The Grimoire

Samhain Lore (October 31st) 

Samhain, (pronounced SOW-in, SAH-vin, or SAM-hayne) means “End of Summer”, and is the third and final Harvest. The dark winter half of the year commences on this Sabbat. 

It is generally celebrated on October 31st, but some traditions prefer November 1st. It is one of the two “spirit-nights” each year, the other being Beltane. It is a magical interval when the mundane laws of time and space are temporarily suspended, and the Thin Veil between the worlds is lifted. Communicating with ancestors and departed loved ones is easy at this time, for they journey through this world on their way to the Summerlands. It is a time to study the Dark Mysteries and honor the Dark Mother and the Dark Father, symbolized by the Crone and her aged Consort. 

Originally the “Feast of the Dead” was celebrated in Celtic countries by leaving food offerings on altars and doorsteps for the “wandering dead”. Today a lot of practitioners still carry out that tradition. Single candles were lit and left in a window to help guide the spirits of ancestors and loved ones home. Extra chairs were set to the table and around the hearth for the unseen guest. Apples were buried along roadsides and paths for spirits who were lost or had no descendants to provide for them. Turnips were hollowed out and carved to look like protective spirits, for this was a night of magic and chaos. The Wee Folke became very active, pulling pranks on unsuspecting humans. Traveling after dark was was not advised. People dressed in white (like ghosts), wore disguises made of straw, or dressed as the opposite gender in order to fool the Nature spirits. 

This was the time that the cattle and other livestock were slaughtered for eating in the ensuing winter months. Any crops still in the field on Samhain were considered taboo, and left as offerings to the Nature spirits. Bonfires were built, (originally called bone-fires, for after feasting, the bones were thrown in the fire as offerings for healthy and plentiful livestock in the New Year) and stones were marked with peoples names. Then they were thrown into the fire, to be retrieved in the morning. The condition of the retrieved stone foretold of that person’s fortune in the coming year. Hearth fires were also lit from the village bonfire to ensure unity, and the ashes were spread over the harvested fields to protect and bless the land. 

Various other names for this Greater Sabbat are Third Harvest, Samana, Day of the Dead, Old Hallowmas (Scottish/Celtic), Vigil of Saman, Shadowfest (Strega), and Samhuinn. Also known as All Hallow’s Eve, (that day actually falls on November 7th), and Martinmas (that is celebrated November 11th), Samhain is now generally considered the Witch’s New Year. 

Symbolism of Samhain:
Third Harvest, the Dark Mysteries, Rebirth through Death. 

Symbols of Samhain:
Gourds, Apples, Black Cats, Jack-O-Lanterns, Besoms. 

Herbs of Samhain:
Mugwort, Allspice, Broom, Catnip, Deadly Nightshade, Mandrake, Oak leaves, Sage and Straw. 

Foods of Samhain:
Turnips, Apples, Gourds, Nuts, Mulled Wines, Beef, Pork, Poultry. 

Incense of Samhain:
Heliotrope, Mint, Nutmeg. 

Colors of Samhain:
Black, Orange, White, Silver, Gold. 

Stones of Samhain:
All Black Stones, preferably jet or obsidian.

Demidemons

Also known as living demons. They are human in appearance although they have the power to appear extremely monstrous if they so choose.  They are often Travelers who eventually turn to evil slowly but surely lose their light and energy form and begin transforming into a human biological form with strength and speed slightly above that of a vampire.  They usually are noticed by a demon who imbues power directly upon them to create a living demon of the flesh who can appear human but can transform into a being far sinister looking than a vampire with a ferocious unidentifiable animal like form.  On some rare occasions a demon will mate with a human to create a Demidemon although Angels actively fight against such things.  Some lower beings of evil have also been known to ascend to the living demon level.  Their power exceeds that of an immortal although if a demon attacks an immortal the immortals angel parent imbues their power upon their child making them far stronger than the demon.

Some say the Anti-Christ will be a Demidemon.  His father or mother (demons have no gender) will be the most evil of demons and will take human form to mate with one of the most evil women or men on Earth.  Most likely a member of the 13 ruling families of the Illuminati aka New World Order who rule this planet through shadow governments controlled by their central banks located in the major nations on Earth. 

