Supermarket Magic: Creating Spells, Brews, Potions and Powders From Everyday Ingredients (19 page)

Samhain Powder

• 1 tablespoon sage

• 1 tablespoon tarragon

• 1 teaspoon cloves

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• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Grind and mix the herbs together and then combine

with the cornstarch. Charge the powder with your intent

to connect with the energy of Samhain (focus on the feel-

ing you get as Halloween draws near and infuse this into

the powder).

Powder Spells

Making a Samhain Wish

• 1 small piece of paper

• Pen

• 1 apple

• Samhain Powder

• Knife

• Paper bag

Write out your wish on the piece of paper. Cut the

apple in half through the center and sprinkle the Sam-

hain Powder over the pentagram shape that is exposed on

the inside of the apple halves. Fold the paper into a square making sure to make all folds toward you. Place the paper

on the bottom apple half and set the other half of the

apple on top. Carefully put the apple in the paper bag and twist up the bag to secure. Hold the bag in both hands

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and focus all your energy and intent on achieving your

goal. Bury the bag with the apple in it to seal the spell.

Oils

You can use this oil to anoint the body prior to ritual and also to anoint candles used in Samhain rites.

Samhain Oil

• 5 hazelnuts, crushed

• 1 tablespoon rosemary

• 2 teaspoons tarragon

• ½ cup olive oil

Warm the olive oil, hazelnuts and herbs in a pot over

low heat until you can smell the herbs in the air. Remove

from heat and charge them with the energy of Samhain

(keep the image of gently falling autumn leaves and the

feeling this image evokes as you send energy into the oil).

Strain and bottle the oil for use.

Oil Spells

To Honor the Crone

• 1 black candle

• Samhain Oil

Anoint the candle with the oil and charge it to be a

sacrifice in honor of the crone Goddess. If you are hon-

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oring a specific Goddess, charge the candle to be a sac-

rifice in her honor. As you light the candle say, “With

this candle I now light, I honor you on this sacred night.

Mighty Goddess, queen of the dark; into your season, I

now embark. Please guide me on my spiritual path and

protect me from harsh winter’s wrath. Blessed be.”

Charms

Charms of protection are traditional during this time of

greater connection to the Otherworld. It is a good idea,

even though we invite the spirits of our loved ones to

our celebrations, to have protective amulets on hand to

bar any unwelcome spirits from making their presence

known. The first and most obvious charm of protection

used on this night is the Jack O’ Lantern.

Jack O’ Lantern

Originally made from hollowed-out turnips with a candle

placed inside, modern jack o’ lanterns are hollowed-out

and carved pumpkins. Whether using a turnip or pump-

kin, the principle of the lantern remains the same, it is

used to turn away evil.

• 1 large pumpkin

• 1 sharp knife

It is traditional to carve a scary looking face on the

jack o’ lantern to scare away any nearby evil, but you can

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also carve runes, pentagrams or other symbols of protec-

tion either instead of a face or incorporated into the de-

sign of a face. After you have settled on a design, you

can draw it on the front of the pumpkin with a marker if

desired so that you have a pattern to follow while carv-

ing. After you have hollowed out the middle, carve the

pumpkin and bless it as an amulet of protection. Use a

blessed candle, preferably black or orange in color, to light up the pumpkin.

No Ghoul Garlic

• Rope of garlic bulbs

The protective powers of garlic have been known for

centuries. Nearly everyone has heard that garlic repels

vampires, but whether or not that is true, garlic is indeed quite a strong magical protectant. Charge a rope of garlic with protective energy and hang it in your kitchen or

make several and add them to your Halloween decora-

tions to keep evil at bay. You can also carry a single garlic clove in a black magic charm bag as an amulet of personal

protection.

Foods

There are many foods that are traditional and modern that

can be eaten in celebration of the holiday. Since Sam-

hain marks the third harvest; the meat harvest, foods that contain beef, pork or other meats are traditional. Breads

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are also traditional as are foods made from squash, tur-

nips, potatoes and corn. While it is true that potatoes are definitely NOT ancient in Ireland, they have been grown

there since the sixteenth century so, they have become

traditional fare for the last five hundred years or so. Here are some recipes and ideas for Samhain foods.

Apple bobbing

• Basin of water

• Several apples

For luck in the New Year, it is traditional to eat an

apple on Samhain night. If the apple can be plucked out

of the water without using your hands, it is even luckier.

Fill a large basin with water and float several apples in the water. Everyone can take a turn trying to grab an apple

with their teeth. Whoever gets their apple the fastest

should have the best luck of the year.

Apple Spirit Food

It is a traditional practice to bury apples in the earth so that their energies can feed those spirits wandering about on this night.

Dumb Supper

It is an Irish Samhain tradition to set extra places at the table for departed loved ones to honor them and to eat

the dinner in silence, hence the name “dumb” supper.

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Traditional foods for this supper include porridge, bread, wine or mead and a bit of tobacco set on the table. These

days, we are free to enjoy other foods at our dumb sup-

per. Personally, porridge has never been a favorite food of mine, but to each, their own.

