The Seven Daughters

November is here, and it ushers in the rising of Pleiades (above) which is a small cluster of bright stars located in the constellation of Taurus. The seven brightest stars are also known as "The Seven Daughter of the Sea." The Greek myth says that there were once seven maidens who came ashore and fell madly in love with the seven sons of a great chieftain. But, their love was not returned, and one by one, they died. Their seven spirits rose into the sky where they can still be seen on northern winter evenings, clustering together in their sorrow.

Oh what a wonderful evening I had last night. Very quiet. Sadly no children came for 'trick or treat' but that was expected. I live in a Hasidic neighborhood, and they don't celebrate Halloween. They have a holiday during the year which appears to be similar...where the children are dressed in costume and go door to door, but I don't recall what it is called. My son went to a Halloween party and that left hubbie and me home alone. Hubbie really doesn't celebrate Samhain, but he respects my wish to celebrate...and also knows that probably by the end of the evening I will be in an emotional state. You see, I come from a very small family; I am an only child...and my family has all passed...so I cherish the time that I spend with them. I baked some Soul Cakes and then set up my ancestral altar. I was actually wishing 'someone' would ring my doorbell because I really wanted to give out the Soul Cakes, but since no one did, I will take them to work with me tomorrow and give them to the homeless whose ranks are sadly...increasing.

During last night's ritual I felt the presence of some special guests and all in all, it was a very heartfelt evening for me. Mom, Dad...my first dog, Susie...grandparents...all were there...and for one special night, I wasn't alone anymore. Of course, I am not really alone...I have hubbie and my two boys...but there is no one left of my past. But, a new year is beginning...and with it, a time to forge new memories...to spend time with my new friends...and those who have passed on, but stay with me always.

Hope you all had a blessed evening.

Samhain Blessings to All

A blessed Samhain to all. This day marks a remembrance for those who have passed on. The growth season has ended and the frost will soon begin. And it is during this night of Sanhaim that the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest making this the ideal time to pay homage and to communicate with those who have passed over to the Otherworld. During your Samhain celebration, allow yourself to enter into a meditative state. Think about family, friends, and pets who have passed on. Bring to mind your fondest memories of them and speak aloud any messages you wish for them to hear for they will, in fact, hear what you have to tell them.

Leave them offerings of food, drink, and incense and allow your energy to merge with theirs enough to say 'hello' and 'blessed be.'

Tonight spend as much time with them as you want. Tell them the things you have always wanted to say, but never had the chance. Let us toast our loved ones who have passed on to new lives and dance one more time with those who are no longer physically with us. Part of them is living on in our hearts; embrace and touch the mystery that is beyond all mysteries.

Mischief Night

Today is known as "Devil's Night" or "Mischief Night", a tradition involving pranks and minor vandalism which takes place every year on the eve of Halloween, October 30th. The tradition is often attributed to the Irish and Scottish immigrants who arrived in the United States during and after the "Irish Potato Famine" of 1845. And along with the tradition itself, they also popularized the folklore that the night's pranks and tricks were the work of faeries, goblins, and other mystical creatures.

Mischief Night activities are some of my fondest childhood memories, and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to participate. The world had changed by the time I had my boys, and they were never able to experience what I had. I remember this night as being such a fun night when I was a kid, and although I now realize that my mom must have known what was going on, she never once tried to stop me from participating in the festivities with my friends. This night was just as much fun as Halloween itself, and it was agony for a child, waiting for the darkness to come; time seemed to move so much slower when I was young. Now it seems that a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

I cannot help but smile as I remember how much fun it was going about the neighborhood, ringing the doorbells and running away....that thrill of the chase. Of course, no one ever 'really' gave chase, but it was fun to think they would. And I do believe that many of them answered the doorbell just to give us kids that thrill. One thing Mom would never let me bring was eggs...and neither would the other moms...and the stores wouldn't sell eggs to us kids on mischief night, but every year at least one of my friends would always manage to finagle a few precious eggs from somewhere. No matter what, we kids always managed to come up with a bar of soap. I feel badly about that now, but as a child, soaping up the cars seemed like so much fun, and naively, I never realized how much work I was inflicting on my unsuspecting neighbors by soaping up their cars...at least not until I grew up and hubbie got his car.

And who could possibly forget about the most notorious stunt ever played on Mischief Night was on October 30, 1938 when Orson Welles radio adaption of "War of the Worlds" created widespread panic as people thought the broadcast was for real, and the Martians had landed.

So, what are some of your Mischief Night memories?

