Which Witch Bitch?

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What is Samhain?

Samhain, celebrated from October 31st to November 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and from April 30th to May 1st in the Southern Hemisphere, is a sacred time when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest. During this festival, the boundaries between realms dissolve, allowing the unseen to come forward. It’s a time to honor our ancestors and offer them hospitality as we transition into the darker half of the year. While it marks the end of the old year, Samhain also heralds the beginning of a new one, reminding us that death is always followed by rebirth, making this festival a powerful moment of transformation.

It is pronounced "Sow-en," which means "summer's end" and aligns with Halloween in the Northern Hemisphere. Samhain marks the time when the Earth enters a period of rest, the days shorten, and winter begins its slow arrival. During this time, the air becomes crisper, the nights grow longer, and the warmth of summer fades, symbolizing the end of one cycle and the start of another.

Samhain holds deep significance as it is a time to remember and honor those we have lost. The thinning of the veil allows for a stronger connection with ancestors, spirits, and otherworldly beings. While it’s a time to venerate these spirits and fair folk, who are particularly active during this liminal period, it’s also essential to protect oneself from any harmful entities that may cross through.

A key aspect of Samhain is honoring and respecting the dead. One simple yet meaningful tradition is to set an extra place at the table for any spirit or ancestor, offering them a meal. Many witches also visit cemeteries to pay respects, not only to their own ancestors but also to those forgotten by time, ensuring no spirit is left without recognition.

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Morrigan x Dagda and Samhain

According to legend, the Irish deities the Dagda and the Morrigan consummate their relationship today to ensure the fertility of land, people, and animals for the year to come. The Dagda, “the good god,” is the tribal father god; the Morrigan, “the phantom queen,” is often described as a “battle goddess,” although that only hints at her powers. She begins the Great Rite in the form of an old hag but is rejuvenated by the union, regaining her youth and beauty. On the eve of Samhain, the Dagda, god of strength and fertility, meets the Morrigan, goddess of war and fate, at the River Unius. As he prepares for battle against the Fomorians, ancient enemies of the Tuatha Dé Danann, he encounters the Morrigan bathing in the river. They make love, a symbolic act representing the union of the land (the Morrigan) with its protector (the Dagda). In return, the Morrigan promises to aid the Tuatha Dé Danann, using her powers of prophecy and battle to help them secure victory. Her role as a goddess of fate is essential, shaping the outcome of the war and the future of the land.

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Magic Correspondences:

Planets: Pluto, Saturn

Season: Autumn

Element: Water

Time of Day: Midnight

Tarot: The Death, The Devil, The Magician

Colors: Black, Orange, Gold, Silver, Red, Yellow, Purple

Herbs: Rosemary, Mugwort, Sage, Patchouli, Frankincense, Calendula, Garlic, Bay, Apple Leaf

Fruits: Pomegranate, Apple, Pear, Grapes, Hazelnuts

Vegetables: Pumpkin, Squash, Carrot, Potato, Turnip

Runes: Eihwaz, Jera, Othala

Crystals: Obsidian, Onyx, Carnelian, Cat’s Eye, Labradorite, Smokey Quartz, Black Tourmaline, Granite, Amber

Trees: Birch, Rowan, Hawthorn

Goddesses: Hecate, Banba, Cerridwen, Macha, Badb, Persephone, Cailleach Bheur, Kali, Bastet, Nephthys, Durga, Arianrhod, Baba Yaga

Gods: Hades, Loki, The Dagda, Cernunnos, Osiris, Anubis, Belenus, Arawn

Dragon: Grael

Flowers: Yarrow, Hawthorn, Marigold, Chrysanthemum, Blackthorn

Animals: Spider, Owl, Bat, Cat, Wolf, Dog, Rat, Snake, Raven, Cow

Magical powers: Transformation, Death, Life Cycles, Honoring the Dead, New Beginnings, Spirit Communication, Witchcraft, Faery Magick, Mirror Spells, Reincarnation, Astral Projection, Balance, Wisdom

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Activities to do:

