Pita od bundeve i jabuke

Nadam se da ste se svi lijepo proveli za vještičju Novu godinu! :) Pošto sam ja veliki slatkoljubac, morala sam i ovaj put napraviti neki kolač da fešta bude potpuna. I tako u skladu s dosadašnjom praksom dijelim recept s vama! Prikladan je za Samhain upravo zbog dvaju glavnih sastojaka - bundeve i jabuke. A ne samo da je prikladan, nego je i ukusan. Ako mi ne vjerujete na riječ, isprobajte kolač i sami se uvjerite. Uživajte u mojoj piti od bundeve i jabuke. :D

Potrebno je:

Za punjenje:

• 1 čaša pripremljene bundeve (ovo ćete dobiti od 2 manje bundeve)
• 1 čaša naribane jabuke (2 jabuke
• 3/4 čaše meda
• 4 bjelanjka
• _{1 1/2 čajna žličica cimeta}
• _{1/2 čajne žličice naribanog đumbira (preporučam svježi)}
• 1/4 čajne žličice mljevenih klinčića
• 1 čaša mlijeka
• 3 žlice smeđeg šećera
• smjesa od brašna i vode (4 žlice namjenskog brašna za dizana tijesta + nekoliko žlica vode)

Za tijesto:

• 3 čaše namjenskog brašna za dizana tijesta
• 1 čajna žličica soli
• 1-2 žlice smeđeg šećera
• _{1/2 čajne žličice cimeta}
• _{1/2 čaše suncokretovog ulja}
• _{1/2 čaše mlijeka}

Napomena: ova količina smjese je dovoljna za 2 pite promjera cca. 22cm.

Priprema:

Punjenja:

1. Električnim mikserom napravite pjenu od bjelanjaka.
2. Pripremite bundevu (izrežite na pola, izdubite i maknite sjemenke; meso stavite u zdjelu).
3. Izribajte jabuke (nemojte zaboraviti oguliti koru prije toga!).
4. Napravite smjesu od brašna jer će vam ona zgusnuti cjelokupnu smjesu prilikom pečenja. Smjesu radite tako da pomiješate 4 žlice brašna s malo mlake vode dok ne dobijete smjesu koja je dovoljno gusta, ali istovremeno i dovoljno rijetka da ju možete izliti u zdjelu.
5. Kuhačom pomiješajte sve sastojke za punjenje u jednu zdjelu.

Tijesta:

6. Pomiješajte sve sastojke za tijesto. Mijesite rukama dok ne dobijete kompaktnu smjesu.
7. Razdvojite tijesto na dva dijela.
8. Uzmite lim za pite (često je promjera 22cm, ali možete naći većih i manjih limova; prilagodite recept veličini lima). Nauljite maslinovim uljem i pobrašnite (nemojte zaboraviti višak ulja obrisati salvetom, a višak brašna istresti).
9. Stavite papir za pečenje na radnu površinu te na njemu izvaljajte jednu polovicu tijesta (ne deblje od 6-7mm!). Ako ste perfekcionist, možete ponekad prevrnuti tijesto kako biste valjkom izravnali ikakve nabora od papira za pečenje.
10. Stavite lim za pite naopako na tijesto (dakle papir za pečenje je i dalje ispod tijesta, a lim na tijestu).
11. Preokrenite sve (papir za pečenje će vam pripomoći da se tijesto ne lijepi za površinu prilikom ovoga).
12. Utisnite tijesto u lim. Pazite da pritom ne razbijete tijesto.
13. "Odlijepite" papir za pečenje i odrežite višak tijesta s rubova lima.

Pite:

14. Izlijte smjesu u tijesto.
15. Pecite 15 minuta na 200°C.
16. Smanjite temperaturu na 175°C i pecite još 30-35 minuta (dakle pita se sveukupno peče 45-50 minuta).

Ponovite korake 8-13 za drugu pitu i to bi bilo to.