At the Mid Hour of Night

At the mid our of night, when stars are weeping, I fly
To the lone vale we loved, when life shone warm in thine eye;
And I think oft, if spirits can steal from the regions of air
To visit past scenes of delight, thou wilt come to me there,
And tell me our love is remember'd even in the sky.

Then I sing the wild song it once was rapture to hear,
When our voices commingling breathed like one on the ear;
And as Echo far off through the vale my sad orison rolls,
I think, O my love! 'tis thy voice from the Kingdom of Souls
Faintly answering still the notes that once were so dear.

By Thomas Moore (1779-1852)

I found the above poem in my pile of papers. It is such a beautiful poem that I had to share.

What is Halloween Without the Bats?

I don't like bats. As a matter of fact, I am terrified of them. When I was five years old my parents bought their first house in one of those cookie cutter neighborhoods where all the houses looked the same...and everyone knew everyone else's business. It was a great place for a kid to grow up, though....because this was one of those neighborhood's of "first homes". And for that very reason I grew up with lots of kids...in a safe neighborhood where Halloween was loads of fun, and kids could be kids. I am blessed to have lived in such a time and place...and to have experienced the fun things of childhood that sadly seem to have passed to the wayside...at least here in the city they have. But, chatting about my childhood Halloween's was not my purpose today. Today, I wanted to talk about bats...those lovely creatures of the night.

When I reached my early teens, my parents bought a new house. By then, most of the kids I had grown up with had already moved away...and a new group of first-time home owners with their young babes had taken their place. Life is a cycle you know...birth, death, and regeneration. Even neighborhoods go through it. So, my parents had bought this big, old house way back in what we used to call "the sticks". Don't know what it is called today, but in those days it was living far away from the rest of civilization. There were a few homes nearby, but nothing like what I was used to. And because we were in "the sticks" there was lots of woodland around us and few streetlights. Going out for a peaceful walk in the evening was just about impossible...if you were afraid of bats, like me. Because they were always there from the dusk on. Whenever you looked up, they were soaring above. Oh, what a scary sight! I remember that I couldn't walk on the street at night without covering my hair...always afraid that they would get tangled up in there...and then what? I was literally terrified to walk the streets at night.

But, bats, just as everything else in this world, have their place and their day of fame---Halloween-- for what would the night be like without those nasty little critters fluttering about in the skies...always alert and eager to zoom down upon their unsuspecting victims and suck their blood. But, did you know?????....

That if a bat flies into your home, it is a sign that the ghosts are about....and come to think about it,...maybe it was the ghost who let the bat in.

If bats come out early and fly around playfully, it is a sign that good weather is in the forcast.

Bats hitting a building are an omen of rain.

Bats flying near people means someone is trying to bewitch them.

Early Christians believed that the devil turned into a bat to harass people and that witches shapeshifted into bats.

To most Orientals, bats are good luck and bring happiness and peace.

The Scots believed that when a flying bat rises and descends, it does so near a witch's home.

Ancient Native American tribes believed that the bat's power was strong medicine.

My Very Special Lady

I wanted to take a few minutes this morning to introduce you to a very special lady in my life...Miss Minga. She has been my closest friend and confidante for 17 years now. I am able to tell her things that I cannot tell another human being...and she always has the patience to listen...and NEVER tries to push her own opinions on me. Sometimes, though, I have to say she can be rather demanding...especially in the wee hours of the morn when she wants my company...and she hates to take "no" for an answer. But, it's allowed; she's earned it...because no one has ever been such a loyal and loving friend to me. We've grown old together, my Minga and I. My son hates me to say that we're getting old, but life happens...And, although both of us now a little stiff when we arise, we're dealing with it...because aging is a part of life.

Honoring the Ancestors

Our ancestors are the root of who we are, and a good time to pay homage to those who came before us is just before Samhain. One very special way to remember them is to create an ancestor altar. It can be a part of your personal altar or a separate one which is dedicated only to your ancestors.

To set up the altar gather pictures of those ancestors you wish to honor and any momentos of your loved ones you wish to add for a deeper connection. I don't have a picture of mine, but I include a potholder crocheted many years ago by my beloved grandmother, a vase that had once belonged to my maternal grandmother, fresh flowers, photos of my ancestors, copper candle holders that belonged to my mom, candles, a bowl of water, a feather and a stone which came from Ireland.

Arrange the photos and other objects in the middle as you chant "May my loved ones touch me again. Spirits of the air, fire, water, earth, please bring my loved ones close again."