October Cozy Pagan Chat

[DaughterOfKali]

Can't believe this wasn't up yet!  I love October... One of my favorite months!

[Maiasaura]

Yay! Subbing! Happy October! Did y'all know the Full Blood Moon is like two days before Samhain/Halloween? What are y'all's plans for the holiday/holy day? Doing anything all month long? Does anyone honor Day Of The Dead? Making sugar skulls?

I wonder what I can make skulls out of that is Paleo

[witchygrrl]

We have a ritual at our local shop we're gong to. Samhain is always the biggest deal. But I need to find a babysitter. Le sigh.

Please throw all the good juju you have. Dh is having an extremely high stakes interview tomorrow at a nearby school. This is the first round (although he was interviewed on the phone already), so i hope it goes well and he can come back to the 2nd to give a lesson, which I know he will do well at.

I just want this cycle to end already!!!
 

[Indigo73]

I made it here on day 1, go me.  October and I have a love hate relationship... adding midterms to the mix is just peachy.  

But I love the cool nights and warm days. 

[revolting]

Witchy - praying for your partner. Best of luck!

We don't officially celebrate the Day of the Dead, but with the huge immigrant population (of many different nationalities and religions but definitely a lot of Mexican Catholics), it'd be hard to ignore. Plus we have a few non-Pagan friends who have formal ofrendas. We also have a tradition of going to the Museum of Mexican Fine Art on the Day of the Dead, which has an amazing Day of the Dead exhibit and sugar skulls to purchase. Generally, I try to devote this month to genealogy research, but with the move, I don't think I'll get much done beyond making a family tree with the kids. I want to rebuild my beloved dead altar, but I've yet to decide how I want to represent the miscarriages, and the whole thing is still painful enough that I don't know if I could have that kind of altar on top of my fridge right now. Part of me thinks I could use this time to help me heal through this year's losses, but I don't know if I'm ready. Where I live, the leaves are just starting to really turn. I might just focus on making leaf art for our altar, since I love making it. I've already started pressing leaves to mod podge and make into a wreath. We did a crayon rubbing with watercolors mural last year that looked great and I think we'll do it again this year. I think we might also try leaf casting with plaster of paris this year.

For the month, I had wanted to read to my eldest The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury, due to the cross-cultural/historical survey it provides of Samhain and ancestor worship, but unfortunately, after a few chapters my five year old didn't want to continue reading (despite that she enjoyed the movie in the past - which we'll probably watch again this October - which makes me suspect the reading level is a bit too high still and I might try again next year). We read Ghost Wings by Barbara Joosse last year, which we will probably repeat this year.

[DaughterOfKali]

We have a Halloween party this month.  Plus, trick or treating on Halloween.  Lots of crafty stuff all month long.

We don't celebrate the Day of the Dead.  We honor our ancestors on Samhain.

I'm having a rough day.  Feel like I have PMS on steroids. (no, I'm not on steroids.)  I'm super agitated.  I want to crawl out of my skin and fly away.  I want to soak in a jacuzzi.  I want to get my hair cut/colored.  Of course, I can't do any of that and am feeling trapped and volatile. 

[witchygrrl]

We'll be trick or treating again this year. My DD loved it last year when we all went as pirates and made her wagon into a pirate ship. This year, we'll be all over the map. I wanted DH to go as a glittery peacock, but he can't find the right materials. Not sure what his fallback plan is. I'm going as Elizabeth Warren because I really like her and I think I can pull off her look easily. DD is going as a purple fairy princess.

[revolting]

Witchy - No update on the interview?

DoK - So sorry you feel like that. Maybe a nice bath? Hope today goes better for you!