Prijatno! :D

Pumpkin & Apple Pie

I hope you all had a wonderful time for the witches' New Year! :) Since I have a big sweet tooth, I had to bake something sweet just to make the celebration complete. To keep to my old traditions, I decided to share this recipe with you. It's appropriate for Samhain becasue of its two main ingredients - apples and pumpkins. But it isn't just appropriate; it's also tasty. Although you don't have to take my word for it. You can try out the recipe and see for yourself. So enjoy my pumpkin and apple pie! :D

You Will Need:

For the filling:

• 1 cup prepared pumpkin (2 smaller pumpkins will be enough for this)
• 1 cup grated apples (2 apples)
• 3/4 cup honey
• 4 egg whites
• 1_{1/2 teaspoon cinnamon}
• _{1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I recommend fresh, grated ginger)}
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup milk
• 3 spoons brown sugar
• flour & water mixture (4 spoons whole  wheat pastry flour + a few spoons water)

For the dough:

• 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 spoons brown sugar
• _{1/2 teaspoon cinnamon}
• _{1/2 cup sunflower oil}
• _{1/2 cup milk}

Note: this quantity will make 2 pies approximately 22cm (9'') in diameter.

How To Prepare:

Make the filling:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until you get that fluffy, white, snowy mixture.
2. Prepare the pumpkins (cut them in half, hollow them out and remove the seeds; put the "meat" in a bowl).
3. Grate the apples (don't forget to peal the skin off first!).
4. Make the flour mixture because this will help make the filling more compact during the baking process. You can make this mixture by mixing 4 spoonfulls of flour and a bit of warm water until you get a mixture that is quite dense, but liquid enough for you to pour it in a bowl.
5. Using a wooden spoon, mix all the filling ingredients in a bowl.

Make and prepare the dough:

6. Mix together all the ingredients for the dough. Fold with your hands until you get a compact mass.
7. Separate the dough into two parts.
8. Take your pie tin (which is usually about 22cm/9'' in diameter, but you may find smaller and larger ones; just don't forget to adapt the recipe to the size of your tin). Grease with olive oil and sprinkle with flour (don'r forget to wipe off the excess oil with a paper towel and shake out the excess flour).
9. Place baking paper onto your working area and roll out one half of the dough on it (no thicker than 6-7mm!). If you are a perfectionist, you can flip the dough over a few times and roll out the wrinkles from the baking paper.
10. Put the pie tin on the dough upside down (so the baking paper will be beneath the dough and the pie tin will now be on the dough).
11. Turn everything over (the baking paper will help you in this process because it won't allow the dough to stick to the working area).
12. Gently mold the dough into the pie tin. Take care not to let it break. 
13. Take the baking paper off the dough and cut off any excess dough (if it's going over the edges of the pie tin).

Make the pie:

14. Pour the filling into the dough.
15. Bake for 15 minutes at 200°C.
16. Lower the temperature to 175°C and bake another 30-35 minutes (so you will bake the pie for 45-50 minutes altogether).

Repeat steps 8-13 for the second pie and that would be it.

Bon appétit! :D

Samhain - onkraj ove stvarnosti

Dani prolaze i kolo godine se okreće, kao što to i uvijek biva. Tako nam se bliži i Samhain. Možda se i vi, poput mene, pripremate za njega. Neki već prigodno kuhaju, drugi ručno izrađuju ukrase, neki razmišljaju o svojim životima i životima svojih predaka. Ako ste još niste počeli pripremati, ili ako vam treba dodatna inspiracija, možda vam ovaj post pomogne u tome.

Samhain (čita se /sauin/) je jedan od osam paganskih sabata, odnosno godišnjih slavlja, i onaj koji, između ostalog, obilježava početak nove godine za pagane. Ovo je vrijeme tugovanja i slavlja, koliko god to paradoksalno zvučalo. Naime, Samhain za pagane započinje na Samhainsku noć, to jest na večer 31. listopada, a slavlje se nastavlja 1. studenoga. Možda vam je ovaj datum poznatiji kao Dan svih svetih tijekom kojeg je uobičajeno štovati i prisjećati se svojih predaka. Iako je blagdan Svih svetih kršćanski, on dijeli mnoštvo misterija i aspekata s paganskim Samhainom. Oni čak dijele i datum (iako je to variralo kroz povijest). Svakako, Samhain za pagane ima i drugu, ne toliko mračnu stranu koja se fokusira na slavlje Nove godine, na nove početke, ludorije, gozbe i druge oblike zabave. No, priča oko nastanka ovih tradicija seže daleko u povijest.

