plate of food outside the home for the souls of the dead. A candle placed in the window guides them to the feast.

Starting at the beginning of the Celtic year, around the end of October in the modern calendar, when the first hard frost whitened the grass, shrivelled any greenstuff and iced over a shallow puddle, the community began their preparations for winter. Cattle, pigs and sheep which had roamed the unfenced moors or woodlands would be brought back the farmyards or perhaps one of the great earthworks which dot the southern hilltops. It would be a great round-up and time for sorting out the stock. Some would be selected to be killed as, before the times of extensive haymaking and the production of winter feed, not all could be expected to survive through the winter months. Pigs would be salted into ham and bacon, but a great feast of those parts which could not be preserved would be eaten. The White Harvest of this time would be fat, hides and fleeces, all vital to see the people through the winter,

The Celtic Year draws to an end at Samhain, 'Summer's End', time of the Great Gathering, when all come home. It is a time of celebration and of remembering those who departed from their earthly forms. The spirits that enter open doors and manifest in the sacred bonfires' smoke are kindly ones, the old friends, grandparents, kindred from many ages, all thronging round with their wisdom, their accrued knowledge of the community and its needs. Now is the time of oracles, to see what lies in the year to come. It is a time to bid farewell to those who have died, and welcome the new-born, and even the spirits of children scarcely conceived, as yet unborn. All the family come in and share the feasting, of the best and the fattest of the beasts, the whitest bread; the sweetest honey and the lushest fruits of this short season of plenty, before winter.

Our ancestors had other reasons for feeling tension at Samhain. If the harvest had been good, decisions still had to be taken about distribution, storage and the rate at which particular foods should be eaten. Trade matters must have been considered too. Which foods could safety be bartered for other things? Which must kept? By Samhain, the doorway to winter, all this must have been decided. Had the right decisions been taken? Was everything in order? Our ancestors would have looked for answers and reassurance through divination.

Today, as in the past, the Goddess as Wisewoman and the God as Lord of Shadows (the Dark Lord) are guides through death's realm. The God is Lord of Night, the old Wiseman, teacher and guide on both sides of the Veil. The Goddess brings a Samhain gift of wisdom, and it may be sweet or bitter to receive, according to our circumstances and desires. As part of all this, we can consider death as an aspect of our lives. Perhaps some old plans or aspirations need to die now.

Samhain is a mischief night on which sprites are expected to play tricks on humankind on behalf of the Lord of Misrule, that aspect of the Horned One who will not let us take ourselves too seriously. The festival is about the year's death and therefore is the New Year, for death implies rebirth. But at this time, death is more tangible than rebirth. Fields lie fallow, the sap has sunk down into roots and all of nature rests. There is an atmosphere of weirdness in the autumn mists and the smoky colours of evening. This is, in fact, the Festival of the Returning Dead, as well as an acknowledgement of the end of one solar cycle. That is why it has its reputation for ghostly happenings, its bat's wings and black cloak associations.

The old year dissolves, it breaks down, at Samhain, and the result is a breakdown of all boundaries, including those between the living and the dead. It is, therefore, more possible than usual to perceive the psychic presence of those who have gone before us but who are still connected, still watching over us. The living, the dead and the unborn can meet in spirit on this night, psychically communing and exchanging information. Likewise, the nature spirits walk among us, both the kindly and the more mischievous ones.

Some of the visions and messages received at Samhain are said to be sent by the Beloved Dead, that is by family members with whom we are still joined by bonds of affection. Others may be a direct gift from the Goddess. All are to be taken seriously.

But remember, there is no justification for attempting to call the dead back. They join us freely on Samhain night, if they are able and if they wish to. Calling them back may interfere with stages of purification, rest and preparations for a new life, which all go through between incarnations. If attempts to do so should succeed they could disrupt a natural process and actually be harmful to the returning spirit. If a loving spirit should desire to come back then we can welcome them and they will be recognised. If not, we can remember them freely with love and then accept their absence.

The God and the Goddess are, at this time, happily united in the Underworld as equals, and He exhorts us as "Summer is Dead" to "Feast with Death". The Goddess is both pregnant and the Old One, the Wise hag, in this dark time when the veil between the worlds is thinnest, and knowledge and spiritual powers of magic can pass back and forth. She is always a changeable deity. She is Ruler of the Otherworld, wherein Her God/Lover rests, between His evolving incarnations. She is Persephone, Queen of the Dead and the Unborn, Bringer through the Veil of Life those to be born, carrying across the dark still waters of the River of the Night, those who have passed from the world of flesh. She is All-Knowing, All--Seeing and All-Revealing to those who dare to ask her the right questions

Samhain Quiz

Put your thinking caps on and take our Samhain quiz! The winner will receive a $10.00 gift voucher from Amazon.com or a £10.00 gift voucher from Amazon.co.uk depending on where in the world you’re from! There will be only one winner. If there is more than one quiz returned with all the correct answers, then they will be selected randomly. Please return your entry no later than 12th November 2006 to .

