Walking Awake to the Rhythm of the Earth | |
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"As the Wheel Turns"
Samhain, 2024
The Celtic New Year
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Happy Celtic New Year!
Greetings everyone, and welcome to our Samhain edition of “As the Wheel Turns" part of our “Walking Awake to the Rhythm of the Earth” series.
Nick and I are currently prepping and packing to return for a 3 week visit to the States which will include sharing our annual Walking Awake into the Celtic New Year retreat at Kirkridge Retreat Center with 23 guests who we can't wait to greet, also to lead a day session at Columcille Megalith Park weaving Iona stories (more details below), and enjoying long-awaited precious time with family and friends.
I hope you find this email packed full of fun and exciting goodies just in time for a Halloween treat! As you scroll down you will discover fun facts, great recipes, and rituals of old. I encourage you to dip in and out of this newsletter as you wish, explore the many links, and have fun researching further on your own. It truly is a mystical magical spooky spoke of the Wheel when the veil is thinnest and all things are possible! Enjoy!
Samhain Blessings to All!
Denise and Nick
*Pictured above: My latest crafts arranged in the shape of a heart: Rattles that I made from foraged and ethically-sourced rawhide, fur, bones, antlers and driftwood. I have enjoyed creating them and am bringing them along to our Celtic weekend retreat to see if they might find new homes!
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More about Samhain/ The Celtic New Year... | |
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Literally meaning “summer’s end” in modern Irish, Samhain (spelled Samhuinn in Scotland) marks the last of the three harvest festivals on Celtic Wheel of the Year (the first: Lughnasadh, the second: Autumnal Equinox.). The harvest time is now drawing to an end. Both people and animals are busy gathering up the last of Nature’s bounty for the winter months ahead. Nature and its seasons continue to spiral around.
Samhain lies directly opposite of Beltane on the Celtic Wheel. Whereas the arrival of Beltane signaled the beginning of the light half of the year, Samhain marks the beginning of the dark half of the year. The ancient Celts believed everything began in the darkness therefor Samhain (the return of the dark half of the year) is known as the Celtic New Year and begins at sunset on the eve of Samhain.
Both Beltane and Samhain are pivotal spokes on the Celtic Wheel. It is during these *airts that the veil between worlds (spiritual and material) is believed to be very thin. This thin-veiled, liminal time can occasionally be referred to as 'no-time'. Beltane and Samhain are believed to open a portal in time when the spirts of ancestors, those who have recently passed, and beings from other worlds, including the Fae, might slip between the veil and communicate with us. Many ancient customs, some still practiced today, were invoked to invite the welcomed spirits to visit, and to ward off the unwelcome ones. (Scroll down to the section on Samhain Rituals, Crafts and Interesting Trivia to learn more about this)
*If the word 'airt' is unfamiliar to you, click here for the definition.
*Photo of the Fire Being(s) was captured by Denise last Samhain. (Can you see it/them?)
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Spoke of the Wheel Musings: | |
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Whether you mark this time of year as Samhain and the time of the Wild Hunt (click here for photos of Glastonbury's festival), Diwali, El Dia De Los Muertos, All Souls Night, All Saints Day, etc., it is also important to note that Nature is the keeper of all seasons and with the continuous spiral of the wheel we are gifted lessons and guidance from the cycles of Nature that surrounds us.
- The veil is very thin: it is not only a good time to communicate with the other side, it is also the perfect time to get in touch with your connection to the Self. Treat yourself with the gift of "no time" in Nature. Find a quiet space, just you and the forest trees, boulders and stones, the river or the sea. If you are not near any of these perhaps try to find a single tree to be with or hold a pebble or shell, or a bowl of water with sea salt as you sit. It's the beginning of the New Year: Set intentions, reach out to your guides and ancestors or God(s) for directions and messages. Be open, and trust your instincts while remaining 'awake' to all that surrounds you. Be observant to these surroundings because your guidance may appear within the Nature nearest you. Turn the phone off. Take a note book or journal and jot down your thoughts. Bring a small environmentally conscious offering of gratitude to leave behind. And if you feel called to do so, bring home a gift from Nature to remind you of your experience in "No Time" as you move into the winter months and the new year ahead.