Većina neopaganskih tradicija priznaje svojevrsni kalendar koji se zove Kolo godine. On predstavlja ciklus rađanja, umiranja i ponovnog rađanja te vječni protok godišnjih doba, aspekata božanstava i obnovu prirode. Smatra se da su od svih drevnih kultura Kelti imali najviše utjecaja na formiranje ovakvog kalendara. Važno je istaknuti da su Kelti dijelili godinu na dva godišnja doba – ljeto i zimu. Za njih je početak ljeta bio Beltane (1. svibnja), a početak zime Samhain (1. studenoga). Njima je, kao i svim drugim kulturama svijeta, bilo jasno da Sunce daje život. Stoga s rastom Sunca, odnosno s produljenjem dana, raste i život. Sunce počinje dobivati na snazi i rasti tijekom zime. Stoga je Samhain uzet za datum „rođenja“ godine od kojeg je ona nastavljala rasti i rasti sve dok ne bi počela pomalo opadati i, figurativno rečeno, umirati od Beltanea nadalje.

Drevni Kelti su također smatrali da svako od ova dva godišnja doba ima 180 dana. Preostalih 5 dana (30. travnja, Beltane, Samhain, 1. studenog i 2. studenog) nisu pripadala ni ovoj ni onoj strani kalendara; oni su bili „negdje između“ dviju stvarnosti (ove vidljive stvarnosti i one druge, nevidljive stvarnosti). Zbog toga se kaže da je „veo između svjetova“ tanak za ova dva sabata. Po ovoj logici, Samhain ne pripada ovom svijetu te se ne mora ravnati po njegovim normama i pravilima. Stoga je ovaj dan postao idealno vrijeme za nestašluk, ludorije i nerede bilo kakve vrste (odatle potječe popularni običaj trick-or-treatinga među djecom; ona idu od kuće do kuće tražeći slatkiše na Noć vještica, ono što je za pagane duhovni praznik Samhaina, a ako im netko odbije dati slatkiše tj. treat, onda oni počnu praviti smicalice). Duhovne, kao i svjetovne barijere su se također razbijale. Stoga pagani vjeruju da ovaj tanki veo omogućuje entitetima iz druge nevidljive stvarnosti (a između ostalog i duhovima) prijelaz u ovu stvarnost. Proricanje, komunikacija s precima i drugim entitetima imaju mnogo više smisla ako se uzme u obzir gotovo nepostojeća granica između svjetova.

Svjesnost o duhovima neminovno podsjeća i na naše pretke. Druga stvarnost, po nekima zagrobni život, također neporecivo podsjeća na ono što nas čeka onkraj života. Dakle, iako Samhain ima svoju veselu stranu, on ima i određenu mističnu, mračniju stranu koju pagani jednako prihvaćaju.

Smrt za pagane nije nužno negativna, iako je za svakoga potresna. Smrt je iz naše perspektive samo jedan korak u ciklusu rađanja, smrti i ponovnog rađanja. To se reflektira i u paganskoj mitologiji. Naime, za Mabon (sabat koji se slavi 22./23. rujna tj. na jesensku ravnodnevnicu), Bog umire, a Božica tuguje za njim u aspektu Starice. Za Samhain, mračnu noć i razdoblje kaosa, Bog prolazi kroz proces regeneracije, a Božica se preobražava u Mračnu Gospu koja utjelovljuje kaos i mračne aspekte ženskoga polariteta. No, ona odmah potom doživljava još jednu metamorfozu u kojoj se ponovno vraća u aspekt Djeve koja rađa Boga za Yule (sabat koji se slavi 21./22./23. prosinca, tj. na zimski suncostaj). Time ciklus obnove biva zaokružen.

Priroda, kao ključni dio paganske duhovnosti, pronalazi svoje mjesto i u fokusu ovog sabata. U njoj također postoji smrt, ali u smrti i novi život. Da pojasnim; Samhain najavljuje nadolazeću zimu za koju su bile potrebne brojne pripreme. Stoku se zaklanjalo u štale, urod se skupljalo i sve se skladištilo. Ljudi su trebali prežirecvjeti okrutnu zimu, a hranjenje velikog broja stoke je bila bespotrebna komplikacija. Stoga je u narodu uobičajeno da se oko Samhaina kolje stoka, najčešće ona najslabija za koju se nije vjerovalo da će moći preživjeti zimu. To je bilo nužno kako bi čovjek imao meso, mast i krzno da mu omogući život. Odnosno, smrt životinja i plodova omogućuje ljudima život. Suvišno je naglasiti da pagani iskazuju zahvalnost za ovo i tijekom svojih rituala. 