We are DEFINITELY trick-or-treating in our new neighborhood. My eldest wants to go as Harry Potter. We already have a Hogwarts school uniform in her dress-up bin, so all we really need are the glasses. I'm trying to talk my two year old into wearing an owl costume I made for my daughter when she was two. He keeps picking different animals that he wants to be. No thoughts on adult costumes. I'd sort of like to dress up (and have half-heartedly thought about my partner and I going as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley), but with the move, I don't know if I'll pull it off. We will continue the tradition of the Sugar Sprite in this house, though I've read of people leaving offerings of Halloween candy to their beloved dead, and I kind of like that, too...but I think I might save that for once the kids outgrow the sugar sprite just to simplify. I'm going to try a group ritual this year, despite the long drive, that happens the first Friday in November, for Samhain through a UU church. I'm a little nervous, since they encourage people to wear ritual garb, whatever that means...I'm worried about showing up in inappropriate clothing.

[Maiasaura]

Originally Posted by witchygrrl We'll be trick or treating again this year. My DD loved it last year when we all went as pirates and made her wagon into a pirate ship. This year, we'll be all over the map. I wanted DH to go as a glittery peacock, but he can't find the right materials. Not sure what his fallback plan is. I'm going as Elizabeth Warren because I really like her and I think I can pull off her look easily. DD is going as a purple fairy princess.

Elizabeth Warren

I'm always a witch. Because I'm a Witch. And it's easy to wear a long black dress, my combat boots-- though I would LOVE to find decent stripey socks and some sort of clunky shoes that won't kill my feet walking around for hours trick-or-treating-- and my gorgeous black crocheted witch's hat that I paid $70 and am really thinking of getting rid of, since it was an impulse buy at PSG and I only wear it once a year

DS wants to be some character from Assassin's Creed, which is a video game he hasn't even played-- just heard about. And the guy is so dang complicated, we'll never find the things he needs to be that guy. Or even make them, cause it's really, really complicated looking. Ugh. Why can't he choose something simple?

Originally Posted by revolting We will continue the tradition of the Sugar Sprite in this house, though I've read of people leaving offerings of Halloween candy to their beloved dead, and I kind of like that, too...but I think I might save that for once the kids outgrow the sugar sprite just to simplify. I'm going to try a group ritual this year, despite the long drive, that happens the first Friday in November, for Samhain through a UU church. I'm a little nervous, since they encourage people to wear ritual garb, whatever that means...I'm worried about showing up in inappropriate clothing.

Sugar Sprite-- someone who takes all the candy? I think I used to do that when ds was really little, but since he was about 5, I let him go to town on all the candy he wants to consume in the following 24 hours, THEN I ration it out. This year, since Halloween is on a school night, that won't happen. He can have *some*, and stay up a little late, but he'll have to wait till the weekend for the Big Candy Fest.

Ritual garb-- most people here just wear really pretty flowy things, robes and such. I wear a long dress, usually, or skirt. Don't worry about inappropriate-- IMO "ritual garb" is individual. If you say it's YOUR ritual garb, then it is! Plus it's a UU-- who cares, it's not a coven And, you said "encourage", not "require". I usually wear black for Samhain, if that helps.

I swear I had this small box full of things that were my grandmother's-- little trinkets, like paper umbrellas from drinks and stuff-- and I can NOT find it. I am going out of my mind with this. I swear it was up on my closet shelf, and it is not anywhere to be found in my room, and I would not have stored it anywhere else. Now I am doubting it ever existed, but I know it is the one thing I got from her apartment after she died. Dang. I am going to tear this house right up. I wanted some of that stuff on my altar. GRRR.

[amlikam]

Going to be lurking here... I am a spiritual eccletic... who has strong pagan inclinations. <3

[vydalea]

Mamas, mamas!  I'm here! I'm here! 

I love October!! It's my birthday month!!  Hooray!!  

What is a Sugar Sprite?  

I love all the costume ideas.  Z is going to be a cow (my dad is a dairy farmer, how appropriate - but I totally got the costume from a friend).  I am going to be a witch as I am every year just like you, Maia!  :)  I wear a long black skirt, green and black leggings with my mary jane doc martens and a hat.  I have a shirt I have worn the past few years that is sparkly with a cat jumping over a pumpkin or something that I bought after the holiday a few years back.  I might look for something new this year.  Maybe.  