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Samhain Rituals, Crafts and Interesting Trivia: | |
Create an Altar Honoring the Ancestors:
Creating an altar to honor the ancestors is a uniquely individual ritual. You may wish to add photos of family members, friends and pets who have passed, include their favorite trinkets, and/or tokens of Nature such as crystals, flowers, antlers, feathers and bones, maybe even add your favorite items of that remind you of them, and candles. Be as creative as you’d like and tap into your deep inner connection to those no longer with you for you never know who may travel through the veil on this sacred night. And just to be safe... you may also wish to include an offering for the faeries (maybe some chocolate, candy or honey) as they too, may travel about this time of year! Here is a photo of our group ancestor altar from last year's Walking Awake into the Celtic New Year retreat.
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Prepare a Dumb Supper:
The term "Dumb Supper" may sound a bit insulting however, it is actually quite the opposite! It is meant to be a supper held completely in silence as an honoring of the dead. A place is set at the table (usually the head of the table) as an invitation to ancestors who have passed (particularly those who have died in the past year) to show up and communicate with loved ones. You may wish to serve their favorite foods and before (or after) your time in silence, share your favorite stories and memories of the dearly departed. Click here to read more about the history of this ritual and for more ideas on how to host your own "Dumb Supper".
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Decorate with Apples!
Click here for a variety of ideas!
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Of course you've heard of Jack O’ Lanterns... have you heard of “Jack OF the Lantern”?
Jack O' Lanterns are of Irish, Scottish, and even English origin and were originally carved from turnips (called 'Neep Lanterns' in Scotland), beets, and gourds.
As mentioned, Samhain marks a time of year when the veil between worlds is thinnest. While it is believed to be the perfect time to communicate with and invite in the presence of the (good) ancestors, it is also a time when evil spirits travel between worlds. To ward off unwelcome visits from roaming evil spirits, scary faces were carved into vegetables then lit with candles and placed inside windows or outside the home. It wasn’t until the immigration of the Irish and Scottish to America (where the pumpkin was grown) that the tradition of carving pumpkins began.
Click here to read more about this ancient tradition, along with some spooky folklore about ‘Jack of the Lantern’ and his dance with the Devil.
Below are few photos I took at our home here in Scotland a few years ago. We live on a sheep farm and come fall massive amounts of turnips are harvested, stored and fed to the sheep over the winter months. That year on Samhain Eve I walked out to the turnip pile, chose a large one and tried my hand at carving (it was much harder than a pumpkin!) Afterwards, I placed it outside our doorstep along with a few of my favorite bones collected earlier that year. I can happily report that NO evil spirits came to visit us that Samhain!
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Pull out the Castocks or Dunk for Donuts!
Are you familiar with the old Scottish Samhain Divination Ritual involving the last of the year's Kale? The tradition goes like this: after dark, with eyes shut, a person would be led to what was left of the kale in garden. After hands were placed on the kale they were instructed to then pull it from the earth. The length and straightness of the stalk would indicate the height and shape of one’s future partner and the amount of soil left on the stalk would speak to the amount of wealth within the relationship.
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Did you know?... The Hazel Tree in Celtic tradition is the Tree of Knowledge representing Wisdom, Protection, and Inspiration.
Here are two magical ways to use the power of the Hazelnut this Samhain...
Try using Hazelnuts for Divination: Here in Scotland there is an old Samhain love divination using two hazelnuts. Representing a pair of lovers, each nut is assigned one of their names and then placed upon the burning fire. If they burn long and slowly; it is a sign that the relationship will be loving, loyal and lasting. But if they jump and crack open, this is sure to be a sign that the lovers are a bad match!
Make a bracelet of Hazelnuts: Click here for a delightfully witchy ritual and instructions on how to make the hazelnut bracelet shown above.
Click here to discover more about the Celtic myths, legends and folklore of the Hazelnut Tree! .
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Gather your family and friends for an Apple Party and Peel Toss!