Samhain je također poznat kao treća žetva. Prva žetva, Lughnasadh (1. kolovoza) je obilježena skupljanjem žita. Druga žetva, Mabon, je vrijeme skupljanja voća, povrća, bobica i orašastih plodova. Kao treća žetva, Samhain je krajnji rok za skupljanje svih preostalih plodova koje nam je zemlja podarila. Urod je sakupljen, meso i ostala hrana/piće uskladišteno i spremno za korištenje. Ovo vodi samo jednom ishodu – gozbama! Naravno da će ljudi slaviti svoju muku i trud tijekom proteklih mjeseci i dozvoliti sebi predah od rada.

Nadam se da su vam paradoksi života u smrti i istovremenog slavlja i tugovanja nešto jasniji nakon prethodnih objašnjenja. No, potrebno je sažeti osnovne teme blagdana kako bi priča imala glavu i rep. Dakle, na čemu je fokus ovog sabata? Zasigurno na smrti, ali i na skorašnjem ponovnom rađanju, zahvalnosti, darivanju/dijeljenju, pretcima, drugoj stvarnosti, a kroz nju i našoj „sjenci“ (sve ono što čuvamo u dubini naše svijesti, odnosno sve ono čega nismo svjesni, ili čega odbijamo biti svjesni – strahova, želja, čežnji, mana, a ponekad čak i vrlina itd.).

Svaki paganin će slaviti Samhain na drugačiji način i staviti naglasak na neki drugi aspekt. Sve ovisi o tome što je vama potrebno. Ako osjećate da ne trebate istraživati smrt, nesvjesni um, komunicirati s pretcima na ovaj ili onaj način, ili općenito istraživati mračniju stranu ovog sabata, onda se slobodno prepustite gozbama, dijeljenju vaših blagodati s bližnjima i novogodišnjem raspoloženju. Neki pagani pokušavaju oba aspekta ovog blagdana obilježiti i osvijestiti. Možda vam takav pristup bude više odgovarao. Svakako, nađite sistem koji će vama biti smislen, drag, a po mogućnosti i koristan.

Ako nemate ideja kako obilježiti ovaj sabat van rituala, evo nekoliko ideja. Zasigurno su vam, barem iz američkih filmova, poznati običaji nošenja maski i izrade „Jackovih fenjera“ od bundeva. Oba običaja imaju drevne korijene koje i vi možete pokušati oživjeti na ovaj blagdan. Naime, ljudi su prije nosili maske kojekakvih bića, ali ne da bi prestrašili druge, već da bi se uklopili u svijet duhova. Vjerovali su da na taj način neće biti na meti zlih duhova te da će istovremeno izbjeći susret sa svim onim pokojnicima s kojima nisu razriješili dugove, probleme i druge razmirice. Pošto se Samhain počinje slaviti na Samhainsku noć, rasvjeta je bila nužna. Fenjeri su se radili od prigodnih plodova poput tikvi i bundeva koje se bušilo da propuste svjetlost. Ljudska mašta je napravila sljedeći korak i otvore počela bušiti da nalikuju licima (neki smatraju da su ti fenjeri čak trebali simbolizirati duhove predaka koji nas vode kroz tamu). Pošto je Samhain izvorno bila večer kaosa i nestašluka, uvijek možete sebi priuštiti malo zabave i našaliti se na svoj, ili tuđi račun. Gozbe su svakako dobrodošle, ali ponajviše s ciljem obiteljskog druženja u koje se ovog puta obavezno uključuje i naše pretke. Neki su toliko vodili računa o preminulima da su za njih ostavljali prazno mjesto za stolom tijekom „nijeme večere“ (nazvana tako jer se prije nije smjelo razgovarati tokom njezinog trajanja), servirali im hranu ili stavljali svijeće na vrata/prozore kako bi pokojnici znali doći do svoga doma. Ako ste kreativni, pokušajte sami izraditi svoj fenjer od bundeva ili tikvi (naranče su prikladna zamjena), ili napravite pokoji ukras ili vijenac za svoj dom. Iskoristite svoju maštu te boje i plodove koje vidite oko sebe. Jabuke, orašasti plodovi, bundeve, tikve, šipak… sve možete iskoristiti u estetske i praktične svrhe. Okružite se smeđim, narančastim i crvenim nijansama, a možete se u ovo vrijeme i riješiti predrasuda oko crne boje. Ako želite ugodno spojiti s korisnim, onda pripremite neko prigodno, hranjivo jelo za svoje bližnje. Mnogi pagani proriču na ovaj dan ili pokušavaju stupiti u kontakt s pretcima. Neki dublje prodiru u sebe i kroz introspekciju pokušavaju doznati više o sebi, svojoj prošlosti, svojim potrebama i općenito nastoje sebe bolje upoznati te se suočiti sa svojim strahovima (pogotovo strahom i zabludama o smrti). Proricanje i u tom procesu može znatno poslužiti. 

Naposljetku, Nova godina je simbol novih početaka. Riješite se strahova, predrasuda i kompleksa, bolje upoznajte sebe i svoje bližnje, obnovite odnose sa sobom i drugima, prebrodite stare prepirke i proslavite obilje u svom životu bez obzira u kojem obliku ono postoji. Samo budite svjesni da ono zaista postoji te da nakon smrti dolazi ponovno rađanje i novi život. Iskoristite priliku i pripremite se za njega.

Budite blagoslovljeni i sretan vam Samhain!

Vaša Witch's Cat

Samhain - Beyond This Reality

The days pass by and the Wheel of the Year turns, as it always does. Samhain is just around the corner. Maybe you, as I, have been preparing for it. Some are already making seasonal meals, others have been busy making decorations, while others have been reflecting on their lives and the lives of their ancestors. If you haven't started preparing yet, or if you need some additional inspiration, perhaps this post will be of some help.

Samhain (pronounced /sauin/) is one of the eight Pagan Sabbats, or annual celebrations. It is also the one that, among other things, marks the beginning of the New Year for Pagans. This is a time of grieving and celebration, however paradoxical that may sound. Namely, for Pagans, Samhain begins on Samhain Eve (the night of October 31) and the celebration continues until November 1. You may know this days as All Saints' Day during which it is quite normal to honor and remember our ancestors. Although this holiday is a Christian one, it shares many mysteries and aspects with the Pagan festival of Samhain. They even share a date (although this varied in history). Anyway, Samhain has another, not so dark side for Pagans which is focused on celebrating the New Year, new beginnings, on antics, feasts and other forms of amusement. But the story of how these traditions came to be has its roots in the distant past.

Most Neopagan traditions acknowledge a calendar which is called the Wheel of the Year. This wheel represents the cycle of birth, death and rebirth as well as the eternal interchange of seasons, deity aspects and the regeneration of nature. It is believed that the ancient Celts had the most influence on the formation of this calendar. It is important to not here that the Celts divided the year into two seasons - summer and winter. For them, summer began on Beltane (May 1) and winter began on Samhain (November 1). It was obvious to them, as it was to all cultures at the time, that the Sun gives life. Therefore, as the Sun grows and the days become longer, new life comes to existence. The Sun grows and regains its strength during winter. It is because of this that Samhain is taken as the date for the "birth" of the year. For then one, it would continue to grow, come to its peak at Beltane and then slowly start to decline and, figuratively speaking, die. 

The ancient Celts also believed that each of these two seasons lasted 180 days. The remaining 5 days of the year (April 30, Beltane, Samhain. November 1 and November 2) did not belong to either this or that side of the calendar; they were somewhere "between" the two realities (this visible one that we live in and the other invisible reality). Because of this, we say that the "veil between the worlds" is as thin as it can be on these days, or rather these two Sabbats. According to this, Samhain does not belong to this reality and does not have to conform to its standards and rules. And so this festival came to be the ideal time for antics, mischief and disorder of any kind (this is also where the popular tradition of trick-or-treating comes from; children go from house to house on Halloween and ask for treats; if they don't get them then they perform tricks). Spiritual, as well as mundane barriers were also broken on this day. This is why Pagans believe that the thin veil between worlds enables entities (and also spirits) from the other, invisible reality to pass into this reality. Divination, communication with one's ancestors and other entities make a lot more sense if we take into consideration the almost non-existent border between the two worlds.

Awareness of spirits inevitably reminds us of our ancestors. The other reality, which some refer to as the afterlife, also undeniably brings to mind what awaits us after this life. Therefore, although Samhain has its happy side, it also has a certain mystical, darker side which Pagans equally accept. 

