Happy Samhain!

Samhain History
By Patti Wigington

What is Samhain?:
Samhain is known by most folks as Halloween, but for Wiccans and Pagans it's considered a Sabbat to honor the ancestors who came before us. It's a good time to contact the spirit world with a seance, because it's the time when the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest.

Myths and Misconceptions:

Contrary to a popular Internet-based (and Chick Tract-encouraged) rumor, Samhain was not the name of some ancient Celtic god of death, or of anything else, for that matter. Religious scholars agree that the word Samhain (pronounced "sow-en") comes from the Gaelic “Samhuin,” but they’re divided on whether it means the end or beginning of summer. After all, when summer is ending here on earth, it’s just beginning in the Underworld. Samhain actually refers to the daylight portion of the holiday, on November 1st.

All Hallow Mass:

Around the eighth century or so, the Catholic Church decided to use November 1st as All Saints Day. This was actually a pretty smart move on their part – the local pagans were already celebrating that day anyway, so it made sense to use it as a church holiday. All Saints’ became the festival to honor any saint who didn’t already have a day of his or her own. The mass which was said on All Saints’ was called Allhallowmas – the mass of all those who are hallowed. The night before naturally became known as All Hallows Eve, and eventually morphed into what we call Halloween.

The Witch's New Year:

Sunset on Samhain is the beginning of the Celtic New Year. The old year has passed, the harvest has been gathered, cattle and sheep have been brought in from the fields, and the leaves have fallen from the trees. The earth slowly begins to die around us.
This is a good time for us to look at wrapping up the old and preparing for the new in our lives. Think about the things you did in the last twelve months. Have you left anything unresolved? If so, now is the time to wrap things up. Once you’ve gotten all that unfinished stuff cleared away, and out of your life, then you can begin looking towards the next year.

Honoring the Ancestors:

For some of us, Samhain is when we honor our ancestors who came before us. If you’ve ever done genealogy research, or if you’ve had a loved one die in the past year, this is the perfect night to celebrate their memory. If we’re fortunate, they will return to communicate with us from beyond the veil, and offer advice, protection and guidance for the upcoming year.
If you want to celebrate Samhain in the Celtic tradition, spread the festivities out over three consecutive days. You can hold a ritual and feast each night. Be flexible, though, so you can work around trick-or-treating schedules!

Samhain Rituals:

If you are intersted, look them up here: http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/holidaysandcelebrations/u/Celebrations.htm

Thanks and happy Samhain!

October Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes
from Charline French

2 1/3 Cups Bisquick Baking Mix
2 Tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1/4 Teaspoon each cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger
1 1/4 Cups milk
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 Cup mashed pumpkin
1/4 Cup vegetable oil

Beat all ingredients until well blended.
Pour batter by scant 1/4 cups full onto hot, lightly greased griddle or skillet.
Cook until tops are bubbly and edges are dry.
Turn and cook until golden brown.
Bring some to Sandra so she can eat them

We're Married!

OK, so we had a wedding! Jake and I tied the knot, finally, last Saturday 10/11/08. It was a perfect day, a perfect wedding.

We woke up at the crack of dawn because I had to be at the salon for 6:45am. We met Jenna, Jasun and the boys at Jake's parents house. That way Jenna and I could carpool, and Jake could go with the gang. We were running very late, so I just picked up Jenna and left.

We got to the salon on time. My hair wasn't totally dry, so Joy stuck me under the old lady drier! I was a big ball of nerves that morning. I needed food and coffee, but it took a good hour before my body would allow it. Heather met us there. We all got our hair done, and I got my makeup done. Joy and Christina at Hair we Are were just wonderful. I have such love and trust for them so the morning of my wedding was so calm and so warm. It was great to be there with Heather, Jenna and the other gals at the salon. They truly made me a zen bride!

We then got to the Granite Rose really early. Jenna, Heather and I hung out in the parking lot for a bit (Val was already inside working on our cake). We popped a squat on the cement and just hung out in the beautiful sunshine! Then Jenna from the Granite Rose let us inside.

Once we were in, we went to check out the hall and cake. Both were just phenomenal! Valerie really outdid herself with the cake! It was just beautiful! 3 tiers of white frosting with some dot work, with layers of red roses in between. I cried!

Then all the ladies, and Evan and Rhea piled into the bridal suite to get ready. We had so much fun! At one point I was laying down on the couch, topless and in pantyhose, holding up my chest whilst Heather powdered! That's what friends are for! At this point, Valerie had finished the cake and was showering and getting gussied-up in the bathroom of the bridal suite.

Before we knew it, we were all dolled up and the photographer and my dad and Joey came in for some pictures. I was such a nervous wreck, but I had just won Red Sox play off tickets at work the night before, so I used baseball to calm my nerves and keep me from crying! I believe the mantra was "think baseball. there's no crying in baseball!" LOL

The nerves left as my dad and I started our walk down the aisle. I can't exactly describe the feeling of having everyone you know and love standing up to adore you, but it's freakin' awesome! I was so excited as I walked towards my fiance. Jake looked so handsome standing there.

The ceremony was short, but beautiful. Our JP, Andrea Ellis Reyes, performed with grace, professionalism and warmth. Jake and I kept looking at her instead of each other so that we didn't cry! That failed during the vows, however. We had to look at each other for those and I totally choked up and cried through them!

Joey presented the unity candle. He looked adorable in his renny outfit. He had the words on this old-looking scroll. He got a bit choked up during it, but did great! Jake and I were really touched by his words and emotion. Nona and Nana were so sweet to come up and light the tapers for us. It was great to have those generations present.

Shortly after that, we were pronounced husband and wife and Jake stepped on the glass. We had a brief kiss and walked down the aisle, married!

The reception was SO much fun! I didn't get to eat a whole lot as the chef made the vegan meal with tomato sauce. It was freaking delicious, but clumsy brides in white and tomato sauce are not a good mixture! I had salad, and a lot of bread.

Our first dance was Time in a Bottle. The daddy/daughter dance was He Didn't Have to Be. The mommy/son dance was Hey Jude (Jake's mother's name being Judi).

The DJ Jeff Dawe and his assistant (don't know his name) did an AWESOME job! Everyone commented on their skills and the fact that they were up there grooving the whole time. Not to mention that Mr. Dawe is pretty easy on the eyes! The lady guests enjoyed that!

The bouquet toss was a bit of a miss. That huge chandelier got in the way, but Denise dove for it and got it!

A lot of people told me that the day would fly by and to treasure every moment. I have to say, it didn't fly by for me! I was savouring the day, taking in all it had to offer. We had the best crowd. Everyone was kind, caring and pleasant. There were no issues at all. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. Seriously, it was amazing!