Halloween!

autumn and the sword

Calcifer said:
I consider October 31st, Halloween, just an arbitrary calendar date set for convenience.... but Samhain, the true cross-quarter of the season, happens on November 7th, at 5:56am (here in my neck of the woods). To this effect, I've put in for vacation time then and will hopefully be in a tent somewhere out in the Pisgah National Forest. Coming along for the adventure will be both editions of SevenStar's Samahin Decks of the Bastard, The Wild Unknown, and possibly DeMarco's Halloween Oracle.
Love this time of year !

Michael

That sounds gorgeous, Michael!

I'm not sure about my plans yet. October 31 into November 1 is the beginning of NaNoWriMo and we have a tradition of beginning our writing at midnight. I will probably do a Samhain spread for myself. I'm not sure yet what else.

I did look up when the cross-quarter days are this year and have planned to observe for the entire time between the "traditional" date of celebration and the mid-point. I like the idea of taking several days to contemplate what the holidays mean to me. As you can probably imagine given my handle, autumn is also my favorite time of year.

-- Meranda

Glass Owl

I used to have a string of lights that had orange pumpkins on them but they eventually stopped working. I bought some purple lights to replace them but I ended up liking them so much that they are up all year now.

This thread inspired me to go through my collection and do a bit of rearranging. So now I have part of a book shelf dedicated to some spooky, halloweeny type of decks! I think that this will encourage me to use these decks, especially in the month of October and maybe even pick up some new halloween lights and decorations.

Grizabella

autumn and the sword said:
That sounds gorgeous, Michael!

I'm not sure about my plans yet. October 31 into November 1 is the beginning of NaNoWriMo and we have a tradition of beginning our writing at midnight. I will probably do a Samhain spread for myself. I'm not sure yet what else.

I did look up when the cross-quarter days are this year and have planned to observe for the entire time between the "traditional" date of celebration and the mid-point. I like the idea of taking several days to contemplate what the holidays mean to me. As you can probably imagine given my handle, autumn is also my favorite time of year.

-- Meranda

I just might join in this year. I've always intended to but this year I actually have something in mind to write about. I should probably wait till next year and spend the rest of this year mapping it out, though.

Glass Owl, that's an impressive collection of decks you can use this year. I don't even recognize some of them.

I used to have the Natalie Hertz Vampires and the Bohemian Gothic, but I don't have those anymore. Do you have the Natalie Hertz one? I didn't see it there, I don't think.

Grizabella

greatdane said:
And plan on having a few friends over to my Victorian attic loft complete with boards that creak that has a year round sign on my attic door that says forget the ghosts, beware of me.

I plan on using the Mysteries of the Old Castle and Samhain Lenormand for Lenormand readings. I haven't decided if I will offer any tarot readings yet. I may likely just do a reading for myself and maybe a friend.

It doesn't take much to make a Victorian attic Samhain-ready .

Oh you lucky lady! I love those two Lenormands!

Calcifer said:
I consider October 31st, Halloween, just an arbitrary calendar date set for convenience.... but Samhain, the true cross-quarter of the season, happens on November 7th, at 5:56am (here in my neck of the woods). To this effect, I've put in for vacation time then and will hopefully be in a tent somewhere out in the Pisgah National Forest. Coming along for the adventure will be both editions of SevenStar's Samahin Decks of the Bastard, The Wild Unknown, and possibly DeMarco's Halloween Oracle.
Love this time of year !

Michael

That's an interesting collection, too. I haven't seen a couple of them before.

We have a Mt. Pisgah here in Oregon in Eugene. I had to take a glance at your avatar information to see if you were local.

Not all our members are pagans who celebrate the solstices. I like Halloween so that's what I celebrate and I know many others do, too.

Grizabella

Oh, I forgot to add my Ludy Lescot and Sweet Twilight to my Halloween-y decks.

I made the mistake of going to look at the Llewellyn sale and there's a Royo Dark mini that I lusted for including some other minis. Gonna have to put that on my Christmas list.

porcupines

Grizabella said:
Oh, and I forgot to add what decks I plan to use. Be sure to specify what decks you like to use for Halloween, too. I have the Ian Daniels Vampyre deck I love to use and I also have the Hip Witch by Lo Scarabeo. Also the Halloween deck, the Necronomicon which is the Lovecraft based deck from Lo Scarabeo as well. I have to dig around and see what other ones I have if any. I do have the New Orleans Voodoo tarot that's on my list of "to do" decks for the Reading Exchange here when I'm finished with the Motherpeace. I love that deck but have found it will take some mental exercise to figure it out well enough to read with it for live sitters. Oh, in addition to the Halloween deck for kids I can also use the Joie de Vivre deck. That's a fun deck and kind of Halloween-y.

I love the Halloween deck! I come up with fun halloween spreads and read them for my friends with this deck and they love it haha. Like I have a Trick or Treat spread and few others haha.