From the Pagan perspective, death isn't necessarily bad, although it is upsetting for everyone. For us, death is just another step in the birth-death-rebirth cycle. This is also reflected in Pagan mythology. Namely, on Mabon (the Sabbat which is celebrated on September 22/23 i.e. the autumn equinox), the God dies and the Goddess grieves for him in her aspect of the Crone. For Samhain, the dark night and time of chaos, the God goes through a process of regeneration and the Goddess takes the form of the Dark Goddess which embodies chaos and the dark aspects of the female polarity. But right after this, she undergoes another metamorphosis in which she again takes the form of the Maiden which gives birth to the God at Yule (the Sabbat which is celebrated on December 21/22/23 i.e. the winter solstice). With this, the cycle of regeneration is complete.

Nature, as a key element of the Pagan faith, finds its place at the center of this Sabbat also. Death also exists in nature, but within it resides new life. Let me elaborate; Samhain announces the oncoming winter for which many preparations used to be needed. Cattle were taken into stables for shelter, the crops were gathered and everything was stored for the cold months ahead. People had to survive the harsh winter and feeding a large number of cattle was an unnecessary complication. This is why it was normal (and still is in some rural areas) to slaughter a certain number of livestock just before Samhain; usually it was the weakest animals that were slaughtered because they would most likely die during the winter anyway. This was necessary in order for people to have meat, fat and fur and, ultimately, survive. It is unnecessary to mention that Pagans show gratitude for this in their rituals.

Samhain is also known as the third harvest. The first harvest, Lughnasadh (August 1) is marked by the gathering of grains. The second harvest, Mabon, is the time for gathering fruit, vegetables, berries and nuts. As the third harvest, Samhain is the deadline for gathering any leftover fruits of the earth. So the crops have been gathered, meat and other food and drink have been stored and are now ready for consumption. This can lead only to one thing - feasts! If is completely logical that people will want to celebrate their effort and labor during the previous months and allow themselves a period of rest.

I hope that the paradox of life and death and the parallel celebration and grieving are somewhat clearer after my explanations. But it is necessary to summarize the focal points of this fest day in order for this whole story to be complete. So, what is the focus of this Sabbat? Surely, on death, but also on the soon-to-come rebirth, gratitude, donation/sharing, ancestors, the other reality and through it on our Shadow (everything that we keep in the deepest parts of our consciousness, or rather all the things which we are not aware of, or that we refuse to be aware of - our fears, wishes, desires, flaws and sometimes even virtues etc.). 

Each Pagan will celebrate Samhain in a different way and put more emphasis on a different aspect. It all depends on what you find necessary at that given time. If you feel that you don't have to look into death, the unconscious mind, communicate with your ancestors in any way or explore the darker side of this Sabbat in general, then feel free to just enjoy the feasts, share what you have with your loved ones and enjoy the New Year's atmosphere. Some Pagans try to be aware of and recognize both aspects of this festival. Perhaps this approach will suit you better. In any case, find a system that makes sense to you, that you like and that is preferably also useful.

If you don't have any ideas on how to honor this Sabbat outside of the ritual circle, here are a few ideas. Surely some of the following traditions are familiar to you, at least from American movies. These include wearing masks and making Jack-o'-lanterns from pumpkins. Both customs have ancient roots which you can try to revive on this day. Namely, people used to wear masks resembling all sorts of beings, but not in order to scare anyone,  but instead to fit into the spirit world. They believed that by doing so, they were less likely to become a victim of a malevolent spirit and also less likely to run into the spirit of a deceased person with which they have unresolved issues, unpaid debts and other disputes. Since the Samhain celebration begins on Samhain night, some sort of lighting is necessary. Lanterns used to be made of seasonal plants such as pumpkins or gourds which were perforated to let the light out. Human imagination went a step further and cut these holes to resemble faces (some believe that these lanterns then began to symbolize the spirits of the deceased which lead us through the night). As Samhain was originally a night of chaos and mischief, you can always allow yourself a bit of fun and joke at the expense of yourself or others. Feasts are always welcome and even more so if they serve the function of getting a family together. In this case, family should also include our ancestors, regardless of when they have left this earth. Some people take their deceased loved ones so much into account that they even leave a spare place for them at the dinner table. This practice is called the Dumb Supper (because speaking used to be forbidden while it lasted). Oftentimes, the deceased were also given a plate and full meals and candles were left on doorsteps/windowsills to show spirits that they are welcome into the home. If you are the creative type, try to make your very own gourd/pumpkin lantern (oranges are a satisfactory substitute), or another type of decoration, such as a garland for your home. Use your imagination and the fruits of the earth you see around you in this time of year. Apples, nuts, gourds, pumpkins, pomegranates...you can use all of these for both aesthetic and practical purposes. Surround yourself with brown, orange and red tones and you can even use this time to rid yourself of any prejudices toward the color black. If you want to combine "business with pleasure", then try fixing up a nice nutritious, seasonal meal for your loved ones. Many Pagans use this day for divination and contacting their ancestors. Some explore themselves in depth and, through introspection, try to get to know themselves, their past and their needs better as well as face their fears (especially fears and misconceptions regarding death). Divination can also be of great assistance in this process.