This year I am going to try to make a picture family tree for Z for Samhain.  For me, too, I suppose.  We'll see how it works out.  I always seem to have high hopes for the holidays and then.... *kaput*

Witchy, how was DH's interview??  Sending good energy!!

hi amlikam!  

Happy, happy October to you all!!!  

[Maiasaura]

Originally Posted by amlikam Going to be lurking here... I am a spiritual eccletic... who has strong pagan inclinations. <3

Welcome and mm!

Originally Posted by vydalea I am going to be a witch as I am every year just like you, Maia!  :)  I wear a long black skirt, green and black leggings with my mary jane doc martens and a hat.  I have a shirt I have worn the past few years that is sparkly with a cat jumping over a pumpkin or something that I bought after the holiday a few years back.  I might look for something new this year.  Maybe.  

This year I am going to try to make a picture family tree for Z for Samhain.  For me, too, I suppose.  We'll see how it works out.

Yay for Witches! Your outfit sounds way cooler than mine.

I made a family tree for ds when he was 3 or so! Gawd, are we twins? It was easy and pretty cool. All I did was make a giant tree on posterboard with I think crayons, and then Xeroxed family members' photos (so he couldn't destroy the originals) and pasted them on. It worked for a couple of years

[witchygrrl]

Oh right! DH's interview. He think it went well, though we'll find out by sometime tomorrow whether he's made it to round 2.
 

[revolting]

Originally Posted by Maiasaura 

Elizabeth Warren

I'm always a witch. Because I'm a Witch. And it's easy to wear a long black dress, my combat boots-- though I would LOVE to find decent stripey socks and some sort of clunky shoes that won't kill my feet walking around for hours trick-or-treating-- and my gorgeous black crocheted witch's hat that I paid $70 and am really thinking of getting rid of, since it was an impulse buy at PSG and I only wear it once a year

DS wants to be some character from Assassin's Creed, which is a video game he hasn't even played-- just heard about. And the guy is so dang complicated, we'll never find the things he needs to be that guy. Or even make them, cause it's really, really complicated looking. Ugh. Why can't he choose something simple?

Sugar Sprite-- someone who takes all the candy? I think I used to do that when ds was really little, but since he was about 5, I let him go to town on all the candy he wants to consume in the following 24 hours, THEN I ration it out. This year, since Halloween is on a school night, that won't happen. He can have *some*, and stay up a little late, but he'll have to wait till the weekend for the Big Candy Fest.

Ritual garb-- most people here just wear really pretty flowy things, robes and such. I wear a long dress, usually, or skirt. Don't worry about inappropriate-- IMO "ritual garb" is individual. If you say it's YOUR ritual garb, then it is! Plus it's a UU-- who cares, it's not a coven And, you said "encourage", not "require". I usually wear black for Samhain, if that helps.

I swear I had this small box full of things that were my grandmother's-- little trinkets, like paper umbrellas from drinks and stuff-- and I can NOT find it. I am going out of my mind with this. I swear it was up on my closet shelf, and it is not anywhere to be found in my room, and I would not have stored it anywhere else. Now I am doubting it ever existed, but I know it is the one thing I got from her apartment after she died. Dang. I am going to tear this house right up. I wanted some of that stuff on my altar. GRRR.

The crocheted hat sounds neat; I'd definitely keep it. Plus, it just encourages me that I need to learn how to crochet (after the holidays and I've finished all the sweaters I need to get done).

The kids get to eat candy on Halloween night (though I do try to pump them full of healthy food before we go trick-or-treating), but then at night, they leave the candy out for the sugar sprite who takes all the candy in exchange for a toy. Because of my eldest child's bad teeth, I rather her binge one night and be done than have a little bit of candy over a long period of time.

I hope you find the box!

Originally Posted by amlikam 

Going to be lurking here... I am a spiritual eccletic... who has strong pagan inclinations. <3

Originally Posted by vydalea 

Mamas, mamas!  I'm here! I'm here! 

I love October!! It's my birthday month!!  Hooray!!  

What is a Sugar Sprite?  

I love all the costume ideas.  Z is going to be a cow (my dad is a dairy farmer, how appropriate - but I totally got the costume from a friend).  I am going to be a witch as I am every year just like you, Maia!  :)  I wear a long black skirt, green and black leggings with my mary jane doc martens and a hat.  I have a shirt I have worn the past few years that is sparkly with a cat jumping over a pumpkin or something that I bought after the holiday a few years back.  I might look for something new this year.  Maybe.  

This year I am going to try to make a picture family tree for Z for Samhain.  For me, too, I suppose.  We'll see how it works out.  I always seem to have high hopes for the holidays and then.... *kaput*

Witchy, how was DH's interview??  Sending good energy!!

hi amlikam!  

Happy, happy October to you all!!!  

When's your birthday? Are you old enough that I can't ask how old you're turning? A cow sounds cute!

Originally Posted by witchygrrl 

Oh right! DH's interview. He think it went well, though we'll find out by sometime tomorrow whether he's made it to round 2.
 

Keep us updated!

[Valerie.Qc]

Subbing!

Hope to connect more this month...

I'm already in the turned-inward-dark-season-reflective state... I must be really low on vit.D despite spending tons of time in the sun all summer...

[vydalea]

Originally Posted by Maiasaura 

I made a family tree for ds when he was 3 or so! Gawd, are we twins? It was easy and pretty cool. All I did was make a giant tree on posterboard with I think crayons, and then Xeroxed family members' photos (so he couldn't destroy the originals) and pasted them on. It worked for a couple of years

Yes, Maia, we are twins.    I like the idea of Xeroxing the pics.  I will share with my inlaws as that may be the only way I get my hands on pics of that side for Z.  It's so different, in my family we looked at old albums all. the. time.  I can tell you stories about people I never met but who are in my family.  But on DH's side...nothing.  I'd never seen pictures of his grandparents until last year and we've been together since 1999!!  so weird to me.  To each his own, though.  Maybe there's some hidden, dark stories they don't want to share or something!!   ooh, I'd love to know!

Originally Posted by witchygrrl 

Oh right! DH's interview. He think it went well, though we'll find out by sometime tomorrow whether he's made it to round 2.
 

Originally Posted by revolting 

The kids get to eat candy on Halloween night (though I do try to pump them full of healthy food before we go trick-or-treating), but then at night, they leave the candy out for the sugar sprite who takes all the candy in exchange for a toy. Because of my eldest child's bad teeth, I rather her binge one night and be done than have a little bit of candy over a long period of time.

When's your birthday? Are you old enough that I can't ask how old you're turning? A cow sounds cute!

I'm totally stealing the sugar sprite idea when Z gets older and does more ToTing.  Knowing her (taurus-y) bull headed-ness she will NOT want anything to do with a toy and will just want the candy.  haha.  

My birthday is the 10th.  I will be 33.  I hope I will always tell people my age and be proud of it.  Ya know?  Proud to have made it this far!  

How is moving in going???

Originally Posted by Valerie.Qc 

Subbing!

Hope to connect more this month...

I'm already in the turned-inward-dark-season-reflective state... I must be really low on vit.D despite spending tons of time in the sun all summer...

Hi Valerie!!!!!  

Well, mamas, I am having my wisdom teeth extracted tomorrow.  Please send lots of healing energy the way of my mouth!  I'm nervous!!  I really am hoping to not be in tooo much pain for days.  Anyone know of any homeopathic remedies I can use to help speed up healing, lessen swelling (I have arnica), and/or pain?  I'm really, really, not excited about having Rx Pain Meds.  Or being under anesthesia.  But...heeeeeere we go!! My sissy is taking me - send her lots of patience!! ha!! 

[Aubergine68]

Originally Posted by revolting 

For the month, I had wanted to read to my eldest The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury, due to the cross-cultural/historical survey it provides of Samhain and ancestor worship, but unfortunately, after a few chapters my five year old didn't want to continue reading (despite that she enjoyed the movie in the past - which we'll probably watch again this October - which makes me suspect the reading level is a bit too high still and I might try again next year). We read Ghost Wings by Barbara Joosse last year, which we will probably repeat this year.

I love Ghost Wings.  Clatter Bash is also a favourite.  Haven't heard of the Halloween Tree - will have to look that up.  Thanks for the rec.  I was just emailing my library about getting more books about Day of the Dead for children, as we celebrate it.  My children are being raised Catholic, due to a commitment I made to do so when we married (though I'm ambivalent) and All Saint's Day is important to us. 

Originally Posted by amlikam 

Going to be lurking here... I am a spiritual eccletic... who has strong pagan inclinations. <3

This is how I describe myself, almost exactly.  Welcome, amlikam!

Originally Posted by vydalea 

My birthday is the 10th.  I will be 33.  I hope I will always tell people my age and be proud of it.  Ya know?  Proud to have made it this far!  

Well, mamas, I am having my wisdom teeth extracted tomorrow.  Please send lots of healing energy the way of my mouth!  I'm nervous!!  I really am hoping to not be in tooo much pain for days.  Anyone know of any homeopathic remedies I can use to help speed up healing, lessen swelling (I have arnica), and/or pain?  I'm really, really, not excited about having Rx Pain Meds.  Or being under anesthesia.  But...heeeeeere we go!! My sissy is taking me - send her lots of patience!! ha!! 

That's how I feel about birthdays.  I'm in my 40s.  I hope I can sustain it into my fifties.  

I hope you do well in your healing from the wisdom teeth surgery.  Ferr Phos homeopathic cell salts for the trauma of surgery (the first aid remedy) and Mag Phos homeopathic cell salts  (homeopathic asprin) are what I'd recommend.  

[Maiasaura]

Originally Posted by vydalea  It's so different, in my family we looked at old albums all. the. time.  I can tell you stories about people I never met but who are in my family.  But on DH's side...nothing.

My birthday is the 10th.  I will be 33.  I hope I will always tell people my age and be proud of it.  Ya know?  Proud to have made it this far!  

Well, mamas, I am having my wisdom teeth extracted tomorrow.  Please send lots of healing energy the way of my mouth!  I'm nervous!!  I really am hoping to not be in tooo much pain for days.  Anyone know of any homeopathic remedies I can use to help speed up healing, lessen swelling (I have arnica), and/or pain?  I'm really, really, not excited about having Rx Pain Meds.  Or being under anesthesia.  But...heeeeeere we go!! My sissy is taking me - send her lots of patience!! ha!! 

1) We look at pix, too, but I think the point of the tree, especially at that age (she's 3, right?) is to start to point out the relationships of the people. My ds is 11y8m and he still mixes up my nieces, his half-sister, and our babysitter (that sat him from age 2-9), because they're all the same age, roughly. But when kids are that little, 3ish or just a bit more, they don't get that parents have kids who become parents that have kids who...begot THEM, at some point. Y'know? I remember my son saying, about my mom, "when you used to have a mom" as if she stopped being my mom because I got older and had my own kid He just.did.not.get that she was still my mom. So, the tree. I came from her and my dad, each of them were young once and had parents...and so on.