Disa

Oh this thread IS inspiring. I think I will have to look through all my decks and pull out the Halloweenish ones this weekend! There are a few I haven't really worked with, maybe if I get them out I will be more likely to use them. I always have the Bohemian Gothic Pewter sitting out on a table in the living room, and the seven stars decks from last year. I love to use the Halloween deck and Chronata's deck each year. I have a few others to look through and bring out. Ohhh I'm getting excited!!!

No plans for Halloween yet, I usually set up my Ancestral and Samhain altars on Oct 1 and leave them up until after Thanksgiving.

I think this year the table I use for my ancestral altar is too small

so I will have to make two- maybe one for ancestors, and one for young friends, family, and pets.

Usually on Halloween we don't have huge plans, we decorate the house and yard and wait for the goblins to come to the door, then I do my small personal rituals.

GotH

Grizabella said:
Autumn is my favorite time of year, too. I'm growing to hate summertime, though, now that we're having almost completely 90+ degree weather for extended periods of time. Autumn is the time when the super hot days have ended, the trees are all colorful and falling down where I can crunch along when I walk the dogs, and the days are hot but the nights are frosty.

I feel the same way right now and am so ready for all the Autumn colors, scents and products!

One of the products I love to get is from Bath and Body Works. I haven't seen it in awhile but loved it when it first came out. It's called Candy Corn glitter lotion. It smells like candy and give your body a slight sparkle! :heart:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2296/1660036970_97d886ff73_z.jpg

I also love the scent of cinnamon, fire wood and pine, things I equate Fall with.

What kinds of decorations do you put up? Anything special?

I always have some kind of decorative thing going on in my home during this time of year. This year I want to get a Halloween Tree! Something like this but less piney.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XIJZIF0T6Hc/TZe1qMnwmDI/AAAAAAAAHpk/cwUmquMYxxo/s1600/black-bling-tree.jpg

Or maybe like this... And have small Halloween gifts wrapped in black, orange and purple paper with black ribbons.

http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2007/07/12/Halloween_Tree_Centerpiece_w609.jpg

I'm excited too Griz... :thumbsup:

shadowdancer

I have my spread cloth / mat ready

A lovely witchy design where she is getting ready for a night out (we see her in the bath) then her night out doing witchy /Halloweeen things before seeing her getting ready for bed (taking her teeth out / nose off at the dresser) before curling up in bed with a book (One she has to peak through her fingers to read, as it is titled "The Good Fairy" - probably a horror book to a witch!)

I chuckle every time I see it, as the small detail makes it a delight. Having to iron it each time I use it became a pain so I have had it turned into a reading mat 27" x 17" with a black rubber backing. The small sub scenes are also now place mats, ready for a Halloween dinner. Should hopefully cause a smile or two.

Also have started to resurrect the Skellie Lennies. My affectionate pet name for Day of the Dead Lenormands.
They will go together so well.

If I have renewed membership here by then, will post a photo or two of the set up.

Grizabella

Goddessofthehunter said:
I feel the same way right now and am so ready for all the Autumn colors, scents and products!

One of the products I love to get is from Bath and Body Works. I haven't seen it in awhile but loved it when it first came out. It's called Candy Corn glitter lotion. It smells like candy and give your body a slight sparkle! https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2296/1660036970_97d886ff73_z.jpg

I also love the scent of cinnamon, fire wood and pine, things I equate Fall with.

I always have some kind of decorative thing going on in my home during this time of year. This year I want to get a Halloween Tree! Something like this but less piney.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XIJZIF0T6Hc/TZe1qMnwmDI/AAAAAAAAHpk/cwUmquMYxxo/s1600/black-bling-tree.jpg

Or maybe like this... And have small Halloween gifts wrapped in black, orange and purple paper with black ribbons.

http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2007/07/12/Halloween_Tree_Centerpiece_w609.jpg

I'm excited too Griz...

I love those trees! If you knew where to get some dead corn stalks from a farmer or someone like that, you could fashion a "tree" with those and decorate it to put little gifts around.

shadowdancer said:
I have my spread cloth / mat ready A lovely witchy design where she is getting ready for a night out (we see her in the bath) then her night out doing witchy /Halloweeen things before seeing her getting ready for bed (taking her teeth out / nose off at the dresser) before curling up in bed with a book (One she has to peak through her fingers to read, as it is titled "The Good Fairy" - probably a horror book to a witch!)

I chuckle every time I see it, as the small detail makes it a delight. Having to iron it each time I use it became a pain so I have had it turned into a reading mat 27" x 17" with a black rubber backing. The small sub scenes are also now place mats, ready for a Halloween dinner. Should hopefully cause a smile or two.

Also have started to resurrect the Skellie Lennies. My affectionate pet name for Day of the Dead Lenormands.
They will go together so well.

If I have renewed membership here by then, will post a photo or two of the set up.

Oh my gosh, that mat and things sounds so cute! I wonder if I'm too rusty with painting to make something similar to use. I'll definitely have to see if I have anything to make it happen with.

Till then I have an orange tablecloth with bats all over it that I'm going to put on my table. Not much, but it adds atmosphere.

Halloween!

autumn and the sword

Glass Owl

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