Throughout my life, the arrival of fall meant it would soon be apple party time! All the aunts, cousins (sometimes even neighbors and friends) would gather together in my mother’s kitchen for a day filled with baking and delicious samplings. It was ‘kitchen magic’ at its best! We’d make everything from caramel and candy dipped apples for the kids, pies and turnovers, homemade applesauce (pink from the skins with just the right touch of cinnamon), and of course, Great Grandma Stecher’s well-loved apple cake. There was always plenty and everyone took their share home to enjoy during the following week or freeze for the winter months to come. I hold dear these memories as the house was filled with an amazing aroma, fun chit-chat and loads of laughter! One of my favorite apple party rituals was introduced to me when I was very young: Of course, there was always tons of apples to be peeled and my Nana would make this something to look forward to. She would very carefully hand-peel the apple in one-go producing this very long thin strip of apple skin. After that was complete, she would hand it to one of the young girls (very gingerly so as to ensure it wouldn’t break!) and instruct us to imagine our potential future husband as we would cast it over the opposite shoulder onto the floor. There on the floor would be an initial awaiting us - this was to be the initial of our future partner. Mine was always a “C” or a "P" and of course many years later I would marry a “Crawn”and then a "Prance." This was my first experience with divination and later in life I would discover that this ritual had both Scottish and Irish roots. (I wonder if Nana knew that?) Perhaps you too, might like to gather the family up for an apple party and give the apple peel a good toss!
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Did you know Trick or Treating has its origin in "Guising"?
Click here to read more about the history behind it!
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Recently, my Scottish friend, Mandy shared some of her Samhain-time family traditions with me: Dookin' for Apples (which I was familiar with as 'Bobbing for Apples', though they use a fork, not their teeth) and Diving for Treacle Scones or Donuts (using their teeth for this activity they attempt to eat the treacle covers scones or holed donuts hung from a tree branch or the ceiling). Sounds like great (messy!) fun to me! Click here to read more about these and other Scottish traditions including a morning oatmeal divination!
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Stirring the Cauldron: Samhain Recipes:
(click the images or links below for instructions)
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Want to give away something other than candy this Halloween? How about Soul Cakes?! | |
Bridging Pagan and Christian faith traditions, these foods were associated with both Samhain and All Souls Day, a Christian festival dating to 800 AD. Both had many similarities... Both featured small round “soul cakes” made with berries, fruits and nuts. And in a custom reminiscent of modern day trick or treating, according to The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, people went from house to house singing and asking for a soul cake. For each cake received, a prayer was said for the dead. And today soul cakes are still part of Catholic cuisine, baked in celebration of All Hallows Eve."
This recipe combines traditions old and new. Click here to learn more about "Soul Cakes" and to try out this easy recipe!
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Not great in the kitchen? Boooo! These Ghost Pretzels are frighteningly easy to make!
Click here to learn how!
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These look both festive and yummy!
It's roasted garlic sage pesto pumpkin soup with spicy fried pumpkin seeds. Click here for the recipe.
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Try your hand at these traditional Irish Samhain dishes: Colcannon and Barmbrack. Click here for the history and recipes. | |
Sticky Toffee Apple Cake
Everyone who comes to Scotland LOVES Sticky Toffee Cake but I've never tried this version! Here's the link to the recipe. Let me know how it is of you try it!
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Samhain Music (and wee bit of Poetry): | | |
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Season of the Witch by Scottish singer-songwriter, Donovan
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In the past, I have shared my admiration of Loreena Mckennitt and her music. For me, it wouldn't be Samhain time without sitting back and making the time to listen to her transportive "All Souls Night". Click here to enjoy her magical music.
*To read more about Loreena Mckennitt, click here.
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I first heard the following recited by my dear friend, Tom Cormier on Samhuiin Eve at Columcille Megalith Park where he led this call and response at the Ancestor Stone while standing above the crowd atop the Chamber Stone. Not too long ago, he shared it with some of us on our monthly Walking Awake Zoom. Perhaps you may recall it? | |
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We Remember You
At the rising of the sun and at it's going down
We remember you
At the blowing of the wind and the chill of winter
We remember you
At the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring
We remember you
At the blueness of the sky and in the warmth of summer
We remember you
At the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of autumn
We remember you
At the beginning of the year and when it ends
We remember you
As long as we live, you too will live: for you are now a part of us
We remember you
When we are weary and in need of strength
We remember you
When we are lost and sick at heart
We remember you
When we have a joy we crave to share
We remember you
When we have decisions that are difficult to make
We remember you
When we have achievements that are based on you
We remember you
As long as we live, you live too; for you are now a part of us
As we remember you
By Sylvan Kamens & Rabbi Jack Riemer
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As Samhain is one of the four Celtic fire festivals (along with Beltane, Imbolc, and Lughnasadh), bonfires have long been tradition. As in all Celtic celebrations, Samhain rituals began in the darkness the evening before. Archeological evidences shows that some of the largest ancient fires were lit on top of hill forts and at sacred sites across the U.K. and Ireland. It was a time of feasting and festivities that included games and rituals around the bon fires (or ‘bone’ fires). One Samhain fire ritual included harvesting and feasting on the livestock too old and frail to make it through the winter then placing their bones into the fire as an offering in hopes of invoking fertility and prosperity as the wheel spiralled forward toward the return of the light half of the year. Click here for a link to Ireland’s Newgrange site to read more about ancient Irish Samhain customs.