Ultimately, the New Year is a symbol of new beginnings. Get rid of your fears, prejudices and complexes, get to know yourself and your loved ones better, renew relationships, overcome old arguments and celebrate the abundance in your life no matter what form it may be in. Just be aware that this abundance does exist and that rebirth and new life come after death. Make the most of this opportunity and get ready for it.

Blessed be and a happy Samhain to you all!

Yours,

Witch's Cat

Intro to Neopaganism

This post was originally written as an article for the magazine Puni Mjesec (Full Moon). Although the magazine probably won't be of much use to you since it is in Croatian, I hope this post will! I believe it could be valuable to anyone who just came across the notions of Paganism and Neopaganism. This is why I decided to share the article with you on my blog (as well as translate it).

Spirituality or Religion?

When people first hear about Neopaganism, they often ask themselves where Pagans celebrate their festivals, who leads the rituals, whether or not there are any rules, a certain hierarchy, or sacred texts which define this and so on. It would be very simple to answer all of these questions if Neopaganism were a religion, but it isn't. Many Pagans will say that it is a spiritual path, or perhaps a way of life. In any case, Neopaganism cannot be called a religion because of several reasons.

Namely, organized religions have strictly defined ceremonial rules, specified places of worship, spiritual leaders (and thus a hierarchy) as well as sacred texts. Neopaganism is much more flexible. Individuals and groups can celebrate in both opened and closed spaces and usually don't have a single "right" place where they meet (i.e. a single place of worship). Some basic ceremonial frameworks do exist, but they can be adapted to the needs of each individual/group. Depending on the denomination, Neopagans can choose one, or more people which will lead the rituals. But what usually happens is that different people lead different kinds of rituals. In addition to this, Pagans often write their own rituals and do not have a sole sacred text, or strictly defined sacred texts. There is only one rule that all Neopagans know and respect in one form or another. In its shortest form, it goes like this: "Harm none".

What is Neopaganism Based on?

Essentially, Neopaganism is a spiritual path which puts emphasis on the celebration of nature and fertility. Pagans understand these notions completely, that is to say, they celebrate nature in the full sense of the word (both its "good" and "bad" sides) and also acknowledge all aspects of fertility (the fertility of humans, animals, the earth, the human mind etc.). Fertility and creation, which can be understood as meaning the same thing, are embodied in the central figures of Neopaganism.

The God and the Goddess

These two figures, though one could understand them as archetypes, embody fertility, creation and all aspects of humanity and nature. They are the male and female poles/genders (but not necessarily sexes) which stand at the very core of creation. They have several faces, as does any human being or any force of nature. They were anthropomorphized in order to facilitate communication for people, but they can also be understood as nature itself.

Pagans usually mention two aspects of the God: the Horned God and the Green Man. The Horned God is at his best during the winter months and represents male sexuality, strength, hunting, the wild and animals (which is why he is almost always depicted with antlers). The Green Man is the Horned God's summer counterpart. He is no less manly or strong, but he is slightly more gentle because he represents the beauty of the summer months and all of nature's foliage. These two aspects are also known under two other names: the Holly Kind (an equivalent of the Horned God) and the Oak King (an equivalent of the Green Man). Holly, in this context, symbolizes evergreen trees and the winter months in general, whereas oak symbolizes deciduous trees and, by contrast, all the verdure that predominates during spring and summer. But regardless of his aspect, the God symbolizes the male polarity and the power of the Sun without which life on Earth would not exist.

The horned figure from the Gunderstrup cauldron 

(it is often taken to be a symbol of the Horned God), 

cca. 200BCE-300CE

Emily Balivet - 

The Oak King, 2010.

The Goddess has three visible faces, which is why she is often called the Triple Goddess. Nevertheless, some also acknowledge her hidden face. She is the Maiden, Mother and Crone, in which she symbolizes all of the phases of womanhood, but also has the face of the Dark Goddess. All of the above mentioned aspects correspond to the phases of the Moon (Maiden - waxing moon/first quarter; Mother - full Moon; Crone - waning Moon/the last quarter, the Dark Goddess - new Moon). This is because the Goddess herself symbolizes the female polarity and the Moon which has its own strong effects on mankind.