👻 Honor your ancestors

👻 Connect with your loved ones that have passed away. Give them offerings, talk to them, and remember the happy moments

👻 Watch your favorite spooky movies

👻 Clean your altar (if you have one)

👻 Carve a pumpkin with symbols of what you want to attract (heart = love, water drops = healing)

👻 Talk with spirits through tarot cards, runes, or a pendulum

👻 Connect with your magick and your craft

👻 Honor and connect with your deities, leave them some offerings as it's an important celebration for everyone

👻 Light candles around your house

👻 Write wishes and place them on your jack-o'-lanterns

👻 Eat Samhain food or any food that makes you feel close to this sabbat

👻 Do guided meditations

👻 Make a special recipe and add some intentions

👻 Do some spells! October, especially Samhain, is the most magickal time!

👻 Leave some milk outside for Cat Síth!

👻 Honor the dead and respect life :D

👻 Write your wishes on bay leaves and burn them

👻 Honor the forgotten dead, those who don't have anyone to remember them, and light a candle for them

👻 Cleanse yourself and your house

👻 If you feel comfortable, visit a cemetery

👻 Eat lots of candy

👻 Light a Bonfire

👻 Eat apples (you can also use them as offerings)

👻 Take a walk in nature and appreciate the beauty of autumn

👻 Wear colors associated with Samhain, especially black

👻 Do candle magick

👻 Collect autumn leaves and place them in your house

👻 Use pumpkin seeds for spells—they're great for prosperity, abundance, or even love

👻 Put up photos of your loved ones who have passed, leave them food, and light candles

👻 Place figurines around your home with cats, crows, pumpkins or other Samhain symbols

👻 Throw a Samhain/Halloween feast with the people you love

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Food and drinks:

Meat – pork, especially (it’s completely okay if you don’t want to consume it), pumpkin – anything with pumpkin like pumpkin pie, seeds, bread, soup, corn – sweetcorn, popcorn, cornbread, apples – apple cake, apple pie, apple juice, apple cider, spiced wine, cider, mulled wine, honey, potatoes, roasted vegetables, stew, biscuits, salads made with veggies from your garden, recipes loved by your ancestors, pomegranates, squash

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useful sources: Wicca: A Modern Guide To Witchcraft & Magick; Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: The Complete A-Z for the Entire Magical World by Judika Illes

gifs credit: Pinterest

lighting candles in jack o'lanterns (to keep away the fairies)

roasting s'mores on bonfires (to keep away the fairies)

bobbing for apples, fortunetelling, ouija boards, and other assorted divination rituals (to forewarn those doomed to be kidnapped by fairies)

haunted houses (to preach against the dangers that lurk across the veil in the otherworld, home of the fairies)

community effort to stuff kids full of candy (that if whisked away (by the fairies) they might resist the temptation (of strange fae foods) long enough to escape)

I have a friend who knows I’m into witchery and That Spooky Shit™, but she doesn’t want to invite it into her house. And I respect that. However, she recently asked for help to cleanse and un-spookify her new home. She’s not particularly comfortable with witchcraft, but she’s open to Christian mysticism, christian-flavored witchcraft, and some new-agey things like crystals. So as part of her care package, I assembled a short list of Protective Crystals with multiple uses, which also have corresponding Saints & Angels for Christian witches.

