Halloween

[Bonkers Mad!!!]

reading the recent entries to the chronicles of ribbit made me want to share this story from last year.

i am a pagan (a hedgewitch actually) and as such, Halloween is the most important day of the year (our new year). its the day that i pull out all the stops, same as most do for christmas. so, its quite annoying to have kids knocking all evening while my family and friends try to eat my lovely pot roast beef.

so last year i bought lots of pickled onions and brussel sprouts, wrapped them in melted chocolate and handed them out to trick or treaters :hihi:
i dont suppose we'll get many this year :lol: :thumbs:

[Annabel]

oooh you meanie, BM!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: But i like it!

a mate of mine did the same once, only he used garlic bulbs!!! he he he

I dont know what kind of trick or treating we will get this year, as we live on a busy main road...last year we only got one knock!

whats a hedgewitch????

[Beth]

the festival is great but the actual day is dreadful :(

certainly in this part of the country anyway, we have to sellotape our letterboxes up
have a large supply of sweeties in, or sit in the dark and pretend no one is home :(
fireworks have been known to be thrown at the hoses and local yoofs gather in packs ready to hunt, its not the little kids I mind, the ones who come round with mums and dads, it the teenagers who ruin it :(

[Ribbit]

We don't get trick-or-treaters... too many steps to climb to get to our front door :blink: .

But if we did... :devil: :lol: Chocolate sprouts :sicky: :lol:

ribbit :curly:

[Bonkers Mad!!!]

Annabel, originally Hedgewitches were basically the village wise women and did most things ie: midwifery, making potions and salves for the villagers. the "hedge" was the village boundaries. it's a path of paganism that doesnt involve lots of ceremony and ritual and these days basically describes a solitary practitioner, kitchen witch. i mostly study herblore, hence the interest in ron and gassy's strange eating habits :rolleyes: :hihi:

[mazza]

Funny that Halloween is being mentioned today cos I was getting a real 'Halloween feeling' looking outside at the damp air this evening :D .

I don't really mind it but all the kids knocking is a real pain - esp the older ones that can turn up really quite late!!

Strangely we only got one set last year... I wonder if it had anything to do with the rank Pondstretcher lollies I gave them all the year before :blink: (but they had been 'such a bargain' at £1.99 for a pot of 100!!! :lol: )

I am a bit worried this year as toddler mazza has a complete hairy canary everytime he goes past the mask displays in the shops so I have to keep well away - poor little thing. I hope he won't get too spooked by the kids knocking this year (or his older bro's for that matter :rolleyes: ) .

[vanner]

And I have to go work up Pendle Hill !! :cry:

http://pages.prodigy.net/rogerlori1/emoticons/wichmoon.gif

[mazza]

Now that's a much nicer siggie piccie Vanner ;) ! :sorcerer:

Don't worry HN, I have a better class of sweetie this year - Somerfield huge bag of various sweets for £2.99 instead!!!

I'm splashing out this year!! :lol:



Mazza ... pondstretcher!

[Domestic Goddess]

Hallowe'en is very popular in our village, we get lots of trick or treaters every year. I'm quite happy to dish out the sweeties and like to see the children enjoying themselves. The teenagers can appear a bit menacing, but as long as they get chocolate they are fairly polite.

[Eeyore]

I loved halloween as a kid, it was so much fun dressing up, making a lantern and all that, but a lot of kids now (especially round where my mum lives) are getting really mischevious, trying to set fire to things, putting fireworks through letterboxes etc ;)

Never had any problem where I live (only been here just over a year), we had one lot of the neighbours kids round the doors, that was all B)

[Beth]

Originally posted by eeyore2ok@13th October 2004 - 9:46 AM
(especially round where my mum lives) are getting really mischevious, trying to set fire to things, putting fireworks through letterboxes etc** ;)

75264

a bit more than mischevious :( little bleeps :(

we normally clear our front garden, get rid of any dry leaves that can be torched, bring stuff inside that can be pinched or used as a missile
tape the letter box up
shut all the windows so the animals cant hear as much going on, including the fireworks which will be going on all night :rant:
take the doorbell battery out
turn the lights out downstairs
get the newspaper ready for the dog throwing up because of nerves.

then............the following week in between halloween and fireworks night, we are lucky enough to have mischevious night, which is an excuse for all teenagers to wreck the place, silly string, dog poo, shaving foam on cars (which ruins paint work as our old Nieghbour found out to the cost of his BMW) upturn plants in gardens, run around wailing and screaming all night and generally be as naughty as possible
last year there was a ban from kids buying eggs and flour in the supermarket which did help a bit!

oh joy of joys, this time of year is great here....................NOT

[Lady Penelope]

:) Goodness me.....it's today isn't it? :unsure:

I normally go with the flow with 'trick or treaters' this year however I am (already have) taped up my lettebox and I will not be turning the lights on downstairs either. :bigeyes:

Interesting BM....this is the first time I have read this thread..can you share any Hedgewitch nice spells :lol:

LPxxxx :)

[Mr Ribbit]

Hey BM!

Enjoy your celebrations. :thumbs:

:glug: :cheers:

:cake:
:present: :present:
:happyparty: :band:

Happy Samhain!

the ribbits :cold: B)

[Domestic Goddess]

Dear BM,

I'd love to hear how you observe Hallowe'en and if you DO have any anti-NFH defensive spells it would be interesting to hear them! Anything to quell Troll's etc???
Can anyone do a spell or do you need to be practioner?

[Lady Penelope]

Originally posted by Hazelnut@31st October 2004 - 12:04 PM
I don't think there are any not-nice spells Lady P, as far as I know it is possible to make "protecting spells", but I don't know how, where you'd find them nor do I know if they'd work!

HN

78479




I need one to protect me from getting any more spots :lol:

[rb2002]

And I have to go work up Pendle Hill !!**

Ooooooooooo Vanner, creepy place :blink: :bigeyes:
:o

You're not gonna be on tele are you? I know Most Haunted Live is coming from there tonight :)

a curious rb2002

[Bonkers Mad!!!]

HN is right, there arent any not nice spells, that is because of the rule of three, everything you do comes back threefold. if anybody wants a protective spell just PM me and i'll give you some tips ;)

Traditionally, anything that wouldn't last the winter wouldve been eaten at a feast today. it wouldve been the last time fresh foods, especially meat, would be eaten until spring. Apples are appropriate because if you cut one across the core you will see a pentacle.

i usually have a mate round for dinner (pot roast beef and seasonal veg) but i have a toothache and have been up the last 3 nights with it, so i really cant be bothered to cook. i doubt i could eat much of it anyway. as it's pagan new year its mostly party time and as such i will share my recipe for harvest moonshine :D its too late to make it for tonight but will be ready in time for next year ;)

Harvest Moonshine
3 large oranges
2 lemons
3 large apples
3 cinnamon sticks
3 cardamoms
12 cloves
3 nutmegs
8 pints water
4-6 lb honey
1oz fresh or wine yeast blended in 1/4 pint tepid water

take the rind, flesh and juice of the oranges and lemons, coarsely chop and discard the pith. chop the apples and add, together with the cinnamon, cardamoms,cloves and nutmegs, to 4 pints of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 mins. strain** and add a further 4 pints of cold water. then stir in the honey. next, add the yeast solution.
when it is thouroughly dissolved, place in a sterilized demi-john with fermentation lock. if you havent got a fermentation lock you can improvise by tying a plastic bag over the neck so as to leave room for gas to expand but no air to enter.
place in a warm dark place and leave for at least 6 months. after about 6 weeks you should see small bubbles rising to the surface, after 6 months this should have stopped, if it hasnt, wait a little longer. when you are sure it has stopped fermenting, decant into sterile bottles with corks. leave for another week or so to be sure no further fermentation starts. (the corks will pop so you'll know)

Quick method

if you really cant wait then at the point marked **, omit the extra water, add the honey, cool the liquid and add 2 bottles of vodka. decant into the bottles and leave for one month
ENJOY! :wine: :cheers:

HAPPY SAMHAIN!!!

[Eeyore]

I've made a turnip lantern, do one every year, always have since I was a child, its tradition in the Eeyore home :)

[Mr Ribbit]

Blimey BM, :bigeyes:

That stuff sounds seriously potent! :drunk:

:lol:

[Bonkers Mad!!!]

yep!!! :thumbs:

LP, plenty of fruit and veg to keep the spots away. to stimulate the circulation take a spoonful of semolina or couscous and add to a spoonful of half water half almond oil, massage using circular motions. Do not scrub. i also have a recipe for a very good elderflower lotion but its the wrong time of year for elderflowers :lol:

[Bonkers Mad!!!]

But can you use dried ones such as those you can get from home brewing shops?

you certainly could although that'd mean paying :lol:

Elderflower lotion

steep the crushed flowers of several elderflower heads in a couple of spoonfuls of alcohol (long lasting wine or high proof spirits). leave for a week, sieve and add to a pint of water. splash on skin after washing.

[Enterian]

Originally posted by rb2002@31st October 2004 - 2:04 PM

And I have to go work up Pendle Hill !!**

Ooooooooooo Vanner, creepy place :blink: :bigeyes:
:o

You're not gonna be on tele are you? I know Most Haunted Live is coming from there tonight :)

a curious rb2002

78503


Did anyone watch that last night? Wow! :bigeyes:

[Eeyore]

Yes Enterian, I saw it :blush: I never know whether it is true or just acting, as the information "received" is all available, but I'd like to think it was true :D

[Enterian]

I usually like to try and keep an open mind, but I have no idea what to make of that! :blink:

[Eeyore]

On Living TV a program called Most Haunted with Yvette Fielding and medium Derek Acorah, was at Pendle Hill yesterday, trying to "speak" with the Pendle witches who had lived there in the 1600's :blink:

It was all very spooky, Derek was "possessed" by a really evil entity, during the seance, a lot of the crew took ill, feeling "strung up" as had happened to the witches, the glass on the table was going crazy and eventually flew off and smashed, the table was jumping around, the crew were terrified. It was really scary and very bizarre

They are back tonight at 9pm, in a different builing close to Pendle Hill :crazy:

[rb2002]

Ooooo, i was scared :o

Doesn't take much though :D

I'll be watching tonight. I was freaked by the way every one collapsed one by one. It was as if something was working its way round.

rb2002 who is looking forward to another scary night :bigeyes:

BTW.... am slightly put out as got no guisers (trick or treaters) last night. What's happened to hallowe'en up here? :sad:

[Lady Penelope]

:bigeyes: Missed that last night......I'll be watching tonight though....I love being frightened (hugging the cushion) :bigeyes:

Funny too RB....I didn't have any trick or treaters last night, though master LP arrived home with a huge bagful of goodies :wow:

LPxxx