Obviously, being a pagan quiz, there might be some answers that no-one will agree on completely. In that instance, since it’s our quiz, our decision will be final .

1) As a representative of the Goddess, on which side of the altar does the High priestess stand during Circle?

2) What vegetable did the Celts use for making lanterns to guide the souls of the dead?

3) The Malleus Malificarum was known by what other name?

4) Who wrote The Malleus Malificarum?

5) The Discovery of Witches lists nine names that a witch was likely to have named her familiar. Can you list at least 3?

6) What was the name of The Witch Finder General who wrote The Discovery of Witches?

7) In the opening scene of MacBeth, the Weird Sisters call upon Paddock, Harpier and Grimalkin. What sorts of creatures are they?

8) Can you name two reasons why we celebrate Samhain?

9) Samhain is also called The Witch’s New Year. Can you explain why?

10) Why was Samhain given the name Halloween?

Auntie Witch

Dear Auntie Witch,

I am a twenty-fourth degree initiated Super-Magus High Priestess with many years of Wiccan practice under my multi-coloured and heavily-tooled Belt of Power. Trouble is, now that I’m out of the broom closet and in Grade Ten, no-one seems to want to hang out with me. Can I have a spell to make them respect my awesome powers please? I keep telling them to, but it doesn’t seem to work.

Blessings be upon you and yours,

High Priestess and Super-Magus Lady Morgana Raven de Nightshade of the Darkness.

Dear…jeez, you really want me to write that out again?

You poor dear. All those nasty children on your back treating you like any other tortured black-clad babygoth when really, you’re special. You’re different. All those titles you’ve managed to collect demand respect, friends, popularity… not that you’d want anything so mundane, of course. You’d put the “boogie” in “oogie-boogie powers” if only they’d let you show them how. Not sure how you managed to miss the ol’ “Respect Me” spell (maybe it’s a Level Twenty-Five thing) but here goes: steep three pinches of lavender in freshly boiled water for twenty minutes, ask the Gods to be nice to you, and then go out in the world and stop acting like an arse. (The lavender’ll make your bedroom smell nice, either way.)

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Dear Auntie Witch,

I’m a Christian who’s also a Wiccan, cos I read this book that said that there was no wrong way to practice Wicca, and I like wearing scary jewellery, but I really don’t want to go to hell. But I met this so-called “High Priest” the other day claiming to be something called a “Gardnerian” and he said that there was no such thing a Christian Wicca! How mean can you get?

Christian for Cernunnos

Dear Confused Person,

Fear not, sweetie pie. That mean ol’ Gard was just pissed because you’re co-opting the religion he loves for your own agenda, and showing it no respect in the process. Anyhoo, please, for the love of either One True or multiple gods, do some reading about either one of the two religions you claim to be practicing. (Plug your brain in first.)

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Deer anti wich,

iread thing tHat said 9meElyN deaD in teh BurNing TimeZ!!!111! is riGhT or wOt???!!1!

merlynn

Dear merlynn,

No speak Vogon. Please translate for benefit of crone.

Best,

Auntie Witch.

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More sound advice from Auntie Witch in the next issue of C&B

Is Paganism an Earth-honouring religion?

by Garnet Winddancer

I would say yes. In fact, I would say that given all of the diversity and in-fighting and witch wars and just good old fashioned debates amongst the Pagan community, that the one thing we can all lay claim to is that we are an Earth-based path. Believe me, I know enough Pagans to say that I’m sure someone out there would argue even that point with me. Let’s just say, for the sake of this article, that we decide to accept it. I’ll even go you one further. How about as citizens of the Planet Earth, we should all be a little more aware and proactive, regardless of spirituality?

These are tough times. There are unmitigated natural disasters occurring all over the world. The planet is heating up exponentially. Polar ice caps are melting. Fossil fuel reserves are diminishing. Crops are failing and whole nations of people are starving to death. These are global issues, you say. What can one little person do, in the midst of all this chaos. Truthfully? Not much. But the fact is, we are not just one little person. We are, or at least, we could be, a powerful force when banded together. No one person can change the world but they can definitely improve their own little part of it.

