In my last post I talked about the Origin of Samhain and where it comes from. I will continue on this topic today as Samhain is only 3 days away, and talk about some of the traditions we still practise today on Halloween, which is the modern name for Samhain. A Holiday Celebrated by children and adults alike. It is actually a very popular Holiday in Canada where I live.
Every year at this time the farms swing their doors open and hundreds of people all rush in to buy their perfect pumpkin to carve for Halloween/Samhain. But why is this done? Sure there are people who do it because it is fun and it is just what they have always done. But there is a very magical symbol behind pumpkin carving. In fact pumpkin carving is a very old and very powerful protection spell that has been used to protect homes for generation.
Samhain is a Great Spirit festival, where the veil between our world and the spirits world is lifted and Ghost, Demons and Spirits cross the veil and walk amongst the living. Halloween/Samhain, was at one time called the Day of the dead, a Celtic Festival, and was a time to celebrate the lives of those who have left us and say goodbye to them. Some cultures leave offerings for their decease ancestors and set a place in the house for them so that they can return and celebrate with their living relatives. But it is not just ghosts that walk amonst the living, Spirits, Entities, Demons, both benign and malicious walk the earth with the living. It night of Black Magic (Great night to cast curses and preform dark rituals) and people all over work their own magic by Carving little Guardians to protect our homes from pranks and Evil Spirits.
To protect against evil sprits today, we still carve pumpkins. In the ancient times turnips was carved in stead of the pumpkins. They were hollowed out and carved to resemble protective spirits in order to protect people and their houses from this night of Black Magic and Dark Spirits. The Guardian Turnips would act as a protector spirit to keep away any that might wish to do harm.
This tradition continues today and with good reason. Pranks are very popular amongst the spirits on Samhain, Children as well enjoy playing pranks. So we create little guardians of the house, meant to protect it from harm and keep it inhabitants safe. I Love carving pumpkins as an artist it is a enjoyable medium and I love the symbology behind it. You are carving out a little goblin to protect you from negative forces. It is a powerful protection spell in itself, one that hold more meaning than most realize.
This is why we dress up. To disguise ourselves from these spirits and walk with them unnoticed. In the ancient times travelling at night was not advised, but if you had to, people would dress in white, to look like ghosts, and wore disguises made of straw to fool the Dark spirits into thinking that they were spirits as well. We continue this tradition today, Children and Adults dress as creaturs of the night. On the night of Sahmain we are one with the Dark spirits.
When I am carving my pumpkins, I preform a ritual, crating an ancient guardian in the form of a Pumpkin. The Guardian in the Pumpkin has one purpose, guarding my house and protecting my animals from harm. It will do this before rot reclaims it, and sends it back to the earth. Even Pumpkin Guardians must die.
Guardians of Halloween
Before I begin carving, I wash the tools I use to carve in pure water and bless them.
As I Carve the image on the Pumpkin, I Give it a Name. and chant
“I name you _________
YOu are my guardian, my protector
Your purpose is to protect my dwelling, protect my family from any who wish harm
You will fulfill your purpose, until the earth reclaims you
Thy Will is done, awaken guardian, fullfill your purpose”
I then place the pumpkin in my back yard and allow it to sleep. The night before Samhain, I light it’s first candle and chant…
” ____Name____ Awaken, for tomorrow you will fullfill your purpose
You will awaken as my guardian”
I then see, in my minds eye, the guardian spirit, usually a cloaked figure standingbehind the pumpkin, ready to protect and guard from pranks.
It is a fun ritual, and I have never had anything stolen, never had anything vandalized, They always fullfill their porpose and protect the house. I light them every night after until they begin to rot, and it is time to undo the spell and release them to the void.
Once they have rotten I place them in my compost and say,
” Thank you, you have fulfilled your purpose,
you have protected me from harm.
I release you to the earth,
I undo what was done and send you to eternal sleep”
Then I smash the Pumpkin into the compost, releasing the energy.
When doing any work where you give life to a creature of your creation, weather it be pumpkin, Golem or Djinn, you must undo the magick when their purpose is done. Destroy then and send them back to oblivion, or they develop a life of their own and can harm you and your loved ones.
Happy Samhain Everyone!
Akelta