As Neopaganism doesn't prescribe exact rules when it comes to worship, or even understanding deities, some people understand the God and Goddess as two figures, as described in the previous paragraphs, but a large number of Pagans perceive them differently. Some Pagans will believe that the God and Goddess represent two separate poles of nature, some will see them as two sides of the same coin (i.e. nature/creation). Some will adopt the polytheistic system of belief and acknowledge several gods/goddesses (sometimes even from different pantheons) as the faces of the God/Goddess, or perhaps as completely separate aspects of nature. All in all, the divine power is seen by practically all Pagans as the embodiment of nature and the act of creation.

The Wheel of the Year

Pagans perceive the year as a wheel that is constantly turning; it therefore represents rebirth and eternal cycles. This wheel has eight spokes which represent the eight Pagans festivals, that is Sabbats which can be divided into solar and fire/land festivals. The two solstices and two equinoxes fall under the category of solar festivals (Yule, Ostara, Litha and Mabon), and the fire/land festivals (can be found about midway between each of the solar festivals. They generally celebrate some agrarian aspect (such as sowing or reaping), which is how they got their name. Pagans have special names for each of these celebrations, as well as a determined and widely-accepted date:

SABBAT	PRONUNCIATION	DATE
Yule	/jul/	21/22.12.
Imbolc	/imbolk/	2.2.
Ostara	/ostara/	20.3.
Beltane	/beltein/	1.5.
Litha	/liθa/	20./21.6.
Lughnasadh/Lammas	/lunasa/, /lamas/	31.7./1.8.
Mabon	/meibon/	22./23.9.
Samhain	/sowen/	31.10.

Yule (a.k.a. the winter solstice) represents the beginning of the Pagan year and also the beginning of winter when the Sun starts regaining its strength and days slowly begin to get longer (this is why Pagans celebrate the rebirth of the Sun on this day). Imbolc is the first fire festival of the year and marks the midway point between winter and spring, which is why Pagans celebrate fire on this day (and through it the strength of the Sun) which brings warmth and melts snow. Ostara (a.k.a. the spring equinox) marks the first day of spring and the return of fertility. Beltane is a fire festival that marks the peak of spring as well as fertility. Litha, the summer solstice, marks the beginning of summer, symbolizes the full strength of the Sun but also the oncoming slow decline of the Sun's strength. Lughnasadh is the first of three harvest festivals to come; it marks the first harvest during which we celebrate the earth's abundance and gifts. It therefore falls under the category of fire/land Sabbats. Mabon (a.k.a. the autumn equinox) is the second of the three harvest festivals. It is the time of the second harvest which is also the time of the slow decline of the Sun's power, the nearing of the end of the year and, with it, a time of rest with all the fruits of one's labor. Samhain is the final Sabbat int he Pagan Wheel of the Year, which is why it symbolizes the end of the year, the symbolic death and soon-to-come rebirth and ending of one cycle (which is why many Pagans celebrate their New Year on this day).

The Sabbats essentially represent natural cycles and activities and the general state of nature (that of humans, animals and plants i.e. the land). This is why they perfectly fit into the Pagan worldview which places nature and fertility in the foreground.

The Wheel of the Year with pictorial and textual descriptions and associations
Symbols: flame=fire/land festivals; wheat=harvest festival; moon symbols=the appropriate
aspect of the Goddess which is celebrated at this time
Notes: the name of each Sabbat is colored in a corresponding color, the wheel is divided
into four parts (the four seasons), the red and green semicircles signify the
old Pagans divison of the year (the green semicircle=summer months/summer; the green
semicircle=winter months/winter), the dashed line marks another old Pagan division of
the year in which Samhain marked the beginning of winter, and Beltane the
beginning of summer.

And those are the basics of Paganism! :) I hope that they proved useful to you. Don't hesitate to look around on my blog because you will come across posts that cover each of these topics separately. For example, in the "Sabbats" section of the blog, you can read about each of the Sabbats in detail. In the Witch's Glossary, you can find many terms from this post as well as many more that you may come across in this context. What's best is that they are all explained in one short paragraph (each). Feel free to explore my other posts if this topic interests you. Happy reading!

Until next time. Yours,

Witch's Cat