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Samhain - Blog Posts
the energy tonight is so intense. cherish it, work with it, and most importantly, respect it.
this type of energy is rare. remember to light a candle to honor the blue moon, amidst whatever else you have planned for tonight.
happy samhain ✨🕯️
Happy All Souls Day and Joyous Samhain everyone!
Soul Cakes and Halloween Costumes
“Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble” - Witches’ Speech, Macbeth
End of October and early November is an interesting time of year. Marking the end of the harvest season, October 31st - November 2nd share four separate holidays:
Halloween on the 31st;
All-Saints Day on the 1st; and
All-Souls Day and Samhain on the 2nd.
For such an interesting time of year, it’s no wonder that recipes have appeared across time to commemorate each occasion.
Traditionally baked to celebrate All-Souls Day, Soul Cakes are sugar-cookie-esque spiced cookies (or biscuits) that are made with none of the vanilla extract, baking powder, or baking soda that we’re used to seeing in modern recipes. Rather, they rely on their interesting blend of spices to treat your taste buds!
If you’re looking for something to keep the Halloween season going at school or work even after the holiday has passed, bring in these cookies to snack on!
Have a safe and happy Halloween/ All-Saints Day/ All-Souls Day/ Samhain everyone!
P.S: The fox in the picture is named Elphaba!
(Adapted from Helen Best-Shaw’s Fuss Free Flavours and Cooking Journey Blog)
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Soul Cakes and Halloween Costumes
“Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble” - Witches’ Speech, Macbeth
End of October and early November is an interesting time of year. Marking the end of the harvest season, October 31st - November 2nd share four separate holidays:
Halloween on the 31st;
All-Saints Day on the 1st; and
All-Souls Day and Samhain on the 2nd.
For such an interesting time of year, it’s no wonder that recipes have appeared across time to commemorate each occasion.
Traditionally baked to celebrate All-Souls Day, Soul Cakes are sugar-cookie-esque spiced cookies (or biscuits) that are made with none of the vanilla extract, baking powder, or baking soda that we’re used to seeing in modern recipes. Rather, they rely on their interesting blend of spices to treat your taste buds!
If you’re looking for something to keep the Halloween season going at school or work even after the holiday has passed, bring in these cookies to snack on!
Have a safe and happy Halloween/ All-Saints Day/ All-Souls Day/ Samhain everyone!
P.S: The fox in the picture is named Elphaba!
(Adapted from Helen Best-Shaw’s Fuss Free Flavours and Cooking Journey Blog)
Prep: 10 mins Cook: 30 mins Overall: 40 mins
Ingredients*:
¼ cup + 3 tbsp. (100 g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
2 egg yolks
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
1 pinch saffron or ground turmeric (for colour)
1 tsp. (2 g) all-spice
½ tsp. mixed spice**
2 ½ tbs. (35 ml) milk
50 g raisins***
* Makes enough for 15-18 2-inch (5 cm) diameter cookies or 24-27 ~2.6-inch (6.6 cm) diameter cookies.
** Mixed spice is a spice blend that includes cinnamon, coriander seed, caraway, nutmeg, ginger, ground cloves, and caraway. I don’t have access to this blend so I added ¼ tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves individually to make ½ tsp..
*** I didn’t have any regular raisins so I substituted for golden raisins.
To start, preheat the oven to 360℉ (180℃) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Next, in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
Then, whisk in the egg yolks.
Add flour, all-spice, mixed spice, and milk and stir until the dough holds together.
After, stir in the raisins until they are well distributed.
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and roll it out to about o.6-inch (¼ cm) thickness. Then, cut the dough in circles using a cookie cutter.
Recombine and re-roll any dough scraps to get the most cookies possible!
Place the dough circles on the parchment-lined baking sheet - leaving space between each cookie. Cut a plus-sign (or cross) shape on each cookie (adding the raisin is optional).
Bake on the middle oven rack for 15-20 mins - rotating the pan halfway through - until they are golden brown. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Overall, I would give this recipe a 5/5. The spices used in the cookies made for a different and delicious spin on the sugary cookies we’re used to nowadays. I had a lot of fun diving into this medieval British treat and hope to try more in the future!