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Traditionally in Scotland, The Beltane Fire Society stage a memorable performance of the eternal battle of the seasons on Calton Hill in Edinburgh at both Beltane and Samhuinn. As I mentioned previously, we attended their Beltane festival a few years ago and it was both magical and otherworldly and while we won't be attending this year's Edinburgh Samhuinn festival, we look forward to doing so at some point in the future. | |
A few of my favorite Samhain Memories at Columcille Megalith Park in Pennsylvania, U.S.A... | |
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As many of you know, my love of Samhuiin (Scottish spelling) began at Columcille Megalith Park, in Pennsylvania. Each year at Samhuiin time, Columcille hosts a torchlit celebration amongst its (nearly 100) standing stones. This year’s Samhuiin event will take place on Saturday, November 2nd at 7:00pm. It’s a spectacular and unforgettable experience. I will be attending along with others who are partaking in our annual Celtic New Year retreat weekend at Kirkridge. It would be lovely to see you amongst the stones! The suggested donation for this event is $10.00 per adult, $5.00 per child. Early arrival and car-pooling is highly recommended as it is a very popular event.
To discover more about Columcille Megalith Park, click here.
Below are a few photos of my favorite Columcille Samhuiin memories...
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Upcoming Walking Awake Events: | |
Join Nick and I at Columcille Megalith Park for the following event in November:
Columcille Megalith Park and the Isle of Iona:
Weaving the History, Myths and Mysteries across the Blue Dragon’s Back
Led by Denise Crawn and Nick Prance of Walking Awake
Saturday, November 9th, 2024 at Casa Colum (the main house located at the park)
11:00am - 2:00pm with a break for light refreshments provided by Columcille
Suggested Donation: $20.00pp with all proceeds to Columcille Megalith Park
Join us at Casa Colum on Saturday, November 9th to explore some of Columcille’s many connections past and present to the Isle of Iona, Scotland. Beloved Columcille founders, Bill Cohea and Fred Lindkvist would often playfully refer to this link as “The Blue Dragon”. Led by Scotland residents, Denise Crawn (former Columcille Board President and author of Walking Awake on the Isle of Iona) and her husband, Nick Prance (former Iona resident and employee of the Iona Community), together we will weave the tales of these sacred places as we wend our way back and forth across the Blue Dragon’s back.
While this event is intended to take place mostly inside, there may be some outside participation.
Bring your curiosity, imagination and favorite Columcille and/or Iona stories!
For more information about Denise and Nick and Walking Awake, visit www.walkingawake.com
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Embark on an Orkney Odyssey with us
April 24th -29th 2025!
Only 6 spaces left! Early-bird discount ends January 1st, 2025.
Click here to read the details of this journey.
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If you have been dreaming of a pilgrimage to the sacred Isle of Iona, Scotland (whether it be for a return visit or for the first time), you won't want to miss out on our Walking Awake on the Isle of Iona Pilgrimage August 20th -28th, 2025 with ensuite accommodation and delicious meals during our stay at the Argyll Hotel on Iona, a day trip visiting the standing stones and ancient sites of the Kilmartin Glen and an overnight in the picturesque harbor town of Oban. Click here for more information.
Be sure to secure your place soon. Limited spaces available. Single room availability is going fast. Early-bird discount ends January 1st, 2025.
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We hope you enjoyed our Samhain edition of "As the Wheel Turns." If you have friends or family members who would like to join us as we continue to "Walk Awake to the Rhythm of the Earth" in tune with the Celtic Wheel of the Year and Nature's season, they are more than welcome to join our mailing list at any time!
Happy (Celtic) New Year!
Denise and Nick
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