Samhain Stew

• 2 pounds of beef stew meat

• 1 large onion

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups carrots, sliced

• 4 medium potatoes cut into chunks

• 1 turnip, cubed

• ¼ cup corn kernels

• 1 medium zucchini, sliced

• 4 bouillon cubes

• 3 cups water

• ⅓ cup flour

• ⅓ cup olive oil

Cut the meat into 1 inch cubes. Lightly dust the meat

in a little flour. Brown the meat a few pieces at a time in
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a large sauce pan. When all the meat has been browned

set it aside, and place the onions and garlic in the pan and cook until onion is tender (about 3 to 5 minutes). Add the rest of the flour and while stirring constantly, add water until smooth. Add the bouillon and salt. Add the meat

back to the pan and heat until boiling, stirring constantly.

When it has begun to boil, reduce heat to low and allow

to simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding a

little water if needed. Add the rest of the vegetables, except zucchini. Heat to boiling again and then, reduce heat to low and simmer for another 20 minutes. Finally, stir in zucchini and simmer for 10 minutes until the zucchini is

tender. Serve hot.

Shopping List

Here is the list of the ingredients used in the Samhain

section.

❏ Allspice

❏ Corn

❏ Potatoes

❏ Apple (fruit

❏ Cornstarch

❏ Pumpkin

and cider)

❏ Bay

❏ Flour

❏ Rosemary

❏ Beef (stew

❏ Garlic

❏ Sage

meat)

❏ Bouillon cubes ❏ Hazelnut

❏ Salt

❏ Candles

❏ Olive oil

❏ Tarragon

(black)

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❏ Carrots

❏ Onion

❏ Turnip

❏ Cloves

❏ Pork

❏ Zucchini

Yule

Yule, Nollaig, Winter Solstice; whatever you may wish

to call it, it is a magical night. December 21st (give or

take a few days) marks the point at which winter begins

in the northern hemisphere; the day in the earth’s orbit

when the sun is directly over the tropic of Capricorn and

we receive the least amount of the sun’s rays. This is the low point in the solar cycle (for the northern hemisphere, for those in the southern hemisphere, it is the summer

solstice at this time), but it is also the point of beginning anew. Though this day is the shortest of the year, from

this point forward, the days will get longer and the sun’s influence will grow in strength. It is for this reason that it is said that the sun is reborn on this night.

Many of the practices Pagans have used to celebrate

Yule were adopted into the Christmas holiday of Christi-

anity; everything from Santa to presents to the Christmas

tree are actually Pagan in origin and are perfectly suited to our winter solstice Sabbat festivities. To celebrate this time of solar rebirth, many candles are lit to symbolize

the light of the sun returning to us, boughs of evergreen

are brought indoors to reinforce our connection to nature

and to bring its life force into our homes, a yule log is

lit in honor of the heat of the sun and a feast is held to
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celebrate both surviving the harshness of winter and the

hope of things to come.

Brews

An excellent “attunement tea” for Yule is wassail. There

are quite a few variant recipes for this drink, many with

alcohol. I have chosen to include a non-alcoholic version

that is easy to prepare and very effective for tuning into the spirit of the season.

Non-alcoholic Wassail

• ½ gallon apple cider

• 2 cups orange juice

• ½ cup lemon juice

• 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

• 2 tablespoon sugar

• Cinnamon sticks or candy canes

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Simmer over

low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Re-

move from heat and charge with intent to connect with

the yuletide spirit. Serve in mugs with a cinnamon stick

or candy cane.

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Powders

Yule Powder

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

• ½ teaspoon cloves

• 1 teaspoon chamomile

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Grind all the herbs together and add the cornstarch.

Charge the powder with intent and bottle for use.

Powder Spells

Yule Pine Cones

This charm enhances the holiday atmosphere without

being as overpowering as those store-bought cinnamon-

scented pine cones.

• Pine cones

• Old paintbrush

• Water-based glue

• Yule Powder

• Water

• Disposable bowl

• Large pan

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Pour some glue into the bowl and dilute slightly with

water. Stir with the paintbrush and paint the ends of each pine cone with the glue. Holding the pine cone over the

pan, sprinkle the pine cone with the powder and shake off

any excess. Allow the pine cones to dry and then charge

them with your desire to enhance the holiday atmosphere.

Once dried, you can use them to decorate as you would

with any other pine cones.

Oils

Yule Oil

• 1 tablespoon rosemary

• Peel from one apple

• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

• ½ cup sunflower oil

Add the oil, cinnamon, apple peel and rosemary to a

pot and heat over low heat until you can smell it in the air.

Remove from heat and allow it to cool. Charge with your

desire, strain and bottle for use.

Oil Spells

It is part of yuletide to welcome back the re-born sun.

One way to do this is through candle magic.

Welcoming the Sun

• 1 white candle

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• Yule oil

• Pin

Carve a sun disk shape (a circle with eight spokes)

onto the candle and then anoint it with the oil. Charge

the candle with solar energy and light it. Say, ”From lon-

gest night to bright new day, the sun is re-born and I re-

joice.” Gaze at the candle for a bit and focus on the return of the waxing light.

Charms

Since yule is filled with magic, it is only natural that some of the items we commonly associate with this time of year

started out as charms.

Tree Ornaments

It is said that the glass ball ornaments that are seen on

Christmas trees are descended from the protective charms

known as “witch balls”. It is an easy task to turn a glass ornament into a witch ball.

• 1 large round hollow glass ornament

• 1 tablespoon rosemary

Carefully remove the loop for the ornament hook

and fill the opening with the rosemary. Replace the loop

and gently hold the ornament in both hands to charge it

with your intent for protection through the winter. Hang

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