Pumpkins for Samhain

Martha Stewart has some lovely pumpkin ideas for Samhain / Halloween.  Here are three of my favorites for fellow Druids.

Every year my husband and I make traditional turnip jack-o-lanterns.  The Irish really made these, so I feel a special connection to my ancient ancestors when I do this craft.  Get some pointers here.  These are believed to help scare away some of the more nasty spirits taking advantage of the parted veil.  There is also a possibility that they are a carryover from head hunting.

I don't know about you, but I love Celtic knots.  This looks challenging but I know I would feel super accomplished after!  There are two templates for download here.

Finally, some toadstool pumpkins!  How adorable and whimsical are they?!  I also love the swirl pattern on the wee pumpkin guard in front of the biggest shroom.  More tips for this project can be found here.

( For My LJ Friends: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ )

Hospitality and Piety

I love having company over.  I so rarely get to see the people I consider my tribe, so it was a real treat to have friends visit.  We had a lot of fun in Alex Bay and Watertown, but we mostly stayed home for chatting, snacking, and playing copious amounts of games.  If only there had been more time for more fun.

Having guests is always a test of virtue.  I try my best and take pride in being a hospitable hostess.  I love to cook fresh meals and share my drink.  Hospitality aside, my piety to the Kindreds is also tested.

They are never far from my mind to begin with, and I pray a lot - especially before eating and while traveling.  Yet when people share my home, my routine is always a bit disrupted.  (Truthfully, it already was thanks to my infernal, cough-inducing allergies...)  My devotionals are shortened because I need to be a good hostess and it is too loud for me to meditate.  I am proud of myself for getting up and doing my full, formal ritual yesterday, but even that was not as usual because of my need to assist my guests.  I felt self-conscious chanting, as well.  I found myself whispering the songs.  It was not a very powerful ritual but I am glad to have done it.  I like showing the Kindreds that I care, and I think they understand the strained ritual when I so rarely entertain.

I believe that ritual, trance, and meditation aren't the only ways that we show honor to the Kindreds.  When we find joy with our tribe, treat others with love and respect, and celebrate life - even in a non-religious context - the Kindreds are there.  Strengthening bonds with the tribe is just as important as ritual on my Druidic path.


( For My LJ Friends: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ )

The Energy in our Homes

Ok...this isn't technically Druidic in a cultural sense ... but it has everything to do with energy.  I believe that looking to and learning from other cultures, even ones dramatically different from our hearth cultures of choice, is necessary to grow.

I'm curious about feng shui.  The idea that energy flows in and out of rooms intrigues me.  My Irish ancestors must have had some beliefs about this, even if they weren't as developed or well-recorded.  They were a practical people, but they were also deeply spiritual and concerned with boundaries as well as hospitality.  For many, the center of the home was the hearth and I can imagine it being a center of generosity, well-being, and comfort.  Everything was there for a reason and had to be aptly stored as homes were small.



Photo from European Cuisines.  

The typical American home isn't set up like that.  The focal point of our homes is usually the living room.  Truly it is where I spend most of my time.  We have our tv there as well as our computers.  In fact, my husband's computer is hooked up to the tv.  Our game consoles are also there.  As a result, there are a plethora of wires.  Too many wires...  It makes me agitated and not just because they are obstacles.  Something about their presence feels suffocating and intrusive.  Perhaps it is the energy they channel, along with our other gadgets, filling the room.  I have a difficult time meditating in the living room, and not just because it is difficult to have any quiet alone time there.  Something about my ritual room with its minimal electronics is more relaxing.  The bedroom too.

I found vidoes like the one below on Craftster and have been getting some good ideas.  I'm also curious what the author of O-C-Designer would have to say about feng shui.  I think I have some rearranging to consider...

( For My LJ Friends: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ )