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October 31  The God departs and the Goddess mourns yet know he will be reborn at Yule. This is a time of celebration of the mysteries of death and contacting spirits  ~altar candles should be orange~ ~incense should be myrrh or patchouli~ ~circle may be decorated with autumn flowers, small pumpkins, and indian corn~ ~have a piece of paper with weaknesses or bad habits that you want to be rid of written on it~ ~have a black votive inside the cauldron~ ~have a white candle on the altar~ ~have some heather and an apple on the altar~ ~lay out items, create circle, call elements and deities~ Say "I celebrate this dance of life and the balance of the cosmos in my life. The Last Harvest is gathered and stored for the dark months ahead, and the wheel has turned to the time of the Hunter. At this time is the veil between the worlds thin and I welcome thee spirits who have gone before and thee others who pass between the worlds. This is the Crones time and with the Lord of Shadows, she is the passage from life to life that all must take. They give a refreshing rest in the continuous turning of the spiral dance that goes and returns, yet ever moves on. With the Ancient Ones, I move with the dance. Love gives strength, Give to Gain" Hold athame over head saying "Great Lady, beautiful Mother, you have showered me with your bounty, and in this turning of the seasons I bid you farewell as you walk now as Crone with the Lord of Shadows. I know that within you is yet another fruit waiting to be born, and I will bide patiently until the Mother returns" Return athame to its proper place. Place cauldron on the pentacle, light the black candle within from the center altar candle saying "Here is the cauldron of endings and new beginnings. Into this burning flame do I cast my weaknesses and the habits that keep me from attaining my potential. By the death of these things will I live a better life. So shall it be" Cast the paper into the flame to burn. After it is reduced to ashes, tak the white votive and pass it through the incense saying "With this candle and by its light I welcome you spirits on this Samhain nite" This candle will be saved to be lit and placed inside the jack-o-lantern to light the way for spirit visitors {because it was used in the Sabbat and was annointed, it will screen for friendly spirits, it helps to do this Sabbat a few hours before sunset so the candle will be ready before nitefall} Hold the heather over the altar saying "I call upon the power of this herb to bless this house and the spirits that come to visit" Drop the heather into the cauldron saying "The air is purified and made pleasant for the spirits and others who may call upon me. Blessed Be" Hold the apple above the altar saying "I call upon thee, Lady and Lord, to bless this fruit to be the food for the dead. Let any who visit find sustenance in this apple and pass on refreshed. So shall it be" Close the circle, give your blessings to all present, and put away all tools. After the Sabbat has ended, bury the apple in the garden or in a pot of soil outside your door so the spirits have access to it    |