2) Happy birthday! Look-- I am nearly 53 and yes, life gets better and better, truly it does. I have no qualms about telling people my age. Actually it's fun because mostly I know I don't look anywhere near my age (nor act it, heehee) and so I just get a bang out of shocking people

3) Wisdoms-- no big deal, really. I had them all out when I was 26 or so. I do have to say I raided my parents' liquor cabinet because the MD wouldn't give me any good drugs but I was eating pizza by day 2. Granted, I tore it into itty bitty pieces and fed myself, and chewed only on the other side, but that doesn't count, I still ate pizza I was NOT going to exist on cottage cheese and pudding and jello! Really, though, it wasn't a big deal like I thought it was going to be. Same with root canal-- it was nothing. Such an anti-climax to my build-up of the horror! And to the pain of the bad tooth. Srsly.

[revolting]

Originally Posted by Valerie.Qc 

Subbing!

Hope to connect more this month...

I'm already in the turned-inward-dark-season-reflective state... I must be really low on vit.D despite spending tons of time in the sun all summer...

Good to see you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by vydalea 

Well, mamas, I am having my wisdom teeth extracted tomorrow.  Please send lots of healing energy the way of my mouth!  I'm nervous!!  I really am hoping to not be in tooo much pain for days.  Anyone know of any homeopathic remedies I can use to help speed up healing, lessen swelling (I have arnica), and/or pain?  I'm really, really, not excited about having Rx Pain Meds.  Or being under anesthesia.  But...heeeeeere we go!! My sissy is taking me - send her lots of patience!! ha!! 

I'm totally stressed out about moving. Trying not to think about it right now, since I don't join my husband out there until tomorrow and there's nothing I can do from here.

Good luck with the wisdom teeth. I had mine removed at 23 shortly after I had my second child. I did it with local anesthetic. Honestly, I struggled the most while I waited for the local anesthetic to start working... My anxiety got so bad that I even started crying a little, but when they finally removed the teeth, on one side I felt nothing and the other side I felt only a pinch. I can't believe I got myself so worked up over nothing! The recovery was different, though. It wasn't the pain that was hard...I only took an OTC pain med the first few days. It's just that I'm allergic to penicillin, so they gave me an antibiotic that made me really sick. I changed to a different one, but that one made me sick too, and there wasn't anything else I could take between my allergy and breastfeeding.

Originally Posted by Aubergine68 

I love Ghost Wings.  Clatter Bash is also a favourite.  Haven't heard of the Halloween Tree - will have to look that up.  Thanks for the rec.  I was just emailing my library about getting more books about Day of the Dead for children, as we celebrate it.  My children are being raised Catholic, due to a commitment I made to do so when we married (though I'm ambivalent) and All Saint's Day is important to us. 

Aub - Is your husband Catholic? Just curious.

BTW, has anyone tried lunaception?

Edited by revolting - 10/5/12 at 10:41am

[Aubergine68]

Originally Posted by revolting 

Aub - Is your husband Catholic? Just curious.

BTW, has anyone tried lunaception?

Yes, he is Catholic.  I came from a background of very liberal UU-like (my parents) and conservative Baptist like (some of my extended family).  My Baptist grandmother thought me marrying a Catholic was pretty much the same as going Pagan....I was very attracted by the (for lack of a better word) magical elements of Catholicism.  I now see it as a step on the journey to an even more magickal spiritual journey.  I did make the commitment to raise my children as Catholics, though I'm not sure I would now -- and I'm not sure my dh would now ask it of me as he has become less Catholic over the years in many ways. Certainly his family are pretty liberal in their approach to Catholicism.  Anyway, an oath is an oath.  We are getting the children through their First Communion and letting them decide about Confirmation.  My oldest went for it, but the others have a few years to go yet.  I expect that after they have all gone through it, I will return to attending the sort of very liberal church I attended as a child.  Or I may seek out a Pagan community, though I'm not aware of one near me.  An earth-based spirituality is very important to me.

Hope the move goes well.  Just googled lunaception - interesting.  I've done the fertility awareness method, but not since dh got snipped a few years ago (as I said, not a conservative Catholic),   My dd and I have not synchronized cycles, which surprises me a bit. I'll have to discuss that with her.