(She works as a veterinarian, so she has to avoid long/dangly necklaces, bracelets, rings, etc. for safety reasons. Crystal earring studs seemed like the best way to sneak it into her daily routine!)

~~~

If my writing isn’t legible, this is what it says:

Black Onyx - (Protection), Grounds & centers / Banishes grief. Saint/Angel: Michael.

Black Spinel - (Protection), Empowers you, boosts inspiration, & repels negativity. Saint/Angel: Michael.

Black Tourmaline - (Protection), Grounding, while purifying energy around you. Saint/Angel: Michael & Gabriel.

Green Onyx - (Protection), Centers, invigorates, boosts inner strength. Saint/Angel: Raphael.

Iolite - (Protection), Boosts creativity & self-forgiveness. Saint/Angel: Michael.

Labradorite - (Protection), Boosts rationality & self-reliance. Saint/Angel: Michael & Raphael.

Rhodolite - (Protection), Boosts self-love and dispels anxiety. Saint/Angel: Uriel.

Seraphinite - (Protection), Invokes angels; Heals physically, emotionally, & karmically. Saint/Angel: Raphael.

Smoky Quartz - (Protection), Grounding. Protects from negative energy and social conflict. Saint/Angel: Gabriel.

Tanzanite - (Protection), Boosts communication & personal power to achieve goals. Saint/Angel: Michael.

Tiger's Eye - (Protection), Boosts mental clarity, peace, & potential. Saint/Angel: Uriel.

(I know this isn't a common need, but I can't be the only person in this situation with a Christian/Catholic friend who wants help, just... not overly witchy help).

I suggest cleansing and/or blessing the crystals, your jewelry, etc. before you wear them. It may also help to keep Ephesians 6:11-13 in mind:

11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Consider these earrings as part of YOUR personal Armor of God. You've accessorized your Armor with protective crystals, so there.

So slap on your Armored Earrings of God and stay safe out there!

Here's just a handful of early Christian denomination beliefs:

Adamites: Would hold services naked and were not monogamous.

Arianites: Believed that Jesus & God were two separate people, that Jesus was the son of God, and that Jesus didn't always exist.

Bardaisanites: Thought the sun, moon, and planets were living beings, to whom, under God, the government of this world was largely entrusted; and though Man was free, he was strongly influenced for good or for evil by the constellations.

Carpocratians: They believed in reincarnation and were encouraged to experience everything there is in life (sinful and moral alike) so that they wouldn't have to reincarnate to experience what they had missed out on. They believed that going against Jewish biblical law was a serious responsibility because said laws came from evil angels who created the world. They also were of the belief that Jesus wasn't a deity, but rather an enlightened role model people should strive to be like (kinda like the Buddha). (According to Irenaeus of Lyons)

Colarbasians: Believed the whole of truth and religion to be contained in the Greek alphabet; and that it was for this reason that Jesus was called the Alpha and Omega.

Marcionites: Believed the god Yahweh (the Jewish, Christian, & now Muslim god) was an evil, tyrannical deity, & that the god featured in the Hebrew Scriptures was not the Father of Jesus Christ. They forbade marriage and urged celibacy, since bringing more children into the world meant bringing more people into captivity to the evil Yahweh.

Montanists: Allowed women prominent positions in the sect, such as bishops, presbyters, and deacons.

Simonians: Believed that the Holy Spirit was feminine and reincarnated as different women, most notably Helen of Troy.

1 Timothy 1:3-4 and 6:20-21 involves Paul warning Timothy to admonish those who "concern themselves with myths and endless genealogies," "false doctrines" by which "some people have deviated from the faith." This same letter refers to two people, Hymenaeus and Alexander, who were excommunicated "to be taught not to blaspheme" (1 Timothy 1:20).

The Johannine community was super anxious about those who taught that Jesus did not come in the flesh (2 John 1:7-9).

The second chapter of the Book of Revelation mentions the Nicolaitans in Asian Minor, whose teachings the Ephesian community hated but who were tolerated among those at Pergamon. This chapter also mentions that there is a woman in Thyatira who "teaches and misleads" the servants of God and who has not repented of her false teachings.

As far as I understand it “catholic” (~”universal”) originally meant something like “mainstream” in Christian contexts, and I wonder if that was fact or propaganda by a group who claimed their views were more mainstream than they actually were.

Many of the groups mentioned by OP seem to have been very small, with little impact. (I mean, there are lots of small Christian and Christian-like groups with weird beliefs today as well.)

The Arians and Valentinians were probably more widespread, if not formal than at least de-facto. Before the theologians of the third century put their mind to explaining the Trinity philosophically, many Christians seem to have held views of Jesus more in line with Arian theology. And some of the ideas we find in Valentinian theology seem to have been pretty comman (but mostly mixed with proto-Orthodox beliefs and not fully Valentinian).