Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

We have come to the end of our Wheel of the Year with the Witches’ New Year’samhain.
Halloween has overtaken October 31t, but it is we Pagans that made the day special to begin with.

Samhain means “End of Summer”. Its historical origin is The Feast of the Dead in Celtic lands. Samhain night is the best night of the year for contacting those who have passed on before us. It is said that the veil between the worlds is very thin during this time.

Darkness increases and the Goddess reigns as the Crone, part of the three-in-one that also includes the Maiden and Mother. The God has passed to the other side and becomes the seed of his own rebirth at Yule. Many Pagans prepare a Feast for the Dead on Samhain night, where they leave offerings of food and drink for the spirits. The popular children’s custom of trick-or-treat stems from an Old English practice in which children went door to door begging “soul cakes” to feed the wandering spirits.

Divination is heightened during this night as well. Even those new to tarot, runes or other divinations will have clear understanding of the messages of the future during this night. Plan a special reading for your circle or yourself.
It is also an appropriate night to make a besome, or ritual broom. Here are some instructions to guide you:

You will need a four-foot dowel one inch in diameter, a ball of twine, scissors, and straw or other long strands of pliable herbs. Take the straw, or another herb you have chosen for the bristles, and allow them to soak overnight in warm, lightly salted water. The water softens the straws to make them pliable, and the salt soaks out former energies. When you are ready to make your Besom, remove the straws from the water and allow them to dry a bit, but not so much that they lose the suppleness you will need to turn them into your Besom.

Find a work area where you can lay out the length of your dowel, and begin lining the straws alongside the dowel. Starting about three inches from the bottom, lay the straws, moving backward, along the length of the dowel. Begin binding these to the dowel with the twine. You will need to tie them very securely. You can add as many layers of straw as you wish, depending on how full you would like your Besom to be. When the straw is secured, bend the top straws down over the twine ties. When they are all gently pulled over, tie off the straws again a few inches below the original tie. Leave the Besom overnight to allow the straw to dry.

The dowel part of the Besom can be stained, painted, or decorated with Pagan symbols, your Craft name, or any other embellishments you choose. Dedicate your finished Besom in your Circle as you would any other ritual tool. Although Samhain is a time of celebration for all Witches, I find it better to socialize earlier in the evening and then hold a private ceremony at night. Much of Samhain is very personal, and a solitary or small circle with your loved ones allows you to explore divination, make plans for the coming year and focus on remembering your loved ones who have passed. The Samhain season is one of remembrance, both of the dead and of your own personal goals and missteps throughout the past year. I’ve always seen it as a time for evaluation and readjustment in my life. I re-center myself, make new goals and thank the God and Goddess for another wonderful year.

Love And Light,

Rose Ariadne, Your Warm And Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”