Demigods

Also known as living Gods.  The rarest of supernatural beings.  They are human in appearance although they have the power to appear as other beings.  As all Gods except the original were once human it’s not hard to conceive that one could fall in love with one of his own creations.  On rare occasions  to the point of taking a human like form within their own mind in the Universe and making love to a human.  The result of such a strong love is always an offspring.  An immortal half-god half-human.  These are the strongest physical supernatural beings that can exist and they have the power to take over entire planets single handedly if they so choose.   They usually ascend to Godhood rather quickly shedding their human form to become a God.  Should their human half compel them to choose evil then they cannot ascend to pure thought form of any type.  They are either eradicated by their father God or descend into a  Demidemon becoming the most powerful of their kind in the Universe.

Travelers

Angels who have left God to travel the Universe on their own to find their own path and purpose.  This is permissible as God gives all beings free will. They take a human form in appearance only as they are still pure thought in nature.  They’re not biological but rather composed of pure light and energy almost like that of a hologram except they are solid in form by harnessing various quantum particulate forces.  They possess great power including many powers of the mind,  flight, time travel, travel to parallel Universes, and beyond.  Some eventually earn their way to Godhood after many millions of years.  Some also eventually return home to heaven and become Angels again.  

Humans may also become Travelers when their consciousness is so strong, or an overly horrific life trauma causes them to actually break away from their infinite afterlife spirit containing the infinite memories of their infinite parallel lives.  They form a new independent soul and often times end up being ghosts at first but the strongest of wills eventually realize they can materialize into reality appearing human and exploring all of space, time, parallel Universe, higher dimensions, and beyond for all eternity.  Those who actually know about Travelers or have personally conceived of such a scenario for their afterlife transform into Travelers directly after death.  Read About Human Travelers Here.

As Travelers are still a pure thought beings they are more powerful than Demigods aka living Gods.  Travelers can also conceive children with humans.  The offspring become mere immortals.

Demons

As beings of free will Angels sometimes choose to leave God.  Some of these often become known as fallen angels or demons.  Those who dispense powers of evil to lower supernatural entities.  Upon choosing this path they loose some of their power that was originally imbued to them by God and they become imperfect in nature.  They generally go to a realm existing in a lower dimension of pure thought closer to the physical Universe where they usually follow the first fallen angel who is generally the most powerful.  Demons do not enjoy the protection and power derived from a God as there is no evil God.  Attainment of Godhood is not allowed or those judged evil by the original God.

Angels

Beings of pure thought who exist within heavenly realms just outside the direct realm of Gods pure thought.  They’re usually the first beings a God creates for companionship.  They often aid a God in ruling his vast realm acting as intermediaries between him and other lower supernatural beings.   One angel may administer an entire Universe within the near infinite parallel Universe of a multiverse.  They perform many tasks including the dispensing of power to lower supernatural entities who fight for all that is good.   They are immortal and virtually invincible only through the protection and power of God.

Gods

The ultimate eternal supernatural beings.  The ultimate source of all power in the Universe.  They are omnipotent entities of pure thought who create Universes within their mind along with sentient beings who may one day become Gods themselves.  The first and original God who started everything that exists everywhere is the only being to have always existed for eternity into the past.  The only being and only thing to never have been created.  Ultimately all power in the Universe flows from the mind of the original God in which all Universes and all Gods exist.  The original God is the only 100% invincible immortal being to ever exist.    All other Gods theoretically share this although the original God or a group of Gods could extinguish their life-force.  Individually all Gods have equal power.  To take on another God would always end in a stalemate.  

A curse (also called execration) is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object. In particular, “curse” may refer to a wish that harm or hurt will be inflicted by any supernatural powers, such as a spell, a prayer, an imprecation, an execration, magic, witchcraft, a god, a natural force, or a spirit. In many belief systems, the curse itself (or accompanying ritual) is considered to have some causative force in the result.

The term clairvoyance (from 17th century French with clair meaning “clear” and voyance meaning “vision”) is used to refer to the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses, a form of extra-sensory perception. A person said to have the ability of clairvoyance is referred to as a clairvoyant (“one who sees clearly”).

Claims for the existence of paranormal and psychic abilities such as clairvoyance are highly controversial. Parapsychology explores this possibility, but the existence of the paranormal is generally not accepted by the scientific community.

Cleromancy is a form of divination using sortition, casting of lots, or casting bones or stones, in which an outcome is determined by means that normally would be considered random, such as the rolling of dice, but are sometimes believed to reveal the will of God, or other supernatural entities.