I’m reminded of a story I heard once. A lady moved into a council housing estate that was known for its apathy and also, for the crime rate. She set out a window box of flowers, just one small bright spot in an otherwise dreary environment. That first night, it was knocked down and trampled all over her patio. She set out another box and that, too, was destroyed. So she sat out another box and guess what? So did one of her neighbors. And the next day, another neighbour did the same and then another, until the whole block was filled with window boxes. Probably, a few of them were destroyed now and again but the neighbourhood had taken a positive stand. They just quietly and consistently had striven to make their own place in the world a little brighter, a little better.

That’s all we really can do. I mean, yeah, we can campaign and protest and write strongly-worded letters and use our little newsletter columns to get the message across and those are all good things. But at the end of the day, we really should lead by example. Compost, recycle, reduce the amount of electricity and fuel we use in our homes and vehicles, buy Fair Trade products and, if we can, consider financially contributing to a worthy cause.

Ways to Reduce use of energy in our daily lives from www.stopglobalwarming.org

Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
Replace 3 frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $60 per year.

Inflate Your Tires
Keep the tires on your car adequately inflated. Check them monthly. Save 250 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $840 per year.

Change Your Air Filter
Check your car's air filter monthly. Save 800 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $130 per year.

Fill the Dishwasher
Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save 100 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year.
(Or better still, wash dishes by hand! Magi)

Use Recycled Paper
Make sure your printer paper is 100% post consumer recycled paper. Save 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.

Adjust Your Thermostat
Move your heater thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer. Save 2000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $98 per year.

Check Your Waterheater
Keep your water heater thermostat no higher than 120°F. Save 550 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $30 per year.

Change the AC Filter
Clean or replace dirty air conditioner filters as recommended. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150 per year.

Take Shorter Showers
Showers account for 2/3 of all water heating costs. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $99 per year.

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead
Using less water in the shower means less energy to heat the water. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150.

Buy Products Locally
Buy locally and reduce the amount of energy required to drive your products to your store.

Buy Energy Certificates
Help spur the renewable energy market and cut global warming pollution by buying wind certificates and green tags.

Buy Minimally Packaged Goods
Less packaging could reduce your garbage by about 10%. Save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide and $1,000 per year.

Buy a Hybrid Car
The average driver could save 16,000 lbs. of CO2 and $3,750 per year driving a hybrid

Buy a Fuel Efficient Car
Getting a few extra miles per gallon makes a big difference. Save thousands of lbs. of CO2 and a lot of money per year.

Carpool When You Can
Own a big vehicle? Carpooling with friends and co-workers saves fuel. Save 790 lbs. of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year.

Reduce Garbage
Buy products with less packaging and recycle paper, plastic and glass. Save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.

Plant a Tree
Trees suck up carbon dioxide and make clean air for us to breath. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.

Insulate Your Water Heater
Keep your water heater insulated could save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year.

Replace Old Appliances
Inefficient appliances waste energy. Save hundreds of lbs. of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year.

Weatherize Your Home
Caulk and weather strip your doorways and windows. Save 1,700 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $274 per year.

Use a Push Mower
Use your muscles instead of fossil fuels and get some exercise. Save 80 lbs of carbon dioxide and x $ per year.

Unplug Un-Used Electronics
Even when electronic devices are turned off (that is, on stand-by), they use energy. Save over 1,000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $256 per year.

Put on a Sweater
Instead of turning up the heat in your home, wear more clothes Save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $250 per year.

Insulate Your Home
Make sure your walls and ceilings are insulated. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $245 per year.

Air Dry Your Clothes
Line-dry your clothes in the spring and summer instead of using the dryer. Save 700 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $75 per year.

Switch to a Tankless Water Heater
Your water will be heated as you use it rather than keeping a tank of hot water. Save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $390 per year.

Switch to Double Pane Windows
Double pane windows keep more heat inside your home so you use less energy. Save 10,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $436 per year.

Buy Organic Food
The chemicals used in modern agriculture pollute the water supply, and require energy to produce.

Bring Cloth Bags to the Market
Using your own cloth bag instead of plastic or paper bags reduces waste and requires no additional energy.

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Composting

Composting doesn’t have to be a big messy, smelly pile in your garden. You can find easy-to-use and very affordable bins nearly everywhere. I do know that in some areas, it is already necessary to separate kitchen waste from other rubbish and I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t get passed into law everywhere very soon. It’s not hard and it doesn’t stink. We maintained our compost bin throughout the hottest temperatures on record and never noticed a smell. In fact, it makes it far easier, if still not pleasant, to empty the indoor rubbish bin when there’s no rotting food in there! http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk

Compost ingredients

Hotter rotters (activators)

Other compostable items

A balanced diet

Fruit and vegetable scraps

Slow cookers - very slow to rot

Best avoided

Do NOT compost

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Last update: 20 June 2006 .