Happy Halloween/All-Saints Day/ All-Souls Day/ Samhain!
Ways to Celebrate Samhain
Since ancient times people have celebrated this wonderful fall holiday. However, the way it is celebrated has changed many times over the years. So how do you celebrate this spooky season?
What is Samhain?
Pronounced SAH-Wen. In case you missed it, I have a post explaining what Samhain is here. :)
How do witches and pagans celebrate?
There are many ways to celebrate this fire festival. This list consists of the ways I personally celebrate Samhain, as well as ways that are commonly practiced in the witchcraft community.
Have a bonfire! One of the more common and ancient ways is to have a bonfire with your community! This could mean your neighborhood or just you and some of your friends and family.
If you're more of an introverted type having a little hearth fire or even lighting a candle can work just as well to embody the spirit of Samhain!
Cooking and baking fall foods, especially if you use things you've harvested yourself works wonders for a Samhain celebration.
Making mulled wine or spiced cider (virgin options are just as good here).
Have a feast with the wine/cider and foods you're making! Invite your friends and family over. Remember, they don't have to witches to enjoy a good meal and some homemade BOOze.
Decorate your altar with fall items like leaves, acorns, pinecones, a cool stick, whatever calls to you!
Make a temporary altar for the Samhain celebration for offerings.
Speaking of which: Give offerings to your deities, ancestors, spirits, or other deities that are associated with the season.
If you're comfortable and experienced, talk with the dead. Whether it's your grandma or that nice ghost chilling near your home, say hello! The veil between our world and theirs is thinner this time of year. Invite them to join in on your feast. Catch them up on your life events or the latest drama!
Cleanse your space-literally and metaphysically. You don't need to do a deep clean, but taking a broom or the vacuum to your floors and dusting off your shelves is a great way to make you feel cleaner on the inside too! Take an incense, incense spray, or smoke bundle (of appropriate herbs) and use them accordingly to cleanse your house. DO NOT USE CLOSED PRACTICES OR THEIR HERBS unless you're apart of that culture. Do research on the herbs you have if you're not sure.
You can also find plenty of wonderful rituals, spells, or recipes online, just make sure you do research on herbs and practices so that you don't hurt yourself.
Practice fire safety!
If you have anything to add, please let me know, I'd love to hear how other people are celebrating Samhain this year.
Happy Hallow’s Eve 🎃
Figured I’d draw something for the occasion, what better than some of my ocs with the embodiment of Hallow’s Eve himself?
I got inspired by a post from @hazbinhazmeinachokehold (and I’ve been watching too many horror movies lately)
This was a lot of fun and I’m honestly sad that there’s not much art of Sam from trick r treat. And with how many still life’s we’ve been doing, I’ve had no room for creative freedom, so this feels so good because I can actually do something I want to do. Also can I just say that I freaking LOVE Carmilla Carmine? I just love how maternal and loving she is as a mother towards her daughters, & Vaggie, along with how protective she is of her close friends like Zestial, I just love characters like that. Actually, her motherly personality is probably the reason Sam would like her so much. Just be like; “I like you, you’re my mom pillow now.”
College has been kicking my ass so this was a big relief for me.
(Also I’m having that problem again where any photos/screenshots I take and post on tumblr, are all blurry so I hope you can see and read it okay, sorry)
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Candles!!!~ 🕯️✨
Book of Shadows!! 📓♥️
Some stationery!! 🖋️✏️✨
Stickers! 💸🌘
Calendar (a small and cute one!) 🗓️
Incense~ ✨
Small utensils (人 •͈ᴗ•͈)
Gluesticks
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I ABSOLUTELY LOOOVVEEEE GRAVEYARD AESTHETIC AAAAHHHHHHH
It's Diwali + Samhain and I tried to look soft with a hint of spooks but I ended up looking like if Raquel (from Barbie) was real and was a witch lmao
happy halloween & ieroween everyone <33
Buncha doodles of Magnolia and her kids while I procrastinate on finishing my comics.
I love them.
Maggie and (some of) her little family.
She collects horror kids like Pokémon 💀
I love silly little fanchildren rahhhh 🏌♂️💜
I was explaining Samhain to some friends