Halloween Happenings....

In case you haven't noticed, this is my favourite time of year. I love both Halloween, the secular spooky holiday, AND Samhain/Hallowmas the Pagan/Witch sabbat. I find them tied together, as the decorations I choose (witches, skeletons, ghosts) tend to revolve, however subtly, around the themes of death, magic, and changes. I don't ever go for gore, blood, or anything like that; I much prefer either straightforward reminders of mortality, or cheerful skeletons and ghosts, who remind us that though we may die, we are not gone for good, and that this is the holiday in which the dead are closest to the living.

Anyway, though I'm still not finished, I thought I'd share some images of my Halloween decorations and ritual preparations. Some of these things are up all year, but others are holiday-specific. I still need to lay out my full Hallows altar, and decide on a menu for the dumb supper I plan on holding on the night, but I'm pretty pleased with what I've gotten so far. I've also been baking up a storm, making several different pumpkin-based dished, which of course is always rewarding.















An owl AND a pumpkin? How can you go wrong!?




















Some Witches are offended by such Halloween images, but I am not. I like the idea of the Witch as a powerful, otherworldly being who lives by their own standards. This Witch might look "ugly" to our cultural standards of beauty, but she is clearly powerful and in charge! You can see my Stang in the corner.















I've got my Halloween tablecloth on my table, as well as some sparkly pumpkins and some amazing horror-movie dishes I got for next to nothing from the supermarket. On the holiday, this table will be covered in various dishes and plates for my Dumb Supper















The Owl is kind of my "personal symbol" and I have quite a collection of them.


So, here you go. I'll be posting more as the holiday draws closer, as well as sharing some recipes AND the (very late) pictures I promised from "The Witchcraft of Dame Darrel of York."

Hope y'all are well!